tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87710922282665568222024-03-20T00:10:01.956-04:00Population: DougDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-39645994908008379452009-02-20T22:25:00.004-05:002009-02-22T18:04:10.938-05:00Finally: Best Singles of 2008<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfclReEcUH5rj-Lj6mrEy-sYMhvnoqYRD-vL1PIg6OYGwXRG3SnjMotIiY3t1zGhfcwuQN3KngGSV8uwzf1HXR-ID2CHjSjWL01TKARia56vM0A023o1cdVXeof-dLTh8LIwSJtUed1RQ/s1600-h/singles08.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284288278293377122" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfclReEcUH5rj-Lj6mrEy-sYMhvnoqYRD-vL1PIg6OYGwXRG3SnjMotIiY3t1zGhfcwuQN3KngGSV8uwzf1HXR-ID2CHjSjWL01TKARia56vM0A023o1cdVXeof-dLTh8LIwSJtUed1RQ/s400/singles08.jpg" border="0" /></a>It wasn't so much deliberation as procrastination, if you are still following, that delayed this list. Once again it was another great year for singles. We saw a couple of singles clubs re-emerge, one (CDR) standing heads above the other, but then again I'm biased. We saw a couple of artists releasing singles in place of actual full-lengths, though some (Jay Reatard) are more prolific than others (Mayyors). A handful of other bands successfully debuted with the self-released 7-inch platform to launch big years, bands like Box Elders and Nodzzz aiding from rapid word-of-mouth, internet style. And of course there were quite a few labels that established themselves as premiere singles labels, some new (Sweet Rot, Sacred Bones), some getting older (S-S, CDR, Florida's Dying) and one grandpa getting back into the singles action (Matador).<br /></div><br />So, let's get to it. The best of the best, '08:<br /><br /><div><strong>Blues Control</strong>, <em></em>"Snow Day" b/w "Paul's Winter Solstice" (Sub Pop)</div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Box Elders</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Hole in My Head </span>(Grotto)<br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Catatonic Youth</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Piss Scene</span> (HoZac) - The only single to make my list two years in a row.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eat Skull</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Dead Families</span> (Skulltones)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Electric Bunnies</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Chewing Gum </span>(Florida's Dying)<br /><strong>Guinea Worms</strong>, <em></em>"Box of Records" b/w "I'm a Cobweb" (Columbus Discount)<br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Little Claw</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Why/Why Not</span> EP (Physical Sewer) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Race to the Bottom</span> (Siltbreeze) - Little Claw revealed a new depth with these two singles by stripping down their sound and playing with structure. They mesh well with the 7-inch format.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mayyors</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Marines Dot Com </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Megan's LOLZ</span> (Self-released)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Meth Teeth</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Bus Rides</span> (Sweet Rot)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nodzzz</span>, "<span>I Don't Wanna (Smoke Marijuana)" b/w "We Are the Only Animals"</span> - Probably my most-played single this year. Both sides are so strong, and the b-side actually wins in a<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jay Reatard</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">See/Saw </span>7"and <span style="font-style: italic;">Painted Shut</span> 7" (Matador)<br /><strong>Sandwich</strong>, "Assisted Living" b/w "I've Had a Few" (Columbus Discount)<br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times New Viking</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Stay Awake</span> EP (Matador) - This one took a little longer to sink in. I guess that means they are getting more difficult to pin down, their influences more and more obscure (save for the TVP homage, "Sick and Tyred") or non-existent. Every listen reveals a new favorite.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tyvek</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Sidewalk</span> (M'Lady's)<strong><br />Unholy 2</strong>, <em></em>"Kutter" b/w "Porky$" (Columbus Discount)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wounded Lion</span>, "Carol Cloud" b/w "Pony People" (S-S) - If "Pony People" didn't hook you in and make you a fan of Wounded Lion, you simply weren't listening. One of the more unconventional pop songs of the year, it was the party cut for those of us who consider garage and soul "dance" music. One foot in retro organ-and-bongos exotica, the other in some post-modern Ouroboros shit. Should've been a one-sided 12" with the extended version in place of the edit.<br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Zola Jesus</span>, "Soeur Sewer" b/w "Odessa" (Sacred Bones) - I did a complete 180 on Zola Jesus this year. If you go back and read my bit on her debut, it didn't sound all that enthusiastic. I ignored this one because of my indifference, but once I heard the ZJ track on the <span style="font-style: italic;">XXperiments</span> comp I saw her in a different light and revisited this single on Sacred Bones. Zola Jesus is the sort of worldly, post-grunge chanteuse we need right now, taking big chances, stacking chunks of crumbled buildings to form new structures.<br /></div>Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-38307444191507360472008-12-28T17:54:00.009-05:002008-12-30T11:14:59.689-05:00Outstanding LP's of 2008There were quite a few great albums this year. I could have added at least ten more, but decided to keep it relegated to the very finest. So without further adieu, I bring you thee most excellent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">LP's</span> of 2008, in alphabetical order:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKupKqYQp97TBFPjiwePuCAS15xuIi-1fBY89vvqAuczwEWB1jmZ7L3OL051ryaN9-3gJi8cETtkw_k6SnI6hh5bHv9xdxeArOTGu5xIXgeZtJDQbNbP750jCMaHfqJhMnyFQOkzxEfkQ/s1600-h/ontwosides.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKupKqYQp97TBFPjiwePuCAS15xuIi-1fBY89vvqAuczwEWB1jmZ7L3OL051ryaN9-3gJi8cETtkw_k6SnI6hh5bHv9xdxeArOTGu5xIXgeZtJDQbNbP750jCMaHfqJhMnyFQOkzxEfkQ/s200/ontwosides.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284990732557954898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blank Dogs</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">On Two Sides</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Troubleman</span>) and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Fields</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Woodsist</span>) - Some of the year's best ideas can be found between the grooves of <span style="font-style: italic;">On Two Sides</span>, from the schizophrenic guitar work in "Blaring Speeches" to the wobbly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">synth</span> and breathy chorus of "Epic Moves". The album's centerpiece, "The Crystal Ladies", could be stripped of everything but its vocal melody and still be perfect. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Fields</span> strips another layer of gauze from the limbs, revealing not necessarily a more "Pop" sound, as some are insisting - go back to the first two weeks and you'll hear plenty of hooks - but a more consistently adventurous (and comfortable) relationship with the song.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKY84XMwGx548-TlvXkYUaX60wS8aNTleByXg97fg8jFNtK-MskubYhOl3lctUJp9Q8D-yhy8UPlkEPlQkxhub2g1beayJS3NYtR6je7k4TzR3lKtvo3DNd7pTnvZQVIqUrrrJYSHZbno/s1600-h/cheaptime.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKY84XMwGx548-TlvXkYUaX60wS8aNTleByXg97fg8jFNtK-MskubYhOl3lctUJp9Q8D-yhy8UPlkEPlQkxhub2g1beayJS3NYtR6je7k4TzR3lKtvo3DNd7pTnvZQVIqUrrrJYSHZbno/s200/cheaptime.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284989841290831938" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cheap Time</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Cheap Time</span> (In the Red) - Americans taking what the Belgians like Hubble Bubble and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Raxola</span> stole from the Brits (glam riffs, snotty lyrics, dramatic changes), somehow making it sound very much like a Memphis thing. There's nothing remotely original about <span style="font-style: italic;">Cheap Time</span> and that's okay, because there's nothing remotely bad about all fourteen songs and the effortless swagger they are brought forth with. And no, it doesn't matter that the best song here was actually written by Jack <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Oblivian</span>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ5LMtB0VMnPnUdn98q48mHgY-VfiQTQq57v9KJGhZjeyJRMMGf1fbM8HAUif8ztI0rRqyW9MEZptKBqXtw2nBPCwSc2LbJ2k39-pJS1jqAEQum3aq8-NDx4jDlk2e4S3Th7AYBSXrdw/s1600-h/cheveulp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ5LMtB0VMnPnUdn98q48mHgY-VfiQTQq57v9KJGhZjeyJRMMGf1fbM8HAUif8ztI0rRqyW9MEZptKBqXtw2nBPCwSc2LbJ2k39-pJS1jqAEQum3aq8-NDx4jDlk2e4S3Th7AYBSXrdw/s200/cheveulp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284991779171450994" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Cheveu</span></span>, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Cheveu</span></span> - (S-S) - The late-Winter night <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Cheveu</span> spent in Columbus was one of the most excessive of the year. Two feet of snow didn't stop the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">loyal</span> from witnessing one of the best shows at Cafe Bourbon St. ever, as the Parisian garcons partied onstage and off like it was their last, when it was in fact their first, night on tour. Their debut LP sounds exactly like that night: drugged and deranged, with little care of what came before and what would come of the mess after.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4WwfS4RpN1Im564N6QQUwtddz_8n_Lpf7zCqUA-fIoqogcjqqQiiWpA_1eA02nnvJpEGli2xF6p42Zf5QkzI3Wr0vR8gbhw_KqU35q-E0_apeiqi_UVKOpkAK_IFn6-F8I7QtH1T7-g/s1600-h/sbr013-front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4WwfS4RpN1Im564N6QQUwtddz_8n_Lpf7zCqUA-fIoqogcjqqQiiWpA_1eA02nnvJpEGli2xF6p42Zf5QkzI3Wr0vR8gbhw_KqU35q-E0_apeiqi_UVKOpkAK_IFn6-F8I7QtH1T7-g/s200/sbr013-front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284992209335815842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Children's Hospital</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Alone Together</span> (Sacred Bones) - The best thing any A-Frame has done since <span style="font-style: italic;">A Frames 2</span>. Children's Hospital are not as horrific as the name and sleeve's imagery would have you believe. Instead they opt for a more nuanced sedative, lulling the listener in with layered grooves and vocals <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">caressed</span> through the hospital intercom. The vibes are not good, but not altogether evil either. But then again sometimes the scariest shit happens from where you least expect it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdkP3CdyH0hpu1q3Iz8ooiYS0KE0nEwLjn-NzXgXlVHfwCf4MMSDoUNfEiQpu9hfdw-NuC1W4VyfsbhlfuZ2ALzgjZyK9qpi672Hap29yKDDV0V4P3rnhEMNtoCUKaY9R2arP21NPpGI/s1600-h/4505.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdkP3CdyH0hpu1q3Iz8ooiYS0KE0nEwLjn-NzXgXlVHfwCf4MMSDoUNfEiQpu9hfdw-NuC1W4VyfsbhlfuZ2ALzgjZyK9qpi672Hap29yKDDV0V4P3rnhEMNtoCUKaY9R2arP21NPpGI/s200/4505.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284998537612451954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Dutchess</span> and the Duke</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">She's the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Dutchess</span>, He's the Duke</span> (Hardly Art) - I tried my damnedest to hate this record. Something about this group just really bugged me. Maybe it was the Seattle thing, or it could have been a song I heard from their first single. Long story short, I took a shot at a used copy and immediately changed my story. The sentiments on this record are heartfelt and sincere without the trite <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">cutesey</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">ness</span> usually associated with modern acoustic folk. Killer vocals, incredible songs and great performances. Just a great, great record.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZ92uZFIHh5HzTIOa37V61jRvn4kTGeGPLhw3MzjJiAPqmvzQHAz0noY_6TAGoW0_RCBT3F_GP8sYBA7Hy0h9YfcboMBfxq2K_k1CG3xWZau9g_PC7PEtb2NLJMNX2Ux1qkotM_3x8KA/s1600-h/8052.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZ92uZFIHh5HzTIOa37V61jRvn4kTGeGPLhw3MzjJiAPqmvzQHAz0noY_6TAGoW0_RCBT3F_GP8sYBA7Hy0h9YfcboMBfxq2K_k1CG3xWZau9g_PC7PEtb2NLJMNX2Ux1qkotM_3x8KA/s200/8052.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284997850240931122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eat Skull</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Sick To Death</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Siltbreeze</span>) - I LIVE NEXT DOOR TO A POWER PLANT. One of the more memorable opening credos in recent memory, and it just gets better from there. Eat Skull took hardcore and removed the macho bullshit, replacing it with flourishes of 90's lo-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">fi</span> and 80's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">DIY</span>. If you held a gun to my head and made me pick a favorite record from '08, this would probably be my choice.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGMowYqd5_W9XhGkH1_Aj715X-I09JL8CIJMLLdATSFthjmwVcf28RFwuS7bhogrscP-ElgU1jCch4Z88OPbrRf2Cj8wkZ08RWkFSbQ40Key0pUGXAJ2rVohPBZrviPrFxxzGFQKBoKg/s1600-h/ecsr_primarycolours_cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGMowYqd5_W9XhGkH1_Aj715X-I09JL8CIJMLLdATSFthjmwVcf28RFwuS7bhogrscP-ElgU1jCch4Z88OPbrRf2Cj8wkZ08RWkFSbQ40Key0pUGXAJ2rVohPBZrviPrFxxzGFQKBoKg/s200/ecsr_primarycolours_cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284999149589375026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eddy Current Suppression Ring</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Primary Colours</span> (Goner/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Aarght</span>) - It was very early this year when I scored a copy of their debut LP and played it regularly until the new one dropped. Goner saved <span style="font-style: italic;">Primary Colours</span> from becoming an Australian obscurity and we must thank them for this, because <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">ECSR</span> are a band for the people. Taut punk grooves that sound tough as nails and riffs that revel in their simplicity, while singer Brendan Suppression, leather gloves in tow, recites thug haiku. Brilliant.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMI8mehs2UNT4nhSeIdc3Urm1R1qgTNksF31d-JpAnhUppKTf_h6zJykuiNSdVmh6f2yEXIK8Bu81clUT59JJNRo0x8E76_3WOH5mA_KbhpxWFdpqriTJd9A2N2FkVkD1TzjIK31O80I/s1600-h/fabulous+diamonds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMI8mehs2UNT4nhSeIdc3Urm1R1qgTNksF31d-JpAnhUppKTf_h6zJykuiNSdVmh6f2yEXIK8Bu81clUT59JJNRo0x8E76_3WOH5mA_KbhpxWFdpqriTJd9A2N2FkVkD1TzjIK31O80I/s200/fabulous+diamonds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284999155127613282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fabulous Diamonds</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Fabulous Diamonds</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Siltbreeze</span>) - The Fab Diamonds have come a long way from where they were a year ago - an unknown Aussie duo with a sole 7-inch and little else to their name - having toured the states to ecstatic results and releasing this incredible debut long-player. Nothing else sounded remotely like <span style="font-style: italic;">Fabulous Diamonds</span> this year, or any year in recent memory, with its dubbed-out fusion of European femme-punk and esoteric dance. The world fell in love with Jarrod and Nissa in 2008.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbloumx7gzC2wZR7y1tSv9bdiFgYAoxJGQNDzJA4z0m67f4jJAo_9RHjCanB8EVkW3E6fqLyvK1at02P-rZu6eg1yxpaAJuH1FLmEp024_qHqX-08HRq7PrIRB7j-mKLWqGHb11aQLIZg/s1600-h/sbr004-front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbloumx7gzC2wZR7y1tSv9bdiFgYAoxJGQNDzJA4z0m67f4jJAo_9RHjCanB8EVkW3E6fqLyvK1at02P-rZu6eg1yxpaAJuH1FLmEp024_qHqX-08HRq7PrIRB7j-mKLWqGHb11aQLIZg/s200/sbr004-front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284998535506240818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Factums</span></span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Sistrum</span></span> (Sacred Bones) - From my post earlier in the year: ...fans of their synapse-frying debut on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Siltbreeze</span> last year will not be disappointed with this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">doozy</span>. But don't expect to be handed all the barbed hooks they passed out last time. <em>The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Sistrum</span></em> has more of a cohesive feel, as many of the songs are allowed room to breath, venturing into the four- and five-minute range. Opener "Mushrooms" is the Peter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Gunn</span> theme played in a German bunker, while "Origami" pounds out sub-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">motorik</span> pulses beneath layers of guitar feedback and tuneless organ. The second half cools down into a series of sinister grooves, a few of which you could even dance to. The midget from <em>Twin Peaks</em> would approve.