Redneck Fistula

Anals - Total Anal

2011-07-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

Figured since the Tour, excuse me, le' Tour is winding up, and all you French fux are finally recovering from Bastille day, it would be a good time to post this fine little set of ditties from The Anals.

See this one written about elsewhere, but don't see where you scumbags can grab it, so go fuck yourselves with this high quality vinyl rip.

Pet Peeves, Entertaining Athiests, and the Damaged Bedroom Wizardry of Fastest

2011-07-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who think that just because they are emailing or texting there's no reason to punctuate the end of their sentences. This annoys me even more than people who use lower case for everything. I'm telling you, this stuff really gets on my tits. What I want to know is where and when did this most annoying and unprecedented semantic disaster of a trend begin?

Think about it, the difference between a period and an exclamation mark can make all the freaking difference in tone and perception, and in this tenuous day and age, that loss of inflection could very well be the straw that brakes the camel's back and destroys the world; a sort of linguistic butterfly affect that could send us into the nuclear winter we thought we missed die to the headline grabbing climate change and economic meltdowns. Just envision what kind of absolute crazy shit could have happened if Clinton called an inebriated Yeltsin and hung up without saying bye. srsly

So, as a protest to all those who don't punctuate the end of sentences in texts or emails, and as a salute to people all over the world who make asses of themselves in the name of all the things that really matter (things like world hunger, economic collapse, religious wars, stem-cell disasters, strip mall sprawl, reasonable jury decisions gone wrong and pro sports lockouts) I am vowing to write in run on sentences for the entire weekend.

. . . A few beers later and trying to figure out what I have ran across lately that would consummately sum up how I'm feeling today and none other than the 20th centuries answer to Jandek with its new-wave of sinister pop-princess bent over in the bedroom obscurity and post Ariel Pink landscape ambiguity and mystery and possible portal to the next sphere of underground shame or significance and I can't quite get a grip on the genius of this one but it fucking works despite itself but why nobody knows and sometimes you should just enjoy it for what it is an not over think the shit you know what I mean

Fastest - Theme.

Capturing the essence

2011-06-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

Near and dear and hopelessly lost comp that kicks it unique in all the right places but never forgets where it came from.

over and under or under and over

2011-06-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

Time to take a deep breath and have some fun again. I plan to have some fine tunes up soon, beginning with a lost classic from the beginning of the 90's tribute rampage that has actually aged very well, unlike a lot of its peers.

. . . I know, I'm a fucking tease!

. . . slowly crawling from the primordial ooze of life.

2010-05-25T09:21:00.001-07:00

Fuck me. Has it almost been a year since my last post? I think I'm finally getting my shit back together, so here goes. . . Not a lot of time to write much at the moment, or maybe I'm just lazy, but here's a couple of albums that speak to me in their own way, and are well worth checking out.

Drowning in angst and attitude.

Many reflections. Many moods. Ambient drone attack.

Sabbatical

2009-08-17T20:13:00.001-07:00

It's been a crazy couple of months for me. I know not many people read this blog, but hopefully, if you've just come across it or have been here in the past you can still cull some goodies from the meager depths. In the near future, when I get some time, I hope to put some more good shit up. Until then, peace!

Dead C - Hi God People | Split LP

2009-06-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

Was going through some older vinyl trying to decide if there's anything else at all I can contribute to the vast world of underground sound on the net. I found this out there, but the link was dead, so here's a good rip for ya'.
_________

The ghastly churning grey-noise of the Dead C shares physical space with the psych-folk-strum/pluck and aborigine-beat sound of the Hi God People, both creating metaphysical and foreign sounds aimed at those with a desire for exploration and shocks to reality.

Pure underground excellence, and better than watching the U.S. open or living in North Korea. Released in 2006 w/ beautiful hand-screened covers by Dylan Martorell of Hi God People.

Flourish in the improv aether.

City of Churches | Memelust 7"

2009-06-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

Named after the town where I grew up (not really, but it easily could be.) Anyway, City of Churches is about as antithetical to church as you can get. Packing 62 songs on a 7" leaves little room for filler, so what you get here is some masterfully executed, pure straight-forward relentless and frenzied speed-prog-grind being played like there's no tomorrow. I hope you can forgive me, because I didn't separate the tracks.

In your face.

Mule | ST LP

2009-05-22T12:43:00.001-07:00

On a slight early 90's kick here. . .

I had a friend in high school who dipped Days Of Work chaw and liked MGD. He liked to get drunk and drive backroads tipping cows and shooting road signs with his grandpa's 12 gauge. This was his second favorite album right after Steve Earl's Copperhead Road.

Get you some low down chaw infested dirty ass backwoods wife-beating, cheap beer and whiskey drinking, non-law-abidin' punk rock riffage right here .

Friends of Jesus Lizard or Boss Hog will be especially interested.

Babyland | 1991 EP

2009-05-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

The unabashed eclecticism continues. . .

Brian Turner was playing some Babyland on his WFMU show (possibly the best radio show on the net) the other day and I had forgotten how fucked up over the top these dudes were. Techno-thrashfest cum industrial cheese-wad fuckery to the max. Like a rave full of Tesco Vee lookalikes drunk on whiskey and tripping on bad acid while tooling for anus, and then Ogre comes in and kicks all their leather-clad asses. So dumb as hell yet somehow damn good. Motor.Tool.Appliance must be cranked to 10, and you must mosh to it without shame every time you listen to it. If you don't, the cyberpunk Gods will permanantly implant an earworm of Temple of the Dog's Hunger Strike in your brain while your sleeping.

I think this is floating around out there in very low bitrate, but here's a hq vinyl rip for anybody that might be interested. And basically these are the best four tracks on the You Suck Crap album (with the exception of Reality) which is hit or miss on the rest of the tracks.

Sean Mccann | Boomerangutan & Sway Cdr's

2009-05-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

Jane Pow, Tar, now Sean McCann. . . yeah, I know, I'm crazy.

McCann runs neck and neck with Prurient for most prolific man in the experimental underground. Much like the aforementioned noise guru, a surprising majority of McCann's work is excellent, and you will be hard pressed to find a release of his that isn't worthy of at least one listen.

McCan took off on his musical journey with Boomerangutan in early 2008, and hasn't slowed down, disseminating his spectral sounds on cassette and Cd-r (15 releases proper by my count) but so far nothing on vinyl. Hopefully that will change soon. While McCann gambles with being overly prolific with this many releases, he's also got the skills and the creative capital in the bank to back him up if the dice don't roll his way from time to time.

Boomerangutan consists of 16 untitled tracks ranging in length from 1:26 to 8:38 long, which is a refreshing change from the 20-30 minute long-players which are so prevalent these days. I'm not trying to decry the lengthy tunes, as many times the form is dictated by the nature of improv explorations. That is, it just takes that long for some pieces to culminate and become fully realized. McCann, however, has a knack for packing his shorter tracks to overflowing with interesting and dynamic sounds, each component carefully crafted and placed as to attain utmost efficiency. The economy of his sound, if you will, leaves nothing to waste.

Boomerangutan begins by introducing us to an abundance of disparate but well mixed sounds that congeal in a murky pool whose depth is somewhat concealed upon initial listens, but clears upon subsequent evaluations. A mashup of apparent found sounds, echoing chants, and tribal drumming, all warbling through tape hiss and a distant shoegazed guitar sheen (ala My Bloody Valentine) create an atmosphere of enchantment which never lulls or dulls.

Space-synth notes fluctuate in between the ever-mutating drones as an undergrowth of sound thickens and spawns colorful blooms of noise, mimicking the collaged cover-art of the release. A metallic hue, subtly evident during Boomerangutan's initial tracks, begins to take over the proceedings, pushing the releases essential rhythms and ubiquitous loops into outer-territories, flirting with pure noise and creating a paradox of musical emotion as the dilatory pace is antagonised by the harsher elements of the overall sound. Eventually this bipolarity drives the inmates insane, and a cacophony of inhuman voices overwhelms all but the endless electronic hum and some steady maraca-like percussion, leaving an unsettling feeling behind.

Throughout its remainder, Boomerangutan fluctuates between airy and reflective drones, desultory experiments with large arrays of obscure instruments, pure pedal and synth din, banjo strumming on ramshackle porches with steel guitar accompaniment, and soulful guitar meanderings, obviously lessening in intensity over time, but never losing its anxiety, an element which serves it well, keeping it alert and focused throughout its 72 minutes. The consistency here never becomes boring, and its creativity never goes over the top. Mccann manages to keep affairs intact and focused while wrangling a panoply of unique sounds out of a multitude of sources. Versatility and vision meet controlled chaos as seen through a kaleidoscope of sound.

I was lucky enough to get a hold of these two early on, and a quick search did not indicate they're available anywhere, so here they are now for your consumption.

Boomerangutan

Sway

Tar | Clincher

2009-05-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

Tar, "One of the most underappreciated bands of the 90's." Truer words (as uttered by jspdilla on RYM) have not been said. This album has only 18 ratings at RYM, which is truly amazing, considering how good all of Tar's work was.

Smear some of this all over your ears and call me in the morning.

Tar | Teetering b/w The In Crowd

2009-05-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

To be filed under more long lost 90's greatness. Don't know what it is, but groups like this who seriously slayed have seemingly been completely forgotten. You never hear any love for bands like Tar or Godheadsilo or Karp etc. It's like the entire 90's sludge/metal/am-rep punk underground has been skipped over, and all you hear groups now tallking about influence wise is either krautrock, psych or drone. There's an entire lexicon of exceptional underground rock from the the early to mid 90's that folks need to get back to. It all basically comes and goes from one place, so this genre-montheism can fuck off.

Thanks to Shiny Grey Monotone for posting these Tar singles and reminding how good Tar were. Oh, and here's some more Tar goodies at The Power of Independent Trucking that should also help cure your noise rock fix for a while.

indie rock that is really indie rock

Jane Pow | Warm Room b/w Shut Down

2009-05-03T07:16:00.001-07:00

Ok, we’re going to go in a totally different direction with this one. Jane Pow were a indie power-pop band from Southhampton, England who sailed to the states via the Slumberland label. They put out a few singles and the Love It Be It LP, but faded away quickly following the steps of many of their peers.

The A side, Warm Room, is more melancholy and atmospheric than the more rock-like numbers on the Love It Be It LP (and CD of which the two single tracks were included), a feeling which I think worked much pretty for the band, as the LP seemed a bit inconsistent and somewhat off-kilter, which is not to say it doesn't have it's standout moments. The B side, Shut Down, is a good straight forward power-pop song with some good guitar and killer drums.

