Johnny Truant - No Tears For the Creatures

Photo Booths In The Sunlight Pass Judgement On Humans

#30) Johnny Truant - No Tears For the Creatures (2008)

 1. The Grotesque
 2. Death Rides
 3. Last Arms of the Apocalypse
 4. Widower
 5. Crush and Devour
 6. In Alcoholica
 7. Dead Ships Sinking
 8. Sunshine Diver
 9. Fog Lights
 10. The Weeping, Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth

this is Johnny Truant's 3rd and final album, they broke up a couple months after it was released. i got into these guys back in like '06 when i picked up The Repercussions of a Badly Planned Suicide (2002) and In the Library of Horrific Events (2005) based solely on the fact that the band were named after a character from one of my all time favorite books, House of Leaves

these guys got lumped into the whole 'metalcore' thing that was especially huge when they released their first 2 albums but i always thought that was kind of a weak categorization. while they have traits that are often found in the scene, i always thought they were more innovative than all the generic bands that were pouring out of the woodwork. they seemed to bring more influences to the table rather than trying to sound like a slightly different version of an already established band. they also avoided what i think is the WORST trait of metalcore (and a lot of heavy music in general), screaming verses and sung choruses, or a variation of that formula. don't get me wrong, there are a lot of bands that do the transition from screaming to singing quite well (Godflesh, Fear Factory, Between the Buried and Me, Dillinger Escape Plan, Glassjaw, Genghis Tron to name a few) but overall it's just became a generic trait of heavy music.
i really liked this album. it's actually annoying that i enjoyed this album so much since there won't likely be anything else from these guys. they definitely ended their career on a high note.

Fudge Tunnel - In A Word

Sex Mammoth

#29) Fudge Tunnel - In A Word (1994)

 1. Sex Mammoth
 2. Bed Crumbs
 3. Boston Baby
 4. Sweet Meat
 5. Grey
 6. Spanish Fly
 7. Ten Percent
 8. Good Kicking
 9. Stuck
 10. Tipper Gore
 11. Gut Rot
 12. SRT
 13. Kitchen Belt
 14. For Madmen Only
 15. Changes

terrible name aside, Fudge Tunnel are great.  that being said, this album didn't really do much for me. it's a comp of rare and unreleased recording sessions. so basically, of the 15 tracks there were only 2 that i think can only be found on this album, but don't quote me on that as i'm not 100% sure, otherwise the tracks can be found in more or less the same versions on their full lengths. i didn't have my other Fudge Tunnel records with me when i listened to this but i really didn't hear any big differences between the original versions and these session/live tracks. the sound quality is very good though, and for the most part they're all great songs.
tracks 1-3 were recorded for the John Peel Show in 1990.
4 was recorded as part of the 'Sweet Sounds of Excess' sessions and as far as i know is exclusive to this record.
5 and 6 were recorded live in New York in '93.
7-10 are again for the John Peel Show, this time in '92.
11-13 were recorded at the Dynamo Fest in Holland but no year is listed in the cd.
14 is a cover of a song originally by a band called May Blitz and is the other track that i think is an exclusive but again, i'm not 100%.
track 15 is a Black Sabbath cover. let me go on record as saying i absolutely HATE the original version of this song. i love Sabbath but this is just an awful track, sorry. the cover is entertaining but nothing great. in the liner notes they state that they're not sure which version of the song is worse, theirs or Sabbath's, i'd have to go with Sabbath's as the crappier one.
this is not a 'bad album'. like i said, the sound quality is good and the tracks are solid but i've basically heard it all before. i like this band a lot but i would really only recommend this album for completionists, new and old fans alike will be fine just listening to the full lengths.

Nailbomb - Point Blank

31 Flavors Of Napalm To Try

#28) Nailbomb - Point Blank (1994)

 1. Wasting Away
 2. Vai Toma No Cu
 3. 24 Hour Bullshit
 4. Guerillas
 5. Blind and Lost
 6. Sum of Your Achievements
 7. Cockroaches
 8. For Fuck's Sake
 9. World of Shit
 10. Exploitation
 11. Religious Cancer
 12. Shit Pinata
 13. Sick Life
 14. While You Sleep, I Destroy Your World
 15. Zero Tolerance
 16. Wasting Away
 17. Guerillas
 18. Cockroaches
 19. Police Truck

 i haven't heard this album in at least 10 years 
this is Nailbomb's first and only studio album (they also released a live album but more on that later). the band was composed of Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly) and Alex Newport (Fudge Tunnel, producer for At the Drive In among others), 2 totally different bands with a common love for heavy guitars. the project started in Phoenix where Max and Alex were both staying at the time and they were hanging out a lot because Alex was married to Max's wife's daughter and he didn't know anyone else. they discovered they liked a lot of the same stuff and set out "to make the fucking heaviest album ever.(-Max)" basically they took a bunch of influences that they didn't use in their other bands and put them into this project (Max's love of old hardcore and Alex's love of Killing Joke and early industrial.) all these elements combine to form heavy as hell industrial crossover thrash. Max and Alex took care of nearly everything themselves but there were also some guest spots from Andreas Kisser (guitars, Sepultura), Iggor Cavalera (drums, Sepultura) and Dino Cazares (guitars, Fear Factory).
tracks 1 - 13 make up the original Point Blank album. tracks 14 + 15 are the last 2 studio tracks ever recorded and were originally released, along with tracks 16 - 19, on the only other Nailbomb record Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide. the studio tracks are rad as hell, which only makes it worse that Nailbomb called it quits so soon. while normally i wouldn't care too much about live tracks these are a little bit more special than you average tracks as they were recorded at Nailbomb's one and only live show. after that show the band called it quits for no other reason than the belief that it would keep Nailbomb's music as intense as the day they started. the show was recorded at the Dynamo Open Air Festival, Eidhoven, Holland in '95. the line-up that day was Max Cavalera on guitars, Alex Newport on Guitars, Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly, Fear Factory) on keyboards/samples, Dave Edwardson (Neurosis) on bass, Iggor Cavalera on drums and Max's stepson Ritchie played guitar on Cockroaches. also of note is that Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro came out to play drums on the cover of Police Truck. the sound quality is pretty good for this style of music and being a recording from an outdoor festival.

(End of the Month Theme: Local Bands) 01/31/12: volcano! - Paperwork (2008)

End of the Month Theme: Local Bands 
On the last day of each month we will be choosing a theme that both of our album picks must fit within. It was oksentaminen's pick in January. He chose Local Bands... Here's my pick. I tracked it down just for this theme.

