November 1 - 10 (#306- 315)

#306) Pygmy Lush - Bitter River (2007) 

#307) Red Harvest - Cold Dark Matter (2000) 

#308) Book of Sand - Mourning Star (2012) 

#309) Lifelover - Sjukdom (2011) "narcotic metal"

#310) Wolf Eyes with John Wiese - Collection (2006) collection of out of print eps

#311)  Author & Punisher - Drone Machines (2010) 

 #312) Korperschwache - A Fistful of Nihilism (1996) 

#313) Openwound/Antigama - Blastasfuck split (2004)

#314) Kowloon Walled City - Gambling On the Richter Scale (2009) 

#315) Drudkh - Handful of Stars (2010) 

October 11 - 20 (#285 - 294)

#285) Botanist - II: A Rose From the Dead (2011)

#286) Botanist - III: Doom in Bloom (2012)

#287) V/A - III:Allies (2012) 

#288) Tomb - Total Occultic Mechanical Blasphemy II (2010) harsh black industrial

#289) Korperschwache - Ritual of the Ouroboros (2007)  

#290) Bongripper - Satan Worshipping Doom (2010) instrumental doom from Chicago

#291) Mz.412 - In Nomine Dei Nostri Satanas Luciferi Excelsi (1995) 

#292) Aderlating/Crown of Bone split (2012) 

293) Hallowed Butchery - Funeral Rites For the Living (2009) 

#294) Lair of the Minotaur - Carnage/Cannibal Massacre (2004/2005) 

September 1 - 10 (#245 - 254)

#245) Millions - Gather Scatter (2008)  hardcore from Chicago

#246) SSS - The Dividing Line (2008) 

#247) Deterior - Cleanse (2009) 

#248) Sockeye - Barf On a Globe (1999) 

#249) Tenhi - Airut:aamujen (2004) neofolk from Finland

#250) Vektor - Black Future (2009) 

#251) Artortured - Dimensions of Suffering (2012)  

#252) Atavist - II:Ruined (2007) drone doom

#253) Circle - Miljard (2006) 

#254) The Sound of Animals Fighting - Lover, the Lord Has Left Us (2006) 

August 21 - 31 (#234 - 244)

#234) Pinkish Black - Pinkish Black (2012) 

#235) The Blind Shake - Carmel (2007) 

#236) Death in June - The World That Summer (1986) 

#237) Keuhkot - Toimintatapoja Olioille (2005) 

#238) Captain Ahab - The Great Disappointment (2006) 

#239) 16 Volt - Demography: The Basement Tapes (2000) collection of old tracks and demos

#240) Portugal. The Man - Censored Colors (2008) 

#241) Captain Ahab - The Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (2010) live tracks

#242) Captain Ahab - The Sex Is Next (2004) 

#243) The Phantom Carriage - Late Comers (2005) 

#244) Ramona Falls - Intuit (2009)  

(124A) Animal Collective - Sung Tongs (2004)

(124A) Animal Collective - Sung Tongs (2004)

1. Leaf House
2. Who Could Win a Rabbit
3. The Softest Voice
4. Winters Love
5. Kids on Holiday
6. Sweet Road
7. Visiting Friends
8. College
9. We Tigers
10. Mouth Wooed Her
11. Good Lovin Outside
12. Whaddit I Done

     I have the tendency to gravitate towards The later Animal Collective albums. They are one of those cases of experimental bands that lost a whole lot of their oldest fans due to their development. They have always been experimental, even on those later albums that i like but in their earlier years they were  very experimental, and very lo-fi. I have been trying to branch out a bit more with these guys and dig into their older catalogue. This album is a middle point as their sound had gone away from their first few albums and started to move in the direction of their later albums. It was considered their breakthrough album by a lot of critics and publications. It was made by only 2 members of the 4 base members (Avey Tare and Panda Bear) and it was pretty different because of that fact. Its a very stripped down affair with a lot of acoustic guitars and tribal drums. I would describe the sound as a Psychedelic, folk album with a touch of a beach boys sound. I really dug this album and it was pretty chill as far as Animal Collective releases go. (124)      

Dreamend - As If By Ghosts...

#165) Dreamend - As If By Ghosts... (2004)

 1. Of Ravens & Winds
 2. Ellipsis
 3. Four Days in May
 4. The Almighty
 5. Murmur
 6. Can't Take You
 7. Slide Song
 8. The Old House & Its Occupants
 9. 10 Guitars From Salem
 10. Passing

Dreamend the project of Ryan Graveface, owner/operator of Graveface Records which is one of my favorite labels. they play lo-fi post-rocky shoegazey radness. it's mellow but never boring. i've had this album for like a year and i'm an idiot for not listening to it sooner.

also worth noting is that each cd comes in a cardboard case that's hand assembled with a different photo as the cover. the pic above is not my cover.
go listen to this because my description is terrible and you need to hear it.

