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DROPDEAD / Look Back and Laugh – Split
~DROPDEAD side philosophically reviewed by Jeff Schneider~
This is probably the toughest review I’ll ever write. I say that because there is so much to this music that I love, so many interpersonal reasons for liking it, so many ethical, educational and honestly revolutionary teachings within. For that I am so very grateful.
As I listen to this new DROPDEAD album, I think not only about the quality of what they have honed over the years, and the conviction that goes into such music, but also the meaning. To me the meaning is quite intense. I hear it and it produces an effect synonymous with showing someone a scar. It is something permanent and elite for sure. The only people who get it are those who get it… thus fucking assholes don’t get it. I know of few people who are self-proclaimed fucking assholes, they do exist mind you, but rare. The scar accompanies a story of course, usually unpleasant and there is a sense of self righteousness to it, since after all it happen to you, there is no need to be particularly detailed about why it happen, the conversation is usually about how it happen, what it is less than what really could be done about it because scars are pretty much there for good.
The language of this record, the lyric or whatnot is direct and sacred/holy/prophetic/messianic (to some), not in the sense of Jesus really, more like Gandhi where reason still plays an important role. Song titles such as “What Could Be” and “Another Stone” tell a lot about the thoughts that went into this record. It tells us of a higher level of thinking, something evolutionary, which is different from revolutionary. It is a logical end with direct means in a language we all can easily understand like Malcolm X spoke of. The lyrics read like a Malcolm X talk actually, which is why it is tough to criticize at all. As Lester Bangs said about the Clash “You perceive that as much as this music seethes with rage and pain, it also champs at the bit of the present system of things, lugging after some glimpse of a new and better world.” I think DROPDEAD does this also. Bangs went on to say something about righteousness in that article which I think is applicable to DROPDEAD (and this release), since they are righteous. Bangs said, “You see, dear reader, so much of what’s (doled) out as punk merely amounts to saying I suck, you suck, the world sucks, and who gives a damn-which is, er, insufficient. Don’t ask me why; I am just an observer, really. But any observer could tell that in terms of Us-vs-Them, saying the above is exactly what They want you to do, because that amounts to capitulation. It is unutterably boring and disheartening to try to find some fun or meaning while shoveling through all the shit we have been handed in the last few years, but merely puking on yourself is not going to change anything. (I know, ‘cause I tried it.) I guess what it boils down to is this:
(a) You can’t like people who don’t like themselves; and
(b) You gotta like people who stand up for what they believe in, as long as what they believe in is
(c) Righteous”
Christ that was written in 1977! Somebody rush a copy of Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung to ABC No Rio ASAP! Educate the masses for God’s sake. It has been said time and time again… just nobody reads I guess, anything… So what we get is the bare necessity of the story, thus the blunt no nonsense lyrics. There is no Philosophical consideration whatsoever in this message, no Peter Singer, no defense. There is a premise, unquestioned to do the right thing. As far as I hear the message is gaining more and more strength, in California as well as on this record: coast to coast, more intense. People will be memorizing these words as I write this. Listening over an over, reading along…
At The End of Days
AS WE EMBRACE EXTINCTION
WITH ARMS OF IGNORANCE
THE SKELETON OF REASON
LIES COLD WITHIN THE ASH
This reads like a gravestone. It is an obituary for ignorance, once you hear it you no longer can defend yourself by saying nobody told you so, you have it directly told to you, in my opinion to take or to leave…
The music is punishing. I will give kudos here first to the minority: the Weasel Walters who love DROPDEAD for their more Slayeresque moments, the bassist of Melt Banana who loves the riffage of DROPDEAD, the Steve Mattoses, me (of course) and a small bunch of others who are not necessarily hardcore fans but love this band from a musical perspective. I say me, people, because honestly in this time, 2004, I feel music through my fingers (on my guitar, see…) far more than I hear music with my ears. I know it is sad, but that is where this path (as a musician) has led me. Tonally, DROPDEAD’s new record is quality music; Bob’s (Bob = vocalist) voice is different, whether it is a recording difference or a metabolic change who knows? It is higher in register and sounds... Well, listen to it and you can tell. I will now give kudos to the rest, the majority, the black sweatshirt, Black Bloc-heads (as in Deadheads of hardcore), the mass, the sheep, the apostles, the pious, those who worship, the loyal, the patriotic, the ones Bertrand Russell railed against in saying “I admit at once that new systems of dogma, such as those of the Nazis and the Communists, are even worse than the old systems, but they could never have acquired a hold over men’s minds if orthodox dogmatic habits had not been instilled in youth.” That was written in 1952! The ones who think right but in the wrong manner - wrong methods… We need freethinkers today people! Blame not DROPDEAD for this, blame not this release, it is everything else people, and it is a sad time when people act like this at their shows of all places. But honestly, I love you followers because there rules and if it must be this way this is the best possible material to be that way about (the pragmatist said). It holds potential to open minds (which I can say is what these guys DRODEAD want I hope, and I am pretty sure is true), I can say hands down that this musical group made me think about many things, and is highly responsible for my belief (one of few faith based, admittedly ignorant, superstitions I still hold) that meat is murder, and eating meat is wrong. So I love you followers as a brothers and sisters not as an overlord OK? Be young, sing along, run in circles and get angry, and be not sexist this priest says; have fun.