01/31/12: volcano! - Paperwork (2008)

1. Performance Evaluation Shuffle
2. Africa Just Wants to Have Fun
3. Tension Loop
4. Fairy Tale
5. Slow Jam
6. '78 Oil Crisis
7. Sweet Tooth
8. Astronomer's Ballad
9. '-----------------
10. Palimpsests
11. Kitchen Dance

     So January's end of the month theme is "Local Bands". Instead of finding a band that is already in my collection and from the area I decided to randomly scour the internet for "on the rise" local bands. At first the band name caught my eye. I watched a snippet of a youtube clip in the article i was reading and immediately recognized them as a math-rock band of sorts. So I took a chance and bought their second full-length "Paperwork".
     volcano! is a 3 piece rock band from Chicago. Their sound according to the interwebs draws from Classic rock, post-punk, free jazz, and noise rock. My quick input: when you draw from free jazz and noise rock you end up sounding math rock. This band is all over the place and I love it. The vocals move from punk to Spanish to some of the poppiest melodies ever. He has a wide range with some very entertaining Kane Hodder-esque falsetto moments. The drums are constantly going up and down in volume and in and out of timing. There's electronic parts, punk parts, experimental parts.... the album was a really fun journey. The guitars get weird at times and as rock and roll as can be at others. I will probably be listening to everything of theirs in the near future and hoping to see them live soon.
     This was probably my favorite find of this project so far. Realistically i wanted to put every track in boldface but i figured I had to single out a few songs. This band was just truly a combination of so many things I love in a band and they do it all well. They are reminiscent of At The Drive In, The Mars Volta, Kane Hodder, Hella and maybe even a bit of Tera Melos. Damn good album. Hope they make some more music soon. (031)

Note: I just realized i listened to this entire album out of order.... so relistening now in correct order... hahaha

01/29-30/12: Ben Folds - Fifty-Five Vault (2011)

01/29-30/12: Ben Folds - Fifty-Five Vault (2011)

1. Adelaide (Live in Adelaide 2011)+
2. Air (from Godzilla: The Album)
3. All Shook Up (Elvis Presley cover) (B-Side of "Kate")
4. Ascent of Stan (Live in NYC 2002)+
5. Birds (B-Side of "Army")
6. Bitch Went Nutz (Live in Amsterdam 2008)+
7. Bizarre Christmas Incident (from Maybe This Christmas & 7" vinyl single)
8. Brick (Live Acoustic Version 2003)+
9. Champagne Supernova (Oasis cover) (Live in London 1996) (B-Side of "Battle of  Who Could Care Less")
10. Cologne (Piano Orchestra Version 2008) (from Stems and Seeds)
11. Dr. Yang (Live in Belgium 2008)+
12. Evaporated (Demo 1992)
13. Family of Me (from Over The Hedge)
14. For All the Pretty People (B-Side of "Kate")
15. Free Coffee (Live in Germany 2008)+
16. Girl (B-Side of "Rockin' the Suburbs")
17. Golden Slumbers (The Beatles cover) (Live in NYC 2001)+
18. Hava Nagila (Live) (B-Side of "Battle of Who Could Care Less")
19. Heist (from Over The Hedge)
20. Hiro's Song (Shaker Version) (Live in Melbourne 2011)+
21. Honey Don't (Carl Perkins cover) (Alternate Take 2000)+
22. Hospital Song (Live in Philidelphia 1999)+
23. House (Original Mix 2011)+
24. I Knew That Cha Could (Demo 2000)+
25. In Between Days (The Cure cover) (Live 2005)
26. In Love (Demo 1998)+
27. It's Alright with God (Mitch Easter Sessions 2000)+
28. Jesusland (Live in Jakarta 2011)+
29. Jesusland (Stadium Version) (Live in London 2005)+
30. Lonely (Demo 1996)+
31. Lost in the Supermarket (The Clash Cover) (from Over the Hedge)
32. Make Me Mommy (B-Side of "Rockin' the Suburbs")
33. Mess (Live in Boston 2007)+
34. Mitchell Lane (Outtake from Whatever and Ever Amen)
35. Narcolepsy (Live)+
36. One Down (B-Side of "Rockin' The Suburbs")
37. Prince Charming (Mitch Easter Sessions 2000)+
38. Prologue (Outtake from Over the Hedge)
39. Protection (Demo 1992)+
40. Radio Jingles for Tokyo's Inter-FM
41. Rockin' the Suburbs ('06 Remix) (Outtake from Over the Hedge)
42. Say Yes (Elliot Smith cover) (Live at the A.V. Club 2010)+
43. She Don't Use Jelly (The Flaming Lips cover) (Lounge-A-Palooza Version)
44. Side of the Road (Lucinda Williams cover) (Alternate Cello Version)+
45. Silver Street (Demo 1994)+
46. Smoke (Demo 1994)+
47. Song for the Dumped (Demo 1996)+
48. Steven's Last Night in Town (Demo 1996)+
49. Theme from Dr. Pyser (Studio Version)
50. Underground (Demo 1992)+
51. Video Killed the Radio Star (The Buggles Geoff Downes, Trevor Horn & Bruce cover) (Outtake from Whatever and Ever Amen)
52. Where's Summer B.? (Live at WNEW 1996)+
53. Wild Mountain Thyme (Alternate Take 2010)+
54. You to Thank (Live in Adelaide 2011)+
55. Your Cheating Heart (Hank Williams cover) (Live 1996)+
56. Your Redneck Past (Live in London 1999)+

   + denotes previously unreleased track

     I am counting this lengthy listen as my 29th and 30th entries. Ben Folds recently released an anthology of sorts called "The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective". This collections expanded edition included a disc of greatest hits, a disc of live performances, and a disc of rare demos and other various recordings. In addition to that set he released a download only "3 disc" set of 56 rare live performances, demos, covers, soundtrack contributions, b-sides and alternate versions from Ben Folds Five and Ben Folds' solo career called "Fifty-Five Vault".
     I spent most of my day at work today cranking through this 3 hour collection of rarities. Seeing that this was an additional 3 discs of stuff I didn't expect it to be as quality as it was. Every live recording sounded great and most of the chosen tracks would either show you a different take on an old favorite  like the acoustic guitar version of "Brick" as performed by The Bens or be a cover that they only performed live. I had heard some of the covers like their amazing Lounge version of "She Don't Use Jelly" by The Flaming Lips but i had yet to hear most of the covers or the many included B-sides that were already released.
      Included is also their rather large contributions to various movie soundtracks. One of my favorite Ben Folds Five songs "Air" is included. I was glad to have it somewhere other than the American "Godzilla" soundtrack. There were really a lot of solid Gems that I had yet to here. Many of the old demos in this collection were really great. There were demos going back as far as 1992. Some were songs I had never heard and will be tracks i go back to. There was a lot of demos in the last quarter of this collection that were really an enjoyable tail end to this large journey. It was nice hearing original versions of songs i loved back when i was 12-13 years old. Ben Folds (Five) won't go away and i like it. He is one of my oldest musical interests and it was nice to relive his career from a different angle today. (029&030)

Nadja - Skin Turns to Glass

Skin Turns To Glass

#27) Nadja - Skin Turns to Glass (2008)

1. Sandskin
 2. Skin Turns to Glass
 3. Slow Loss
 4. Untitled

Nadja is a band i've been meaning to check out for a while now as i've heard the name mentioned a lot and they always seem to be highly spoken of. i've heard some of Aidan Baker's (founding member) solo stuff and various Nadja tracks here and there and dug what i heard but this is the first time i've listened to a proper Nadja album. The band is made up of Baker and his wife Leah Buckareff, with her providing bass and occasional vocals and Baker handling everything else (listed in the cd booklet as guitar, vocals, flute, piano and drum programming). this is the 2008 version of Nadja's 2nd full length, originally released in 2003. all the tracks have been remastered for this version and tracks 1 and 2 have been lengthened, while track 3 has been shortened. track 4 is a bonus track. 

the music is a kind of shoegazey noisy doom metal (Baker has said he likes the term "dreamsludge" and it's definitely a fitting term.) for only being 2 people these songs are fucking monstrous sounding and epic. each track draws you in and then washes over you with layers upon layers of sound. i feel like this is the type of album that will reward repeated listens since there seems to be so much going on at times. the last track is a 28 minute ambient drone piece that slowly gets noisier and noisier until about the last 3 minutes when a drum beat slowly builds up and then it becomes crazy chaotic noise and screaming. so basically it's like a 2 minute song with a 26 minute intro. overall it's a rad album and it really made me wish i would've gotten into these guys sooner.

with somewhere around 50 releases (including EPs and splits) this is definitely a band i'm going to be spending a lot of time with.