This single spent plenty of time spinning on my roommate/best friend's Pioneer turntable back in the day, and helped me through many a blue period. This is a pretty timeless record from an age when things didn't seem so damn cynical, and endless joy could be found in simplicity. But I'm sure all people say that as they grow older, as the adage "the more things change, the more they stay the same" always seems to hold true. So enough of that. I hope you find this music as ethereal and meaningful as I did, and still do.

Warm Room/Shut Down

This Jane Pow site says the full-length is LP only, but you can actually get the CD reissue direct from Slumberland for $8.

Youth of the Beast | Lantern 7"

2009-04-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

They've been putting something good and quite possibly highly hallucinogenic in the water up in Iowa City the past few years because that little town has been spawning good sounds left and right. A lot of it revolves around the Raccoo-oo-oon camp, so it's all high caliber.

Keywords to hone in on in this Arbor blurb about this 2007 release; primitive electronics, basement, noise, psychedelic, saxophone scrawl, epic percussion, etc. They're saying all the right words, but this ain't no all bark and no bite biz.

Youth of the Beast is pure primitive electronics, suffocating saxophone scrawl and epic percussion. Acting as the solo output for Raccoo-oo-oon’s Andy Spore, this record is YOTB’s first vinyl offering following up a few tapes on Night People and Fuck It Tapes. Blistering vocal screeches and mixer feedback blasts meld with stray tones as brass wails and drums are pounded. Spore is a master of channeling the spirits right into the basement where he crafts his jams, creating a captivating mass of noise and psychedelic signals crossing for a painfully beautiful 10 minutes. Breathless sax solos and massive tribal percussion interspersed throughout. The sum of all these parts is something intense, unknown; an ever evolving sonic creature as bleak as it is restless. In an edition of 315 records with EPIC xeroxed double sided/double foldover (you’ll understand it when you see it) sleeves and printed labels by Spore.

A quick Google search didn't indicate this one was out there so get your grubby hands on it.

Post Alarmist Dracula Safai

2009-04-29T10:06:00.001-07:00

Post Alarmist droogs getting it back on. Featuring Inca Ore, Ghost to Falco, Tunnels and Argumentix. Alarmist existed from 2004-2005, and you may ask yourself what makes them so goddamn important that they get a tribute album? Who the hell knows the answer to that, but I do know this is one kick-ass comp. A quick look at the RYM ratings (all two of them) for Alarmist's Evil Works Get Rich or Try Dying Evil Works album gets a whopping 1.20 rating. WTF do RYMer's know! Anyway, this is good stuff so here's the weirdness.

4/23/2010 | National Hammer and Sickle T-shirt day

2009-04-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Due to this unfortunate episode, I proclaim the first annual National Hammer and Sickle T-shirt day shall be April 23, 2010. Get one and wear it proudly!

And kudos to the Flaming Lips for rising above it all, and truly showing how they are, and always shall be true Oklahoma Icons that care more about people than popularity and getting votes.

Update. Just found this . . . Wayne's response.

My Bloody Valentine | Palladium Ballroom | Dallas, Tx 4-22-09

2009-04-23T14:44:00.001-07:00

Dave Chappelle had a skit on his show that explained the differences between what white folks and black folks liked in music. It was freaking hilarious, and basically showed how much rhythm and style black folks have when it comes to music, and how us white folks dig the noisy guitar-driven stuff. So, as I was standing there sipping on a Crown and Coke and blissfully taking the pummeling from MBV's guitar barrage, it dawned on me that they are in fact the epitome of white folks music, and that is not at all a bad thing.

MBV are loud, somewhat aggressive in a non-threatening way, and noisy as hell with the vocals and rhythm section taking backseat to the effects pedal-chained guitars, a fact that is even more evident in their live show than it is on their albums, which are noisy and raw enough in and of themselves. As I stood there taking it all in, I noticed something very interesting, people were hardly moving. At first I thought maybe the crowd wasn't into it, but that wasn't it at all. Everybody was mesmerized, as MBV's sound is hypnotic, repetitive, and in an emotional way, moving.

Thus, attending an MBV show is to experience a ritual. The sounds as evinced by the pulsating and subtly rhythmic guitars mix with the sights as shown by the customary background film footage and the slight rocking, trance-like movements of the band; both coming together in the end, producing a deafening wall of noise which is completed by syncopated flashes of light which cover the darkness of the motionless crowd. The experience is not only visual and aural, it is physical, as your entire body is actually shaken and the hair on your head and arms is blown back by an actual breeze that is produced by the huge wall of guitar feedback, much like the blows of a concert kick-drum, but somehow more surreal and limitless.

__________

I was planning on posting some photos here, but forgot my camera at the hotel, so all I got where some crappy cell phone pics that aren't even worth publishing here. However, here's some good photos I found of flickr you can check out if your interested.

flickr MBV

Also, check out the My Bloody Valentine cover of Map Ref 41N 93W in the previous post. Wow!

Whore: A Tribute to Wire

2009-04-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

As far as tribute albums go, this one sets the standard. Whore takes on a life of its own, while never forgetting its heritage. I've had this album in my collection for going on fifteen years, and it never ceases to amaze; just like the originals.

A 1990's menagerie of seminal bands including Bark Psychosis, My Bloody Valentine, Fudge Tunnel, Godflesh, Lush, Band of Susans, and one of the godfathers of Post-Punk, Mike Watt.

consummate strangeness

COOP Ale Works Do Not Resuscitate Belgian Style Golden Ale

2009-04-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

Brand new from the recently established COOP Ale Works, and the "biggest beer brewed in Oklahoma." Weighing in at 10% ABV this one packs a nice punch, but the intricacies and attention to craftsmanship are what make this beer what it is. I tried this at Mcnellie's pub in OKC a few weeks ago, and it was served in a pint glass. At that time I appreciated the beer, and there was no doubt it was a good beer, but it wasn't until last night when I requested it in a snifter did it's aromas and flavors truly reveal themselves. There's proof positive that glassware does in fact make a difference, so don't settle if you don't have to. Now that doesn't mean go out and make a beer-snob ass out of yourself over glassware either. Ok, enough of the spiel, on to the beer.

Color is a bright, slightly hazy orange and there's a nice off-white covering of dense froth. A few long lines of lacing exist and stick around for the duration. Vanilla, light fruits (pears, oranges, grapes) and spicy aromas waft to the nose. Tastes of big sweet malts which surround more spices, toffee and sweet bread. There's a quick hint of graininess toward the end. The alcohol heat is noticeable, but not overwhelming, and it in no way detracts from the other elements and the overall experience. Mouth-feel is medium plus, and it goes down smooth and a bit more creamy than expected, hovering close to tripel territory in that sense.

I'm not going to deny that I have some local bias on this one, but trust me, it is an excellent example of the style. Chase Healy and the fellows at COOP really have their hand on the pulse of where beer is going, and they know how to translate that knowledge into great beer. Apparently, and in addition to the Native Amber ale which is already available, they have a porter, a wheat, and a "cervesa" (sounds interesting) on the way, but I'll have to be honest, I'm really looking forward to another bigger brew from these guys, as this one turns out to be a great initial move that should put them on the craft beer map.

COOP Ale Works

Mcnellie's Pub

Electric Annihilation zine

2009-04-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

20 pages of pure noise-psych-punk excellence here. Just like the old days when you had to send SASE's (self addressed stamped envelope for you youngsters) to get your favorite zines, this one is only mail-order, and that's completely bad-ass. Includes interviews with Wet Hair, Emeralds, John Olson of Wolf Eyes, Sun Araw, and superheros Henry Rollins and Thurston Moore. I've thumbed through this issue and there's some awesome concert pics, along with the customary Rollins "I'm going to kick your fucking ass" photo. The Cameron Stallones (Sun Araw) interview, which is the only one I've had a chance to read was enlightening as he explains the creative process and the influences behind his otherworldly sounds, which made me anxious to get to the rest of the zine. It's $3, and that's just 19 cents more than a medium vanilla malt at Braums. WTF are you waiting on?

ZINE!

Group Bombino

2009-04-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

Group Bombino, Guitars from Agadez Vol. 2, the follow up to Group Inerane, Guitars from Agadez Vol. 1, begs the question, could it get any better? The answer, as with any question dealing with music, is highly subjective. Both albums consist of some of the most intense, soulful, unique, and satisfying tunes to come out in the last few years, and that is something that really can't be argued.

While Group Bombino may initially lack the distortion and immediacy of Group Inerane, they still retain the most important elements unique to both releases, and that's the transcendental and transportive aspects that exist throughout all the songs. The sublimating properties take us to higher places, while the foreign sound and feel takes us to more exotic locales. The softer approach taken by Group Bombino makes this trip a bit more laid back, less extreme and dangerous, but in many ways deeper and more intricate, allowing for a more intimate experience.

Even when you turn the record over to Side B, and Group Bombino introduce electric guitars, the unhurried attitude is not lost, and the deep rhythms and grooves are still present. Side B seems to be recorded in a live setting, or a maybe a more "livelier" setting (the entire album is a field recording as was Vol. 1) as it sounds like it was possibly presented to the recording crew with an audience that the first side did not have. You can vividly imagine yourself sitting among the Taureg in their remote desert village, listening to the steady and subtle drum rhythms, constant funky guitar movements, and realizing how important music is to these people, and how much talent (creative and technical) that these musicians have.

I'll have to admit that at first Group Bombino seemed a bit of a let down to me, and I don't quite know why. Maybe it was the lack of initial electricity so evident with Group Inerane, as maybe I was looking for something to rock out to. But after a few listens the complexity of harmony and composition truly showed itself, and now I can't keep this record off the turntable. With all that I've said, I don't want it to seem that the laid back atmosphere of Group Bombino is in any way antipodean to Group Inerane's excitement, as the both serve as near perfect compliments to each other.

seek and you shall find

Herds | Spring b/w Katmai | Self-titled 7"

2009-03-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

Brutality meets finesse and fist fucks its way into a frenzy. Awesome change-ups, mosh-pit aggression, and tight guitar switchbacks make this some of the best hardcore I've heard in years. You can tell when a band has control of the chaos, and these guys have ultimate control. The instrumentation is tight; the vocals mean and tested.