Lastly, I want to address the third party, those stupid fuckers. The idiots who as Lewis H. Lapham so aptly points out in this months Harpers Magazine believe in (conservatism) a way of life that is clearly stupid, those who as he says “apply the phrases “personal initiative” and “self reliance” to corporate presidents utterly dependent on the federal subsidies to the banking, communications, and weapons industries, square talk of “civility” with the strong arm methods of Kenneth Starr and Tom Delay, match the warmhearted currencies of “conservative compassion” with the cold cruelty of “the unfettered free market,” know that human life must be saved from abortionists in Boston but not from cruise missiles in Baghdad?” Yeah, you know THOSE people… The ones who probably won’t buy this record, and will complain that something like this record doesn’t exist for them, so the Bible or Hannity + Colmes will do I guess. There exists a parasite, one spawned from mental illness, a plague, an enemy of mine. I am not ashamed to admit it. We need to put an end to this ignorant ideology since it is spreading… This album is a strike back - clearly and coherently created group of ideas. If this record was designed to do that, which I believe it was, you need it and you need to listen to it… DROPDEAD is a single premise to a long debate, it is for you to research the evidence about the solutions to the problems engaged here, DROPDEAD provide the premise, understand? WORDS OF TRUTH.
DROPDEAD, in my opinion - removal of Bush-music, caring-music, awake-music; heartfelt ideas… lets go!
And… To add a glazing on the bullshit I spewed above and elsewhere online and off… I even wrote an awful poem that I will share with you all. Written back about a year ago when I was contemplating DROPDEAD, listening heavily to DROPDEAD, written out of appreciation, it is not too good since I am no poet, but here – have a good laugh.
Ode to Bob Otis
Injured animals cry
Asking a sub-zero mind to stop it…
Both are connected to veins
They lay begging in the marketplace to stop the hurting
Don’t tell me it is insatiable, at the patriarch’s table.
Don’t say it is as natural as a hanging vine in the jungle.
Human on the Earth, I can tell you, it is a crime you can’t argue
To be willingly stupid with a self absorbed smile…
Take an animals body and put it into mine?
You will…
With sunshields on your eyes you are legally blind
I was a carnivore, a meat eater
My grandfather ate mutton while killing in Korea
And he just can’t see it
The language has broken off
Eating meat is something not often spoken of
Growling at the challenge
Like a panel of judges
Making up lies…
Just like the ones about whipping the slaves
Saying it is unhealthy, un-American, naïve
Brainless you claim
Is why you’re eating game
Abnormal is this blood relation
Like back in Korea it is inhumane
We just nod because the language is all gone
Like an animal I communicate what is going on.
(Written ironically, no lie, Aug. 19, 03 one year exactly from today, whoooo… scary)
Record Released - NOW… (08-19-04)
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Get Hustle
Live at the Little Fawn (tour CD).