Today Is The Day - Willpower

You Don't Love Me And I Don't Care

#26) Today Is The Day - Willpower (1994)

 1. Willpower
 2. My First Knife
 3. Nothing To Lose
 4. Golden Calf
 5. Side Winder
 6. Many Happy Returns
 7. Simple Touch
 8. Promised Land
 9. Amazing Grace
 10. Execution Style

this is TITD's 2nd full length. originally released in '94, this is the 2005 remaster and once again  Steve Austin handled the remastering duties. unfortunately, unlike the remaster of  Temple of the Morning Star, this re-issue doesn't include any liner notes letting you into Austin's world at the time.
musically this is very different than the later albums. this album has a lot more clean-ish singing parts and it's overall much more of a noise rock album. the experimentation and metal influences are there, they just haven't been brought to the forefront yet. i actually listened to the first track about 3 times because it was just so different from what i was used to. tracks 9 and 10 are bonus tracks. 9 is a weird little guitar version of Amazing Grace while track 10 is a "normal" TITD track. i'm not sure if these tracks are from this recording session or were tracks from a split or comp or something as there's no info in the cd booklet and i couldn't find anything on the webz (i didn't try incredibly hard but i did try).
though i prefer the later metal-er (i'm sure that's a word) stuff i really enjoyed this album. if i would've heard this back in '94 it probably would've blown my tiny mind, in 2012 it's still a rad listen.

01/28/12: Coaltar of the Deepers - Dog EP (1999)

01/28/12: Coaltar of the Deepers - Dog EP (1999)

1. C/O/T/D
2. Super Natural
3. Summer Rain
4. Blind Love

     This is another EP from Japanese band Coaltar of the Deepers from earlier in their career. These recordings definitely display the more shoegaze side of their sound. I enjoyed these  songs but not nearly as much as their more metal stuff. They have a more traditional poppy sound on this EP. These songs are so drastically different from the songs on the "penguin EP" that I am kind of shocked these are by the same band. If an american band changed as drastically as Coaltar did from Dog EP to Penguin EP theyd probably lose a lot of their fans. I enjoy how wide their style really is and I am very curious to see where their full-lengths and other EPs head... hopefully the journey continues to be as varied as it has with just these 2 EPs. (028)

01/27/12: Coaltar of the Deepers - Penguin EP (2004)

01/27/12: Coaltar of the Deepers - Penguin EP (2004)

1. Fastest Draw (Dream Man 2)
2. Wipeout
3. Dead By Dawn
4. Swimmers

     Coaltar of the Deepers is a band I was shown by a coworker last year. I heard one song off of this EP and had quite a journey trying to acquire some of their albums and EPs. They are considered a Japanese Alternative Rock band. Its a fine category just because they delve into such a wide variety of Genres from shoegaze and post-rock to thrash metal and electronica. This EP is an example of just How Metal they can get. This EP almost feels like a Japanese between the Buried and Me EP. one song will go from super heavy thrash or Death metal parts to incredibly clean and poppy parts. Very cool EP. I hope they have at least a couple other CDs done in this style in their extensive discography because it was rocking, ADD and pretty awesome. (027)

01/26/12: ††† (Crosses) - †† EP (2012)

01/26/12: ††† (Crosses) - †† EP (2012)

1. Frontiers
2. Prurient
3. telepathy
4. trophy
5. 1987

      †† EP is the second EP from the band Crosses. For more background on the group see my review of their "† EP". This EP embraced the electronic/synth style of the first EP a bit more. There seems to be less live instrumentation and more of a concentration on the Synth and beats. Overall, I liked the first EP more but this EP probably had my favorite song yet by them in "Prurient". The sound was a little slower and prettier with less heavy guitars. I read that they recorded enough material for 3 to 4 EPs so I'm sure there will be more music from them soon. I also read that they will be touring soon, so apparently this "side project" is currently a little more important than i realized. Chino seems to be dedicating some more serious time to growing the Crosses catalog and fan-base. both EPs are definitely worth checking out. (026)

01/25/12: ††† (Crosses) - † EP (2011)

01/25/12: ††† (Crosses) - † EP (2011)

1. This is a Trick
2. Option
3. Bermuda Locket
4. Thholyghst
5. Cross

     Crosses is a musical side project that features Chino Moreno of the Deftones and Shaun Lopez of Far.  † EP is the groups first EP. I enjoyed this EP. The sound is a combination of electronic production and synth with some live instrumentation. The songs are mostly down-tempo. Overall it reminds me of the Deftones when they indulge in electronics or other side projects of Chinos like Team Sleep another project he sang for. I really like Chino as a singer, but I always seem to like his more mellow electronic stuff better than his harder more rocking stuff. The synth parts on this EP are sweet and the closer made me think of a lot of later days instrumental Nine Inch Nails. EP 2 coming next. (025)

01/24/12: Sleigh Bells - Sleigh Bells E.P. (2009)

01/24/12: Sleigh Bells - Sleigh Bells E.P. (2009)

1. Ring Ring
2. Crown on the Ground
3. Beach Girls
4. Infinity Guitars
5. A/B Machines
6. Holly
7. 2HELLWU

     Sleigh Bells recorded this EP soon after they formed. It was their first release and lead-in to their first full-length release "Treats". The first 5 songs on this EP ended up on the full-length. Some were with different title, but the 5 songs that I had already heard were for the most part unchanged. The last 2 tracks were good enough to justify this listen. I enjoyed Treats so much I wanted to hear as much of their stuff as possible. This was a good glimpse at their early stages, but i still can't wait for their 2nd full-length "Reign of Terror" to come out in February which will surely be gone over on this blog.