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjif2PqV42Q9pg3Rhqs0FVQvLC-lXH2k97oTrKc7qgZ0tIJ4AMky5SdhyphenhyphenTEtjnh7rV5NTcoP9jppke6DhA1cSHsIHfSyUTcAgzSbAK85IpQ5Ro2d4MMG9FHYDBv3Oe1xt8blcfS3zca0G0/s1600-h/hairdryer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjif2PqV42Q9pg3Rhqs0FVQvLC-lXH2k97oTrKc7qgZ0tIJ4AMky5SdhyphenhyphenTEtjnh7rV5NTcoP9jppke6DhA1cSHsIHfSyUTcAgzSbAK85IpQ5Ro2d4MMG9FHYDBv3Oe1xt8blcfS3zca0G0/s200/hairdryer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284992897879413554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Hospitals</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Hairdryer Peace</span> (Self-released) - There's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Shitgaze</span>, and then there's this. For some people, <span style="font-style: italic;">Hairdryer Peace</span> was the line in the sand, and Adam <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Stonehouse</span> is the guy swimming out beyond the buoys. I'm not exactly sure if this would make more sense to civilizations future or past, but what I am sure of is that most people who hear this are left scratching their heads like a chimpanzee. I know at least one individual who's goal next year is to top the utter out-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">ness</span> of this album. To this person I say good luck.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNggvA8duBwDHK8FO5kkrJ0QtD-q-xsrPGf_E4rlt6ovIrFQgFLFlIiKRTg60Yl6IgC2OfraYqGxiA9zspgZH31CwVpydWr9GHON4HBL76q_UjEpeWav4cqoi25as-8sq7oikTE5iBaE/s1600-h/ll-sky.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNggvA8duBwDHK8FO5kkrJ0QtD-q-xsrPGf_E4rlt6ovIrFQgFLFlIiKRTg60Yl6IgC2OfraYqGxiA9zspgZH31CwVpydWr9GHON4HBL76q_UjEpeWav4cqoi25as-8sq7oikTE5iBaE/s200/ll-sky.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284997494792494082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Los <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Llamarada</span></span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Take the Sky</span> - (S-S) - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Zoinks</span>! The gang from Monterrey take their sound to another dimension, riding the ship to Sun Ra's palace with Malcolm Mooney and Nico navigating. Wait, that's not even close enough to the energy, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">fuckin</span>' energy this album exudes. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Apparently</span> it took a couple tries to nail down all the right stuff for this album, and it's no surprise when you hear how out of control most of it gets. <span style="font-style: italic;">Take the Sky</span> is an album with hundreds of brilliant ideas unleashed like a herd of cattle, with only a few cowboys to lasso them in.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlTMdfaU5j6V0NEgxZVqO1CPw_gbWNBFdp5e9YG88HAYsNawAYaLJIWA922wezPLD7bendNm_RJijyQ2EX4QLBtWXRil_8NXVSTT_tYNXLgdUTxRe8hGlGEFfZXSfWAFy2LErsPxjeBE/s1600-h/Nodzz.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlTMdfaU5j6V0NEgxZVqO1CPw_gbWNBFdp5e9YG88HAYsNawAYaLJIWA922wezPLD7bendNm_RJijyQ2EX4QLBtWXRil_8NXVSTT_tYNXLgdUTxRe8hGlGEFfZXSfWAFy2LErsPxjeBE/s200/Nodzz.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284997026351656546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Nodzzz</span></span>, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Nodzzz</span></span> (What's Your Rupture?) - Of all the great records to come out of California this year, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Nodzzz</span></span> might be the purest distillation of that state's, er, state of mind. Listening to songs like "In the City" and "Losing My Accent" you get the feeling they've discovered the nerd-party Rosetta Stone and have decided to share it with the masses. I can't wait to see these songs live.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQUzqrr6D_glFU2_trGeqz6XowJ02k5hyphenhyphenbhbDOGuvBnNSmTzOyGrE4AdtEb93xcovSAzbv05SIvTR04KXhxG__N-Gd9wcGqC_GyuOdGGJN1sW-ok1q5aplkCNbkMDMWolMbZChCelL6Q/s1600-h/nothings.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQUzqrr6D_glFU2_trGeqz6XowJ02k5hyphenhyphenbhbDOGuvBnNSmTzOyGrE4AdtEb93xcovSAzbv05SIvTR04KXhxG__N-Gd9wcGqC_GyuOdGGJN1sW-ok1q5aplkCNbkMDMWolMbZChCelL6Q/s200/nothings.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284997032952438546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nothing People</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Anonymous</span> (S-S) - From my post earlier in the year: ...You could play "name that influence" along with most of <em>Anonymous</em>, but that's not the point. At their best, Nothing People play by a new set of rules. That they're so impeccably well versed in all things cool should not go down as a detriment. Instead, enjoy <em>Anonymous</em> knowing that this genre of outsider rock has a new leader.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEky7ECm-64XAVbFehKShaMysrU06T_TpqOdoZQTn9e_CMxyQk7TxkYKQvrreUVIOjkK8stMYSEs0LiaQ1RSqf0eIQYy9mfAh-6pdc9S1rpvwncjftUzHbKg54FwMr_zdAzg0CBzUVys/s1600-h/ohsees-cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEky7ECm-64XAVbFehKShaMysrU06T_TpqOdoZQTn9e_CMxyQk7TxkYKQvrreUVIOjkK8stMYSEs0LiaQ1RSqf0eIQYy9mfAh-6pdc9S1rpvwncjftUzHbKg54FwMr_zdAzg0CBzUVys/s200/ohsees-cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284996641315065378" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thee Oh Sees</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Tomlab</span>) and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Peanut Butter Oven <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">EP</span></span> (Awesome Vistas) - The evolution of John <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Dwyer's</span> most prolific project has been a fun one to follow, as it has progressed from an acoustic-based experiment to his full-fledged garage powerhouse. Last year's <span style="font-style: italic;">Sucks Blood</span> was the perfect balance of the soft and loud, but it was no preparation for the onslaught of thumping rhythm and echo-drenched freak-outs on <span style="font-style: italic;">The Master's Bedroom</span>. And then he goes and puts the cyclical doom of a song like "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Kingsmeat</span>" on the collectible <span style="font-style: italic;">Peanut Butter Oven <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">EP</span></span>. AND there's another LP from this year that I haven't even heard, with an additional DVD accompanying it. What did <span style="font-style: italic;">you</span> do this year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SsDKd17d3hbd5F1QYXmorEe4-jM0uJAJBBgisBO0ijXFOP8Pgp8F5IywYwMogB2bKDC76qAG6aHO2eXz3X6cTW577RCK7kaDtm9DBbNUxXgVydmyUGtrVumEfByk4DETWdhJzaarvHg/s1600-h/333.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SsDKd17d3hbd5F1QYXmorEe4-jM0uJAJBBgisBO0ijXFOP8Pgp8F5IywYwMogB2bKDC76qAG6aHO2eXz3X6cTW577RCK7kaDtm9DBbNUxXgVydmyUGtrVumEfByk4DETWdhJzaarvHg/s200/333.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284997851175100226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sic Alps</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">US <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">EZ</span></span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Siltbreeze</span>) -<a href="http://populationdoug.blogspot.com/2008/09/sic-alps.html"> I really liked this one. Still do</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMkwGlBpcW1gKOMq0hayDhWPzTJ07-Ut33CZNy6Y_TtVx7UTkFV_ZMih3zN7646B_gDGqUw7JKxboiGrHrqh4RQqGaNCYuHitwUkxC3x8FKkA4Me7SwYaioO2ZNGqdG_u3nvRRKMZr8g/s1600-h/times-new-viking-rip-it-off.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMkwGlBpcW1gKOMq0hayDhWPzTJ07-Ut33CZNy6Y_TtVx7UTkFV_ZMih3zN7646B_gDGqUw7JKxboiGrHrqh4RQqGaNCYuHitwUkxC3x8FKkA4Me7SwYaioO2ZNGqdG_u3nvRRKMZr8g/s200/times-new-viking-rip-it-off.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284996122795108738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Times New Viking</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Rip It Off</span> (Matador) - What I like most about this record is that Jared, Adam and Beth stuck to their guns. When I first heard the final mix I wasn't exactly sold, and I'm sure even Matador was taken aback a bit by the noisy, jumpy mastering job. But as with everything of theirs, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">TNV</span> believed in their material, knowing eventually everyone else would get it. And sure enough, the songs I liked least at first are now my favorites. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">TNV</span>, molding our minds with their sweet little anthems.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgav2ibR1TBHIY0769fWmyMxbAym8grhK22JD2tKxLL4iUZTijKUHPZf3YGytEEfE6giJBQHEzSsiWMCOZa1yLXwflkvYvkVgov2HzJ8xn8Zs3uL8xFOnGLauyNTXaWv6MQ9_iofeSm5Ps/s1600-h/l_059c15f82350f165ac9533a4023f3c44.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgav2ibR1TBHIY0769fWmyMxbAym8grhK22JD2tKxLL4iUZTijKUHPZf3YGytEEfE6giJBQHEzSsiWMCOZa1yLXwflkvYvkVgov2HzJ8xn8Zs3uL8xFOnGLauyNTXaWv6MQ9_iofeSm5Ps/s200/l_059c15f82350f165ac9533a4023f3c44.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284997493183056530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">TV Ghost</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">TV Ghost</span> (die <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">Stasi</span>) - I feel like this one has been overshadowed by the band's underage/on the road antics and consistently excellent live show. And there are those looking ahead to the upcoming full-length on In the Red. But this LP, especially upon re-evaluation, finds the band tooling with their sound and experimenting with recording techniques. Matt Horseshit's presence can be felt throughout, especially on the album's closer, "Long Talk", and his dry studio sound allows each member to stand out. One-two punch of "The Amputee" and "Babel" beats the shit out of just about anything released this year.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEkhwIVqv8YDO68qZvgkhxPLL2q3icYa3DDrndUTQXd7uAzYhKA2MgrqYkLQKuBtBs8fE-LMJKTm1QjSLoKMV06yFWRpDg9T8Ja1xbwsSuGj7S1VL-cie8O83CvW7JfVD95TJIEyEAgk/s1600-h/xxperiments.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEkhwIVqv8YDO68qZvgkhxPLL2q3icYa3DDrndUTQXd7uAzYhKA2MgrqYkLQKuBtBs8fE-LMJKTm1QjSLoKMV06yFWRpDg9T8Ja1xbwsSuGj7S1VL-cie8O83CvW7JfVD95TJIEyEAgk/s200/xxperiments.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284996636314848578" border="0" /></a>Various, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">XXperiments</span></span> (die <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49">Stasi</span>) - Damn. A truly excellent compilation expertly sequenced by Lane at the die <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_50">Stasi</span> label. I will provide no references, because there has never been a community of women making <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_51">avant</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_52">garde</span> music of this caliber, ever, at least in modern history. That may sound like hyperbole, but in my mind it is simply hopeful thinking that these ladies are just getting started, and that <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_53">XXperiments</span></span> will be looked back on as the foundation for a monolithic movement rising out of Midwestern bedrooms and beyond. I want more from every artist involved.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VlqfPcBRAUzMKMM6eUWdDUaoFvME4A05A7g_R5WeyeOLgvVI5twh-XnlogY7C5dZaEOOpQoMzhAidT05Sf1GV8RteMm3TbJtcvwWKk7QKQ6-o2XUAddFtyiP0KVNPgJfRcjBjyD1NDM/s1600-h/viviangirls-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VlqfPcBRAUzMKMM6eUWdDUaoFvME4A05A7g_R5WeyeOLgvVI5twh-XnlogY7C5dZaEOOpQoMzhAidT05Sf1GV8RteMm3TbJtcvwWKk7QKQ6-o2XUAddFtyiP0KVNPgJfRcjBjyD1NDM/s200/viviangirls-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284996119234872818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vivian Girls</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Vivian Girls</span> (Mauled By Tigers) - Say what you will about where they are and how they got there (and what they will do next), but there's no denying the greatness of this, their debut record. Each song stands tall on its own, especially such instant-classics from the melancholic back side like "Where Do You Run To", "Damaged" and "I Believe in Nothing", but the album is strongest as a whole. Not once did I listen to one song from the album without listening to the rest. In the future, when I look back on Summer 2008, this the record that will take me back. It's the truth.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-58220582709939369582008-12-25T08:57:00.007-05:002008-12-25T09:52:41.447-05:00Sacred Bones Year End Gifts: Children's Hospital and the Rebel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolb6Bp_AqidB5y8GJ4bMYk5iFS_gIdwFz8c_EU-OqAxN-mNVLuc17AalJFBoDRX1wqIhyRarXtJHgPiliFpWo8eSiBXR4lkjZRcoB9tn6L5x0VZSSyS0aM59gaDxMMl1YyBCWERXtM_0/s1600-h/sacredbonesyearend.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolb6Bp_AqidB5y8GJ4bMYk5iFS_gIdwFz8c_EU-OqAxN-mNVLuc17AalJFBoDRX1wqIhyRarXtJHgPiliFpWo8eSiBXR4lkjZRcoB9tn6L5x0VZSSyS0aM59gaDxMMl1YyBCWERXtM_0/s400/sacredbonesyearend.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283736124955744482" border="0" /></a><br />As posted earlier in the month at <a href="http://agitreader.com/">http://agitreader.com/</a>.<br /><br />December, 2008: the end of a rough year for many and a time for many of us to get all reflective about what was good about the year, things we are thankful for, etc. Allow me a minute of your time to say that if you are reading this column, one of the items at the very top of your list should be the fact that tiny record labels such as <a href="http://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/">Sacred Bones</a> still exist, and that there are still people out there—like the folks who run this label—who are sticking their necks out so lousy folks like us can hear, see, and hold their beautifully-packaged and thoughtfully assembled discographies. <p>I am not joking. This is important stuff for a handful of us. </p><p>If it doesn't make sense to you to treat a tiny record label, still practically in its infancy, so seriously, it may be that you haven't purchased their offerings from 2008, wrapping up neatly with two monstrous LPs, the debut of Seattle's Children's Hospital and the anticipated full-length from infamous Country Teasers side project the Rebel. Both records, while quite different in sound and approach, could be exemplars of the Sacred Bones experience. </p><p>In one hand you have Children's Hospital, out of the A-Frames/Seattle experimental axis, a duo with male and female vocals beneath a cauldron of apocalyptic, industrial disease. Seattle can be a bleak place for seasons at a time, but the sound coming out of <i>Alone, Together</i> is much more sinister, as the band crawl from guitar-spiked dirges ("Unseen") to slimy, pulsating, keyboard driven mood pieces like "After the Aftermath." The two are obviously indebted to some of post-punk's permanent inmates, from Throbbing Gristle to This Heat to the less obvious SPK. But leftfield influences like the Sun City Girls and David Lynch-cohort Angelo Badalamenti can also be detected, refreshing for a record with such a thick, industrial oil on its surface. A seperate edition of this is album is a CD version featuring a full-color photo book with shots from a single pre-war children's hospital. Look for their ornate boxed set on the Vinyl-On-Demand label in 2028.<br /><br />In the other hand is a full helping of Ben Wallers, lead man of the Rebel, Country Teasers, and a small but devoted legion of scumbags from both sides of the pond. Few musicians these days can truly call themselves rebels, and Wallers is one of them, offending without trying, touching all the wrong spots without asking, and usually hitting the nail right on the head. Recorded in a single day at WFMU studios, <i>Northern Rocks Bear Weird Vegetable</i> is a record many years in the making, as it sees Wallers picking some of his previously released staples along with plenty of new material, while recruiting a full band separate from his Teasers to enact his inconveniences. </p><p>With <i>Northern Rocks</i>, Wallers has officially stolen the drunkenly waved gun-as-torch from Mark E. Smith, in the process mocking the defenseless old man with lines like, "Is there anybody there?