Reviewed by Jeff Schneider
NEWBORN AWAKENING
Gently they stir, gently rise
The dead are newborn awakening
With ravaged limbs and wet souls
Gently they sigh in rapt funeral amazement
Who called these dead to dance?
Was it the young woman learning to play the ghost song on her baby grand?
Was it the wilderness children?
Was it the ghost god himself, stuttering, cheering, chatting blindly?
I called you up to anoint the earth
I called you to announce sadness falling like burned skin
I called you to wish you well
To glory in self like a new monster
And now I call on you to pray
- Jim Morrison
“Out here in the perimeter there are no stars”… He knew it. He knew what purity was and what it was like out there on the fringe of it all… He had tasted the feeling of absolute insecurity, not mentally of course; I mean the Zen insecurity of accepting the unknown, the uncertainty. But it would be a lie to say there was nothingness… not here, not them. Even Morrison worshipped alcohol, he just rejected Newton and God, so what? He was still religious. Get Hustle is also, and I am too (I guess). I got to a point in life where I was a complete non-believer, a skeptic to the umpth degree. It felt empty, especially when you realize that these feelings affect the way you act and make decisions. I got scared. I said “Just what the hell do you believe in?” I came up with a few things… Human rights, not eating meat, never again going to court without a lawyer, on and on funny enough… I admit, God never really entered in to what I consider the rational zone. But that is just me and I am still a skeptic I guess, some say I am truly a lost soul, but I don’t think so. I know enough to recognize something aesthetically pleasing more than most I think… It is undeniable that if one listens to Chrome’s Visitation record (their first, rare record) one realizes (or should) that they are listening to something so unique, so meant to be only in the small timeframe that it did, something like that feeling they exploit in so many movies (Lost In Translation for one, thanks Sophia Coppola) that feeling of “don’t let it get away, don’t go, don’t let the bus leave, the season finale of Friends, all that shit, you know what I mean… or maybe not. Well, to me (and to you, I command) the Get Hustle has always been that. They are the most exciting bunch of musicians I know nowadays. Few peeps fall into that category, Lighting Bolt maybe, I am always interested in what those guys will do next, and I respect the hell out of what they have done. But, to really challenge the boundaries, I think whatever you do you have to really think out on the boundaries. Get Hustle dresses, lives, thinks, Philosophizes, reacts, and most importantly believes out there on the fringe. It is so beautiful… so beautiful. Who cares about the party? Who cares about the sweater? Who cares about the cocaine? Who wants to keep up? Why not just do your own thing and let the rest come through it, like a prism? I think these lines are where the Get Hustle began. What we have now is the mutation the manifestation of that, to the extent that it may even be forgotten in the first place… a transcendence of that thought. The result is warmth, beauty and organic mysticism… They jammed at the Safari not too long ago, on Wednesday night and that was where it was at. The outside became the in. I learned a lot. I felt emotions. I felt great. That is where I got this CD, Live at the Little Fawn. It captures an evolution of sounds they have worked on now for years. I love the reverberated everythings. I love the vibe on this CD, it makes me feel cooler than I know I am, I get charged. I feel like worshipping something primal, maybe the Earth, no… maybe the Mother, no… nothing Freudian. I feel like worshiping Music. Like a blues man, old and gray, like old Blind Blake… just getting that mojo-hand, getting that talisman shaking that rattle… sacrifice. Sacrifice that is what all this rambling is about… Sacrifice.
What you have to do to understand a word of what I said here is e-mail Get Hustle at gethustle@yahoo.com and ask them to sell you this CD. Then and only then can the rites be handed down to others who want it, who need it.
GET HUSTLE IS :
Valentine (singer)
Mac (organ)
Ron (drums)
From Portland, Oregon.
Have other records for sale on 31G label.
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Microwaves
Attack Decay Sustain Release
Reviewed by Jeff Schneider
No one in Pittsburgh listens to the Beach Boys. You have to understand the gasoline jacket wearing and the drinking… the drinking… it is amazing, I love it, I am relaxed by it. But for some fucked reason these guys come along and start a fucking band called the Microwaves… it is funny because I am a brother of the drummer, a real brother I love him and have loved him so long it hurts, it hurts to not be in the same town as he… but lets stick to the program and review… OK, “come dry your eyes” – Neil Diamond.