01/23/12: Dave Attell - Skanks for the Memories (2003)

01/23/12: Dave Attell - Skanks for the Memories (2003)

1. Odd Look
2. Drinking Tips
3. Fun Happens Late
4. Travel
5. Flying
6. Bus Station
7. Unfuckables
8. Tattoos
9. Smoking
10. Lonely Bug
11. I Miss My Dad
12. Fireworks
13. Homophobic
14. Midget Friend
15. Parrot
16. Condoms
17. Love
18. Gambling
19. Shaved Pubes
20. Religion
21. Drugs
22. Breast Feeding
23. Sex With Animals
24. Amish Sex
25. Dick Jokes
26. Sex Store
27. Masturbation
28. Find the Smell

     I really need to play some catch up today. I listened to this album a couple times last week. Reviewing comedy is rough for me so I'll try to get this point across as best I can. Dave Attell is a very well respected New York Comedian. He is more widely known for his early 2000's Comedy Central show "Insomniac with Dave Attell". This album is a collection of his material from around that time period. It's the only CD of standup he has released... He has had 3 or 4 DVD stand up specials released since this album.
     I find it surprising that I had yet to listen to any of his comedy specials with all the stand-up i listen to. Attell is definitely a Comedian's Comedian. I decided to finally listen to "Skanks for the Memories" due to all the other Comedians that I have heard mention him positively. This album was a pretty extensive collection of his material of that period. He has humor that will get frat boys and humor that appeals to smarter weirder crowds. He was masterful on this album at starting with a normal premise and then letting it spiral out of control into much stranger jokes than you would expect. He's dirty, smart and a bit quirky. Very good album. I definitely want to see/hear some of his more current material. (023)

Gardenia - The Constant of Drift

glass, radios, trains

#25 Gardenia - The Constant of Drift (2009)

 1. Senna
 2. Turquoise
 3. Wind Belt

another day, another project from Gates creator BW. this project finds him collaborating with Bron Halpin . BW describes the album as such:

Based on various recordings taken from Gardenia sessions over the course of the past two years and put through an intense process of manipulating, mixing, re-mixing and processing.

and the instruments used: guitars, voice, synths, glass, radios, trains, pedals & reverb


i actually had no idea this project existed. BW included this with my Gates records because he took a little extra time shipping my order (thanks man!)
this is a lot different than Gates. this is more like weird experimetal ambient. it still has it's droney moments, but whereas Gates drones are crushing and oppressive, the drones found here are more vast and open sounding. in fact the album as a whole sounds more open. there is still a sort of dark feel but it's not a bleak, claustrophobic darkness. i definitely dug all the experimentation going on and i'm glad this has a different feel. looking forward to checking out more of this project.

Gates - They Hide in the Shadows

Never Really There But Always, Always Watching...

#24) Gates - They Hide in the Shadows (2011)

 1. Outer Labyrinth
 2. Inner Labyrinth
 3. Dust of Absence

their 4th release is another live recording of the Moths (see Moths Have Eaten the Core
) album, recorded at the Music Gallery in Toronto on 11-3-11 and featuring the same line-up (BW, Pau Torres, Chris Worden, James McDonough) from the Winter album (see A Precessional Winter) and once again they've tinkered with the song lengths. Outer Labyrinths is now 12:57, which is down from Winter's 13:32 but still up from Moths 9:36. Inner Labyrinths is now 10:19, down from Winter's 14:17 but up from Moths 7:59. Dust of Absence is now 10:00, down from Winter's 14:18 and significantly down from Moths 21:10. i bring this up because even though they've shortened all the tracks, this is still a brutally oppressive album. i actually think the condensed lengths work in their favor, bringing all the power to the forefront. as much as i enjoyed Winter i think this is the superior album. the sound quality seems better, bringing the screaming and electronic noise into the mix better and as i mentioned before, the more streamlined track lengths really seemed to work out for them. the noise seems noisier which really compliments the mellower, nice (? i can't think of a better descriptive term at the moment...serene maybe?) parts. i'm sure by the next album they'll have changed things again but so far their experimenting has been paying off. definitely looking forward to the next one from these guys.

01/22/12: Diagrams - Black Light (2012)

01/22/12: Diagrams - Black Light (2012)

1. Ghost Lit
2. Tall Buildings
3. Night All Night
4. Appetite
5. Mills
6. Antelope
7. Black Light
8. Animals
9. Peninsula 9b. Secret Track

     This is the first full-length by Diagrams. If you would like a little more information on Diagrams see my previous review of their debut  E.P. Their sound is more sharply produced and layered on Black Light. There are a couple songs that are also on the EP but the new and shorter version of Night All Night became one of my favorite tracks on the full length after not really caring for it on the EP. The songs drum beats and general rhythm have the feel of a Tunng song but the guitars are generally less folky and more distorted. There were a couple tracks that had a more poppy electronic dance feel that were kinda meh... but the majority of the album was really enjoyable. The final track was a highlight Peninsula is one of the best songs and has huge build up that is capped off by swells of strings until it dies back down and fades out. That is followed by roughly 16 minutes of silence and a secret track that would have fit as a quality conclusion to the main album. It starts very soft and almost ghostly and builds to one of the most rocking moments on the album that ended 20 minutes prior.... Good band, but less enthusiastic than after the slightly more stripped down EP. I still highly recommend this to all fans of Tunng. (022)

01/21/12: Diagrams - EP (2011)

01/21/12: Diagrams - EP (2011)

1. Night All Night
2. Antelope
3. Hill
4. Working
5. Icebreakers

     So this was kind of a good and bad discovery as far as music goes. This is the first EP from the former frontman of Tunng Sam Genders. The bad new is that word former. It seems Tunng may be finished which is kind of a huge bummer. The good news is that his new band Diagrams is really freaking good. Their first full-length has also come out and will be my next review, but lets start with this EP.
     It's incredibly easy to compare this to Tunng since Genders has such a distinct voice. He wrote all the music for Diagrams himself but the albums sound like a full band. This music has lost the folk of Tunng and kept the electronic parts. This EP has a very solid 5 songs that feel a bit more up-beat than what I'm used to from Genders. His live band has grown to 9 people and its easy to understand why. Many of the songs have strings, horns, and very choral backing vocals. I am a sucker for all these elements. I wish I knew what genre to put this in. I'll call it awesome. I love his voice and this is yet another band of his I can get behind. Definitely check it out. (021)

01/20/12: Today is the Day - Temple of the Morning Star (1997) [Crossover review 1]

01/20/12: Today is the Day - Temple of the Morning Star (1997) [Crossover review 1]

1. Temple Of The Morning Star (acoustic)
2. The Man Who Loves To Hurt Himself
3. Blindspot
4. High As The Sky
5. Miracle
6. Kill Yourself
7. Mankind
8. Pinnacle
9. Crutch
10. Root Of All Evil
11. Satan Is Alive
12. Rabid Lassie
13. Friend For Life
14. My Life With You
15. I See You
16. Hermaphrodite
17. Temple Of The Morning Star (electric)

     The rules were already roughly explained by oksentaminen but this is my first crossover review. We decided that every 20th entry we will be listening to and writing up an album from the other persons already chosen albums. Here's a quick breakdown of the "rules".