/ I am losing my hair." Because Mr. Wallers is out front here as the Rebel, rather than with Teasers, his words attract the most attention. In a way, this makes it a somewhat flawed release, as he tends to let his disgust for mankind get in the way of fun more than once. The band is great and keeps up and down with all Wallers has to say, but they never really get into it like his other group does. So there's a bit less to bite into, and more of you getting bit. </p>Taken as a whole, though, the record is as good as much of his Teasers output, a very worthwhile 45 minutes into the mind of a modern social scientist. Wallers' barbed tongue lashes modest civilians ("Bums on a Rock" is revisited, thankfully) and celebrities (Scarlet Johansen, England) alike. This album's special edition is apparently the most extravagant limited release yet in the Sacred Bones pantheon, with hand-stitched black velvet sleeves to soften Ben's harsh realities. Put it on while you put a few back, naturally, just don't expect to dance to it unless you're alone, pissed and behind locked doors.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-70365344940136819012008-12-20T11:08:00.011-05:002008-12-20T14:21:11.777-05:00Outstanding Reissues of 2008<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nwV3Udmrok0D_Lu1FMhDeoos_mtcv91x314tBxSUxOGIPRqch2eTP938mZBsftT0aAlz2WfU_BizCbbnThAQ6mNH14fO20wPY_5jiQLkOdcSAw6NgQ9aQFhbUkUrPrzvtnBMernATnM/s1600-h/jtiv.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nwV3Udmrok0D_Lu1FMhDeoos_mtcv91x314tBxSUxOGIPRqch2eTP938mZBsftT0aAlz2WfU_BizCbbnThAQ6mNH14fO20wPY_5jiQLkOdcSAw6NgQ9aQFhbUkUrPrzvtnBMernATnM/s320/jtiv.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280481698497358450" border="0" /></a>2008 has been a great year for reissues, though it seems as if with each passing year labels become more and more in-tune with exactly what we buyers are looking for. I don’t know, maybe I just pay more attention to this stuff as I grow old and develop a taste for the old stuff. But take Drag City, for example, who have decided to begin not only repackaging essential out of print pieces of their catalog on vinyl, but have also begun to reissue lost or obscure classics in beautiful packages, including worthy bonuses, digital coupons, the whole she-bang. Another label typically known for small-scale new releases now on the reissue track is Secretly Canadian, who've followed up two incredible Bobb Trimble records with their ongoing Dead C packages, more of which we will see in the near future, along with two Zero Boys reissues. Radio Heartbeat have continued their run of vintage power pop with Milk N' Cookies and the 20/20 7-inch, and look to have a full plate of goodies for next year. Psych labels like Shadoks, Void, World in Sound and Sundazed have unleashed essential platters, as have Sublime Frequencies, who look to frequent year-end reissues lists every year. Portland's Mississippi Records have become a major player in the reissue game, and a somewhat controversial one at that, but their discography is becoming something even the most amateur collector cannot ignore. Even my good pals at Columbus Discount have entered the fold, contributing two must-owns from Harrisburg, Ohio: Tommy Jay’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Tall Tales for Trauma</span> and their <span style="font-style: italic;">Harrisburg Players Vol. 1</span> 7-inch. And there is plenty more from Central Ohio to come in ’09.<br /><br />The most revelatory musical experience in recent months has been the discovery of <span style="font-style: italic;">Cosmic Lightning</span>, the package of the (almost complete) recorded output from Chicago street poet <span style="font-weight: bold;">J.T. IV</span>, brought to you from the aforementioned Drag City. The story of John Henry Timmis IV is just beginning to unravel for those besides a small handful of mostly Chicago-based punk enthusiasts, and it is one all of you should make yourselves familiar with, as his art was an all-encompassing package containing five-day long movies, music videos, battles with public transit, cries for attention and of course his glammed-up folk-cum-punk drug music.<br /><br />The music alone is enough. Not unlike many punkers from the era, John nurtures healthy obsessions with Bowie, Roxy, Bolan, Lou and Iggy, even Dylan, but rather than attempt to re-write the book like other punks were around this time, John chose to re-imagine his heroes' stories in a conglomeration all his own. The man had some good ideas - "Destructo Rock" pins a Stooges riff beneath a jangly, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ziggy Stardust</span> melody until two minutes in it becomes a phased-out, balls-to-the-wall psych scorcher that wouldn't sound out of place on an early Chrome record. The three-song acoustic suite sequenced at the end of the first half is as touching as "Destructo" is terrifying, unveiling a tortured soul simply wanting a chance at his fifteen-minutes (and maybe a bit more), staying up for days gobbling amphetamines and writing songs about diamonds falling from the sky.<br /><br />J.T. IV was a truly unique songwriter and also a trailblazer with visual aides, as he self-produced a series of videos to accompany his songs which were compiled onto a video tape in the early 80's, included in full here. These video mostly feature John lip-synching his songs and ogling the camera, save for the couple of bits where he fakes a concert performance, full band intact, though it is hard to tell if any of the members had heard his songs before the day it was taped. This is not your average bonus DVD for the sake of it though, as it helps us dig into the paranoid, somewhat desperate persona. It has been rumored that his 85-hour long film <span style="font-style: italic;">Cure for Insomnia</span> will be issued somewhere down the line, at least in abbreviated form, though I doubt Drag City will take the plunge with a 50 DVD box set.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtCg3K-FSfxqJ3jsvwynZubr52psUr-eoIrpugVaDgqdE1R5CNlIMW9H-dpcGhyphenhyphenCSCWB_iePbLcLawTHProRXc7CMzwTCxPSMQSV7WcTsJATEpFO9kuqQ-zr4575t-Pkh0pk6KEhL6v4/s1600-h/tjay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtCg3K-FSfxqJ3jsvwynZubr52psUr-eoIrpugVaDgqdE1R5CNlIMW9H-dpcGhyphenhyphenCSCWB_iePbLcLawTHProRXc7CMzwTCxPSMQSV7WcTsJATEpFO9kuqQ-zr4575t-Pkh0pk6KEhL6v4/s320/tjay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281907987303741554" border="0" /></a>Meanwhile, back in Ohio, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tommy Jay</span> and his Harrisburg cronies were attending a similar yet more more earthy version of the same Punk Rock University that J.T. IV graduated from. The same basic influences are in full bloom on both <span style="font-style: italic;">Cosmic Lightning</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Tommy Jay's Tall Tales</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> of Trauma</span>, especially both artists' affinity for Lou Reed. Tommy Jay and John Timmis IV were men out of their element in the 80's when these records were origianally compiled, speaking a language perhaps too simple for any sort of audience to form.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tall Tales</span> is also a greatest hits/life-encompassing work that cover a span of over a decade, featuring friends he's grown up with and songs he's grown connected to. This music out of the tiny village of Harrisburg, Ohio, along with the work of Jay collaborators like Mike Rep, Nudge Squidfish and others, has re-written the oral history of rural Central Ohio. Time is no longer an issue in this world, only the people who exist on this plane and the spirits that carry them through to death. There are ballads, moral tales, the ghost story of a Civil War fighter, and much, much more, played lovingly by a cast of the most real people you will ever come across. If I learned one lesson in 2008 it is that <span style="font-style: italic;">Tall Tales of Trauma</span> is the unquestionable masterpiece of indigenous Ohio folk music. If you haven't yet heard this record I ask that you to visit <a href="http://columbusdiscountrecords.com/">Columbus Discount</a> before reading any further.<br /><br />To bookend their <span style="font-style: italic;">Tall Tales</span> reissue from earlier in the year, Columbus Discount compiled four songs from the Harrisburg vaults, including an obscure Tommy Jay track, for the November edition of their singles club. The <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Harrisburg Players</span> Volume 1 </span>7-inch is another enigmatic batch of songs this time from a few you may not have heard of. This brief collection proves that others were sipping from the same weird well that Tommy and Rep had tapped, and word that this is only the first of many volumes makes me all fuzzy inside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPslfZ9FvErGdD6axbsiM_SKVJ-3_VUalH_LDhhtIy9vuHLUZKz0Z68GjzPtp50Ry1Aw5UXApxMCog_Di4LtqyCk-VM55Cph3Lh-uYy7POvmluU3nHQ_F2gDL6RxaOGyAAsAHO-eaLpKQ/s1600-h/daveecmc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPslfZ9FvErGdD6axbsiM_SKVJ-3_VUalH_LDhhtIy9vuHLUZKz0Z68GjzPtp50Ry1Aw5UXApxMCog_Di4LtqyCk-VM55Cph3Lh-uYy7POvmluU3nHQ_F2gDL6RxaOGyAAsAHO-eaLpKQ/s320/daveecmc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281908847582617058" border="0" /></a>The Midwest reissue road trip ends in Cleveland, where a mysterious label has unearthed an essential piece of the Electric Eels puzzle, packaging a few impossible to find tracks onto the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dave E. & the Cool Marriage Counselors</span> "Searching for Sears" 7-inch (Xmas Pets). The title track is some post-Eels skronk of the highest order, embodying all that is great about Cleveland - then, and it underscores now - in its oddly kitschy Beefheart and Mr. Ed-referencing way. It's an image only Dave E. could summon, a haggard and grumpy (still young) ex-punk stumbling through the aisles of his favorite department store, leaving a trail of melting black slush and beer breath behind. Listen to it during the commercial breaks of <span style="font-style: italic;">A Christmas Story</span>, also set in Cleveland. The B-side features a a capella version of "Love Meant to Die", a Jazz Destroyers (Dave E.'s brief post-Eels project) song found on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Cleveland Confidential</span> comp. Takes me back to Lakewood every time!<br /><br />Other notables:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Milk N' Cookie</span>s,<span style="font-style: italic;"> Milk N' Cookies </span>2LP (Radio Heartbeat) - best package of the year.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cold Sun</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Dark Shadows</span> (World in Sound) - most expensive reissue of the year.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Mirrors</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">A Green Dream</span> 2LP (Hook or Crook) - remastered and expanded vinyl version of Greg Ashley's psych-punk opus.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gary Higgins</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Red Hash</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mayo Thompson</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Corky's Debt to His Father</span> (Drag City)<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />The Bachs, </span><span>Out of the Bachs (</span><span>Void) </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Animals & Men</span><span>, Never Bought, Never Sold (Mississippi)<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-74814431376861135142008-11-22T15:12:00.007-05:002008-12-03T22:54:52.798-05:00Blank Dogs, Eat Skull, and others in Manhattan, ie Show of the Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/2879808664_b1f8293b6c.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/2879808664_b1f8293b6c.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I don't usually</span> like to do live reviews, especially when they're <strike>over a week old</strike> really old, but his one has been dangling in my head like a loose tooth waiting to be pulled. There have been many shows of note these past few months here in New York, most of which I've passed up. But this one was not to be missed, the official coming-out party for the two-year not-so-secret Blank Dogs project, along with the second of three Eat Skull NY gigs, amongst others.<br /><br />But first, the setting. Sunday nights in Chinatown are apparently the time when the community retreats to their apartments for family dinner, or something, as my search for booze, or even a decent bodega, proved futile. There was a festival being broken down in Little Italy, but no pints of whiskey to be had there either. The venue for this show was an old converted fire house on Lafayette, which is now home to a media center upstairs and a roomy, concrete garage downstairs. The bands set up in the far back of the garage, and it appeared at first that the crowd would be too thin to soften the aggressive PA as it rattled back and forth between the lacquered walls. By the end of the night a good 120 or more people filled the deafening room, but at that point the problem wasn't the space itself so much as the fact that I was without earplugs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Intelligence</span> opened up to a handful of people sipping expensive Busch Lights. They were the first of two bands this night to be without the drummer they left for tour with, the other being Eat Skull, whose drummer apparently was to join the Intelligence for the remainder of their tour after this set. DRAMA. A respectful punk dude with large glasses filled in nicely, and Lars and co. performed a solid twenty minute set of mostly new(ish) material, along with a cover of the Urinals "Black Hole". Lars ended the set knees on the floor, hovering over a feedback-inducing theremin that resembled a sex toy more than your typical antennae oscillator. Next up were <span style="font-weight: bold;">Little Claw</span>, whose two drummers, two guitars/vox set-up engulfed the room. I'd heard they were a live act first and formost, that their recorded output was put to shame by their live sets, and the rumours were true. Heath and Kilynn lock in and wail away, trading strangulations with heavy, blues-based riffs, back and forth, while a pair of drum sets pound in unison like neanderthals summoning pagan gods. Somehow melodies emerged, mantras in the form of Kilynn's howl rose above the loud pulses. You can use all the cliches imaginable - primal, transcendant, gutteral, etc. - they all work in relation to the thirty minutes when Little Claw take the stage. I'm kicking myself for not attending any of their other shows that week.<br /><br />Columbus' <span style="font-weight: bold;">Psychedelic Horseshit</span> countered with Sir Jared Phillips on bass, thee most competent player to hold down the position in Horseshit's three year run. Jared held his bass high up towards his chest, playing bouncy, rhythmic notes not far from the style he utilizes on the guitar in TNV. Matt set up a real live not-piece-of-shit-casio keyboard in front, which both he and Jared played while incoherently stumming other instruments. It's always a mess, especially with Matt's new sampler syncing up with Rich's carboard kit only when it was convenient. But this gang was tighter than the usual Horseshit unit, and nestled between some serious competition, Matt always seems to come through as victorious. The new songs are a tad better with the loose, five-piece Rolling Thunder-style group he conducted a few months ago in Columbus, but that sort of group doesn't lend itself to touring well these days, so a trio had to do. It was good to see Psychedelic horseshit under a little bit of pressure and time constrictions, something you never see at their gigs in Ohio. The mood brought out the best in Whitehurst and the ever-smiling Rich and their set was as good as anyone's that night.<br /><br />Now onto <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eat Skull</span>, a set I anticipated for months. As I mentioned earlier, they were without their original drummer and were forced to find a stand-in each night for the rest of the tour (Jared had played the previous night in Philly). Despite this setback, the band ripped through a rather long set list of their two-minute powerhouse fun punk. They were extremely loud and cartoon-like in their expressions and playing. Eat Skull are the perfect contrast to the Midwestern stuff I've devoured for the past decade, the quintessential West-Coast band; two seperate halves, Portland's scruffy caffeinated style and California's concrete-and-acid suburbia, sewn together to make a Frankenstein for us to raise our fists to. They were great. Not quite as life-affirming as the records, but great enough. And LOUD.<br /><br />But somehow not nearly as loud as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Blank Dogs</span>. By now you likely know the story, the two-year long history shrouded in afghans, indigenous masks, internet pseudonyms, evasive artwork and delayed boxed sets, all informing a secret society that wasn't so secret if you cared enough to figure it out. Mike Sniper was and is the brains behind the Blank Dogs recordings, and the night before he unceremoniously (as it should be - spectacle not needed) revealed the truth with a short set in a Brooklyn gallery. But this show was, according to Sniper, the official debut, as he and the band could tweak the technical glitches from the night before, push the volume to dangerous extremes, and perform their set with a touch more confidence. The set-up was an analog-lover's dream: outrageously large drum machine resembling something from a Fritz Lang set, vintage synths galore, warm and fuzzy sounds from towering amps. Mr. Sniper led from the middle and seemed comfortable with the sound of the band despite the obviously lack of monitor power leading them through the noise. They were great, taking pieces from the many variations of the Blank Dogs sound and maximizing it all into waves of jangly, buzzing pop.