In a way, you're heard it all before, but what haven't you heard before? There's nothing wrong with perfecting a true and tested style, and Herds perfect the shit out of hardcore. While there's so many new sounds being explored these days, and while some could argue hardcore ran it's course many years ago, it pays to keep to the basics and not judge a record by its genre. Ultimate punk goodness for friends of SSD, B'last, the Effigies, Die Kreuzen, and Negative Approach.

Buy the ST 7" at Fashionable Idiots.

Grab the sold out Spring b/w Katmai 7" here.

I personally think the ST is the better of the two, and it's only $4. So if you still appreciate the good shit grab it while you can.

Magik Markers | The Voldoror Dance

2009-03-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

The Voldoror Dance, released as a limited edition through the Southern Records Latitudes series in late 2007, is perhaps my favorite Magik Markers release, with the exception of Boss. Taking into consideration its expansive qualities and scope, and how hard it is to pull off improv sound over long periods of time (2 of the 4 songs are over 20 minutes, and one is almost 15 minutes long) and comparing it to Boss' song-oriented approach, which we're finding out is actually working out well for the Markers, The Voldoror Dance still gives Boss a run for its money, eventually being beat out by a half-length in a photo finish by the fact that Boss is more of a consistent record throughout.

The Markers can pull the long-player noise rock off well, and they keep things interesting when they lock in the groove. Unlike some bands that tend to black out in an epileptic fit of pure boring noise while exploring the frontiers, straying too far from the pack and getting lost in a wilderness of desultory noise, The Magik Markers maintain the focus (in most cases). So if you want a good dose of Elisa's angsty, echoing and yes, sexy vocals, mixed with Pete Nolan's unwavering drumming, all drenched in the feedback, sub-shoegaze, wah-pedal driven wall of sound that the Markers are known for, then take advantage of the wonders of the internet age and DL this shit now.

Dance Magic

Bear Republic | Big Bear Black Stout

2009-03-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is by no means a new or unique beer, but it's new to me, as Oklahoma is always a few years behind on everything, if not decades. But the way I figure it, the more people that are turned on to good beer in these parts, the more the top tier craft breweries will take notice of this state, and the better the chances we'll be getting better distributorship. So, when I get the chance to promote something I believe in, I don't pass it up. Just ask my friend and family, who are probably sick of hearing about beer.

All that being said, there are some good things happening on the beer front here, as Marshall brewing in Tulsa has established itself, and COOP Ale Works in OKC is taking off, so it's becoming apparent that Oklahoma definitely has some good beer lovers who are ready and willing to support the tasty stuff. Also, let us not forget to mention Choc Beer Company, the original Oklahoma craft brewers, who were making Choc beer way before craft was cool, and who gave the big bird to the man, as home/small-batch-brewing was not always legal.

Ok, let's get to the beer.

A thin, bubbly, dark tan head disappears after a minute or so and leaves some small spots of lacing behind. Color is pitch-black and ominous. Toasted malts, burnt sugar, taffy and dark chocolates float to the nose. After your olfactory sense filters through those complexities, a subtle earthiness and some pine push through.

Initially tastes of deep, dark chocolate with little to no sweetness noticeable. Big roasted malts come into play right before a nice hop bitterness is noticed. Underneath it all exists some very slight caramel sweetness, an almond nuttiness and a nice alcohol heat. Mouth-feel is on the heavy side of medium. It goes down smooth and doesn't weigh on the stomach. A quick shake results in a good blast of carbonation bubbles, which leads to an openness on the palate.

Many times Russian Imperial Stouts can be cloying or terribly unbalanced. This is not the case with the Big Bear, as Bear Republic, who don't seem to be able to do any wrong, have made another near-perfect brew.

Taurpis Tula | Sparrows

2009-03-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

OOP improv goodness from the much beloved and down to earth (check out her TMT and Digitalis interviews) Heather Leigh Murray of Charalambides and Scorces fame, and David Keenan, editor of Wire magazine. This is spacious vocal/ambient/drone beatification of the highest order. The furtive lushness implicit in its demeanor melds into its steely atmosphere, and the chamber-like emptiness never overwhelms the dreaminess as much as it keeps things from completely floating away.

Fecundity blurs the boundaries between the average and the exceptional, but time is quickly separating the extraordinary from the mediocre, and albums such as Sparrows are evidence that great things can fly away, but sometimes also come back to nest.

Released in 2004 on Eclipse records

get down make love

Rogue XS Imperial Younger's Special Bitter

2009-03-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Had this out of one of the newer Rogue black XS series 750 ml ceramics. Not for sure if Rogue's pulling a Brett Favre or not here as supposedly this one is retired. Anyway, a prolific, bubbly tan head sits patiently atop a dark amber brew. Retention is excellent, and when it finally recedes, a dense, chunky lacing is left behind.

Smells of earthy, piny hops, with some faint citrus in the background. Tastes of more piny hops and faint citrus. Following the hops some caramel malts come into play, mixing perfectly. Eventually some faint dark chocolates and honey are also noticed floating around the palate, adding extra taste and texture, and reflecting the choice ingredients used. Mouth-feel lies on the heavy side of medium, and there's a fair amount of carbonation. At 52 IBU's this one is probably not going to excite the extreme hopheads, but the bitterness is noticeable, and most importantly it works in concert with the other elements in the brew.

The XS beers do seem a bit pricey, but everybody has to figure out for themselves how much a beer is worth, and ultimately the market, and the politics of beer (as Rogue's ethics have been called into question more than once) will decide what price these brews can sustain. You must also keep in mind that 750ml equates to over 25 ounces, so you are getting a little more than you would in a regular 22 oz. bomber, if that makes you feel any better.

Axolotl / Inca Ore | Split 7"

2009-03-14T11:46:00.000-07:00

Long gone but not forgotten psychedelic drone/vocal explorations from Axolotl and Eva Inca Ore. This is an Arbor recordings release, so you know it's going to be tight. I couldn't find this one on the net (which doesn't mean it's not out there) so I figured I would share it with you fine folks. All two of you, one of which includes my wife.

As usual here's the highest quality .mp3 rip from clean vinyl and impeccable source.

наслаждайтесь

Barn Owl / Tom Carter | Split LP

2009-03-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

By their very nature, the words drone and noise have negative connotations. I mean, have you ever heard anybody say, "boy, I love that drone coming from that broken AC unit in the apartment next door", or "wow, don't you just love that noise coming from the construction site across the street." Further contemplation on the subject, with a focus on the proliferation of drone and noise musics over the past few years, may lead one to immediately marginalize the movement due to the sheer negativity associated with it.

In many cases the marginalization of noise would be validated by the numbers of groups/individuals simply stringing together affects pedals or plucking a detuned guitar string while repeatedly singing the same monotonous note and never developing an unique identity or furthering the cause. Homogeneity is never good, but all forms of music are susceptible to the trap of sameness that can stultify creativy, with the drone and noise movments perhaps more susceptible to this than other styles/genres due to the ease of entry into the club (your mind and some cheap equipment). However, one must be careful not to sublimate craft and virtuosity over exploration and independence.

With last years Split LP, Barn Owl and Tom Carter have found a good symbiosis between the nobility of skill and talent and the credibility of experimentation and improvisation, a progression which sculpts and works toward a mastery of noise, taming it with well chosen tools of the trade and awareness of history, while also letting it run free with an adventuresome spirit when need be. Barn Owl fills the A side with 3 tracks of medium length (5-9 minutes). This gives them just enough time to create energy and build their sound without losing the listener. It is a strategy that works well here, which is not to say they aren't capable of pulling off longer songs.

Track 1, Flight Of Annhinga, glides across a barren landscape before entering a dark chamber where fluted echos dance between walls in a sublime ritual, trancelike at first, then finding its way back out into the open. Reflective and anxious drum beats help expand the ever-growing sound as borders are crossed and new lands are explored, finally drifting back to the nest of silence. Track 2, Burning Dunes In Moonlight, the shortest on the disc, introduces a subtle metallic chaos which transforms into a parched plane of guitar austerity (it is apparent that Mr. Carter worked with Barn Owl on this track and on track 3) that plays out as a bright orange sun sets. Uluru picks up where Burning Dunes left off, only now the sun is rising, and it burns a little cooler than before, but still creates enough heat within it's core to finish the A side with some free-flowing, slow-burning guitar work that injects a little bad-ass into the mix.

Side B consists of Tom Carter's contribution to the disc, the long-player, Train Kept, which takes on a more chaotic tone than Side A, as it begins restless with feedback sculptures and lead guitar scorchers. On a somewhat diminished level it retains, for a few moments, an atmosphere of doom and ominousness, until preparation is supplanted by destruction, and the bomb is finally dropped. Crunching the pedal to the metal, probing dangerously, and speeding recklessly, Train Kept careens along a winding road, but never goes over the edge.

All things considered, this album dissolves enough expectation to keep on a forward thinking path, while also adding the right amount of tradition to avoid floating aimless off into space. The fact that complacency and cliche' are never flirted with here evinces a devotion to form without sacrificing content, a balance that these two artists most probably learned through not only practice, but also trial and error. This album is pure proof that writing off all drone or noise as mere obstreperous sound could lead to some serious missing out.

ear and mind maintenance

Gown | On The River

2009-02-27T10:31:00.000-08:00

Upon a first listen this dude struck me as somewhat different than the rest of the people in the trailer park. The vocals are prominent in the mix, and there's some very traditional elements going on with the guitar work, but there's also plenty of scuzz and weirdness going on as well, which balances everything out nicely.

Gown is Andrew Mcgregor, who messes around in Bark Haze, owns a burrow owl, and hooks up with Thurston Moore, so you know he's got the creativity going on. On The River came out last year in a limited edition Cdr of 130, and might be hard to find now, but I've solved that for you, so there's no excuses. Trust me, this is well worth taking a few minutes out of your day to check out.

stop, collaborate and listen.

Crazy Dreams Band | ST

2009-02-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

A truly unexpected going against the grain with just enough grounding in tradition to keep the entire ship from blowing off course and sinking at sea, Crazy Dreams Band mixes Siouxsie type beauty and eeriness with Elizabeth Fraser type ambiguity, Devo-ish type geekiness, and Janis Joplin style abandon. And while there are tons of comparisons to be made, and while Lexie Mountain grooves to the sound of an all together different synthesizer, these anachronistic qualities in no way detract from the overall originality of this album.