The microwaves artwork on this thing is wack… It looks like a fucking flyer to a rave, or the Warped tour (sponsored by Vans), or the icon for Napster, which we all know Lars Ulrich fucking hates… but what Lars Ulrich (Yes, the drummerpimp of Metallica) does not get is that the music on this thing is truly unique… I am at a loss for associations, insults, and recommendations to improve. One thing that is certain is that these guys know what they are doing and do it well… this album has been a long time coming, who knows how many arguments, how many disses, how many ethical, musical, integral, sick, psychopathic, bestiality –laden conversations went into the manufacture, the creation, the birth of this disk? Lars Ulrich sure doesn’t. That is because Lars Ulrich drinks yeast beer in the Netherlands and Microwaves drink Yuengling Larger in Pittsburgh.
I like the self-control on this disk. The songs are complex. The Microwaves access a catalogue of music that few dare to ever educate themselves with; MX-80 Sound and the like. On another note, Weasel Walter the Oedipus Rex of all music un-holy and diminished (a composer really) and an active participant in musical slave trade, would and should love this disk, and I think he does. He mastered it, and that is a rare privilege people… So realize that shit. It in itself is a composition, like it or not. I have no idea what to do besides listen, the disk demands attention. It is not pretentious though; it has shades, moods, levels, and floors of emotion.
For the novice I will tell you this (like Richard Clarke’s Against All Enemies, I will dumb it down, sitcom it, so we all can understand what is going on around us.) This disk is alien, or maybe just humans engaging the Alien is more like it. They throw in some Philosophy to beg the listener to relate to the Alien. Chrome (1970/80s band, Soulseek this and your Soul will be enriched) fans would get the signal, as would Flying Luttenbacher (Weasel Walter’s “band”) fans, parallel universes but both dealing with the same musical extraterrestrial endeavor.
As far as audio production is concerned, this disk is a gem. It sounds amazing, mixed well, recorded well. It is Lo-fi enough to be appreciated, Hi-fi enough to hear the fucking songs. I am sad to say that this disk, this piece of music is a theory, one that is not in fashion right now… That is great because the latest theory in Music goes something like this - “Do something blatantly done, like Tarantino films, be from rich places, schools, parents or at least look and act as you do. Pout, and puff out your ass. Wear stupid garments, and wank on a Disco beat for too long. Make it happy, smiley music.” And that theory sucks. I know it will fall apart, and is… no worries. I commend bands that can see it and do not capitulate to the current academics of modern rock (as so many have, you know who I mean, barf!).
Besides, listen to the work that was put into this disk! These guys really play their buttocks off. I admire that. Laziness, and Disco beats are for sloths, a cardinal sin, a pain in the ass when you are in a band and you remember how amazing bands long forgotten such as GodHeadSilo played, listen to track #6 of this CD (titled Good Samaritan) and you will remember, if you never knew then God Bless you.
I picked up the Skin Graft Records Newsletter in my local record store Armageddon (the best) and it was the first time I ever saw anything in the way of advert for Skin Graft… I was very happy, but I must say looking in it and seeing such a great catalogue of music, this disk should have been in there, should have been in there… Regardless…
That’s all I can say - listen to this, buy it, I recommend it.
New Addition
PO Box 81162
Pittsburgh, PA
15217
Microwaves are:
Dave Kuzy – Guitar/Voice
Steve Moore – Bass, Voice, Synth, Samples
J. Michael Roman – Drums*
*That is John Michael Roman who collaborated with Schreckengost on the art I dislike… but Mr. Schreckengost was under a spell by J. Michael Roman and they took ecstasy at a rave and put this together in the van they both live in, under the on-ramp near Carnegie Mellon University where rich people learn ways to ream society more efficiently then their parents did, where mirrors are for looking at the self they want to be, and where toilets are for looking at the self they are, of course prior to flushing, prior to paying their tuition.
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Kites
Royal Paint with the Metallic Gardener from the United States Helped into an Open Field by Women and Children.