          1. I picked which of my albums to listen to for oksentaminen. I had this privilege due to the
             fact that he will be picking our first end of the month theme album.
          2. I picked one of oksentaminen's albums to listen to myself.
          3. Every 20 picks we switch. He'll pick which album of his I review for my 40th entry

     I just listened to Temple of the Morning Star by Today Is The Day. I'm not going to go into background or history because oksentaminen covered it quite thoroughly in his write up (see here: Temple of the Morning Star)
     I am not the hugest metal head, but I can always appreciate a metal album that steps outside the norm. I was able to tell almost immediately that i would enjoy this album as it opened with a very interesting aoustic track. I always enjoy a little thinking outside the box and experimentation in music and this was no exception. It had its acoustic moments, very melodic moments, and then the straight up metal and grindcore moments. I found that i enjoyed the songs that had that almost stoner metal feel to them. I really liked that this album had so many ups and downs. I like metal music, but I like to be able to take a breather sometimes. I had never even heard of Today is the Day until this project and I'm glad this was my first crossover choice. Good show Mr. Austin and good call oksentaminen. (020)

Gates - A Precessional Winter

A Void In The Murk

#23) Gates - A Precessional Winter (2011)

 1. Outer Labyrinth
 2. Inner Labyrinth
 3. Dust of Absence

recorded live on 10/26/10, Gates 3rd release finds Gates mastermind Bryan W Bray (or BW) joined by 3 other musicians to play Moths Have Eaten the Core (go here for my thoughts on that record) in it's entirety. well, sort of. the versions of Outer and Inner Labyrinth have been lengthened by about 4 and 6 minutes respectively, while Dust of Absence was cut by about 7 minutes. regardless this album is fucking rad. the addition of 3 musicians has added a whole new level of crushing bleakness to the already mega dark Gates sound. as much as i dug Moths, this live album is better. it's heavier, nosier and even more suffocating. i really hope BW keeps the 4 member thing going for the next Gates studio album. if you're a fan a dark drone check this band out.

01/19/12: Gonjasufi - MU.ZZ.LE (2012)

01/19/12: Gonjasufi - MU.ZZ.LE (2012)

1. White Picket Fence
2. Feedin' Birds
3. Nikels And Dimes
4. Rubberband
5. Venom
6. Timeout
7. Skin
8. The Blame
9. Blaksuit
10. Sniffin'

     Gonjasufi is a rapper, singer, dj, and yoga teacher. I'm also gonna assume he likes drugs in some way shape or form. I only looked into him because he sang on a track off of the Flying Lotus album I reviewed earlier in this project, Los Angeles. This album is a melting pot of genres. It's hip hop with lo-fi production at its core, but its very experimental, with touches of reggae, trip hop, and psychedelic rock.
     Muzzle is a very down-tempo trippy crawl. His vocals are on the verge of a drone or moan, but it works so well with the songs he has built. I feel like this album was made to hypnotize the listener which I guess is right up my alley lately. I would love to hear some of his beats if he does his own production because they're pretty awesome. I think I need to give this one a couple more listens just so that I can maybe understand it more. As of right now... I like the album a lot... (019)

01/18/12: Sleigh Bells - Treats (2010)

01/18/12: Sleigh Bells - Treats (2010)

1. Tell "Em
2. Kids
3. Riot Rhythm
4. Infinity Guitars
5. Run the Heart
6. Rachel
7. Rill Rill
8. Crown on the Ground
9. Straight A's
10. A/B Machines
11. Treats

     Sleigh Bells is made up of former Poison the Well Guitarist Derek E. Miller and apparently a former teen pop group member in singer Alexis Krauss. They are a noise pop duo.... That happens to be surprisingly accurate. Most songs on the album include heavy, distorted and fast guitars with a drum machine pumping out hard hitting bass and fighting with all of that are the clean, incredibly poppy vocals. There are a lot of really entertaining, quality songs on this album.
     I realize just how poppy this album is when i really focus on the singer, but fuck it shes got a great voice and the production is spectacular while being as far away from all of the pop music norms as possible. Add some guitars and distortion and I'm down. I don't normally listen to music that I could see other people dancing to, but it makes me wanna mosh sometimes... They cancel out... I bopped my head im not gonna lie. The change of pace that pops up with "Rill Rill" is a welcome break while still being a great song.
     I'm late to the party but I am really enjoying Sleigh Bells. Best part about being this late... Their next album is out at the end of February, so I'll be reviewing them again real soon.
     "What do the numbers on athlete's blouses mean?" (018)

Gates - Moths Have Eaten the Core

Through The Howling Infinite

#22) Gates - Moths Have Eaten the Core (2010)

 1. Outer Labyrinth
 2. Inner Labyrinth
 3. Dust of Absence  

i stumbled across Gates one night while perusing bandcamp, streamed a song, got hooked and bought some records. this is a one man project that combines field recordings with a kind of blackened drone. as near as i can tell there are 4 gates records out. this version of Moths is a 2nd pressing of 100 copies (i have #42), the first pressing was also limited to 100. Moths is the debut and it's dark and bleak as all hell. Bryan W Bray is the mastermind behind this project and he's done a great job combining the samples with his dronescapes.
here's how he describes the album/project:

"Gates began as a sonic experiment turned into a ritualistic cathartic process. As a way to further cleanse the mental palette in a continuing ritual that took place after practices and shows with ORCA and always initially beginning with simple multi-tracked ideas. The music spans the worlds of doom, psychedelic drone, ambient, experimental field recordings & intense audio processing all filtered through the bleak aesthetics and sonic darkness of black metal. Recording began in the fall of 2008 and finished January 2009 in the depths of winter. The music ventures into themes of claustrophobia, nothingness, the unconscious passageways of the mind and the transcendence of the self."


you can definitely sense those themes throughout the album's 38 minutes. especially claustrophobia. i'm looking forward to checking out Bray's other albums/projects.

Windmills by the Ocean - Windmills by the Ocean

 Blood On Our Souls

#21) Windmills by the Ocean - Windmills by the Ocean (2006)

 1. Undecided
 2. Blasphemy
 3. I Try
 4. Disintegrating
 5. Blood On Our Souls   

yet another random buy. i didn't know anything about these guys going in and i still don't know much. really the biggest bit of info i found is that the guitarist in this band is also the guitarist for Isis and Red Sparowes.
this was recorded in 2003 but not released until 06, i couldn't find any info as to why though. Encyclopaedia Metallum has these guys listed as "Instrumental Atmospheric Sludge Metal". as for the track list, i've seen it listed the way i have and as having all the tracks listed as "Untitled", i'm not sure which is correct, there's no track listing at all with the cd so i'm just gonna go with this.
while this album didn't really have anything new or mind blowing going on i did enjoy it. the songs were well crafted and they had a kind of trancy repetitive feel to them that i really liked. it should also be taken into account that in 2003 there probably wasn't such an over saturation of "post" bands doing this sort of thing, maybe if i would've heard it back then it would have seemed fresher. regardless, it was a solid listen and i'll likely pick up their 2nd album.