<br /><br />We left directly after, needing immediate respite from the suffocating, deafening air inside. I would've liked to have a chance to party with the bands afterward, but I don't think I would've heard a word anyone said. For weeks my ears rang to remind me of the sweet, sweet damage done to them. And for the first time in my life I began to consider taking a pair of earplugs to shows. But for nights like this you just have to take everything in unadulterated. Who knows when Blank Dogs will return to the stage? I hear it could be this Spring, at SXSW and out on the left coast, but you never know. I'm just glad I got to witness the unofficial debut of one of New York's most intriguing musical figures, along with a handful of some of the best stuff going down in the nation.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-23111672895373392782008-09-17T14:28:00.005-04:002008-09-17T14:43:49.101-04:00Send Me Stuff<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_MNDix3rsNiztNJesUOJQf642DoCzOm7MGPA7-SucgSxgebmwVZ3SURXGdyP_C3BmBqlAUa3lJh4hWBQamUnXoj-X7QZdvPKthqQh201ZAritHFPzepi2rbXTBkzViAR-lo5TOFERDo/s1600-h/2347513149_10a0dbe69c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_MNDix3rsNiztNJesUOJQf642DoCzOm7MGPA7-SucgSxgebmwVZ3SURXGdyP_C3BmBqlAUa3lJh4hWBQamUnXoj-X7QZdvPKthqQh201ZAritHFPzepi2rbXTBkzViAR-lo5TOFERDo/s400/2347513149_10a0dbe69c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247059240197230994" border="0" /></a><br />Somebody please send me money to buy a new receiver. Or send me a bat to beat up my old one so that I am forced to get a new one.<br /><br />I'm off to the local pawn shops to haggle with dudes over stolen electronics.<br /><br />While I'm at it, here's my new address. Send me stuff. Concealed cash is fine:<br /><br />239 Kingsland Ave. 1R<br />Brooklyn, NY 11222Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-40517130190689141602008-09-09T13:23:00.015-04:002008-09-09T20:35:23.807-04:00Sic Alps Take Flower Power to New Heights<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyI31X8Z3Ac0e-e6SWVvCUu1p3VP-zvSmoqLY0cWiyNjst7dt_Gu0eQqPJzI97vy5gpDwkGfkfnxYGfYn8XiUnvcscaUCb8bYOpEzRxIOaKhMe2O8MgcbZljaciUZBfdaw64wfSjuRZlM/s1600-h/600x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyI31X8Z3Ac0e-e6SWVvCUu1p3VP-zvSmoqLY0cWiyNjst7dt_Gu0eQqPJzI97vy5gpDwkGfkfnxYGfYn8XiUnvcscaUCb8bYOpEzRxIOaKhMe2O8MgcbZljaciUZBfdaw64wfSjuRZlM/s400/600x600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239236667102912450" border="0" /></a><br />As much as I really wanted to love <a href="http://www.sicalps.com/">Sic Alps</a> last year, after the all the hype that snowballed into the <span style="font-style: italic;">Description of the Harbor</span> breakthrough near the year's end, I must admit their recordings weren't marriage material for me. Astute readers will note that I placed the "Strawberry Guillotine" single on my best-of-07 list. Well, looking back, it's not all that great of a 7", and I'll admit to listing it because of the incredible live set I had seen a few weeks before that list was pieced together. I liked Sic Alps and thought they were brilliant live, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Harbor</span> was nice enough, but let's just say I wasn't head over heels for the band's records.<br /><br />Enter <span style="font-style: italic;">U.S. EZ</span> on, you guessed it, Siltbreeze. Leave it to Tom Lax to get the best effort out of his athletes. I've seen him during practice and the man is nothing short of a drill sergeant. You know Sgt. Hartman, from Full Metal Jacket? Well, Lax makes that character look like Beetle Baily. But his teams know that all the hard work pays off. They sign on the Siltbreeze dotted line, endure training camp and eventually hole-up in a studio until a masterpiece is ready for the boss.<br /><br />Mission accomplished. Sic Alps have eased into a recorded sound all their own, one that is noticeably more loose than their contemporaries but packs no less of a punch. Their live shows are some of the loudest I've seen in the past few years, but this record relies less on the volume of their sets (and previous records) and puts on a pedestal their brilliant song-craft. The palette is simple and pure: guitars, drums, voice, some bits of piano. The warmth of the recording tells me not a whole lot of overdubs were used. I could be wrong. It just feels like the rooms they record in are a member of the band, as they implement echo, distortion and feedback into the recordings as meticulously as (sometimes more so) any note struck.<br /><br />The songs alone are surprisingly original creations, surprising because this genre of music usually relies on a structure put in place over forty years back. Take the minute and a half-long "Bathman", which begins as an acoustic Lennonesque echo-laden lullaby, until, thirty seconds in, a transitional burst straight out of <span style="font-style: italic;">Who Sell Out</span> sets into motion frenetic pounds and squawks for the next minute. Then comes "Everywhere, There" a song as beautiful as leaves falling or clouds drifting, but is taken to new heights with their fuzzily loose execution. That it rivals the heart-wrenching renditions The Band performed of Dylan songs says enough. Songs this sweet have never graced the Siltbreeze racks. And there's the whimsical "Gelly Roll Gum Drop" a nod to the classic '66 psychedelic era in Britain, with it's stuttering word-play and one-note piano clanging along, it would make Kevin Ayers proud.<br /><br />That time and place, mid-60's Britain, is obviously their inspiration for much of <span style="font-style: italic;">U.S. EZ</span>, right down to the newspaper headline-themed artwork found inside. Tin Pan Alley on acid in Autumn is the feel, and you could very well file it next to such classics as <span style="font-style: italic;">Something Else</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Soft Machine Vol. 1</span>. But filing this one away is not on the minds of anyone who's heard this magnificent record, which when it's all said and done, is likely the best album you'll hear all year.<br /><br />Go buy it straight from the Laxman himself at <a href="http://www.siltbreeze.com/">S i l t b r e e z e d o t c o m</a>.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-73599301324098980392008-09-03T18:23:00.002-04:002008-09-03T18:35:42.504-04:00Day Creeper vs. Night Of Pleasure. Or, a Saltair II Party Put to Wax<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCs9T0i87g24pdEAjF2iu_wKhVWRNi1z7guhUJAyuXoSCjE4z0hbcpx_6_qBJID36SDJI6WdCtUBDlVoluQZhaJMsTck6D6WQ7RV0or3gC9YZ6jzaEAve6jFX_jJ6At9prMEqzAibG0o/s1600-h/dc_nop_split.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCs9T0i87g24pdEAjF2iu_wKhVWRNi1z7guhUJAyuXoSCjE4z0hbcpx_6_qBJID36SDJI6WdCtUBDlVoluQZhaJMsTck6D6WQ7RV0or3gC9YZ6jzaEAve6jFX_jJ6At9prMEqzAibG0o/s400/dc_nop_split.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238152703859844226" border="0" /></a><br />I was really pumped to see a package from 71 W. Tulane, Columbus, aka Saltair 2, in my hallway last week containing the brand new split 7" between pop-powerman Day Creeper and basement patriots Night of Pleasure, 'cause quite frankly there haven't been any budget parties like they throw in Clintonville here in Brooklyn. What I'm saying is I needed a freebie.<br /><br />Not that this split isn't worth your hard-earned cash, because it is, as it features some of Cowtown's hardest working dudes and the best tunes they've written to date. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/nightofpleasure">Night of Pleasure </a>have really gelled since adding new bassist Michael J. Hinze (two posts in a row, what am I gay for the guy?) to the mix, all Summer seeming determined to crunch out tighter sets and better tunes. They've recently wrapped a week-long tour of the great Midwest in support of this platter which I'm sure they're very proud of, as the songs reveal a new-found bravado in their sound. "Spasm Chasm" throbs for a solid minute until Dave Trenoff's guitar slashes through the whole groove, essentially engulfing the song. "Spasm", though, plays out as one long intro to what maybe NoP's best song yet, "Hipster Downgrade", a three-chord anthem featuring singer Jim Cowman's most melodic moment. Beneath the feedback and pounding rhythm is a flat-out expertly-written song. To top it all off NoP continue their tradition of including vintage nudity in their design. Well done.<br /><a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=330061907"><br />Day Creeper</a> is the year-old project of Aaron Troyer (Outerspacist drummer, Malabar Brothers guitarist), one of the freshest songwriters out of Ohio I've heard in years. He writes upbeat power-pop comparable to recent acts like Romance Novels or the The Pizzas. His songs are suitable for both the simple guitar-drums set-up (what he's done live) or a more fleshed-out group sound, and he chooses to display both sides here. And apparently Aaron is allergic to duds, as I've heard at least an album's worth of tunes, each one better than the last and all played to perfection, medium-rare. Anyway, "And How!" features the more stripped-down trebly sound, complete with a xylophone lead, while "My Blue Screen" boats a fuller, in-the-red production. There's keys, bass, raw guitar, a great singalong whoosh and a snarl to it that vintage Costello couldn't even touch. Great job Aaron! More, please.<br /><br />You can get this puppy from the bands spaces or maybe <a href="http://floridasdying.com/">Florida's Dying</a>. <a href="http://www.goner-records.com/cart/">Goner</a> may get some back in stock.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-24596806286456859362008-08-25T19:29:00.012-04:002008-08-26T21:06:27.918-04:00The Internet Gets Better Every Day...So while you're here, you know, in front of a computer and all, not looking at porn, you should do these things I tell you. There are other places to go, and blogs to see, and links to click. For instance...<br /><br />It's a total bummer to read that <a href="http://www.blogger.com/detailedtwang.blogspot.com/">Detailed Twang</a> is taking another extended break from posting, because Jay Hinman's musical tastes are so closely aligned with mine it is silly. I can understand, as anyone who frequents this place will know, this music blogging thing can suck the fun out of music. For the past two years Detailed Twang has been the place for dozens of mp3's a week of punk, post-punk and anything else that falls under Jay's radar. But more importantly you get his wit and intellect to go with the songs, usually with some personal anecdote to go with it all. He leaves us with what he calls "the single greatest 45rpm record of all time...the rock and roll record to end all records". And that would be:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYHyrITld_t0yerCOVx2Hk9s_e54axHatIlYVtlQpRgJmpR5Mg0Ws1DcglNmXNN2IaYQC6_2V4QG7egoAVB6IKsh3hfcd0n1geqROeZ663Js-XlPO7Irbb099IK9rNIELIhkxbrswcpc/s1600-h/pere_ubu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYHyrITld_t0yerCOVx2Hk9s_e54axHatIlYVtlQpRgJmpR5Mg0Ws1DcglNmXNN2IaYQC6_2V4QG7egoAVB6IKsh3hfcd0n1geqROeZ663Js-XlPO7Irbb099IK9rNIELIhkxbrswcpc/s400/pere_ubu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238889014707171970" border="0" /></a><br />Ubu's debut. Agree? Disagree? Go to the 'Twang and discuss. He has mp3's right there for you and plenty of other posts that will not be going away. Give him a few weeks and then beg for a return, you'll want to after checking it out.<br /><br />------<br /><br />Columbus' Pat Leonard has been doing great, understated podcasts from his headquarters for a couple of years now, calling it <a href="http://patradio.org/blogs/index.php?frontpage">Pat Radio</a>. Pat stays pretty true to his focus on independent Columbus artists - a subject definitely deserving of regular podcasts - but every once in a while he'll stray away from the topic a bit. A few weeks back he broadcasted my favorite show of his thus far: <a href="http://patradio.org/blogs/archives/178-Program-128-The-Offense-Fanzine.html">#128, the Offense Fanzine</a>. For this program Pat brought in Tim Anstaett, the original Columbus music journalist, a man whose Tet Offense and Offense Newsletter zines from the 80's documented Columbus music, British post-punk and everything in-between. Tim, or "TK" to some, was considered by some to be the State's most vocal propenent of the 4AD label and in particular bands like the Birthday Party and Cocteau Twins. Tim's zines featured content from local legends like Mike Rep and Jim Shepard to L.A. scenesters like Chris D. of the Flesh Eaters. The letters section of Tim's zines became a favorite place for many to voice their opinions (a prelude to internet message boards, for sure) and was famously the topic of Great Plains' most well-known song, "Letter to a Fanzine".<br /><br />Pat's podcast features songs related to the Offense era, many of the tracks culled from live sets recorded in Columbus throughout the 80's. Tim put on many of the better shows that happened around then at places like Staches and Mr. Brown's. Another interesting piece trudged from the archives, surely dubbed from the television by Tim with glee, is a clip from a Columbus newscast featuring "punks" who are pumped about the Cocteau Twins show, one of only five U.S. dates the band played at that point in their career. Even if you're not a fan of the CT's this clip is worth watching, as is perfectly encapsulates a time in the Midwest when there was still a definitive Us vs. Them divide between the punks and normals. At least that's what I took from this clip:<br /><br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-04120373221884369 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gaOlNfC8_xQ&hl=en&fs=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-04120373221884369 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gaOlNfC8_xQ&hl=en&fs=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-04120373221884369 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gaOlNfC8_xQ&hl=en&fs=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-04120373221884369 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gaOlNfC8_xQ&hl=en&fs=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-04120373221884369 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gaOlNfC8_xQ&hl=en&fs=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-04120373221884369 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gaOlNfC8_xQ&hl=en&fs=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-06625167756574335 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gaOlNfC8_xQ&hl=en&fs=1"></a><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gaOlNfC8_xQ&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gaOlNfC8_xQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />-----<br /><br />YOU'VE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH <a href="http://artforspastics.blogspot.com/">ART FOR SPASTICS</a>, RIGHT?<br /><br />-----<br /><br />Oh, and last but most certainly not least in any way imaginable is mention of the very first <a href="http://columbusdiscountrecords.com/">Columbus Discount</a> Singles Club, which went up for sale a few weeks back and should be close to selling out soon. If you read this here blog you know you want it. Shit, you've probably already ordered it. For the money it's about the best deal I can possibly think of, not just in record-land. I mean, I just spent $120 on student loans and look where that got me. $120 could snag you a year's subscription, a Tommy Jay record, the new Mike Rep 12", the new Electric Bunnies and Unholy 2 and Necropolis singles and you'd still have enough to get loaded at Bourbon St. Gotta love the Discount mentality.<br /><br />Of all the great singles they have lined-up for the club, I must say the ones I'm most excited about are the singles from Sandwitch and The Harrisburg Players. Sandwitch will be the first Ron House songs laid to vinyl since <span style="font-style: italic;">Bait and Switch</span> (wow, really?!) and the Harrisburg Players single should be an excellent companion to the Tommy Jay release from earlier this year, which is, like, the greatest thing ever made. I'm pretty damned excited about <span style="font-weight: bold;">everything</span> CDR has sketched out for next year, obviously. Itching for it all. Guinea Worms Double LP? El Jesus full-length? Necropolis full-length? AND the singles club? 2009 will be so fucking epic, Columbus just may explode. Go and pre-order now so BJ can buy bus fare.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-25991385639344183062008-08-25T14:01:00.004-04:002008-08-25T14:45:15.383-04:00Ebay Watch: Stone Harbour original<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ImVEI8ORU3eYKrNZsoH0qKpIfnJJ08XpXlk_2qb8XBk0h-kjmDDRllL-V0j4RgX06SDFUitkSonzYuSKWbv6_s580oaM7jWS7kwu6n4FJD68IISz0IVgEAXutTlUXn3uHbIsio7E4Vc/s1600-h/stoneharbour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ImVEI8ORU3eYKrNZsoH0qKpIfnJJ08XpXlk_2qb8XBk0h-kjmDDRllL-V0j4RgX06SDFUitkSonzYuSKWbv6_s580oaM7jWS7kwu6n4FJD68IISz0IVgEAXutTlUXn3uHbIsio7E4Vc/s400/stoneharbour.