Bridging the gap between the hippies and punks while making inroads with the new-wavers and post punks, Crazy Dreams Band produces mostly fun, but in some places haunting dance tunes which might play well at a break dance full of schizophrenics tripping on kif or with a classroom full of attention deficit disorders who've been without Ritalin for a few days while being forced to watch Richard Simmons videos.

Weaving its way through a maze of space junk, waxing and waning like a killing moon, and seeing through a looking glass which peers back into a different time and place while also gazing into the future, Lexie and crew provide utmost listening pleasure for those who are willing to slightly alter their perceptions of what music has been and what music can be. For me this is a refreshing change of pace from some of the minimal musics that are monopolizing the sound scape today, and it's no surprise that the eclectic, but consistent Holy Mountain label has put this doozie out for us to enjoy over repeated listens.

You really should purchase this, because all things considered and comparatively speaking, it's pretty darn cheap.

W=O=R=D | Kurkov - Death and the Penguin

2009-02-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

A sentimental story of a penguin named Misha, and a young girl named Sonya is horrifically complicated by human and adult machinations such as burglars being dismembered by land mines, fateful obituaries written by the protagonist Viktor Alekseyevich Zolotaryov, and Russian Mafia hits, which all help blur the boundaries between Viktor's total denial of his precarious position on this planet, and his fondness for pet Misha, Sonya (a co-conspiritor's daughter), and newfound friend Sergey.

On the most obvious level, Viktor's dealings with his work, and the subsequent problems that arise from that work, make up the meat of the book. On another level, the penguin Misha, who just happens to appear waddling through the madness and "pops" up at the most opportune times creates a surreal comedic relief, while the precocious, endearing character of Sonya helps keep us warm inside, despite the cold Russian winter that seems to seep into the story and off the page with an unrelenting chill.

As we fear for what may be in store for our newly formed and curious family, the story edges closer to the thin ice, and we hear a creaking, but as with all good literature, things are probably not what they seem, and endings are not so tidy. Death and the Penguin is a fairly easy read, but don't let that fool you, as there is much going on between the lines, and it says just enough about the human condition and human nature to foment reflection without being didactic.

Vineland has also been on my reading list for a while, and I'm currently winding my way through it's "out-there" maze. This is not Pynchon at his best, but a fun read as usual. I would actually rank it 3rd on my list of Pynchon novels I've read so far, with Gravity's Rainbow first, followed by The Crying of Lot 39, then Vineland and then Mason & Dixon. I'll have to reserve final judgment until I completely finish it.

Oh yeah, also just picked up Patrick Mcgrath's Blood and Water and Other Tales, and read the first story, The Angel, with it's killer ending all bizarre and fucked up and meaningful and which has me all excited to get to the next story. I got the paperback for $1.00 + shipping off Amazon Marketplace. That place is amazing, and you can find just about any book you're looking for on the cheap. While the pages are yellowed, it's still in good condition and who really gives a fuck about that anyway, as the content is what it's all about.

Skullflower | Rift

2009-02-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

I went through a period in the early 90's when I was grabbing the most obscure shit I could find through mail order. At that time, obviously, Al Gore hadn't invented the internet (at least as we now know it), thus there weren't any blogs, and I lived in southeastern Oklahoma, so there weren't that many, actually, there weren't ANY folks interested in listening to noise rock, so I did what I could to find the coolest shit I could.

At the time I dug this record for it's "out-there" qualities, but it sounded like pure noise, and I never really delineated the instruments/voices etc. in my mind. Over time I've grown to appreciate it much more, and it frequently finds itself rotating through my play lists, so here's to some good old fashion psych-noise to get your toes a tappin'.

Track one, Rift, is good in it's own right, but Avalanche kicks out the fucking jams with some endless psych soloing and morphed vocal insanity all layered over, under and through some killer riffage and rumbling undercurrents of turbulent harsh noise. The improv-noise end of the underground spectrum has come a ways since the early 90's, but you will be hard pressed to find anything that comes close to this shit now.

Purloin.

Real Ale Sisyphus

2009-02-19T16:03:00.000-08:00

I have thoroughly enjoyed all the previous Real Ale brews I've tried, and I approach this one with much anticipation. This 2007 vintage pours cherry red with some orange hues. The head grows to almost one finger in height, but not until the very end of the pour, and it recedes quickly with some disorganized spots of lacing left behind. The smell of very sweet caramel and resiny hops mix as some dark fruits, yeast and grain move around underneath. A faint musty earthiness is detected.

The hops don't hit upon the first sip as much as they linger throughout the palate. There's a good amount of fruity tanginess and bready sweetness which balances things perfectly, and doesn't keep the barley and pine resin from surfacing toward the end. The body lies toward the medium to heavy end, but it's goes down smooth, without much alcohol (11.5%) being noticed, and without weighing too much on the stomach. This is an exceptional barleywine that doesn't seem as extreme tasting as it's alcohol content would suggest, and whose components work in concert without individual extravagances.

Hijokaidan | Noise from Trading Cards

2009-02-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

For some reason this one seems to be conspicuously absent from the blogosphere, and seeing how it's apparently OOP, I figure it deserves to be listened to just as much as any of the other million downloads out there. Do you ever feel like this shit is just too easy these days? I don't know. I'm on the fence. On the one hand I'm so stoked that so many great sounds are available, but on the other hand it seems like the availability is overwhelming, and a bit too easy. I've got a word pad list as long as my arm with stuff I've downloaded and need to listen to, which isn't a big problem, but it is what it is. In the long run, I suppose there will always be value in the actual physical product, especially with the limited edition stuff. So maybe I should just enjoy the music, and quit over-fucking-analyzing everything.

Hijokaidan's most popular release (which might not be saying much) may not be as relentless and unwavering as some of their other fine exhibits of noise, but it's a good punch in the gut or flick of the balls that creates that long, drawn out ache that seems to linger somewhere between extreme pain and an unyielding and highly bothersome disturbance of comfort. And despite issues of desensitization, this music is, has been, and probably always will be food for the soul of masochistic noise fans.

This type of noise seeks out the sensitive parts of our psyche and body as a sort of psychosomatic virus coded to invade and conquer our better sensibilities while belying the mask of convention and betraying common-sense. That is, rather than putting on something sane you continue to hear/listen to the insanity, and rather than following that wise voice in your head that says "turn that shit down", you continue to turn it up.

Individual Japanese noise outfits seem to create (and seemed to have created) from a common thread/goal/method, while also unraveling that thread with each destruction of expectation and every minute of ostensible senselessness, going in a thousand different directions, eventually somehow resolving their fits of chaos, turning them into manageable textures and sounds, eventually engendering unique sound through chaos. Hijokaidan seem to be the paradigm of this model, which is not surprising, as there is an incestuous ancestry in Japanese noise of this type.

Noise From Trading Cards came out in 1997, 16 years after their first release, so it is fair to say some sort of realization, but not exactly progression had been made in that time. And despite the unspoken ethics of noise, which are not so much concerned with progression or maturation as with experiment and form, it can be safe to assume some sort of development in sound was sought after, and achieved, as that is the nature of the artistic beast. That being said, do not fear that Noise From Trading Cards in any way softens the blows or moves too far away from the intensity of sound that Hijokaidan is known for, because the only thing to fear in this realm of sound is that the aural kick in the balls just might rupture something.

The Hijokaidan story.

Bleed your ears.

Left Hand Chainsaw Ale

2009-02-14T12:47:00.001-08:00

I have always been a big fan of the Left Hand Sawtooth Ale due to the fact that it retains drinkability (not the Bud Light kind) while maintaining a hearty taste, so I've been looking forward to getting my hands the Chainsaw Ale (or Double Sawtooth). Here I'm reviewing the 2008 vintage.

There's a good amount of sediment in the bottom of the bottle that mixes up after a little bit the usual before pour handling. The pour is a hazy ruby red that is finished off with a one and a half finger, quickly fading light tan head. A few splotches of lace are left on one side of the glass. The aroma is big on sour cherries up front, then comes some figs, yeast, and burnt sugar. The aroma is deep, bold, and somewhat gnarly. The taste involves some toasted malts, dark fruits, subtle hops, bubblegum, and taffy. A bit of astringency exists. Mouth-feel is medium to full-bodied, and goes down just a little uneven, but nothing too extreme.

Left Hand makes some great brews, and seeing as they're one of the first Craft brewers I really started following, I have a lot of nostalgia for them. That being said, some of their bigger brews, while getting high marks on complexity and taste, lack just a little too much in the balance department to get them to that next tier of brews.

Emeralds | What Happened

2009-02-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

As you read about What Happened across the blogosphere, and you hear about it (and hear it) on podcasts galore, and now reviews of it are popping up like ads on a porn site, you realize that Emeralds most recent release might possibly be the most buzzed about underground album of the year so far. I don’t know if that is necessarily saying much, as things seem to be taking off kind of slow in 09’, but if trends in Emeralds history hold true, all the buzz is probably warranted. I guess there’s only one way to find out though. So let’s give it a listen.

Track one, Alive in the Sea of Information floats on a bubbly and active sea of electronics, moving in many directions, and is less static than most of the Emeralds earlier output; although there still exists an undercurrent of drone ambience that makes itself more palpable about half way through the track. One of the first things I notice is the clarity of the various sounds/elements of the track. They are separate and distinct, as the production on What Happened is clearly moving toward a cleanliness is next to godliness aesthetic. Toward the end of the track there is a reflective moment where all is contained in a slow fading out of the sounds, and I am moved. Damaged Kids creeps us out and continues restless through a spacey weirdness which pulsates through depths pierced by clicks and blips and synth-waves that grow in power and feed on themselves, layer building upon layer until all their energies are expelled. This is an uber-planetary-prog exploration which traps us in sheer moments of bliss, but eventually lets us float away. Up In the Air and Living Room create an indelible laser-etching in our minds eye of the beautiful abstract landscape painting which is What Happened, and form the almost pure ambient backbone, mixed with some subtle post-rock like guitar wanderings, upon which the rest of the album rests. Disappearing Ink ends the journey with even more dream-like guitar which lightens the mood and eventually meanders back into a sanctuary of psychedelic light which shines through stained glass etched with saints as well as sinners.