A Silver Mt. Zion - 13 Blues For Thirteen Moons

1,000,000 Died to Make This Sound

#20) A Silver Mt. Zion - 13 Blues For Thirteen Moons (2008)

 1. untitled 1
 2. untitled 2
 3. untitled 3
 4. untitled 4
 5. untitled 5
 6. untitled 6
 7. untitled 7
 8. untitled 8
 9. untitled 9
 10. untitled 10
 11. untitled 11
 12. untitled 12
 13. 1,000,000 Died to Make This Sound
 14. 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons
 15. Black Waters Blowed / Engine Broke Blues
 16. BlindBlindBlind


so we decided that every 20th post we would do a crossover thing, i'd listen to something adam_biedermann  had posted and he'd listen to something i'd posted. each time someone would get to choose for themselves and for the other person on an alternating basis. i'm sure i explained that poorly. for this first installment adam_biedermann  was the chosen one so now i'm listening to this. if you want to read his post and get a bit more info go here:  http://mykillhandiscalledevil.blogspot.com/2012/01/january-6th-2012-silver-mt-zion-13.html

having only heard 2 albums (Horses in the Sky and This Is Our Punk Rock, although i really don't remember the last one) and a live bootleg i wasn't too familiar with these guys, but i recall enjoying Horses so i was looking forward to this. right off the bat i'll have to agree with my colleague, so far this is also my favorite album.
after a little over a minute of eerie, slightly sad sounding noise spread over 12 tracks the album begins with my favorite song 1,000,000 Died to Make This Sound. while i highly enjoyed all the tracks on the album this one just really stood out to me. it starts quietly and builds itself into this beautiful cacophony of swirling strings and riffs before burning out into a string and choral arrangement for the last 3 minutes. it's very easy to win me over if you have a rad string section.
the rest of the tracks follow a fairly similar pattern of "quiet/noisy/mellow/really noisy/quiet again" and though they may be similar in that manner they are all completely different listening experiences. the guitars and strings complement each other perfectly, whether it's the chambery opening of Blindblindblind or the crushing howl of the title track this band can make it sound pretty.
so yeah, obviously i really dug this record. well played adam_biedermann, well played.

01/17/12: Foxy Shazam - The Church of Rock & Roll (2012)

01/17/12: Foxy Shazam - The Church of Rock & Roll (2012)

 

1. Welcome to the Church of Rock and Roll
2. I Like It
3. Holy Touch
4. Last Chance at Love
5. Forever Together
6. (It's) Too Late Baby
7. I Wanna Be Yours
8. Wasted Feelings
9. The Temple
10. The Streets
11. Freedom

     So, it ends up Foxy Shazam had their 4th studio album coming out. I discovered it over the weekend and gave it a couple listens. We've officially lost Foxy Shazam. It's really not a good album at all. Their last release "Foxy Shazam" showed that they planned on sounding more like Queen than the strange experimental metal band that they started off as on "Flamingo Trigger". I really liked their last album. I mean, Queen did kinda rock. I enjoyed Foxy Shazams quirky approach to that style of Rock. Eric Nally still added those strange vocal touches that really made "Foxy Shazam" an entertaining album.
     On the new release "The Church of Rock and Roll" they fully embrace that desire to sound like Queen and it kinda fucking sucks. It was produced by Justin Hawkins of The Darkness (first warning its gonna suck) Its like listening to the poppiest of 80's era Queen and i give it a Giant "meh. If I listened to this album and didn't know it was Foxy Shazam, I might be able to embrace a few of these songs but I know its them and it officially hurts my feelings that they sound like this now. Their last album had catchier, stronger yet stranger songs and this albums tracks are mostly painfully average. "The Church..." was less heavily produced than the last album, and they use their horn player more substantially, but those horn parts are mostly corny or laughable. Apparently they belong to the general public now... not people that loved their first album. I saw this coming but i didn't think they would make a change to their sound of this magnitude. (017)

01/16/12: Battles - Gloss Drop (2011)

01/16/12: Battles - Gloss Drop (2011)

1. Africastle
2. Ice Cream (feat. Matias Aguayo)
3. Futura
4. Inchworm
5. Wall Street
6. My Machines (feat. Gary Numan)
7. Dominican Fade
8. Sweetie & Shag (feat. Kazu Makino)
9. Toddler
10. Rolls Bayce
11. White Electric
12. Sundome (feat. Yamantaka Eye)
13. Sundome (instrumental) [Japanese Bonus Track]

     Gloss Drop is the second LP from battles. It comes after 4 years without a release and with one of the members quitting to pursue a solo career. The lost member was sort of their singer and the remaining 3 members had to rewrite the whole album without him in under 4 months. This album is similar to their first full-length "Mirrored" in quite a few ways, but very different in many others. The album is mostly instrumental but they replaced their pseudo-singer by way of a few guest singers.
     Battles is an experimental rock band. Their songs tend to have a layered feel. The songs get more interesting as each band members layers are added on. The songs have a dacey vibe most of the time with a driving rhythm section and guitars and keyboards that go anywhere from slow and psychedelic to straight on distorted and rocking. I think the absence of their singer definitely changed their sound a bit. I'd say this album is a little lighter and a little more normal than "Mirrored". The absence of their singers random distorted vocal sounds and noises made their music sound a bit more down to earth. They are still strange though... Unique time signatures... Robotic future carnival keyboard playing... They might be a little bit jazz... good album though. (016)

Nick Grey & the Random Orchestra - Spin Vows Under Arch

Don't You Remember A Long Time Ago?

#19) Nick Grey & the Random Orchestra - Spin Vows Under Arch (2008)

 1. King Flood (The Slide)
 2. Miller, 1918
 3. Your Greatest Hunger
 4. Black Paper, Mountain
 5. Couvre-Feu
 6. Italian Cities Fight Smog
 7. La Zone Battue
 8. Setting Expectations
 9. Porno Drone (Evil Spiders Have Put A Curse On Our Garden)  

i was a little nervous about this album going into it. the cover art is pretty lame and the whole "Random Orchestra" thing just put me off for some reason. i was wrong. i've been having a really hard time thinking of how to describe this. the album opens with a dark ambient soundscape but by the 2nd track it's like some weird sort of cabaret-y type song and then track 3 is a mellow electronic Radiohead-ish (yes, Radiohead is a lazy and not entirely accurate comparison, i know) jam that also has some live brass. that should give you an idea of what's going on here. he (Nick Grey) seems to tag his music as "Ambient Folk Prog" which still doesn't really help describe the music. i HIGHLY recommend just going here http://nickgrey.bandcamp.com/album/spin-vows-under-arch stream the album and judge for yourself.
as for me, i'm definitely gonna find some more Nick Grey records.

The Silverman - State of Union

 Dawn's Underwater Light

#18) The Silverman - State of Union (2007)

 1. Note of Longing
 2. Dawn's Underwater Light
 3. State of Union
 4. Jacob's Ladder
 5. First Utterance
 6. Rainy Day Reflection
 7. Butterfly Effect
 8. On Icarus' Wings
 9. Your Drifting Heart  

The Silverman is an ambient/experimental project of Phil Knight who is co-founder of Legendary Pink Dots, a super experimental rock band from that 80s that still puts out albums and tours. State of Union is a compilation album and this version is a remaster of a cdr that was released in 2001. tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 were written in 2001 are from recordings sessions for the then upcoming album Requiem Settings. track 5 (1997) was used to open his solo performances throughout 1998. tracks 6 and 7 were written in 1993, track 7 being composed for a fashion show. track 9 is a bonus song only available in this version. the album was limited to 500 copies.

i really hated the first track, it sounded like some new age bullshit and at 9 and a half minutes it's way too long. i actually almost stopped listening to the cd after a couple minutes assuming that the whole album would be this kind of crap but i stuck with it and i'm glad i did because the rest of the album got into the darker, eerie ambient soundscape territory that i dig. at times it reminded me of Akira Yamaoka's work for the Silent Hill series (probably my favorite game music ever...and one of my all time favorite game series).
if you're not a fan of ambienty stuff this probably won't change your mind but i dug it and i'll definitely be checking out more from this guy.