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238519766155489666" border="0" /></a><br />Stock has risen for Stone Harbour in recent years, as the right tastemakers have name-checked it enough to push it from total obscurity to lost classic. <span style="font-style: italic;">Emerges</span> is the sole record by these two acid casualties from NE Ohio, a spaced mix of pastoral electric folk jams and swirling guitar/keyboard passages all held together by the duo's vocal harmonies. It's fried enough for even the most out-there heads, light enough to pull in folk fans and for it's time - 1974 - was so out of fashion that only now has it found a legion of fans.<br /><br />Bootlegs have been available since the 90's (FYI I'm still in the market if you have an extra) and the "original" bootleg fetched around $50 a few months ago, if I recall. <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/STONE-HARBOUR-original-Ohio-psych-clean-TOP-COPY_W0QQitemZ110283042687QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item110283042687&_trkparms=72%3A552%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14">This auction</a> claims to be offering an original, of which there are only 500 in existence. There's a copy on Gemm for a fairly reasonable price but my guess is this will go for more. It'll interesting to see just how in-demand this LP has become. If you've never heard <span style="font-style: italic;">Emerges</span> I suggest you track it down. If you're cool with CD's, copies are still in print.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-55123357328104682992008-08-05T11:03:00.009-04:002008-08-23T20:25:43.635-04:0014 Inches of Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQADd_0yeQPivCQxG2mUytaKiaBQV-7MiNExVMjuavt_fkYYPMHNIhOoZ2zBzOFGVpL7jJPclvb4mZYxXYpKpoUObAaRL7dXdyqEB3p9E0ugbK_e0cTJYm-tv8XEQS_myw2sjt-qjAeYAY/s320/box.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQADd_0yeQPivCQxG2mUytaKiaBQV-7MiNExVMjuavt_fkYYPMHNIhOoZ2zBzOFGVpL7jJPclvb4mZYxXYpKpoUObAaRL7dXdyqEB3p9E0ugbK_e0cTJYm-tv8XEQS_myw2sjt-qjAeYAY/s320/box.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Greetings fine readers. It's been a busy month. I just completed a move to Brooklyn and have been in a constant state disrepair, unable to find the proper tools to tune up the brain. But after almost a week in the new space I can finally feel a little breathing room and maybe even heard the juices flowing somewhere up there.<br /><br />I know that I have neglected this place to the point where just about nobody checks regularly, and that has got to change. Hopefully I will get some posts up in the next week or so (not including the re-posts (of sorts) that I just included below, pulled from my Agitreader content), but seeing as I haven't purchased or received a new release in almost a month, it may take a bit longer.<br /><br />So, my end of the internet has been sort of lacking, but I'd like to direct you to an excellent new "punk blog" about pizza called <a href="http://14inchesoflove.blogspot.com/">Pizza Slayer</a>. These dudes (Hinze and Sugarbear) from Newark, OH, and their gang of unusual suspects (Seanzilla, Turco, Cowman, The Ice-Pic, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P1VEcFlV_o">Nut Juggler</a>, etc.) have taken the call to review local pie in the central Ohio area. It needed to happen, and they eat enough pizza per week to qualify as experts in the field. We waited, for years it seemed, for <a href="http://www.newdarkages.net/withjeff/">Fern</a> to start this very blog, and all we got was talk. I guess he'll just have to start his own shop to make up for it.<br /><br />Pizza Slayer rules and their opinion is gold in my book. Mr. Hinze and I have nearly identical palettes when it comes to pie, so I trust his word more than any man on earth. Check it out, make comments and give them recommendations of where to slay next (Ledo's on Kenny Rd, guys).<br /><br />Check back soon.<br /><br />DougDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-47054353491711499072008-08-05T11:00:00.006-04:002008-08-24T13:49:17.598-04:00Pink Reason's Winona and Borrowed Time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://agitreader.com/agit_reader/img/PFs/pinkreason02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://agitreader.com/agit_reader/img/PFs/pinkreason02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The Pink Reason singles that have surfaced in the earlier days of summer provide two completely different windows into the bedroom angst of Kevin DeBroux and company. First up is <em>Winona</em>, a 33 rpm 7-inch on Woodsist that collects the very first recordings under the Pink Reason moniker. Here DeBroux, collaborating with Shaun Failure, concocts a sound as far away from the fast, short and skuzzy bands he'd become accustomed to in Wisconsin over the years, taking cues from acid rock and folk bands instead of crusty punk.<br /><br />The title track is a long, acoustic ballad about a trip to Winona, Minnesota that found them camping in the middle of the Mississippi River. If it weren't so damn stark—and DeBroux's voice so baritone—it could be confused as an outtake from Neil's <em>Harvest</em> record. It is exactly the type of song that Kevin later perfected on tracks like "Goodbye" from last year's <em>Cleaning the Mirror</em>, but "Winona" is worthy of repeated listens beyond its historical perspective. "Give Yourself Away" is a little more interesting, a gnarly take on the early Stooges sound, complete with a fried guitar lead and one-note piano ala "I Wanna Be Your Dog." Keeping with the theme of jittery isolation, DeBroux caps off the EP with "Letting Go," where he sings, "It's all over now. Why is it so hard to sleep?" A fitting end to the very beginning.<br /><br />Seeing as DeBroux has always been in control of his own career arc, it is no mistake that <em>Winona</em> (length: 6:48) coincides with the <span style="font-style: italic;">Borrowed Time</span> single, his briefest and most hardcore-sounding song to date. You could call the A-side, clocking in at just over a minute, a waste of precious vinyl space, but I think it works at isolating the song's message. This blistering, trebly anthem may not be the prototypical Pink Reason song, but the theme could be Kevin condensed into a minute of your time: waking up on floors, empty pockets, (failed) attempts at joining society while it flies right by you, realizing that "society" is shit. If only Danzig was this concise.<br /><br />On the flip is "Scared Shitless," a cut reminiscent of late-period V-3, back when paranoia was Jim Shepard's only friend. You get the feeling Shep and DeBroux would've gotten along just fine. Musically it also reminds one of Pink Reason's early live sound, back when it was Kevin, Shaun and a computer playing a sort of strobe-shocked My Bloody Valentine, feedback piercing eardrums and colliding with the double guitar attack. Two more fine singles to continue a perfect streak. Go to <a href="http://fashionableidiots.com/">Fashionable Idiots</a> to beg for a <span style="font-style: italic;">Borrowed Time</span> repress. <a href="http://fuckittapes.com/">Fuck it Tapes</a> should have <em>Winona</em> in stock. <p> </p>Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-26466427366103483162008-08-05T10:56:00.007-04:002008-08-24T13:51:35.416-04:00June '08 Singles<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://agitreader.com/img/futures/junesingles.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://agitreader.com/img/futures/junesingles.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Here's a batch of solid singles I wrote about back in early July but didn't get around to posting up here until now. Seems like it has slowed a bit on the singles front, so I'll catch up with the late-Summer releases in a few weeks.<br /><br />I begin with two new singles from the die Stasi label, currently presiding in—of all places—Findlay, Ohio. This is the label that unleashed TV Ghost onto the unsuspecting world, and they do the same with Madison, Wisconsin's <b>Zola Jesus</b>. A one-girl juggernaut, and card carrier in the newly-christened Crimson Wave movement consisting of Midwestern, female-dominated bands of "difficulty," Zola Jesus showcases her strong pipes, albeit with heavy effects, atop clanging piano lines and chunky beats. I thought about writing this off as "trying too hard," but these songs are beginning to stick, especially the dramatic "Dog" and its tape-loop backing. The other die Stasi, "Coma" by Portland's <b>Leper Print</b>, is an instant hit. I've regrettably missed the boat on all previous Leper material and now must scramble for it all, as this is furiously minimal, lo-fi bedroom punk of the highest order. "Dead Flowers" isn't a Urinals cover, but it might as well be, as it shares that band's punctual primitiveness to a tee. There's plenty of Dave E. worship as well. Urinals and Electric Eels as prime influences? I think I'm in love. Both singles come in nice, hand-screened sleeves and are on quality wax.<br /><br />It is always exciting to check and see whom Skulltones pick for their next release, as they always come up with winners, and <b>Naked on the Vague</b> are no exception. NOTV borrow from any number of great first-wave British post-punk moments, but not always the most obvious ones. "Poltergeist Palm" digs a grave directly next to <i>Flowers of Romance</i>-era PiL, while "Empty Tongues" mellows Throbbing Gristle's noise into a palpable lullaby. An odd single, but an excellent one, and another example of how great the Australian underground is today.<br /><br />I've yet to be totally blown away by the <b>Little Claw</b> train, that is until I played this new one, the <i>Why/Why Not</i> EP (Physical Sewer). "World of Tired" is one of the best songs of the year; a sub-primal bass leads as guitars screech across the chalkboard and singer Kilynn sings about the world ending. She has a voice all her own and is finally finding the proper songs to display it. "Look Down the Drain" is as spaced as anything this decade, <strike>Heath's</strike> Kilynn's guitar scratching out Carl Sagan's eyes in the process. I am floored. Maybe it is time to revisit the LPs.<br /><br />Cleveland's <b>Homostupids</b> always seem to lasso in just the right amount of energy, feedback and weirdness, enough so to be my favorite band from Northeast Ohio in a while. They never try and hit you over the head with anything (at least not while you're looking), put on a stellar live show and have now made five great records. "Cat Music" (Fashionable Idiots) begins with a feral cat's meow segueing into a bizarre mid-tempo jam about a trip to the circus. Then there's a song where they go apeshit. The flip isn't as apeshit, more of a Big Black rant but only two lines long. It ends with some horns from a Batman cartoon. Great single.<br /><br />Last but not least are the much-hyped <b>Vivian Girls</b> and their second single in as many months. I loved "Wild Eyes" and absolutely adore their eponymous LP, but was a little bummed when I learned there would be some overlap in songs with the "Tell the World" single on Woodsist. Alas, what you get here are three demo versions of songs from the long-player, and these stripped-down takes warrant repeated listens. With the wall-of-sound removed from the VG's oeuvre you get more of a focus on the trio's unique vocal harmonies (think Shangri-Las meet c86) and, most-importantly, the quality of writing. These girls write some mean ones, and if you're a fan of this group you'll want every version you can get. <p> </p>Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-34079908490081832532008-06-30T18:43:00.008-04:002008-08-23T21:00:48.253-04:00Eat Skull Interview<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://agitreader.com/agit_reader/img/features/eatskullinside.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://agitreader.com/agit_reader/img/features/eatskullinside.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />It's rare for a band less than two years young to surprise with their debut album, but that's just what <a href="http://www.myspace.com/eatskull">Eat Skull</a> have done with <em>Sick to Death</em>, released this month on Siltbreeze Records. After a pair of exuberant, limited-run singles and a slathering of praise (guilty!), the gang in Portland raised the bar for the lo-fi pop set with an album full of bizarre, touching and often hilarious anthems. Eat Skull pick at the corpse of '80s hardcore, the scruffier wing of the Flying Nun discography and British DIY, laughing all the way. <em>Sick to Death</em> is immediately jarring and a tough cookie to crack, but after a week it will be that friend you've needed in these tough times. I caught up with singer/guitarist Rob Enbom as he gears up for their first nationwide tour later this Summer.<br /><strong><br />Let's begin with the band pre‒Eat Skull. Which members were in bands previously, and what did they sound like?</strong><br /><p> <strong>Rob Enbom:</strong> Rod (Meyer) and I were in the Hospitals. He started the band with (Adam) Stonehouse and left broke and destroyed, later to rejoin for the four-person line-up and leave again broke and destroyed. I was in the band for awhile on second guitar with the excellent Ned Meiners (the third person to play guitar). I remember we played Columbus once in a basement with Sword Heaven. I was wearing flip-flops. I quit after that tour, and then Ned quit and I rejoined and we started recording <em>Hairdryer Peace</em>. Later Rod and Chris Gunn joined, and that's how I met Rod. Rod was in some '80s hardcore bands in the Dixon/Sacramento area like Necromancy and Puppet Show and also some '90s bands. Most of the numerous weird bands I played in don't have much to do with Eat Skull. But I spent years playing in different projects with a couple of dudes who always deserve mention: Randy Lee Sutherland in San Francisco and John Benson in Oakland. Both are completely wonderful and insane and very active and inspirational. For a while Beren was playing drums in practically every band in Portland, but eventually she settled down with us. Scott (bass player Scott Simmons) was a deejay at this place called Tube.</p> <p><strong>Eat Skull seemed to take form not long after you left Columbus. How quickly did it all happen?</strong><br /><strong>RE:</strong> While in Europe with the Hospitals, Rod and Chris told me I should move to Portland because I was totally broke and didn't know where I wanted to go when we got back. We talked about playing music there, and Rod said he would let me stay at his house. So we got back and all that happened and was really cool, except that it was cold and rainy as shit and I had holes in my shoes. It can be a depressing atmosphere and that comes through in the music. It's bittersweet, I think. We started the week after we got back and the first batch of songs came very fast. The name Eat Skull came fast too. Once we got Beren and then Scott we practiced once or twice and recorded the first 7-inch and the song "Dead Families." Then we started playing shows in town.</p> <p><strong>Did you have a specific idea of what you wanted the band to sound like or was it a more of a progression?</strong><br /><strong>RE:</strong> We wanted to start two bands and write tons of songs and record ourselves. One would be a sick California-style hardcore band and the other was going to be a sick California pop band. We knew the hardcore band was going to be called Eat Skull, but we couldn't figure out what the other was called so it turned into one band. More than anything we're trying to make a classic California band while exiled from California in a green hell.</p> <p><strong>Did what was going on in Columbus at the time affect your approach to songwriting or the band's sound? Was forming Eat Skull in any way reactionary to the scene in the Midwest?</strong><br /><strong>RE:</strong> I do enjoy the Midwest's whiskey-and-wings vibe, but it doesn't specifically have much to do with what we're doing. A couple of songs we play were written when I lived there, but I think they were looking forward to this time here more than being of that time and place. What we do is more about the sun being missing from our lives right now. The songs and sound come about naturally and very quickly from drinking a lot of beer and walking around here in Portland. Rod and I grew up on punk and acid in California. That's where the roots are.</p> <p><strong>Was it the band's intention to introduce a more hardcore approach (or at least a hardcore influence) into the lo-fi pop sound?</strong><br /><strong>RE:</strong> Hardcore factored in because it makes sense when you are going crazy. It's also probably my and Rod's first real musical love. A good hardcore song is just as infectious as anything else. A good hardcore song is an undeniable assault. That kind of energy makes sense to us.</p> <p><strong>After the first (self-released) single came out it didn't take long for the collective slobbering to happen. How quickly did Mr. Lax (Siltbreeze Records mastermind) lock Eat Skull into a long-term deal. Did he make any of his infamous threats, or was the signing with Siltbreeze amicable?</strong><br /><strong>RE:</strong> He got in touch some time after the first 7-inch came and went and during the six-month wait for "Dead Families" to come out. He came out and barbecued some octopus and acted like a dick. He's not a first impression kind of dude. He drunkenly made fun of us all while eating food I can't pronounce. Pretty much a class act.