In a recent Tiny Mix Tapes interview, Steve Hauschildt (a member of the trio, along with Mark Mcguire and John Elliot) states, "It’s good to be prolific, and it’s good to always be playing; however, I think you’ve gotta have a lot of discretion." So what exactly does this mean, and why the change of heart? Have Emeralds slowed down in their old age? No, it can’t be that, as they haven't (comparably speaking) been around that long. That's not to say that by looking at their already vast discography, you might be guilty of thinking they are godfathers of the new avant-drone. But actually, the answer probably lies somewhere between a good sense of career history trajectories of previous artists who have managed to stay alive in a vast underground, while also maintaining artistic integrity over time, mixed with a good perception of place, a good sense of personal artistic progression, and also a moving toward minimizing output, at the expense of excess, while focusing all their creative energies on releases that make stronger statements not only due to their content, but also due to their new-found salience in smaller numbers. This is a rise to prominence of content and form through diminution of releases.

Now, all that being said, fucking watch them go out and release 20 cassettes this year. Even if that were the case, releases such as What Happened and last years excellent Solar Bridge will always stand out if not just for the larger scale of the release numbers wise, but the format (CD) of the release. That being said, can we say "discretion" is the better part of valor on What Happened? And does it deserve all the buzz it's getting throughout the webosphere? Well, the answer is a resounding yes, and I'm not going to make any apologies for or against fan bias or bandwagonning, as What Happened is not only a positive step forward for Emeralds, but for current underground music scenes in general. What Happened is a reworking of the old with a good injection of new sensibility. A good ear for tradition, and a good mind for exploration and progression have served Emeralds well.

Overall, What Happened reminds me more of Hauschuldt's solo Rapt for Liquid Minister than Solar Bridge, but it's still distinctly Emeralds, and as we proceed through what is likely going to be a rough, uneven, and possibly even painful year ahead, we can take comfort in knowing some folks out there haven't forgotten how to make us feel better through exceptional art.

приобретение

Never Presence Forever - Ungeromimizu | Split 7"

2009-01-30T15:38:00.000-08:00

A top tier release from 2008 that somehow got lost in the rampage of excellent noise and transgression. A ritualistic drone darkness is punctuated by electronic extremes, as witnessed by huddling masses, seeking a succor from the cold. In between techno-beats and humanity as evinced as negative news-samples, a voice arises and changes everything. From one end of the continuum to the other, this 7" encapsulates much more meaning than one could hope to expect from such "simplistic" forms.

sacrifice your ears.

W=O=R=D | Noise/Music A History - Hegarty

2009-01-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

Noise/Music: A History by Paul Hegarty, is an intellectual exploration of the importance of noise in music, and how simply writing "noise" off as only noise, fails to see the aesthetic purpose that noise, and the avant-garde serves in our current soundscape. Using literary critiques by philosophical giants such as Hegel and Bataille, and musical interpretations by Adorno and Kahn as starting points, as well as comparative points, Hegarty proves the worth of noise, which I interpret as the complete absence of expectation in sound (or even the absence of composed sound as in Cage's 4'33").

Noise works on many levels. One of those levels is the initial perception of the sound, which, in many cases is off-putting. It also works on intellectual, spatial, personal and emotional levels, many times reflecting the world we live in, thus serving a higher cultural purpose than just something that makes us cringe. Hegarty, obviously explores this in much more detail and depth and with much more erudition than I ever could, juxtaposing it against a number of different artists, movements and theories, which helps strengthen its place in music, and gives us an idea where experimentation in noise might lead us in the future.

If you're like me, you are completely fascinated with the new sounds and textures that are being created these days, and you see that the creative process is alive and strong in the musical underground. You also want to delve deeper into the meaning of it all, because you realize that just "enjoying" it is only half the fun. Hopefully those of you interested in the movement of noise in music throughout the 20th century and into the 21st and beyond will find an impetus to pick up this book and obtain a deeper understanding of the workings in the sounds we experience.

Boulevard Imperial Stout

2009-01-17T14:38:00.000-08:00

This is one of those beers that you have to ask yourself, is it all that good, and is all the hype just a little overblown? You never know until you try, but I pretty much have an idea by the Smokestack's history, it's probably going to be pretty good. Then again, there's always an exception to the rule, but let's hope this one isn't it. This one is numbered 00055/11960 and shows the 11% abv, which I like seeing, as the bigger Boulevard brews always have a good blend on the alcohol.

A massive multi-colored, light and dark-tan head explodes and rises quickly above the rim of the snifter. It's topped with a crop of big bubbles, and recedes at a snails pace, leaving stacked sheets of slightly broken lacing all around. You have to be careful with the pours on the Smokestacks, i.e. the Doublewide, or you're gonna get froth all over the place. No complaints here though. Color is pitch-black and opaque, with virtually no lighter shades showing when held to light. Aromatically this one is very complex, but that's no surprise. Burnt wood, some ubiquitous Boulevard brettanomyces (which seem to show up lately), burnt sugar, toasted bread, wheat, pine, subtle dark fruits and hops all work in unison to create a perfectly balanced aromatic profile.

A smooth, creamy and very slightly viscous mouth-feel makes for a medium to full bodied experience that is actually highly drinkable, but warrants sipping due to the well-hidden alcohol content. The palate is filled with dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, furtive candy spices, roasted malts and a good hit of alcohol that works itself into the overall experience well, while not being overbearing. In my opinion the hype surrounding this beer is well-deserved, but you'll just have to seek it out and give it a shot yourself.

Left Hand Smoke Jumper: Smoked Imperial Porter

2009-01-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

Serendipity strikes on this one, as I found it down at Joe's Place in Norman, where I like to stop in and see what they've got lying around, as they seem to have all the new beers before anyone else in the metro. So, seeing as I'm trying to drink my blues away after the National Championship loss, a good ole big smoked porter seems like the perfect cure to go along with the George Mitchell blues collection I've got in the play list at the moment.

This one pours a deep dark brown with a long-lasting, two-finger, dark tan head. After a few minutes the head calmly recedes, leaving a thick sheet of consistent lacing all around the pint glass which stays almost entirely intact through to my completion of the beer.

Robust notes of smoked, caramel malts hit the nose up front. A second whiff reveals spicy candy, taffy, coffee, and subtle notes of toffee as well. Tastes big on some black coffee up front, with some grain, a certain earthiness, spice and a big alcohol hit enveloping it all. Caramel and a decent amount of hops show up when I take a second drink making for a near perfect balance between the sweetness and bitterness.

Mouth-feel is full-bodied, and a decent amount of carbonation activity goes off upon a good shake. Left Hand has long been one of my favorite regional breweries, but I'll have to admit, some of their latest offerings haven't quite done it for me. However, I'm happy to say, the Smoke Jumper has changed all that. What a brew.

Left Hand.

Deeded To Itself: Athens Southernoise | Thor's Rubber Hammer comp.

2009-01-09T12:16:00.000-08:00

Interesting and not so much of the same-ole, same ole noise. Many times artists can't escape the influences of location, history and legacy, thus this comp, from the Athens, Ga. scene has quite a southern feel to it. I know that sounds really weird when talking about noise, but it makes this a unique one for sure. Here's a review I wrote a while back on RYM.

"Athens, Georgia has a long history of experimental/noise music. . wait a minute, no they don't. When you think of Athens you actually think of bands like, uh that one band, I can't remember their name, you know the one I'm talking about, as well as groups like Pylon, and the B-52's. You think of Herschel Walker and the Bulldogs. You think of Coca-Cola. Well, that's Atlanta, but close enough. One thing you don't think of is Athens being a hotbed of experimental noise music. This disc changed all that for me. A hybrid steaming stew of diverse noise groups show us how it's done down south; and by god it's a dead reckoning.

Deeded To Itself, such a great name for this release because it has such a definite Faulknerian southern feel, is an amalgamation of experimental groups put together by Thor's Rubber Hammer productions out of Washington D.C. The disc begins with the blues-noise/free-jazz front porch psych freakout PoemX by Altruizine, which includes complimentary banjo jamming. They somehow pull this off. Furthering the cause and selling you immense amounts of caffeinated noise are the Orthopedics and Killick with some straightforward sonic destruction not unlike a whirligig going berzerk in a tornado and pigs fucking in the mud, all field recorded, looped, analized and refed.

Long Legged Woman continue the marketing ploy with their splendid rendition of It's the End of the World (And We Didn't Know It), which as you might suspect, sounds nothing like the original, but a bit more surreal. Sorry, there's no lyrics here per se', so you can't try to sing along with it. Sailor Winters grasp string theory while Chartruese bring the drone to the boardroom to level the playing field. Finalizing the disc are Garbage Island with some straight-forward noise, Better People with some peculiar vox and percussion forays, and Telenovela with an introspective strum-bliss, flute fantasy that is distinct from the rest of the disc, and provides an appeasing fruition.

Fabrication from a unique setting results in a diverse set of songs/pieces to crank on a Sunday afternoon while enjoying a mint julep or a hard drug of your choice."

get ya' some of this deep south racket.

TRH also has another comp out which has some bigger names on it. Buy it here.

Total Abuse | Sex Pig 7"

2009-01-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

Came across this blog entry on WFMU, which provoked me to dig out the Total Abuse 7" from last year. Great little record here. Riffage is excellent, there's plenty of change-ups, traditional hardcore power and some melody. The songs are well-developed, and while the hardcore tropes are present, it doesn't come off as trite. Appears there's a new comp out on Deranged Records, which includes this 7", and after listening to the .mp3s and the record, its gotta be the shit.

I'll have to admit that I don't listen to too much newer hardcore stuff, as that ship seems to have sailed, but there's something really cool, a little offbeat, and and a lot crazy about these guys.

Mosh it up!

Also, the Lexie Mountain Crazy Dream Band stuff on the WFMU page sounds pretty good too. Kind of like some Janis Joplin/minimal-synth-pop/anthem type shit that goes in a hundred different directions but manages to keep somewhat grounded. Crazy and dreamy too. Nothing wrong with a band letting you know what your going to get with their moniker. Looks like Nate from Mouthus/RK is involved, and that's a good thing. I totally dug and recommend the live recording she was involved with The Julie Mittens as well.

Full on scrooge rant . . . . White Hills / Gnod | Split Cdr

2008-12-24T18:44:00.001-08:00

Is something going on tonight? What the fuck? Nobody's on the message boards. Some family came over and wore out their welcome. There was TONS of traffic today, now there's barely anybody on the streets. I don't know it's all weird. It's like it's a holiday or something. Oh well, here I am in front of the computer, getting away from the madness, having a Belgian brew and enjoying the fuck out of it.

Anyway, thought I'd throw this gem up for you fine folks, but not because it's a holiday or anything, so don't even go thinking that I'm in the spirit, because I'm NOT. You see, I believe we should be nice and give half a shit about others and give no matter what time of year it is, without needing holidays.