Crestfallen - Crestfallen

We're All Dying Till We're Dead

#17) Crestfallen - Crestfallen (2003)

 1. Backlashed
 2. Spread Bald Eagle
 3. Rogue Rodeo
 4. Sucker Punks Fuck Off
 5. Early to Bed, Early to Rise Against
 6. Untitled
 7. Minor Threat
 8. Human Fly


another random buy and another win. this is some rad, harsh hardcore with some grind thrown in for good measure. as far as i know this EP is their only recorded output. i couldn't really find a lot of info on these guys other than that the members went on to form about a million other bands. tracks 1 -5 are all original music, track 6 is a little over a minute of silence and tracks 7 and 8 are covers. Minor Threat is originally by Minor Threat and Human Fly is originally by The Cramps. while i was hoping they'd put their own spin on the tracks they're pretty straightforward covers, but i enjoyed them nonetheless. this album also continues the Scott Hull connection. while Hull doesn't contribute himself there are guest vocals from JR Hayes who is the vocalist for Pig Destroyer.

Stop It!! - Self Made Maps

This Is A Love Letter For Some People Who Don't Know Who They Are

#16) Stop It!! - Self Made Maps (2003)

1. Maybe She's Born With It
 2. Name + Number
 3. Amen & Boys
 4. A Clever Play On Words
 5. Remove Your Teeth
 6. S.S. Betrayel
 7. Captain Roboto
 8. Here's To New Shortcuts
 9. Beethoven's Funeral

this was another random purchase that really paid off. i don't really know much about this band other than that this is their only full length and that they broke up. really dug this album, it's a shame they didn't put out any more records but the band members did all go on to form other bands.

Neon Bastard - Meikhaus

I'm Your Bastard

#15) Neon Bastard - Meikhaus (2007)

 1. Steven Tyler
 2. So So Po-Mo
 3. Cock Rock
 4. Mangy Feline
 5. I'm Your Bastard
 6. Don't Tread on Me
 7. Mad Fucking
 8. Kano and Rongburns on the Nose Candy (Fuckin' Hell)
 9. Pushah
 10. Big Dogz
 11. Hootie and the Break Down

more grindy noisy experimental hardcore. i knew even less about this band than i did about the last one (i actually got this record free with an order i placed with the label) and all i really found out about them is that they're from New Zealand and that this is their debut full length. and it's fucking rad. i'm very tired so i'll let the label describe them:

"Summoning elements from metal, punk rock and pure noise, Meikhaus is a bludgeoning blitzkrieg of bonkers songwriting and general chaos. Alternating shredder and stoner riffs collide with blast-fueled drums, disgustingly distorted bass and inhuman wails from some external dimension. Neon Bastard commands a crazy ride, but it's one you'll wanna take again and again (post-upchuckery) to catch all the things you missed the last time around. A downright maniacal debut!"

Crowpath - Old Cuts and Blunt Knives

Pick Up The Switchblade, Time To Execute That Smile

#14) Crowpath - Old Cuts and Blunt Knives (2004)

 1. Like Flies to Flames
 2. Kings Among Cockroaches
 3. I, the Arsonist
 4. Twenty Years Delayed Abortion
 5. We All Missed the First Episode
 6. Among Cards and Pawns
 7. Knives and Sharpened Scissors
 8. The Silhouette of a Bastard
 9. An Hour and a Half
 10. As Our Chapter Was Dying
 11. Empty Souls

 this was a random purchase and it paid off, i really dug it. i don't know too much about these guys other than they're from Sweden and they broke up after only 3 or 4 albums. this album is a collection of vinyl and comp. releases and a couple preview tracks for their then upcoming album Red On Chrome. tracks 1 & 2 are the preview tracks, 3 - 8, 10 & 11 are off various vinyls and 9 is off a comp. the album is remastered by Scott Hull (eventually i'll listen to a band he actually plays in) and other than tracks 10 and 11 the album sounds great. 10 and 11 are from an old split but the master tapes were lost so they pretty much just ripped audio from the 7-inch. this is grindy experimental hardcore (i've also seen them described as "progressive grindcore") that at times reminded of Daughters and bands of that nature. especially Daughters' first EP. i'm definitely gonna try and track down their full lengths

01/15/12: Avey Tare - Down There (2010)

01/15/12: Avey Tare - Down There (2010)

1. Laughing Hieroglyphic
2. 3 Umbrellas
3. Oliver Twist
4. Glass Bottom Boat
5. Ghost of Books
6. Cemeteries
7. Heads Hammock
8. Heather in the Hospital
9. Lucky 1

     I had this album for a while and I listened to a track here and there but never gave it a good listen. This is the first solo album from Animal Collective member David Portner or Avey Tare. This album had a couple catchy tracks but overall the album sounded like exactly what it was... One member of the Animal Collective doing his thing alone. Many of the songs sounded like AC songs that were missing a couple layers.  Those couple tracks got my attention but really seemed to be an unfocused incomplete or rushed effort... flip through the tracks and find the couple that catch your attention... Otherwise, just listen to Animal Collective albums. (015)

01/14/12: Mike Birbiglia - Dog Years (2004)

01/14/12: Mike Birbiglia - Dog Years (2004)

1. Intro
2. Dunkin Donutos
3. In Da Club
4. Laundraholic
5. Dying and Wendy's
6. Automobiles
7. Online Banks
8. Ladies and Gentlemen
9. Vet Questionnaire
10. The Olive Gardener
11. 10 to 400 Pounds
12. Alaska, Texas
13. Doctor
14. Military Brat
15. Panda
16. Cracker Please

     Next on the agenda is the self-released first album from comedian Mike Birbiglia. This was another case of going backwards. His most recent album "Sleepwalk with Me" was in my opinion one of the best 5 comedy albums of 2011. His comedy is impressive in the sense that it is fairly long-form. Hes good at telling you a long story and having it be funny along the way. I had listened to a couple of his earlier CDs including "Two Drink Mike", the true predecessor of "Sleepwalk with Me".
     "Dog Years" was self released before he signed to a label. This was a funny CD but especially if you've never heard him before. The reason I say that is due to the fact that A LOT of the material on this album was also on "Two Drink Mike". I am a big enough comedy nerd that i still enjoyed the hell out of it. It was interesting to see how he and his material developed over the few years between albums. It was not ALL material I had heard but it was probably a majority.
     It is truly enjoyable to listen to him talk about his love of Rap music. I am also impressed by the sheer amount of material he has about bears. The list gets longer and longer every time i listen to another of his albums. He goes on a fairly long rant about Pandas preferring food over sex and it becomes one of the highlights of the album. He is a very middle of the road comedian. He isn't going to offend anyone with his jokes, but he will make you laugh, and he will tell you a good story. This album is a great starting point if you haven't heard him, but you will be doing yourself a major disservice if you don't listen to "Two Drink Mike" and especially "Sleepwalk with Me". This was an entertaining first release but he has come a LONG way since then. (014)