</p> <p><strong>I hear the song "No Intelligence" has an interesting back-story to it, something about a disastrous trip up to Seattle. Care to discuss the relationship between Portland and Seattle, or your opinion of Seattle?</strong><br /><strong>RE:</strong> Seattle is a stupid place full of idiots. Every time I've ever played there there has been some kind of psycho drama. It's a place full of rich brats who think they are activists and are obsessed with the WTO riots and nitpicking. Either that or drug addicts. We drove up there last summer to play a show and immediately the shit began to fly. It was absolutely ridiculous and all sorts of these Seattle people should be ashamed of themselves. "No Intelligence" is actually about Scott. We did recently decide to give Seattle one more chance and it was really fun, so maybe all that hatred is paying off. Scott is a real sweetheart, by the way, that's why I get to make fun of him so much.</p> <p><strong>With the new album, I think it was Scott who told me it was intended to have two distinct sides, the first half more "difficult" and the second more "pop." Was this just an easy way to break up the different types of songs you guys have? It seems like the singles are split up that way as well.</strong><br /><strong>RE:</strong> The idea was to have a "sick" side and a "death" side, like the tape <em>94 Mobstas</em> by C.I.N. (a gangster rap group from Richmond, California). I used to listen to them back in Cali around that time with my dumb friends. C.I.N. loved MGD, but I'm more of a High Life kind of guy. That's where the name of the album came from. But really it was more about making the songs flow in a way that made sense. We picked 14 out of about 25 songs and figured out where they went. We didn't really argue about it much, they just sort of popped into place. I think it's the sort of album where side one doesn't really hit you right until you flip it back after side two. I like records like that.</p> <p><strong>What do you plan on doing with all the other stuff you have recorded?</strong><br /><strong>RE:</strong> We put a song on the <em>Worlds Lousy with Ideas, Vol. 6</em> 7-inch, which should be out any day now. There's a split 7-inch coming out this summer probably with the Ganglians, who are a bunch of delinquents from Sacramento. They rule, and we're going to be touring with them in July. Other than that, I think we're just holding off on stuff. Maybe we'll use some of those extra songs on something. I don't know. New material is piling up and we've recorded some of it, but we're getting better at recording and want to spend a little more time on the new stuff to achieve different results.</p> <p><strong>One of the greatest things about <em>Sick To Death</em> is the lyrical content. You seem to tap into a very youthful dialect: confusion, "Punk Trips," licking spiders. Where does it all come from? Do the lyrics come before or after the music?</strong><br /><strong>RE:</strong> Thanks Doug. Usually the song title comes first. There is no separation between the lyrics and day-to-day life here in Portland. The lyrics describe or predict what is already happening. Sometimes they come before and sometimes they come after the music. They always eventually feel predetermined and make more sense than I think they do at first. My uncle told me that Willie Nelson said that when he needed a song he pulled one out of the air above his head. It's kind of like that, but less evolved probably.</p> <strong></strong><p><strong>Does Eat Skull as a band have a favorite food to eat on tour?</strong><br /><strong>RE:</strong> Tacos Sinaloa on International Boulevard in Oakland.</p> <p><strong>Do you all agree on the music in the van? What are some albums and songs Eat Skull love that most wouldn't expect?</strong><br /><strong>RE:</strong> Scott puts on shit like Sun City Girls or Blue Cheer. He's a record collector and has an iPod. I prefer Rupert Holmes' "Pina Colada Song" for roadtrips. I think we all fucking love Buckingham era Fleetwood Mac (except maybe Scott). I love all his solo albums too. None of that Peter Green shit though. The blues suck. The stereo is broken actually, so I guess we can agree on conversation. I don't know what music people wouldn't expect. I guess people might find it weird that for most of the winter, when we were writing the tunes that ended up being on the LP, all I really listened to in my room was DRI's first stuff and TSOL's <em>Dance With Me</em>. People might expect that another big one is GBV's <em>Same Place The Fly Got Smashed</em>. I have, however, never listened to the Axemen.</p> <p><strong>I am also a huge fan of Lindsay Buckingham. If Eat Skull were to cover a Fleetwood Mac or Buckingham song, which would it be?</strong><br />RE: "That's How We Do It In L.A."—definitely.</p> <p><strong>So, a big tour coming up later in the summer. Any fun tourist spots the band plan on hitting or ir is this tour one hundred percent business?</strong><br /><strong>RE:</strong> One hundred percent business. Except the beach down in San Diego. Probably Encinitas. Should be cool to hang out at Carabar (in Columbus), maybe have a drink before the show at Bourbon Street. </p>Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-49044523650217120872008-06-20T11:22:00.006-04:002008-08-24T13:56:12.839-04:00Hospitals, Nothing People Reviews<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://agitreader.com/agit_reader/img/PFs/norcal01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://agitreader.com/agit_reader/img/PFs/norcal01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p>It is fitting, in a time when bands like Eat Skull, Psychedelic Horseshit, Sic Alps and Times New Viking are grabbing headlines with their lo-fi shenanigans, that Adam Stonehouse, a.k.a. <strong>The Hospitals</strong>, unveils his most chaotic statement to date. See, if you were to ask me where exactly the roots of the new shit-pop revolution began, the conversation may just begin with Stonehouse and the Hospitals records on In the Red and Load, from 2003 and 2005, respectively. As good as those albums were at reinventing the noise-as-pop sound, though, his new LP, <em>Hairdryer Peace</em>, blows them away.</p> <p>If Eat Skull et al. use primitive recording techniques and off-the-cuff style to turn pop songwriting inside out, <em>Hairdryer Peace</em> turns that notion on its head, utilizing pop technique to sculpt a new kind of noise experiment. Song fragments—a vocal melody here, a catchy bass line there—tie together a series of violent sound icebergs. It is like somebody telling you a story while the vacuum is running. There is a peace to their voice being drowned in noise. That is the "hairdryer peace."</p> <p>Stonehouse relies heavily on percussion for the backbone of most songs, with trebly symbol crashes and snare fills tackling each other for the lead. If not drums then scratched strings or warbled bass lead the way. There are, of course, times where nothing leads at all, taking an aimless route reminiscent of the Dead C's finest moments, only in much shortage passages. Whenever Stonehouse's vocal do manage to seep through, you're tricked into thinking a groove is forming—that is until the moment quickly dries up and shrivels into something sounding like <em>Twin Infinitives</em> played backwards.</p> <p>Each note on <em>Hairdryer Peace</em> veers toward blown-out feedback, threatening to engulf every groove on the record. Like a tightrope walker carrying a batch of barbed wire, the Hospitals' newest record is as enthralling as it is dangerous. Some fans of shit-pop may find little to enjoy here, but those interested in the long-running history of way-out sound—from ESP Records to Sightings—will find plenty to be happy with.</p> <p>After three excellent singles, Orland, California's <strong>Nothing People</strong> finally hammer out their much-anticipated full-length. A side-to-side comparison of the Nothings' debut single, the <em>Problems</em> 7-inch (also on S-S) from 2006, and <em>Anonymous</em>, the new record, shows a distinct difference in production and style, but not necessarily for better or worse. The trio began as a tinny, guitar-driven psych-garage unit with a heavy West Coast leaning, modern disciples of the Twinkeyz and early Chrome. On <em>Anonymous</em>, the sound is more paranoid art-punk, as the band places an emphasis on synthesizers, heavy bass tracks and a fuller, thicker production. The early sound is still there, just dosed with some glam barbiturates and New York smack.</p> <p>Opener "In the City" is a perfect example of the new look; buzzing synths recall Roxy Music's debut, with a guitar solo that should please even more devoted Laughner fans. It's proto-punk with a heavy sci-fi obsession. On the other hand, tracks like "Should've Known" jam extensively, leading me to believe that these cats are in full embrace of the popular records from the era as well. <em>Toys in the Attic</em> anyone? Nah, put on <em>Killer</em>.</p> <p>The back half grinds things into a more interesting dust. The Cramps-ian beat of "Suspicious" gets my stuff moving every time, before the killer solo comes to an abrupt halt. "Omega Man" is the Bo Diddley shuffle by way of Mike Rep, while "Outsiders Are" proposes a world where the freaks are "in," and industrial runoff is good for you. You could play "name that influence" along with most of <em>Anonymous</em>, but that's not the point. At their best, Nothing People play by a new set of rules. That they're so impeccably well versed in all things cool should not go down as a detriment. Instead, enjoy <em>Anonymous</em> knowing that this genre of outsider rock has a new leader.<br /></p><p>Go to the <a href="http://hairdryerpeace.com/">Hairdryer Peace</a> site to pre-order an copy of the second pressing. <a href="http://s-srecords.com/">S-S</a> should have the Hospitals record soon too. They have copies of <span style="font-style: italic;">Anonymous</span> as well. Naturally.</p>Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-7521918032119507122008-06-18T12:47:00.005-04:002008-08-05T14:00:23.064-04:00New Batch of Sacred Bones<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://agitreader.com/agit_reader/img/PFs/sacredbonescol.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://agitreader.com/agit_reader/img/PFs/sacredbonescol.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://sacredbonesrecords.com/">Sacred Bones Records</a>' newest batch of releases has raised the bar for high-quality, affordable, and most importantly, available music. After three releases that quietly trickled out more than a year ago (including the buzzed-about Blank Dogs 12-inch, <em>Diana (The Herald)</em>, the label took an extended hiatus to work on a quartet of dark, mystifying discs.<p> </p><p>The label model is admirable: take an under-the-radar artist, declare needed format—usually vinyl-only singles or full-lengths—and create limited-edition versions along with standard editions that are to be repressed upon demand. Both the limited and standard editions are handmade and carefully silkscreened, with a common design theme throughout every release. The limited versions all have unique embellishments to them, like wax seals, stamped sleeves, cardboard bands and colored vinyl. Each release—limited or not—is an item to behold.</p> <p>But we wouldn't be talking about any of this if the music wasn't so great, and the new Factums LP, <em>The Sistrum</em>, is the best place to start. Fans of their synapse-frying debut on Siltbreeze last year will not be disappointed with this doozy. But don't expect to be handed all the barbed hooks they passed out last time. <em>The Sistrum</em> has more of a cohesive feel, as many of the songs are allowed room to breath, venturing into the four- and five-minute range. Opener "Mushrooms" is the Peter Gunn theme played in a German bunker, while "Origami" pounds out sub-motorik pulses beneath layers of guitar feedback and tuneless organ. The second half cools down into a series of sinister grooves, a few of which you could even dance to. The midget from <em>Twin Peaks</em> would approve.</p> <p>Sacred Bones' second full-length offering does not disappoint either. After a single compilation appearance (on <em>The World's Lousy With Ideas, Vol. 2</em>), the Pink Noise dole out their highly anticipated debut album, <em>Dream Code</em>. While the Canadian duo plays by the same rules as other synth-guitar-pop weirdos like Blank Dogs (and dozens of other Myspace mysteries), their sound is the most naked of all. Live drum loops (or live-sounding drum machine), succinct synth lines, guitar and vocals are all they use to get these bits of shrapnel stuck in you. Check "Dead Glitter Sun" for some heavy Suicide worship; other parts remind me of '80s West Coast synth-god Minimal Man. Individual tracks tend to sound a bit throwaway, but as a whole <em>Dream Code</em> gets by on its raw sound and simplistic mission.</p> <p>No less essential are the singles from Nice Face and Dead Luke. Nice Face brings a little deep bass to the equation, pushing both tunes into the party zone. These two are the most purely enjoyable songs of the whole batch, a fun time for all. Wisconsin native Dead Luke steps up to the plate with, of all things, a Troggs cover ("I Want You"), here re-imagined as a pent-up love letter to all dead machines. Ballsy for your vinyl debut, yes, but he takes the task seriously and nails it. Not so successful is his original on the flip, but who wants to outshine the Troggs?<br /></p>Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-8526227278349519192008-05-25T17:45:00.003-04:002008-09-09T18:45:19.803-04:00Hole Class<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/Shoplifting/population/holeclass.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/Shoplifting/population/holeclass.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I've had a few requests in the past months to share the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/holeclass">Hole Class</a> cassette I <a href="http://populationdoug.blogspot.com/2007/03/hole-class.html">wrote about</a> last year, so I went ahead and created a <a href="http://www.sendspace.com/file/t5msia">sendspace link</a>. Hole Class was the short-lived collaboration between Rob of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/eatskull">Eat Skull</a> and Beth of Times New Viking. Eat Skull have a brilliant new LP out on Siltbreeze. Beth <a href="http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/?p=1688">cut her hair</a> in the UK and is finishing up a European tour with TNV.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-40439504701929107262008-05-16T12:39:00.010-04:002008-08-05T13:41:29.695-04:00Love Radiation: Talking With Electric Bunnies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlDfjqCiMJzuLhaoDo0dmt3bOFYYmAbwLxJ0F7mV5ReaHt-jQPTaEdegloy19864QuqUGY3g-nsrEzOm-ZzcELss_y2mpkXmDS84oGleC7V1NqqjD4lSX2NBBMeSY5XnBU2XtrTwDrbY/s1600-h/bunnies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlDfjqCiMJzuLhaoDo0dmt3bOFYYmAbwLxJ0F7mV5ReaHt-jQPTaEdegloy19864QuqUGY3g-nsrEzOm-ZzcELss_y2mpkXmDS84oGleC7V1NqqjD4lSX2NBBMeSY5XnBU2XtrTwDrbY/s400/bunnies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200343926303920386" border="0" /></a>For the first time in I don't know how many years something exciting is happening in Florida, and I'm not talking about Hanley Ramirez. From Miami to Orlando, bands like Shit Eagle, Jacuzzi Boys, Slippery Slopes and most notably Electric Bunnies are uniting against the bad metal and booty music that has plagued the Sunshine State for years. The tight-nit scene down South is anchored by Rich and Jean of <a href="http://floridasdying.com/">Florida's Dying</a>, who not only release the records for these bands and put on the majority of shows in Orlando (now attracting groups from across the globe) but run one the best little mail-order stores in the nation. But this isn't about Florida's Dying. This is about the best little band on the FD roster, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/electricbunnies">Electric Bunnies</a>.<br />Based out of Miami, Electric Bunnies are only two singles into their hopefully illustrious discography, but that is about to change. The trio, who experiment will all forms of pop, hardcore, psychedelic and noise, are about to unleash the first non-Columbus record on <a href="http://columbusdiscountrecords.com/">Columbus Discount Records</a>, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Fantastic Metal Eye 7"</span>. It's an exciting release for all parties involved and just the tip of the iceberg for what is to come from the Bunnies in the coming months. Recently, I bothered the band enough for them to punch some keys on a board and respond to my stupid questions. Needless to say, their answers fared better. Thanks for doing all my dirty work, Electric Bunnies.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Okay, please state who I'm speaking with here and what you do in the band?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span>I’m Eldys. I mostly play guitar, although I occasionally fiddle with the various knob-laden items that we use as well (synths, samples, etc.). I also sing some of the songs and cut Victor’s hair when I have time.<br /><p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> And the other members are? They play?