Ok, enough of that. So I came across the following review on Foxy Digitalis and had forgotten how good this split Cdr is. Funny how much good music slips to the bottom of the play list and almost becomes forgotten, due to the fact that there's just so much music coming out these days. It's not hard for some very good stuff to not fall through the cracks. So here's for moving some of those 6-12 month old releases back up to the top of the play lists folks.

"Two experiences I’ve enjoyed a great deal of late: a Sloow Tapes release by GNOD called “The Somnambulist’s Tale” and seeing White Hills play live in Glasgow. This album finds these two forces meeting in a particularly fine sense of harmony.

Although GNOD (it stands for Global Network of Dreams, in case you’re wondering) and White Hills are both known for turning the dial up to 11, quite a lot of the music here is in their mellower vein. Although the album opens with a generous helping of buzz-saw guitar and later there’s some heavy riffing too, the centre of this work revolves around drones and hypnotic percussion.

If your not familiar with GNOD, from Mamchester, England, or the American trio White Hills, from New York, I would commend both bands to you on their own. Together they’ve made a highly enjoyable album which, I suspect, not many people will get to hear. I hope you enjoy the privilege as I have.

[Since writing the above review, I'm grateful to Gnod for contacting me to correct an inaccuracy on my part. I'm now informed that "the global network of dreams is nothing to do with us, merely an unfortunate acronym we discovered after forming. Gnod is Nowt, the pagan god of nothing." I look forward to hearing more music from Gnod, a band clearly much greater than the sum of its name! --J.C.] 9/10 -- John Cavanagh (19 November, 2008)"

Noël baisant joyeux

Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad

2008-12-20T16:44:00.001-08:00

After running all over town trying to find this super limited brew, I finally found it, and grabbed the last one off the shelf. Oh the life of a beer geek. I think the endeavor will probably be worth it, as the Smokestack brews just keep getting better and better, and the Sixth Glass Quad, of which the Bourbon Barrel Quad is an offshoot, was exceptional, so I approach this one with great anticipation.

The "BBQ" comes in the same style bottle as the Saison Bret. It has that classically simple look to it, with the name inscribed in handwritten font. This one is numbered 04780/10630, and shows 11.8 % alc/vol.

A dark, almost opaque garnet colored pour is topped by a huge, dense tan head. Hues of crimson reveal themselves when held to light. Head retention is excellent, with a fine sheet of lace left behind. Dark fruits (raisins, grapes, figs) present themselves to the nose at first. Behind that we have some grain and subtle spice (nutmeg, coriander) along with a welcomed, but surprising hint of brett. Smoky phenols envelop the aromatic profile.

An initial sip reveals a spicy, bready sweetness that ends with a good hit of alcohol heat. Further exploration reveals the aforementioned brett funk, a furtive note of burnt wood, some spicy candy, more dark fruits such as grapes, prunes and cherries, and a hint of taffy. Toward the end of the glass, when everything has warmed, the essence of the bourbon barrel aging reveals itself and hits at the back of the throat with the oaken notes and grain, providing for a special encore.

Mouth-feel lies somewhere between medium and full-bodied, but it's definitive rich, creamy and viscous qualities make it quite drinkable.

The "BBQ", monikered appropriately as it's brewed in KC, is an exceptional beer that should make any Midwesterner proud, and any East or West coaster envious. Trade or travel, but do whatever you must to get a hold of one of these.

W=O=R=D

2008-12-19T05:09:00.000-08:00

A who's who of mid-20th century artists, musicians and writers, Without Stopping follows Bowles through his middle class New York upbringing, through his journeys as a young man through Europe and North Africa, Central and South America, and back to North Africa as an older man as he settled in Tangier.

Having thoroughly enjoyed The Stories of Paul Bowles, and their rich desolation and iconoclasm, Without Stopping worked well as a follow up, exploring the depths that must have been the impetus of some of his short stories. And while there are a lot of well known facts about Bowles life that are left out of this book, those omissions do not detract from the overall telling of the experiences and travels portrayed in the book. In my opinion, the reader is not left wondering too much the reasons why, but I suppose I will look to a Bowles biography soon to get the rest of the story.

All in all this is great reading for those who have had dreams about living the vagobond, starving artists life, but never had the guts to follow them. Those like me.

I'm also reading psychologist Phil Zimbardo's The Lucifer Effect, which is a good study of his infamous Stanford Prison Experiment and a further exploration of the reasons why "normal" people can do very bad things, a subject I've always been fascinated by. It is good to educate ourselves about the many times conflicting workings of our minds, as we never know when might might be in a situation to become a hero, or become a devil.

Miss Lana Rebel | All I Need LP

2008-12-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

Miss Lana Rebel, of Wantage USA's fabulous math-metal-punk instrumental group Last of the Juanitas, steps into the realm of country ballads and runs about as far from her distortion filled roots to the other end of the musical spectrum as an artist can go. But maybe this isn't as removed from her previous endeavors as we might think, as real music is real music no matter what form it may take.

Punkers embracing country is nothing new, just look at the Mekons, who did it very well, and there's no doubt that the true and original country musicians were rebels for sure. While The Last of the Juanitas were no Mekons, and Lana is no Tammy Wynette, All I Need is filled with enough country balladry and two-steppin' hooks to interest the most hardened of punk rockers who might be looking for a change of pace (even if just for the novelty) because somewhere right under the surface of things some common sensibilities stream through the chords whether they be distorted and picked or acoustic and strummed.

While Lana has everything country down pat here, there's one essential element missing from this record, and that's grit; the kind of grit that comes from being in bar brawls and living in trailer homes, the kind of grit that comes from working at the Wrangler plant and driving a beat-up truck, and being proud of it. Now I'm sure she's experienced plenty of livin', but it's just ain't the right kind. The real country music, as far as I can tell, is also a way of life that's been lost to time. And while that element of "being there" may not be completely present, this record is still darn good in it's own right, and I give Lana kudos for keeping real country music alive and making her own statement against the CMT bullshit that inundates the airwaves and makes for cheap entertainment for people who spend too much time at Wal Mart.

For the love of cheep beer and tight fittin’ jeans step out and do something different.

BUY

Steel Pole Bath Tub | Bozeman/Borstal 7"

2008-12-10T16:08:00.000-08:00

If you like early Jesus Lizard along with a healthy dose of Black Sabbath and Melvins undercurrents, then you will probably dig this one. Dale Flattum's bass lines keep things grounded until Mike Morasky's kick-ass riffs and schizophrenic vocals come in and slay.

The early 90's, what a great time for good sounds, but those days seem to go way unnoticed these days. WTF happened to all these great fucking bands! Time moves on.

захват

Nar and Lizards | Split LP

2008-11-30T15:42:00.000-08:00

Actually ended up with this when one of my punk/skater friends left it at my apartment back in the early 90's. He never asked for it back, and I never offered. A sort of pay it backwards for all the damn CD's and shit people "borrowed" from me back in the day and never returned before I implemented my no loaning out albums rule. Fucking don't get me started on the tragic loss of Melvin's Lysol LP. Still brings a tear to my eye. Anyway, this is excellent garage-type power-pop-punk from Sacto circa '92. Lots of teenage love-angst and sweet hooks for certain. Completely infectious.

Sactoguide

Here's a review I wrote on RYM quite a while back.

"This is a split LP from the bands Nar and Lizards. These two bands produced some of the most pure and melodic garage punk your ears will ever have the pleasure of hearing. Nar and Lizards are reflective of the early 90's sound coming out of Nor-Cal from such bands as Crimpshrine, Riflesport and Green Day, cept' ten times better!! This is the real thing. Nar's Spacesuit is the greatest punk love song ever written. No doubt, go find this record if you can."

This is good stuff no matter what flavors of sound you like, and now you don't have to go far to find it. Enjoy.

reunir

Los Llamarada | The Very Next Moment 7"

2008-11-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

Lots of buzz going on about this band over the past year or so. Los Llamarada take that shit-punk-noise veneer we're all liking, but is already kind of getting old, and morph it into something more interesting and predictibly longer lasting. I grabbed this single last year, and somehow it faded into the stacks of records, which is a shame, because a revisit has really paid off.

Anyway, I figure it's time to pull it out and share it with you fine folks. They also have a couple albums out you can get on SS as well as a couple of earlier Cdr's. You can get the debut, Close Your Eyes, here.

obtenir

Saint Arnold Christmas Ale

2008-11-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

This is the the first of the winter warmer's for me this year, and it seems like a fitting brew for today, seeing how the temperature has dipped down into the 30's.

Ok, let's get down to business. A two-finger tan head rises quickly to the rim of the pint glass while a flurry of excited bubble activity goes on down below. Retention is good, with the head fading slowly over a matter of minutes, leaving a thin sheet of lacing all around the glass. Color is amber with some pure red hues off and on throughout.

You get the malts rising to the nose at first, with a subtle spiciness right below that. A faint note of caramel is also noticed. Tastes spicy, earthy and bitter up front which is a nice effect. Then the malts and a bit of caramel sweetness join the party to balance things out.

Mouth-feel is medium, and it goes down fairly smooth with a noticeable alcohol heat at the very end. It's not too highly carbonated, but as mentioned, it has some good bubble activity.

I'm looking forward to some great winter warmers this year, and if even half of them are this good, I won't be disappointed.

Chriss Sutherland | Me in a Field

2008-11-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite releases of the year so far, and barring some the release of some exceptional discs in the next two months, will definitely be in the top 5, and probably closer to the 1 spot .

There's a lot of tradition floating around here, mixed with many things new and fresh. It's very melodic, yet edgy and introspective.

Sutherland, of Cerberus Shoal fame, and also of the excellent folk quintet Fire on Fire, is an artist not to be missed in whatever musical form he and his genius decides to take.

Here's a review I wrote of Me in a Field upon a first listen a few months ago.

"Mellow range music for broken but unvanquished hearts sung in a foreign voice that somehow makes sense. Sutherland takes the familiar and crafts, hones and weaves his unique creation into something not only interesting, but also pleasing, while a musical wink of an eye makes you get it.

Melancholy echoes play off canyon walls and rise above a fireside picking with an edginess that is done so well it goes almost unnoticed, leaving a subtle and soft yet fulfilling substance. An empty space becomes active with an ineffable haunted shimmering resplendent with streaks of hope. A thirst for belonging and companionship is quenched by a communal spirit that rises from the ashes of a smoldering desperation.