Brutal Truth - Evolution Through Revolution

Our Blind Ambitions Only Bleed Us Dry

#13) Brutal Truth - Evolution Through Revolution (2009)

 1. Sugardaddy
 2. Turmoil
 3. Daydreamer
 4. On the Hunt
 5. Fist In Mouth
 6. Get A Therapist...Spare the World
 7. War Is Good
 8. Evolution Through Revolution
 9. Powder Burn
 10. Attack Dog
 11. Branded
 12. Detached
 13. Global Good Guy
 14. Humpty Finance
 15. Semi-Automatic Carnation
 16. Itch
 17. Afterworld
 18. Lifer
 19. Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs
 20. Grind Fidelity

 so this was Brutal Truth's first full-length since they broke up in 99 and reformed in 06, 5th over all, and it's like they didn't even miss a beat. if anything they spent those 12 years building up some serious aggression. 20 tracks of grind with a bit of experimentation. the album was mastered by Scott Hull, of Pig Destroyer and Agoraphobic Nosebleed among others (bands that will be showing up here later), and it sounds amazing. i'm not really gonna get into Brutal Truth's history here 'cause i've got a few more Truth records to get to, including their 1st so i'll get to it there. but yeah, another rad album from some old school grind masters.

01/13/12: Shabazz Palaces - 2 E.P.s (2010)

01/13/12: Shabazz Palaces - 2 E.P.s (2010)

a.) Shabazz Palaces E.P.

1. Kill White T
2. 4 Shadows
3. 32 Leaves
4. Blastit...
5. Capital 5
6. My Mac Yawns
7. A Mess

b.) Of Light E.P.

1. Gunbeat Falls
2. 100 Sph
3. Hottabatch
4. Chuch
5. Spechol-Analog
6. Sparkles
7. N. Splendored
8. Find Out

     Shabazz Palaces are the first hip-hop act to ever sign to Subpop Records. They are from Seattle and are made up of an MC and a multi-instrumentalist. They caught my attention with their debut LP  "Black Up". The hip-hop music they create is pretty out there. They are very experimental with their production and use a wide variety of samples from hip-hop to jazz. I decided to look into their 2 debut EPs for one entry. "Black Up" came out in 2011 and the year before that came their first released music via these 2 EPs. They were released on the same day and basically make up a full length album in themselves.
     After listening to the both CDs, I am going to guess that they were separate for a reason... I don't know if they were made at the same time but they are different. I'm guessing self titled was recorded before Of Light but there is really not a lot of information about them beyond the fact that they were released anonymously.
     The first EP "Shabazz Palaces" is as straight forward as their music gets. The production was pretty basic on this CD compared to the rest of the their releases. There was still a couple standout tracks. Blastit... shows their knack for making interesting production choices. The beat has a "world music" sound to it. There are small moments that show how unique their sampling choices are as well.
     The second EP "Of Light" is a huge step forward in my opinion. Their sound developed a lot more and sounds a bit more like their full-length. The production gets much more experimental and the song structures become more complex. the first 2 tracks on this EP are probably my favorite 2 songs in their brief careers. Those first 2 tracks show just how different of an approach they take with their hip-hop. I hope this is the shape of hip-hop to come. (013)

01/12/12: Dosh - Wolves and Wishes (2008)

01/12/12: Dosh - Wolves and Wishes (2008)

1. Don't Wait for the Needle to Drop
2. Bury the Ghost
3. If You Want To, You Have To
4. First Impossible
5. Kit and Pearle
6. Wolves
7. Food Cycles
8. Keep Up Appearance
9. The Magic Stick
10. Capture the Flag

     Wolves and Wishes is the 4th full -length album from Dosh. It is instrumental and electronic music. The songs feel like electronic music in their structure but have a lot of instrumentation in them. Dosh is mainly a pianist, and percussionist, but he also uses a lot of Rhodes synth and looping machines. There are some interesting tracks. He's a very solid musician that almost seems to disguise his music as electronic, but everyone knows those are actual instruments they're hearing!
     You can tell he builds his songs with looping machines. A standard song on this album starts simple and you can hear the additions of each layer until he has the full structure in place. The songs are constantly driving forward and he tends to surprise you with new instruments whether its an out of place drum fill or a horn part. Overall a good album... relaxing but not boring. Very interested to see how he handles himself live. (012)

Today Is the Day - Temple of the Morning Star

Why Hold Back? Kill Yourself

#12) Today Is the Day - Temple of the Morning Star (1997)

 1. Temple of the Morning Star (Acoustic)
 2. The Man Who Loves to Hurt Himself
 3. Blind Spot
 4. High as the Sky
 5. Miracle
 6. Kill Yourself
 7. Mankind
 8. Pinnacle
 9. Crutch
 10. Root of All Evil
 11. Satan is Alive
 12. Rabid Lassie
 13. Friend For Life
 14. My Life With You
 15. I See You
 16. Hermaphrodite
 17. Temple of the Morning Star/Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

01/11/12: Murder by Death - Red of Tooth and Claw (2008)

01/11/12: Murder by Death - Red of Tooth and Claw (2008)

1. Comin' Home
2. Ball & Chain
3. Rumbrave
4. Fuego!
5. Theme (for Ennio Morricone)
6. A Second Opinion
7. Steal Away
8. Ash
9. The Black Spot
10. 52 Ford
11. Spring Break 1899

     I've liked Murder by Death since the first time I heard them. I've bought all of their albums and listened to all of them thoroughly. That is excluding this one of course. I listened to this one as soon as it came out and it was the only one of their albums to not really catch my ear. So, I decided to give Red of Tooth and Claw another listen. This is my first entry that is a straight up second chance.
     Upon this second (and third) listening, my opinion is for the most part unchanged. It is just my least favorite of their releases. Overall it is an average album. They brought nothing new to the table on this release and it led to some boring songs. There are still some standout tracks for me though and they were mostly on the tail end of the album. "Theme" was an impressive ode to spaghetti western scores. The album closes with the most interesting track. It has a very 50s vibe. A couple tracks saved an otherwise underwhelming record. (011)

01/10/12: of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks (2012)

01/10/12: of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks (2012)

1. Gelid Ascent
2. Spiteful Intervention
3. Dour Percentage
4. We Will Commit Wolf Murder
5. Malefic Dowery
6. Ye, Renew the Plaintiff
7. Wintered Debts
8. Exorcismic Breeding Knife
9. Authentic Pyrrhic Remission

     I don't entirely know where to go with this one. I don't think this album is actually out yet, but its really fucking interesting. I'm listening to it a second time as I write this and I am loving it. They are a psychedelic band and this is their 11th album and its really ALL over the place. Psychedelic at its core but unfocused in a good way.  Musically it feels older than it is because of certain stylistic choices, but production wise it feels very modern.
     The album starts off on a more upbeat traditional note. The early tracks remind me of the 70s. They end up sounding kind of like Steely Dan on. There is some interesting live instrumentation via horns, flutes and strings throughout the album. There is a turn in the middle of the album where the mood gets a little darker and the music becomes more proggy. There is even a very trippy soundscape within the proggy tail section of this album.
     In short, take some drugs and listen to this album. It's pretty sweet. Gonna have to check out more of their older stuff. It ends up that I like Of Montreal. (010)