</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Thomas almost always plays the drums; he did play guitar with us once, though, so I would describe him as a multi-instrumentalist of Prince’s caliber.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Victor plays bass and writes the songs. We have some songs that have no bass guitar; I don’t really know what he does on those. I did see him play a recycling bin full of broken glass once, which he was really good at. Victor should play that thing more often. </span></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> How long ago did the Electric Bunnies form, and how exactly did the members meet?</span><br /></span></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We’ve been together for about four years now. I can’t remember how we met, since that was a long time ago and my memory for things that aren’t related to fruit trees or panda bears is very poor. I do remember, however, that the original lineup featured a female keyboard player, which we were very hopeful about at the time since everyone knows that having a girl in the band is your ticket to making untold riches. Unfortunately, she couldn’t play very well and Victor made her cry all of the time at practice so she quit. We decided to settle on having our friend Jose play keyboards, but he got really nervous about having to impersonate a beautiful lady at shows and stopped answering our phone calls. I like to believe that if he had stayed on as a she we would all be famous right now.</span></p>Victor clarifies: Eldys got it wrong. We've been together longer than four years. We probably formed in 2002 or 2003.<p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Did you begin recording right away, or was it more of a live thing?</span><br /></span></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We started recording just about immediately, since Victor had already written several songs. We played very few live shows early on, largely due to the fact that there weren’t many venues in Miami that would book us. We played our first show at a strip club called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIiHuu1Y75s&feature=related">Gumwrappers</a> that had been converted into a go-go bar; I don’t think they wanted us back there, since by the time we were finished the place was covered in birthday cake and soil. We’ve been lucky in that people are more willing to book us now – too lucky, in fact, since we can’t really take most of those offers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I hear that all of you have serious day jobs. Care to elaborate on what you all do for a living?</span> </span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Thomas gets paid to tell computers what to do, which from what I understand can be frustrating if they’re uncooperative. Victor sells people conversations that he’s had with other people he considers interesting; it’s hard to believe there’s a market for that sort of thing, but then I guess that’s the sort of opportunity that made our parents want to come to this country in the first place. I put people in cages for a living; sometimes they’re covered in their own filth, and they almost always cry. It’s very satisfying work.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> And do your jobs play into what the band can and cannot do? Do your jobs influence the songs and style of music you play?</span></span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I suppose I would say yes to both questions. The fact that we all have steady jobs allows us to play whatever we want, since we don’t have to worry about selling records to eat or buy decent pants; in that sense we have much more freedom than most full-time bands who are forced to make concessions in order to make their music profitable. The drawback to our position, of course, is that we can’t play quite as often as we would like and we tend to have to plan our shows out very far in advance.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Coming from Ohio, Miami is a fairly exotic locale to be playing the sort of music you play, and by exotic I mean completely different than most of the places that harbor experimental rock music...What is it like playing shows down there? Do you consider yourself apart of any scene down in Miami?</span> </span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Miami is a nice place to play rock music because you’re never in any danger of becoming popular. You can feel comfortable playing music that makes you happy, since nobody here is going to care anyway. The people have a shallow quality reminiscent of folks in New York and Los Angeles, but with poorer taste. The weather is wonderful, of course, which is much more important. We’re not part of any music scene down here, but I would say that I am part of Miami’s thriving tropical fruit enthusiast scene. </span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 102, 102);font-size:100%;" >HERE IS WHERE ELDYS GOT BORED AND VICTOR HAD TO STEP IN AND ANSWER THE REST OF THE QUESTIONS</span><br /></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Are you interested in the history of Florida punk at all?</span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">No.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >How did you come into contact with the labels who are putting out your music, Florida's Dying and Columbus Discount? Was there are particular reason (or release) Columbus Discount entered your radar?</span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The first time I saw Rich (of Florida's Dying) was when his band the Studdogs played here in Miami. He was screaming into the mic, naked from the waist down, rolling around in broken glass, out-of-his-mind wasted. Later when I went to see Cheveu in Orlando, he put me up at his house and we officially met. I discovered that he was actually very down to earth, in fact the only guy in the state trying to make cool things happen, setting up shows and doing his label. He had heard of us, so he asked me to send him some recordings. I thought he just wanted to book some shows for us or something, but instead he asked us to do a 7", which was quite a surprise.</span></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">With CDR we sent them a demo and they liked it and wanted to do something with us. They had put out that first Psychedelic Horseshit 7", so I guess that's why we sent them the demo.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Are there any bands going right now that you feel a kinship with? Or any groups down in So. Florida we should learn about.</span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Pink Reason for sure. Before either of us had records out I used to talk to Kevin all the time about music, and we both have a similar mindset when it comes to writing songs. Neither of us are afraid to experiment, even if it means turning people off. The personalities of both bands are really different but I think we understand music the same way. </span></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We love playing with Psychedelic Horseshit, who are friends of ours and very fun guys. Same goes for the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jacuzziboys">Jacuzzi Boys</a> here at home. We consider them like our brother band.</span></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">A band you should definitely know about in Miami is <a href="http://www.myspace.com/hahahelp">HahaHelp!</a> who haven't yet put anything out anything except a CD-R. They're especially great live and are also Dino Felipe's favorite local band. </span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >I know that you have multiple releases due in the coming months. How much of that is recent stuff and how much of it is from the legendary Electric Bunnies archives?</span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I don't know because I'm not sure what the "legendary Electric Bunnies archives" is.</span><br /></p><span style="font-weight: bold;">I guess what I mean by that was think it was Kevin D who told me that you have hours of music to pull songs from and didn't necessarily have to record new material for new releases.</span><br /><br />He's right. We do have tons of stuff recorded, a lot of which we never even bothered to mix down. If all goes according to plan NONE of it will ever see the light of day except for maybe one or two songs. We're all bored with that old material. There will only be brand new recordings of brand new songs on the upcoming LP.<br /><br /><p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Care to map out exactly what you have coming out?</span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">7" on Columbus Discount Records. Split 7" with Pink Reason on <a href="http://www.myspace.com/diestasi">Die Stasi</a>. LP on Florida's Dying. </span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Any chance of a tour in the future?</span><br /></p> <p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">There is always a chance.</span></p><p face="georgia">-----------------------------------------------------------END<br /></p><p style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And now, an awesome video clip of the Bunnies doing "The Stranger" from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Chewing Gum</span> single:<br /></span></p><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-07608034262473085 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z2RLN3wUGKs&hl=en"></a><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z2RLN3wUGKs&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z2RLN3wUGKs&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Fantastic Metal Eye</span> is available now on <a href="http://www.columbusdiscountrecords.com/">Columbus Discount Records</a>.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Chewing Gum</span> is available now on <a href="http://floridasdying.com/">Floridas Dying</a>.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-57453726859876828492008-05-05T18:14:00.008-04:002008-08-05T13:42:04.800-04:00More Spring 08 Singles...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDAN49k6msVYwjrBhVRosv1cVpk_1xsfESPVVrtneINDA07z2mQtjx5wKZhyr5tVPxwiyzAobCUdEMUByXV4NJm31ekMZMW-qHcKsiTAwXTAmPWiRGMX_adlVzKmxZl7g3C1Ma4kwFl8/s1600-h/viviangirls7inch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDAN49k6msVYwjrBhVRosv1cVpk_1xsfESPVVrtneINDA07z2mQtjx5wKZhyr5tVPxwiyzAobCUdEMUByXV4NJm31ekMZMW-qHcKsiTAwXTAmPWiRGMX_adlVzKmxZl7g3C1Ma4kwFl8/s320/viviangirls7inch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5195824768506232018" border="0" /></a>It's been impossible to keep up. Too many great singles this year and it's only May. Keep up the good work, bands. May I recommend...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=174464991">Vivian Girls</a> - "Wild Eyes"</span><br />After a few hearty endorsements I checked in on all-femme Brooklyn trio Vivian Girls, whose new single <span style="font-style: italic;">Wild Eyes</span> on Plays With Dolls is mind-numbingly good. The title track shuffles beneath a heavy dose of echo and fuzz, the three of them harmonizing a sweet melody that reminds my girlfriend of Kiwi pop band Heavenly. I've not listened to enough Heavenly to agree or disagree, but I'll take her word for it. Note to self: get some more Heavenly. There are some references to the original UK femme-punks like Raincoats and Kleenex too. The B-side is just as good, a bit of guitar worship with an old girl-group theme: murderous boyfriends. Don't know if I've ever heard it done quite like this. I want to crawl inside their amps and make it my womb. Whoa. And they've got an album out soon!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xf6amoqodm_Pv2BU_YkmnBsj7DXVUW73IzMPxs6R7kGPT_fhbk3tkq-M_joE-Bv_f_DasyMa-CQPyx0DGS14Q6a5rqMyHgmLQyFCKkCywnKqcbvRwBMhka41w7mzy-ikbjvodqRmPjg/s1600-h/fhandh.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xf6amoqodm_Pv2BU_YkmnBsj7DXVUW73IzMPxs6R7kGPT_fhbk3tkq-M_joE-Bv_f_DasyMa-CQPyx0DGS14Q6a5rqMyHgmLQyFCKkCywnKqcbvRwBMhka41w7mzy-ikbjvodqRmPjg/s320/fhandh.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197075991263804674" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.myspace.com/francisharoldandtheholograms">Francis Harold and the Holograms</a> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">S/T 7"</span><br />This disgusting slab on <a href="http://www.goingundergroundrecords.com/">Going Underground</a> hasn't left my table for five days now. Two songs, both longer than should usually be tolerated for a single of this sort, but these fucks keep it scuzzy enough for continuous spins. The key to these songs are the brilliant vocal hooks buried beneath the sparp stabs of feedback and plodding rhythm. The A-side, permanently lodged in my skull already, features some heavy words about the fall of America that'll have armies fighting their war in no time. In that regard they really recall Flipper's more topical moments, but this debut's no imitation. A perfect slice of American Scum, and one of the three best singles I've heard all year.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://jayreatard.blogspot.com/">Jay Reatard</a> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">See/Saw 7"</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpmcXzCHwiq5G_6YMtYkbz7wtjjBC-FPsv_rYSCOTrmybb7qbO-v6cmLklL3Im2DCmtLgHV5umrmkBqDoHfgRrJvV0TAybSMYck5tiftEo4FvRqOUkGg9hyphenhyphen9A69ox4xPQViHuOBdoRd4/s1600-h/ss-sc_jacket-front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpmcXzCHwiq5G_6YMtYkbz7wtjjBC-FPsv_rYSCOTrmybb7qbO-v6cmLklL3Im2DCmtLgHV5umrmkBqDoHfgRrJvV0TAybSMYck5tiftEo4FvRqOUkGg9hyphenhyphen9A69ox4xPQViHuOBdoRd4/s320/ss-sc_jacket-front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197075183809952994" border="0" /></a><br />I've said it before and I will repeat it here: to hell with the haters; this single is great. I'll spare you the Reatard rise-to-fame story and get to what's here on his first of six singles to be compiled into his Matador debut. Jay continues to evolve into the pop stud he's aimed to be since <span style="font-style: italic;">Blood Visions</span>, and if you liked the direction he took with last year's Goner single and the <span style="font-style: italic;">Night of Broken Glass EP</span> you'll enjoy this one. Both songs took a little work to fully appreciate, especially "See/Saw", as it's almost too simplistic for it's own good. But the writing is air-tight and his vocals the most sincere of his career thus far. B-side "Screaming Hand" has a little more depth, both the song and subject, as Jay opens up and exposes a piece of his troubled (but not unusual) childhood. He plays with story and character without sacrificing the pop element, even hinting at more of a Glam influence than ever before. The song is all over the place and absolutely perfect because of it. Finally, a modern punk gets the <span style="font-style: italic;">Road to Ruin</span> sound down. Those jangly guitars sound tremendous above the angular riffs. Cannot wait for number 2.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-79958582013478187842008-04-25T13:07:00.006-04:002008-08-05T13:42:24.670-04:00Bring Some Unholy Two Into Your Home. Trust Me.We may never know if the <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=99657505">Unholy Two</a> will shake the "joke band" tag they've picked up from the masses over their two-year existence, but I do know that one Christopher Lashe does not need validation from anyone. He can now let the music speak for itself. I could go on and on about how great this single is but my brother <a href="http://worldofwumme.blogspot.com/2008/04/unholy-2-gutter-religion.html">did a perfect job of it</a> already. Out now on <a href="http://www.columbusdiscountrecords.com/">Columbus Discount</a>.<br /><br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-07608034262473085 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q3C9UivGb48&hl=en"></a><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q3C9UivGb48&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q3C9UivGb48&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Chris wanted me to send another message to the people. Remember this as you watch the band of sinners bang away at the devil's tools:<br /><br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-07608034262473085 visible ontop" href="http://www.godtube.com/flvplayer.swf"></a><embed src="http://www.godtube.com/flvplayer.swf" flashvars="viewkey=cda2f7c21925158e2696" menu="false" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="270" width="330"></embed>Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-25869208033651918592008-04-03T20:41:00.005-04:002008-08-05T13:43:11.303-04:00Damn, 2008! You Have My Heart Already<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQl79ce8nkIqgXZmZMrn1776kZH87BhIMxFL6TeNZgIPedVuBS_k6Sxdk62O0PfUKodHEjX71D6rd9JphDb-aWonc6-FwImVPx1VkPNTzJaQlJFlarwWc4HTVjr7O46i5I3nTrXi_FbxU/s1600-h/boxelders.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQl79ce8nkIqgXZmZMrn1776kZH87BhIMxFL6TeNZgIPedVuBS_k6Sxdk62O0PfUKodHEjX71D6rd9JphDb-aWonc6-FwImVPx1VkPNTzJaQlJFlarwWc4HTVjr7O46i5I3nTrXi_FbxU/s320/boxelders.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185167430169909218" border="0" /></a><br />No sense in wasting time on excuses. I'm going to try and get this thing going again, because there's just too much stuff coming out right now that needs heaps of praise and attention...The first of which is of course...