The Paper Chase - God Bless Your Black Heart

Good Things Die All The Time, God Bless Your Heart Vengeance Is Mine

#132) The Paper Chase - God Bless Your Black Heart (2004)

 1. Said the Spider to the Fly
 2. One Day He Went Out For Milk and Never Came Home
 3. What I'd Be Without Me
 4. The Sinking Ship, the Grand Applause
 5. Piggy's Had Too Much Wine
 6. Ready, Willing, Cain and Able
 7. Now, We Just Slowly Circle the Draining Fishbowl
 8. A War Is Coming
 9. Your Ankles to Your Earlobes
 10. Let's Be Bad Henry, Let's Be Really Bad
 11. Now You're Gonna Get It
 12. Abby, You're Going to Burn For What You've Done to Me
 13. Your Pretty Little Head
 14. Dying With Decent Music

the Paper Chase's 3rd full length is where i think they really started to hit their stride. the songs are less guitar driven and more built upon various instrumentation and they just feel more, i don't know, lush maybe? the compositions have become even more melodic, so when the dissonant parts and crazy riffs show up they seem even more powerful. there are only a couple of the "instrumental" tracks, it seems like they started to integrate the weird noise/sample parts into the actual songs more. i think album opener "Said the Spider to the Fly" is one of the best Paper Chase songs, it has such a great balance of beautiful melody, darkness and dissonant guitar work. i think this album is also where i start to agree with the Cursive and Bright Eyes comparisons. hell for all i know this is the album that started people making those comparisons. regardless, this is a great album and definitely worth checking out if you want your pop dark and noisy.

Spires That in the Sunset Rise

#117) Spires That in the Sunset Rise (2004)

 1. I Am Sewn
 2. Birds of Paradise
 3. Crooked Spine
 4. Rattlesnake
 5. Leader of Change and the Leader of Within
 6. Tampico
 7. No Fate
 8. I Follow You Follow Me
 9. Moonhouse
 10. Bells Don't Ting at Night

Spires is an experimental psych folk band from Decatur, IL. this is their 1st record and it's very strange. lots of cool instrumentation and weird female vocals. i've listened to this album a couple times now and i still don't really know what to say about it. i really dug it though.
check out the band's site to hear tracks off their new album.

Antigama - Discomfort

Empty, Broken, Lost

#111) Antigama - Discomfort (2004)

 1. Flies
 2. Bloodmaker
 3. Stupid Fuck
 4. Who is My Enemy?
 5. Try
 6. This Structure Is Tight
 7. President Say Yes
 8. Sick I Am
 9. Shit From Arse
 10. Bolo
 11. Save Copy As...
 12. Discomfort
 13. Fala (The Seed Remix)

Antigama's 2nd full length, finds the band continuing with the  grind heard on their 1st record, Intellect Made Us Blind, and really upping the noise and chaos. this record is violent and dissonant as hell. the only thing i didn't like about this album was the Seed remix track. i liked the remix itself, my problem was the 7 minutes of silence that precede it. minor bullshit. overall though this was some sick punishing grind and i really enjoyed it.

03/24/12: The Thermals - Fuckin A (2004)

03/24/12: The Thermals - Fuckin A (2004)

1. Our Trip
2. Every Stitch
3. How We Know
4. When You're Thrown
5. Remember Today
6. A Stare Like Yours
7. Let Your Earth Quake, Baby
8. God and Country
9. End to Begin
10. Forward
11. Keep Time
12. Top of the Earth

     The Thermals are an indie punk band. I became a fan of these guys after hearing their 3rd album "The Body, The Blood, The Machine". Their sound is pretty much punk-pop but is tilted more towards the raw punk sound. I've heard their last 3 albums and was a big fan, but their later stuff made me miss the raw sound of "The Body...". I don't know why I never took the time to listen to their first 2 releases.
     "Fuckin' A" is their 2nd full length and their first professionally recorded album. It is everything I expected from these guys; raucous distorted fast songs with the yell singing of Hutch Harris and some of the catchiest loudest punk songs. Their lyrics are religious and political without being overbearing and without affected how much fun their music is. It's a bit lower quality production wise as compared to their last 3 albums but its not to its detriment. If anything, the lo-fi quality adds to the style they shoot for. Good album, and robably a good intro before you check out their masterpiece "The Body, The Blood, The Machine". (084)

03/06/12: Madlib - Madlib Remixes 2: Saturday Morning Edition (2004)

03/06/12: Madlib - Madlib Remixes 2: Saturday Morning Edition (2004)