Telling a story of a pioneering spirit, Sutherland takes us into an expanse we might want to avoid, but need to experience. In the end we are rewarded handsomely for our joining in the journey. This is the story of another genius bard that will undoubtedly go unnoticed while his poetry begs to be heard, but falls among a mass of deaf ears whose crisis could be ameliorated with his succor."

Buy it suckas.

Also, Fire on Fire has a new full-length coming out Dec. 10th on Young God Records. I'm sure it will be a barn burner if it's anything close to the ST EP from last year, which you should grab here. My compliments.

Failing Lights | True Form 7"

2008-11-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

This intense slab of noise on white vinyl with perfect minimal packaging comes to us via Chicago’s Bloodlust! label. Limited to 300 copies as is seemingly standard these days, and apparently about sold out. One song on each side.

Side A, Discovery of a World in the Moon begins the planetary motif of the disc amid a churning of hateful noise, all covered with sheets of white hot feedback and drones which are kept alive by a pulsating star music borne possibly light years ahead of its time yet obviously honed directly beside it's peers.

After the abrupt culmination of side A, side B picks up a bit softer, but just as chilling, as it's sound delves into a deep space of haunting and endless electronic voices. Ideal Lunar Landscape leaves us a bit more circumspect with it's sharp contrast, but somehow it's atmosphere is still unsettling. As our mind numbs a funureal dirge evolves and the unwelcomed brevity of this passage is realized.

buy from label

Fun Fun Fun

2008-11-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

Day 1

Despite the dirt and dust Fun Fun Fun Fest lived up to it's name and provided some tasty treats for the punk rockers. I showed up later than planned on day one, around 5:30, due to hitting the records stores and bars all afternoon. After grabbing a Foster's 24oz, which was the only choice besides Miller Lite (WTF!) I headed straight for stage 3, where I camped out for the remainder of the night.

I ended up catching the last half of Municipal Waste's set. I haven't seen a mosh pit that ferocious in years, and it kept up it's intensity in front of stage 3 (punk/hardcore) pretty much for the remainder of the festival. Municipal Waste seem to be a pretty fun band, but a little of that brand of hardcore can go along way with me.

Next up were Integrity, which much like Municipal Waste, I can get enough of really quick. They were followed by the highly anticipated Adolescents who kicked off their set with No Way and ended up playing through most of the ST with some other bits and pieces thrown in here and there. The crowd sing-a-long with Ameoba was fucking rad. A lady in front of me turned to me and said she'd been listening to the Adolescents since she was about "this high" with a big smile on her face and motioning with her hand way down low, and that about summed it up.

All immediately took the(b) stage and played a perfect set which included all the pop-punk classics, including Sex in the Way, Pretty Little Girl, Simple Things and She's My Ex. A good time was had by . . All. Despite rumors floating around the crowd, no Descendents songs were played, which is cool with me, because this was an All show.

Headlining day one were the Dead Milkmen, who came out way more powerful than I had expected. While the Milkmen have a lot of fun and sing about the most goofiest of shit, they mean fucking business when they hit the stage. They kicked things off with Punk Rock Girl and got that one out of the way quickly. I found it interesting that half the crowd were high schoolers or college age kids, and were singing along to every song. There is hope for the future! And it also made me feel not so damn old. Highlights for me during their set were Smokin' Banana Peels, Stuart and Methodist Coloring Book.

Day 2

Sunday night I showed up just in time to hear Joey Shithead and crew slam into some true hardcore DOA blasts from the past that showed many of the newer bands how it's done. After DOA's intense, non-stop set, some goofy fucking band with a singer that talked to much rock star played, and then came out the the Cro-Mags(Jam). While not the original lineup (missing Harley Flanagan and Paris Mayhew thus the moniker with [i]Jam[/i] added) the crowd was nonetheless treated to an overwhelming wall of hardcore noise with a good amount of traditional 80's politico speech making by singer John Joseph. I could have done without a lot of that, as much of it came across as dated, but what the fuck ever, We Gotta Know was the shit.

I know a lot of folks like Bouncing Souls, but they're not really my can of beer, so I headed out to drain the big lizard in the backyard and get another brew in preparation for what would be a transcendental set by the Bad Brains.

The Bad Brains were probably the first true hardcore punk band, with the exception of maybe the Misfits, that I truly got into. Theirs was one of the first hardcore sounds that actually struck a chord with me, and played a major part in developing my ear for punk. I remember seeing photos of H.R. and Bad Brains in Thrasher and thinking those were some cool motherfuckers, and after all this time nothing seems to have changed. They represented, and H.R. answered the question posed by one Austin paper as to whether he would "bring it". He fucking "brought it", and more.

This show was a long-time coming, and was the main reason I travelled 7 hours to Fun Fun Fun. While there were some great acts playing, I probably wouldn't have made the trip if it weren't for the Brad Brains. That being said I did have a great time hanging with a couple of very good friends and enjoying the Austin Scene, which was all icing on the cake.

All of this combined with some beautiful weather and I couldn't have asked for much more from a festival. And with the exception of one incident, that of being accused of stealing beer from the beer line (give me a fucking break, the customers where the only ones getting ripped off in the beer line) the folks in Austin were a nice and friendly group of people, and I'm ready to go back next year.

P.s. I want to apologize for the terrible quality of the photos (in forthcoming links). My compact camera was no match for the lack of lighting on stage and the dust particles floating in the air.

Fun Fun Fun
Fun Fun Fun
Fun Fun Fun

Treetops | Permission/When I Was Younger

2008-11-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

This, one of the many Treetops releases of late, finds it's way to our outstretched hands via the exceptional ArborCdr label.

Taking us deeper into drone forests canopied with petulant bursts of noise and echoing with a haunted desolation, Permission/When I Was Younger, takes a simplicity of instrumentation and creates a complexity of texture, crafting and mixing a hierarchy of sounds which result in a feeling of belonging despite a certain isolation.

Through a hoary and combustible air a rusty voice lingers, reaching, tentacled into the confines of a space that can only be described by sound. Words and theory suffocate, pictures and vision desiccate. All that is left is the aural sense. And that is all that is needed.

Diebstahl

Bleach | Killing Time

2008-11-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

Part of the second wave of Shoegaze, Bleach were a bit more raw than some of their predecessors, and comparisons to Lush end with the fact that both groups had female singers.

Bleach were definitely a bit more unruly than most Shoegazers and were quite a bit less dreamy, but that's not to say they didn't have their ethereal pop moments. Take for instance Trip & Slide and Shotgun, both of which bleed some pop genius, but are are grounded with some attitude as well.

Killing Time is fairly raw, mostly driving, and has some good hooks and melodies. Good stuff any way you cut it. You can get this CD on Amazon Marketplace for dirt cheap if you want a lossless copy.

I always get to jonesing for some shoegaze from time to time, and like to throw some of the oldies in the playlist, so here's the vinyl rip for you folks like me that still dig that sound.

Highlights include Friends, Fall, and Trip & Slide

Rake | Cow Song 7"

2008-10-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

Probably the first noise rock I ever got to back in the early 90's. Didn't really like it that much at first, but kept this one around, and glad I did. Noise is an addiction for me these days. Once you develop a taste for harsher tunes, it's amazing the things you start to pickup inside the hurricane of sound.

Rake page.

adquirir

"Choc" Signature Series Belgian-Style Dubbel

2008-10-24T14:13:00.001-07:00

Wow, these Choc Signature beers are coming fast and furious, and I can't get enough of them. So nice to see a local brewery take it up a notch with the bigger beers and do them well.

Pours a dark brown with cherry hues into a goblet. Topped with a fairly quickly fading, two-finger somewhat airy tan head. A thin lacing sticks to the circumference of the glass when all is said and done.

Aromatically we get some dark chocolates, cherries and esters, some toasted malts, an essence of hops, and some sweet candy to wrap it all up. It's complex and a bit subtle at the same time.

Taste is robust and complex, although not as much as the smell. I'm getting some more dark chocolates and some grain. Taste also involves some silky sweetness.

This is a full-bodied brew. A good shake reveals some quick bubbly activity, so I would say carbonation is medium. The alcohol (8%) is blended well, and is barely noticeable until the very end.

As I've said before, I may be a little biased since this is a local brewery, but you can't go wrong with these brews, and nobody I've talked to about them has been dissapointed. Seek em' out and enjoy.

____

Joe Pritchard, owner and proprietor of Pete's Place (the best Italian food in Oklahoma) sent me an email letting me know a bit of the history behind this brew. I found it very interesting!

"We think it is the best beer we have ever made

Good story too

They went to brew it one day and the yeast that they had been growing for a week was, well, let’s just say it was not very good. Lots of “interesting” growth!

Michael went to the homebrew shop in Tulsa and got yeast from all the Belgium abbeys. Combined it for a yeast cocktail. So that beer has a little bit of every Belgium Abby.

Not on purpose but it turned out great"

It did turn out great, that's for sure.

W=O=R=D

2008-10-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

From time to time I'm going to throw in some brief thoughts on books I'm currently reading. I like to see what others are tuning their minds to, and I suppose some out there might like the same.

Having finished Cities of the Red Night a while back, I worked up the nerve to begin The Place of Dead Roads, but it didn't take much internal coaxing, as Burroughs always gets me excited. Not that way you dirty pricks!

The Place of Dead Roads is a sequel not so much in the sense that it picks up where Cities of the Red Night left off, but that it further explores the extremes of Burroughs homoerotic and violently drug addicted and sexually energized worlds. But there is so much more to it than that. Burroughs explores themes of class struggle, religious domination and the grey areas between good and evil with the wit and humor that only his mind can summon.

This time, the protagonist Kim Carsons leads the Johnson family (a group of rogues) on a journey to secularize and sanitize the world in this violent old-west shoot em' up. Be prepared for the fractured and fragmented, the gory and profane, and the real and unreal.

I've also been taking my time with Babel's Collected Stories. Having been interested in Russian history since I read The Gulag Archipelago, I had Babel on my reading list for a long time. These are gripping stories, with the most striking being the Red Cavalry stories, which take us through the horrors of war as sort of snapshots of humanity, and many times inhumanity, which detail the actions of Russian soldiers and civilians who cannot escape the inevitibility forced upon them by their mutual history and impossible circumstances. In these tales choices are made, choices are lived with, and rarely is the noble path taken, which makes them all the more real. Most of these stories are very short, but in their brevity lies a power of description which is benefited and sublimated by Babel's economy of words.