<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/eatskull"><br />EAT SKULL</a>! Scrambling ensued to snag a copy of the brand new <a href="http://www.skulltones.com/">Skulltones</a> 7", "Dead Families", as I missed their batch of surely incredible SXSW shows, because, like, I wasn't at SXSW. But I heard it was enjoyable. The edition of 300 sold out immediately, as is typical these days when great bands release hugely limited shit. Word on the street in anticipation for this record was that it would be better than their perfect debut and damn if it isn't just as good. All three tracks are round pegs for square holes but still make great mixtape material. The A-side tumbles out of the gate much like "Seeing Things" did, like those dead family members stuffed in the closet, with swirls of LOUD, off-kilter organ, and a bunch of scratchy guitar jangle and drum clatter, eventually settling into a second-half groove that cleans up the mess a bit. Still a little bit of blood on the floor, but everyone is safe. The B-side has a cover whose name escapes me right now, because I have the third song, "No Intelligence" lodged in my head. Is this song about Columbus? Hah. Hope not. It burns a little bit slower than their other jams, which tells me the upcoming LP on Siltbreeze will be a well-balanced meal of epic proportions. Can't wait. Go and listen to "Punk Trips" on their myspace and try not to wet your pants.<br /><br />While Eat Skull's brilliance surprised nobody, this <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=129831891">Box Elders</a> gang are quietly surprising each and every pair of ears who hear their debut on Grotto Records. It could be that their bratty, amped-up live set a few weeks back sealed the deal for me, but I think this record holds up quite well on its own. The double A-side features two understated pop perfections, "Hole In My Head" the winner by a nose. They call it Cave Pop and I can't really top that, very much in the vein of scruffy Sixties anti-heros like the Troggs and The Primitives; dance to their songs as they steal your girlfriend. The drummer Dave (also of the Terminals) plays standing up and keyboards all at once, a MADMAN, and the guitar-bass tag team are brothers who trade vocals and back each other up perfectly. Sounds like a force to be reckoned with for years to come. Looks like they're not touring again 'til June, so go grab the reissue of this record (first pressing with beautiful screened sleeve are all gone) and spin it over and over while you wait. Mine's wearing out already.<br /><br />One of the more enigmatic bands to come forth in the recent wave of greatness over the last three years is the <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=196926472">Electric Bunnies</a>. Their origins unknown, with a sound hard to pin down, all I know is that they come from Miami, they may or may not be Cuban, and they all have consistent day-jobs that will keep them from ever touring for more than a week. They've been around for some time now and apparently have a fairly deep well of songs to draw from, with a handful of releases on the plate for the Spring and Summer (including stuff for CDR and Die Stasi!). Chewing Gum is their second single on their official label home, <a href="http://floridasdying.com/">Florida's Dying</a>, and it trumps their <a href="http://populationdoug.blogspot.com/2007/04/floridas-dead-long-live-florida.html">promising debut</a> by a considerable margin. How awesome would it have been if Jesus and Mary Chain circa '86 covered "Yummy Yummy Yummy"? As awesome as the title track to this single. Better yet - nearly impossible, I know - is "Love Radiation", furious and fun, like the Muppet band doing hardcore. B-side is more playful (ie: difficult), the last track a solid take on mid-80's avant punk. Great single and due to its quality a lock to sell out by May. Go get one, and snag that Shit Eagle single from Florida's Dying (hell, check out all their offerings, excellent mailorder they're running down there) while you're at it.<br /><br />Another single that seemed to pop out of nowhere is the new <a href="http://www.myspace.com/nodzzz">Nodzzz</a> record, "I Don't Wanna (Smoke Marijuana)" b/w "We Are the Only Animals". Two incredible tracks from this Bay Area trio, who play a rhythmic, stripped-down sort of pop not unlike Half Japanese, early Feelies or fellow San Franciscans Icky Boyfriends. It's quirky, catchy, and bouncy without being the least bit annoying, which is a feat in itself, but they do it with ease. How so? Impeccable songs, my friends. Both tracks are simple, brief exercises in geekery that have kept me entertained for weeks. Great lyrics about day-to-day situations, unafraid and completely original. After much deliberation I've decided I like the B-side a tiny bit more than "I Don't Wanna", though both have been in heavy rotation. Pretty sure the first pressing is gone, but I'm sure the demand for a repress is there so hold tight. In the meantime they have some new songs on their space and a lot of youtube clips of house shows. Anticipating what's next.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-18109181815775474032008-02-25T17:04:00.008-05:002008-03-06T07:38:28.736-05:00J.P. Herrmann's Hieroglyphics, My Kind of Language<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a636.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/96/l_52d0b93ecdad5b6be05d5c122f2279c3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://a636.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/96/l_52d0b93ecdad5b6be05d5c122f2279c3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Once again I return with apologies. I swear, I have four or five posts in the making and haven't had the focus to finish them up. I've been buying loads of vinyl lately, so it's not like I don't have anything to discuss. Guess I've hit a (hopefully) temporary wall.<br />In the meantime I'd like to share with you one of the best things I've heard all year, a little CDR handed to me by an old friend named <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jpherrmann">J.P. </a><a href="http://www.myspace.com/jpherrmann">Herrmann</a>. Now I could go on about Mr. Herrmann and his wonderful family and the times we've shared, as I've known him for well over ten years now, but I'll try and stick to the music. Herrmann was the former bassist for the departed 84 Nash, whom he formed with my older brother Kevin and Mr. Andy Hampel (where's your solo album, bud?) back in the mid-90's. Their story is also one for another time, and hopefully I'll get to a big 84 Nash retrospective in the coming months.<br />Back to Herrmann, now a family man, but never one to stop recreating the sounds in his head. He never sang much in the Nash, maybe some backup vocals if we pushed a mic in front of him, sometimes if a little impromptu Fleetwood Mac cover came about, but I honestly had never heard J.P. belt it out until I played back his CDR, <span style="font-style: italic;">Hieroglyphics</span>. Wow. The man knows his way around a melody, and his vocal style is pretty darn original. He's got a little bit of the old Nash style in him, which itself stems very much from an old Daytonian heritage if you catch my drift, but there's also something very angular about it, reminiscent of Lars from the Intelligence possibly. Maybe a little Will Foster/Guinea Worms influence?<br />Herrmann not only sings but bangs out everything else here, drums, throbbing bass (his most comfortable instrument), guitars all over the place. There's an excitable Post-punk vibe to "Monopoly's Approved" and its circular guitar attack, and then whack, next up is the robot clatter of "Waving My Arms". So great. I'm hearing a little Lindsay Buckingham circa <span style="font-style: italic;">Go Insane</span> too. Every tune is killer, especially the irresistibly catchy "Car Conversation" - a tune you'll have to smack out of yer head with a good blackout drunk or whatever it takes - and introspective instrumental closer "Labyrinthitus".<br />What's really great is that <span style="font-style: italic;">Hieroglyphics</span> has already been making waves, as DJ Rick, of <a href="http://artforspastics.blogspot.com/">Art for Spastics</a>/KDVS (you've been listening, right?) has declared himself a fan! That's about the highest compliment a band can receive these days. <strike>And guess what? J.P. has given me the OK to share this brief slice of genius with you. So click HERE and listen to it all. I know you're going to love it. Play play play.</strike> UPDATE: Time's up, please contact J.P. for a hard copy and he'll be glad to send you one. And check his page regularly for more songs.<br /><br />Tracklist:<br /><br />1. Halt Your Retreat<br />2. Monopoly's Approved<br />3. Waving My Arms<br />4. Frozen Cabin<br />5. Car Conversation<br />6. Hieroglyphics<br />7. Catch the Mouse<br />8. Dead Water Dead Light<br />9. LabyrinthitisDoughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-58523565269964282512008-02-01T11:11:00.000-05:002008-02-01T17:03:56.570-05:00The Busy Signals Are Really Really Good<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiuHpm9Hlqq1fE1Wx1BCtpuU9BRVGzjmGOeVFG3NKFDTjsqDCkWECqTg4brdcZUGf91Z9SddDcr8KWsPPQQ2iFpAwhpNgAfQWTGI_HV23duKbtnfM7ULHl0mjOQ9ntMdxnf04RcPAm4I/s1600-h/busysignalsLP.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiuHpm9Hlqq1fE1Wx1BCtpuU9BRVGzjmGOeVFG3NKFDTjsqDCkWECqTg4brdcZUGf91Z9SddDcr8KWsPPQQ2iFpAwhpNgAfQWTGI_HV23duKbtnfM7ULHl0mjOQ9ntMdxnf04RcPAm4I/s320/busysignalsLP.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162041826994994210" border="0" /></a>I know I'm more than a few months late to this party but man has this record been hitting all the right Pure Pop buttons as of late. Chicago's <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thebusysignals">The Busy Signals</a>, not to be confused with the (boring) indie pop Busy Signals from the early aughts, have followed up a string of well-received singles with a near-perfect eponymous LP on the <a href="http://www.dirtnaprecs.com/">Dirtnap</a> label. Fans of Dirtnap's most famous product, <span style="font-style: italic;">Guitar Romantic</span>, will find plenty to love here, as well as anyone into bassist Jeremy Thompson's ex-band, the Carbonas (Columbus people may also remember guitarist Kevin from his stint with the Feelers, as he played guitar while Alecks stayed home on their Euro tour last Summer).<br />These guys nail down the opposite end of the mid-70's powerpop spectrum than did the Exploding Hearts though, playing 100% up-tempo, airtight punk with nary a bit of the trash they rolled around in. They're the pills and cocktails to the Hearts' cheap beer and glue. I'm reluctant to use the F word because singer Ana <span style="">McGorty possesses such an androgynous voice, one without a ton of range but with enough melodic prowess and loose confidence to drop any dude's jaw; think Hynde with a two-pack-a-day habit. It's doesn't make them female-fronted or girlpunk the least bit, just a great punk band who happen to have a female singer. </span><br />There's 26 minutes or so of note-perfect playing here, but the songwriting is really what makes this record such a classic. Just when it seems every punker has gone weird-punk or shit-pop, the Busy Signals bring a batch of straight pop tunes that rivals the wonderful <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=114605137">Radio Heartbeat</a> reissues or, dare I say, <span style="font-style: italic;">Singles Going Steady</span>. I sometimes wonder what this would sound like with a little more dirt under the fingernails; perhaps they could have left a little more to the imagination. Other times I imagine how freaking huge they could be - like, Green Day big, man - if they took and even cleaner route. But in the end I usually conclude that the production and playing are just right. Fantastic record.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-7018870202545105962008-01-24T11:41:00.000-05:002008-01-24T11:32:53.508-05:00Columbus Discount Winter Odyssey, Part Two<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3uWsa6JHO1rS0UQAxSQIOk7gSL2kKDsKld5eFU7omKQ6TXV1lUcorkOWZufrlyGYVx9DvrYpw4OhIZga4AjVpaSxPiWY-ae6z5ETT0OVOfEk4EXKtNpv3JtSd6NjUTukAVSOKu22wJg/s1600-h/cdr020-back-cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3uWsa6JHO1rS0UQAxSQIOk7gSL2kKDsKld5eFU7omKQ6TXV1lUcorkOWZufrlyGYVx9DvrYpw4OhIZga4AjVpaSxPiWY-ae6z5ETT0OVOfEk4EXKtNpv3JtSd6NjUTukAVSOKu22wJg/s320/cdr020-back-cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159079141374344210" border="0" /></a>I was planning on posting up my review of Tommy Jay's <span style="font-style: italic;">Tall Tales of Trauma</span> at some point this week but my brother beat me to it, and did a great job for a wonderful album. Read it <a href="http://worldofwumme.blogspot.com/2008/01/all-way-with-tommy-jay.html">HERE</a>. Buy it <a href="http://www.columbusdiscountrecording.com/records/new.html">HERE</a>.<br />Seriously, fans of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Ego Summit</span> record, Mike Rep's <span style="font-style: italic;">Stupor Hiatus</span>, Lou Reed's mid-70's output, late 70's and 80's loner folk, etc...this is absolutely essential, sure to be one of the best reissues of the year. I've seen it on every turntable I've passed in Columbus this month. A new classic.Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8771092228266556822.post-39274649945484071072008-01-21T08:16:00.001-05:002008-08-05T13:44:00.476-04:00A Collection of Rip It Off Links<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.wexarts.org/db/pa/2663_tnvhall383.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.wexarts.org/db/pa/2663_tnvhall383.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Here is where I collect the Times New Viking web reviews/press (photo courtesy of the <a href="http://www.wexarts.org/">Wex</a>).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OFnK6iNnYkVO_7xyS2z-eGaOGcPYuC0XYxiUXr1KRFBFZVizhdR9aJkI6wanir73WIGKnM_T8v5djDN43KKA3-rTB_J8U8kv08KaoUmnCJh_wn-4yM13xByRncSVEqj-01xLd-wmeFw/s1600-h/nme-article.jpg">Shitgaze article in NME</a> (thanks <a href="http://xraygoggles.blogspot.com/">x~ray vision</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/48112-rip-it-off">Pitchfork review</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tinymixtapes.com/Times-New-Viking,4984">Tiny Mix Tapes review</a><br /><br /><a href="http://donewaiting.com/2008/01/25/an-interview-with-times-new-viking-an-intervention-to-societal-apathy/">Wex Flexner Donewaiting interview</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0806,dannemiller,79038,22.html">Jerry Dannemiller Village Voice review</a><br /><br /><a href="http://nextbestrecords.com/blog/2008/01/tnv_rip_it_off_no_kidding_its.html">Next Best Records blog goes thesis</a> (great read)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/47881-guest-list-times-new-viking">Pitchfork Guest List with Jared</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.victimoftime.com/articles/breaking-sounds-times-new-viking-irip-it-i/">Victim of Time Breaking Sounds</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomactsofsoulstealing/sets/72157603805424494/">Some nice photos from the release show<br /></a><br /><a href="http://juststandingthere.blogspot.com/2008/01/times-new-viking-wexner-center-1-25.html">Joel from the Columbus Other Paper reviews the release show<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.sfweekly.com/2008-01-23/music/times-new-viking/">SF Weekly review<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a> (read closely)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2008/01/21/1A_NEW_VIKING.ART_ART_01-21-08_D1_FN93BC2.html?sid=101">Columbus Dispatch piece</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.columbusalive.com/?sec=music&story=alive/2008/0124/m-viking.html">Columbus Alive Devillian piece</a><br /><br /><a href="http://irockcleveland.blogspot.com/2008/01/rockometer-feat-times-new-viking-and.html">I Rock Cleveland review</a><br /><br /><a href="http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kjfpxz9hldke">All Music Guide review</a><br /><br /><a href="http://dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4053">Dusted review</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/albums/e3i5852afde016b362421e69ca7cdad6de0">Chuck Eddy/Billboard review</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/38/addicted-to-noise">Cleveland Free Times tackles Ohio shitpop<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.stompandstammer.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1093&Itemid=50">Stomp and Stammer review</a><br /><br /><a href="http://paperthinwalls.com/featuredarticle/index?id=164">Paper Thin Walls: Adam tells a story</a><br /><br /><a href="http://portastatic.blogspot.com/2008/01/another-long-absence-from-blog-spent.html">Mac McCaughan's thoughts</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.spin.com/reviews/2008/01/0801_times_new_viking/">Spin review</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.matadorrecords.com/mpeg/times_new_viking/times_new_viking_drop-out.mp3">DROP-OUT mp3</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.matadorrecords.com/mpeg/times_new_viking/times_new_viking_2_songs.mp3">(My Head)/RIP Allegory mp3</a>Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09829707792539111110noreply@blogger.com1