1. Remixtroduction
2. Moodswing
3. Ghetto Dwellaz
4. Devils
5. Rap Niggaz
6. My Favorite Ladies
7. Movement
8. Disco Break
9. Likwidation
10. Rockin
11. Put Ur Hands Up
12. Blunt Break
13. Flyby
14. Bear Wizz Beer Commercial
15. Throwback
16. Nothing Lesser
17. Doomilla
18. Nasty N
19. Game
20. Memory Lane
21. Public Disservice Announcement
22. On The Grind
23. Gitmine
24. Net Weight
25. Quarterlude
26. Ridewitus
27. Cog Was Wrong Commercial

     I had been listening to a ridiculous amount of Madlib but everything I listened to was from the recent Madlib Medicine Show series. I decided to listen to something that was not a part of that series and that led me to another recommendation from a former coworker of mine; Madlib Remixes 2: Saturday Morning Edition. It is another hip-hop style mixtape of remixes. All of the production is centered around a theme of 80-esque disco (I guess). Production-wise it was decently entertaining but really wasn't my cup of tea. The problem here was where the samples came from. I really wasn't digging a lot of it due to just not being into this type of music. It does have an old-school hip-hop feel but overall I just couldn't get into this one. Not my style and just not as interesting as many other albums I've heard from Madlib. (066)

Coaltar of the Deepers

Dead By Dawn

#40a) Coaltar of the Deepers - Dog EP (1999)

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

#40b) Coaltar of the Deepers - Penguin EP (2004)

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

so post number 40 means it's crossover time again. this time i got to pick. adam played a track by these guys for me a while back and i remember really digging it so i decided to check 'em out.
i started with the Dog EP, and though it's not at all like the track that was played for me, i still enjoyed it. it's  dreamy, poppy Japanese shoegaze. although it won't blow your mind it's definitely a solid album. what it will do is leave you completely unprepared for the metal assault that is the Penguin EP.
Penguin is an odd combination of the poppy shoegaze of Dog and elements of death metal, electronics and occasionally traditional Japanese music. from the 1st track to the last, this album had me hooked. i really wish this was a full length because 15 minutes was not enough.
this is definitely an interesting band and i hope to hear more from them in the future.

  

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)

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

01/14/12: 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)

Ghoultown - Live From Texas!

Draw The Blood From Your Daughters, Drink Til We Are Drunk

#10) Ghoultown - Live From Texas! (2004)

1. To the Gallows (Intro)
 2. Fistful of Demons
 3. Boots of Hell
 4. Wait Until Dark
 5. Man With No Name
 6. Pale Skin Diva
 7. Dia de Los Muertos
 8. Gunfight at Red Sands
 9. Dirty Sanchez
 10. Death of Jonah Hex
 11. Killer In Texas
 12. Carry the Coffin
 13. The Worm
 14. Return of the Living Dead
 15. Legend of Everett Sykes

according to their website they're "a unique mix of horror rock, punk-twang and spaghetti western flair. Think of it this way--if Rob Zombie and Johnny Cash were tossed into a meat packer, Ghoultown is what would come out the other side." i don't really hear the Rob Zombie, maybe in some of the lyrical themes. i'd say it's more gothabilly/horror rock influenced by Ennio Morricone's spaghetti western scores.
anyway, this is a live album recorded at Club Clearview in Dallas, Texas on July 18 2003. to be honest i don't normally listen to/buy live albums but it's pretty solid. the recording quality is great, which is always something of a worry with live albums especially when it's from a band that isn't well known, and there's a decent mix of tracks off Boots of Hell (1999), Tales From the Dead West (2001) and Give Em More Rope (2002). tracks 1 - 14 are the live tracks and 15 is a "Bonus Studio Track". it's a pretty standard Ghoultown song, not bad but not great. overall, pretty good for a live album.

Today Is the Day - Kiss the Pig

I Hate People, I Hate You, I Fuck You

 

#7) Today Is the Day - Kiss the Pig (2004)

 1. Why They Hate Us
 2. Kiss the Pig
 3. Mother's Ruin
 4. This Machine Kills Fascists
 5. Outland
 6. Don't Tread On Hope
 7. Sympathy Junky
 8. Platinum Pussy
 9. Train Train
 10. Bee's Wax and Star Wars
 11. Birthright

experimental noise metal incorporating a wide variety of genres. this was their 7th full length and it's loud, grindy and intense. i first got into these guys back in '07 when i picked up the then new album Axis of Eden (their 8th full length). i played the shit out of that disc so i'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get through their discography. i've listened to bits and pieces of other albums by them but besides Axis this is the only other album of theirs that i've listened to in it's entirety. anyway, this and Axis are definitely both rad albums and i'll for sure be checking out more from Steve Austin and co.