Boulevard Saison-Brett

2008-10-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

I owe this one to serendipity. Had no idea it was even out, and there it was, beseeching me to grab it off the shelf. All the smokestack series have been exceptional brews. I expect this one to be no different. Very limited, as I'm reviewing bottle # 9825/11950. Let me say it once again, there's something deeply satisfying about uncorking a beer bottle. That "pop" that once only the wine snobs got to enjoy, can now be enjoyed by the common man.

As with the Doublewide IPA, this one has a prolific head that just doesn't stop. I slow poured this one into a snifter, and it still overflowed the rim. Retention is excellent, and big chunks of lacing are haphazardly left around the glass. Color is a subdued, somewhat hazy orange.

The nose is complex and filled with the robust, interesting and much welcomed brett funk. There's some citrus and some spice as well. Overall expectations just rose a bit. On to the palate. I taste yeasts, hay, some lemon tartness, orange peel, an essence of sweet bread in the background and some malts. There's a slight bitterness in the aftertaste, and some estery and phenolic essences also involve themselves. The taste and aroma are both complex and exceptional.

As mentioned before, this one's highly carbonated. Mouth-feel is crisp and medium to full-bodied, but is damn drinkable despite it's 8.5% abv.

Unique, tasty, well balanced, well crafted, and I good go on and on. If you are lucky enough to have Boulevard distributed to your area, I would seriously try and seek this one out before it's all gone.

Warmth / Medroxy Progesterone Acetate | Split 7"

2008-10-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

Seasons of infinite pain; epochs of bliss. Over the top with the words? Probably, but this is one of my favorite releases of the year so far, so fuck it. Both tracks evolve slowly and involve the listener in an experience few noise artists can pull off. For every ten releases of marginal importance, you come across one of these, and it makes it all worth it.

The entirety of this split draws you in, but never really spits you out as much as it just pulls you in and mangles with sinewy maws of noise and grips with hands of haunting ambience. Over the top again? Well, yeah, but this release brings it out the verbal superfluity, and I'll make no apologies for being excited about this one.

First two tracks from the 7". Last two tracks from the accompanying 3" Cdr.

Dig it.

Barbar Belgian Honey Ale

2008-10-16T15:10:00.001-07:00

I usually approach beers with non-beer elements in their name (honey, fruit etc.) with a certain amount of apprehension and lack of expectation, just to be safe. However, with this one, I have high expectations from what I've heard about it. This one pours a somewhat hazy orange into my DFH snifter. One-finger of off-white froth resides above the brew for a short while before settling down with some inconsistent chunks of lacing scattered around the glass. A whiff reveals some definite yeasts, which were also visually evident during the pour, a bit of biscuity and honey sweetness and a good malt base.

Taste is complex, tart, sweet almost to the point of cloying, but not quite, and a bit bitter in the end. Some spice, big fruits and clove exist, and the honey essence is mixed in fairly well, which finishes things off nicely. Mouth-feel is rounded and creamy at first, but finishes with a bit of crispness. It goes down pretty easy, with the 8% alcohol being barely noticeable. It's well carbonated, which keeps things pretty airy in the mouth. Not bad overall, but not totally my cup o'tea either.

Dead Luke | Record Two

2008-10-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

This, the almost sold out Record Two, is the aptly titled follow up to Record One. While mostly the same in style (but not quite on par with Record One) Dead Luke strike a slightly different pose in ethic with this one. I don't know really what to think of all this new retro scuzz bedroom-synth stuff. Some of it doesn't blow me away particularly, but most of it is pretty damn good. That practically describes 90% of my record collection, which is a good thing.

A lot of groups are redefining the old standard styles; new wave, psych, noise etc, and putting their own touch on them. While the creative process may be somewhat eschewed by tradition, many times it leads to a precision in sound which seems to be working fairly well.

Side A, Jumping Jack Flash Drive, is a catchy cover of the Stones song. It's Devo-ish with its synths, while also including some spacey synth freakouts over the top of it's techno drum beats. Typically modified vocals stream things along while a cool lead guitar solo bleeds in and out during the course of the song.

Side B, Not Tonight, is even more Devo-like, and delves deeper into the New Wave tradition for it's tropes. Not as catchy as the A side, but actually more interesting. Not Tonight is the redeemer of this one. A bit dreamy, a bit haunting, and more minimal for sure, it makes seeking this 7-incher out worth the effort.

Buy it you freeloading scum.

Heavy Winged | A Blanket of Ash

2008-10-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

Upper crust improv psych-noise from the vagabonds of the American underground. You guys know the drill. Not to be missed.

AQ sums it all up a lot better than I can.

_____________

Heavy Winged were in town a few weeks back, and let us have a bunch of this tour only cd-r, limited to just 50 copies, and thus, we assume, already well out print.

Like the rest of their discs, a seriously frenzied chunk of repetitive psych groove blowout. The drums and bass locked tight, looped and cyclical, pounding out fiercely hypnotic jams, while the guitar, just wigs out, soaring and squealing, and grinding and chugging, spitting out squalls of glittering high end, and unfurling churning downtuned riffage, tightly wound for sure, but also loose as hell, the rhythm section solid as shit, letting the guitar go apeshit, and go apeshit it does. This seems to be a whole live set. The opener is as described above, while the second track begins all moody and meandering, with the guitar slipping and sliding over a lazy strummed bass and a a smattering of cymbals, it does get heavier, but much more drone-y and almost dreamy. The final track is a serious blow out, the drums tribal and frenetic, the bass a super distorted throb, the guitar offering up mostly streaks of feedback, eventually launching into some high end buzz and spray, while the drums pound relentlessly, the whole thing eventually crumbling to pieces.

These guys kick so much ass, especially live, so for a handful of you, here's a chance to hear what all the fuzz is about.
______________

получить

Brew and Noise.

2008-10-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Good sounds and good brew have always gone hand in hand with me. Well, maybe not always. I just started getting into the "craft" beer thing a few years ago, and I've found that the craft brew industry, in many cases, shares the same ethic with the DIY/underground music world. That is, there's lots of people truly believing in what they're creating, and fuck all to the mass consumer mentality. Not only that, but there's usually some kick-ass cover art on the bottles.

Now, we've all learned a long time ago, that just because something is rare, or is created with the most noble intentions, that doesn't necessarily make it good. That's why we explore. That's why peole experiment, so the hidden gems can be sought out and created. That's also why we have the internet, so others can help us along the way.

So, when I come across an exceptional or interesting brew, I'll probably post a review of it here, as I also review beers on Beer Advocate, which is a great place to get good brew info and hang out to see what others are enjoying.

Cheers!

Endtables | White Glove Test b/w Trick or Treat

2008-10-13T18:05:00.001-07:00

When I say eclectic, I'm not kidding. I'm not sticking to one flavor here. I get bored easily, so I gotta get to tons of different types of music. Got a hold of this 7" white vinyl back in the early 90's through mailorder. Oh the days when you actually had to work to get some good sounds. Since that time these two songs have been some of my favorite punk songs of all time. This is a re-issue of sorts. I think the original songs came out in '77 or '78 (edit 1979 per label). Both songs are doozies.

You can also find these two songs on the Bold Beginnings: An Incomplete Collection of Louisville Punk 1978-1983 comp. I think the two songs on the single are the best two of the collection, but if you like them I strongly suggest obtaining the entire comp. It's strong and timeless.

http://cooldudequarterly.blogspot.com/ had this posted way back, and has some good info on the Endtables.

erwerben

Starving Weirdos | Harry Smith

2008-10-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

More exquisite drone magic from Starving Weirdos. Maybe not as strong as previous outings, but that's not saying it's not moving right along into the never never lands.

Here's a review from Hawaiian Winter Music Reviews.
_____________

Starving Weirdos have gained a certain amount of notoriety as one of the most interesting groups coming from the west coast right now. Their one-sided LP, Harry Smith, served as my first exposure to their unique sound craft apart from some music found on the Rootstrata website. This music was recorded live and served as a live soundtrack for silent horror films by the record's namesake, Harry Smith. The artwork on this record is as unique as the music itself, with a pasted-on collage reminiscent of older punk LPs. In fact, one of the saddest parts of the experience was having to poke a hole in the art to be able to play the record.

It becomes apparent in the first few minutes of this music that it is being created by musicians attuned to their own vision of sound, and is an exercise in musical patience as much as suspense. The music is as creepy as the films that inspired drove its creation and reflects a solid perspective on the work of Smith, himself. This record is one of the best examples of the development of drone music in recent years. The use of these drones is simultaneously subtle and spectacular. These guys are sure to be among some of the best drone bands out right now and help to keep the music respectable and enjoyable.

Highly recommended, this album is limited to 300 and its a wonder that it hasn't already sold out.
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I'm going to try and mostly post stuff that's out of print or vinyl only and is not otherwise available in the blogosphere. We'll see how it goes. Hope you fine folks enjoy this one.

Obtain

Joining the fray.

2008-10-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

So, everybody who's anybody seems to have a blog these days, and there's no doubt there are some amazing underground music blogs out there. There's a veritable endless universe of great, and often times forgotten tunes out there that have thankfully been resurrected.

When the initial thought of creating a blog struck me a few months ago, I had to ask myself what could I add to the panoply of great blogs that already exist. The answer to that was simple, probably nothing. However, I figured I'd give it a shot, and hopefully somebody might find something of interest here in the future.

What I intend to incorporate in this blog is chiefly music; mostly centered around limited edition releases from artists that move me, and who might do the same for you. The intent of this blog is not to post a shit-load of albums so people can free-load their HD's up with a ton of music they will never truly appreciate.

This age of Internet accessibility, where so much is so easily available, has diminished our appreciation of music enough. That is, we have moved away from the album experience, and from truly spending time with music and getting to know it and feel it. As with everything, there is an inverse argument, and the Internet has definitely served as a great medium those of us discerning seekers of good sounds to get to the stuff we might otherwise not have the opportunity of hearing.

Also, I will only post the highest variable bitrate .mp3 files which have been derived from vinyl rips or CD's from my collection. For anyone who is interested, I use an Alesis Masterlink standalone CD recorder with a VPI Scoutmaster as source with a Wright Phono preamp for the vinyl rips.

Furthermore, from time to time, if the fancy strikes me, I might throw in some thoughts or reviews of good brews and good literature, two things besides music that I enjoy.

Cheers.

Lane