Load
Records
Reviewed by Jeff Schneider
Kites; why am I reviewing this? Simply because “It was sent it in a spirit of sharing” and the maker of this music says this record “was very important to me when I made it, and now it is important to me.” The title uses the method developed by William S. Burroughs while in Manhattan; the cut up or maybe just the “glance around” to save paper. I like that. I have to say I go to a ton of shows, all around, been in Fort Thunder, been in many a loft, many an artists loft. Some lofts in Manhattan even… I always wonder, what do the owners of all this shit do with all this shit? All the paint cans, reams of cloth, cutters, bowls, cracked cymbals, makeshift drum sets, bongs, gongs, tubes, plants, GI Joes, posters, figures, dada memorabilia, mannequins, VCRs, VCR head cleaner (well I do know what that is for), paste, rags, bags, sacks, scarves, masks, noise manipulators, chopsticks, woks, crayons, and lastly mattresses.
Noise music. A noise master once told me “Noise is the true sound of Love” and it can be… On this record there are moods, mood swings, repression of greater acts that could have more serious social consequences, maybe even a death or two. I feel some Love here, because honestly I know half the people thanked in its liner notes: Wolf Eyes, Tom, Collin, Drain, Jessica Rylan, Laura and Ben, Dom, Deerhoof… So Kites are nice I think it is safe to assume or these people would not be on there. The second feeling of Love is musical, thus the “true sound of Love”. I am not sure what exactly is being said here; maybe what is being said is subtle or not said at all, just happening.
What happens on the first track (Staring Into the Sun) is noise… I can’t add too much to that - textures, layers, swings, segues, transformations, morph. It is sober. The second track (Changlings) is real neat, clapping and drumstick clicking with double vocal harmonies, a new mood. A poetic burst, I can’t tell if this was an off the cuff inspiration or maybe it was written at another time, valued, and used here? I can’t tell. Track 3 (Suppress Control, Reduce Destroy) is a sea of sand noise screaming, probably the last noises in the head of some dead soldier in Iraq yesterday, an infantryman probably. Next track 4 (Cry For the Death of a Crazy Man) is an acoustic guitar song, much like a song from Unicorn by T Rex but without the vocals. Track 8 (Call Out Your Real Name) is like a Leviathan. This track conflicts with the artwork, which is of children on the inside and out (and mail-order the comics by the way). It zones into an auto-hypnotic state far from home where Bruce Springsteen is shelved and resting; this is something else.
My two complaints… First, is that the musician(s) refer to the music on this platter as a “project”. Second, in the song “Changlings” there are lyrics that go “We mark the days in the cold, bloody matter consuming us whole, where earth is piled in shade, shuddering damage to cross and fade, hallways and doorways, a place down the street, canisters boxes a roaming fleet.” See the word shade, unlike every other lyric for some reason is sung with an English accent… or that Billy Joe from Green Day accent (whatever that one is). I wish that was not so. The rest of the vocals and the lyrics are really radical, amazing and exude a greatness of taste. The record is so interesting I can forgive the hooligan-Bobbie-bloke-pimp word, one word, and entertain the possibility that it was an artistic injection for some reason I am not aware.
Overall I enjoyed this experience, an experience I am new at. Please forgive this review; I did my best from the outside. Tell me more about it, I want to know what I missed; I am interested. Buy it. I am glad to know that there are things being said in other musicological languages now and that the vocabulary is growing. The new semantics allow for all this to be said on one piece of wax in a very personal way. Thanks for sharing this Kites (C.F.).
Listen: Big Ponytail
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Mr. California and the State Police
- Audio Hallucinations
Load
Records
review by Hammock: This album is the outlandish fun you have been
looking for to finally cure you from whatever your problem is.
Mr. California and the State Police sound like the music of the
pre-teen younger brother of someone from Men’s Recovery
Project. Short and fast songs such as "Die Hippy Die"
is followed a few tracks later by "Die Punker Die."
Though similarly titled manage to sound different. The album has
a good flow with little or no silence between songs. Full of fifty-one
really short songs with vocals providing insults, childish behavior
and other insane ramblings set to a fast beat with distorted guitar.
It seems to tell a story through various delusional ramblings
such as, "Flaming Heart"; ‘your heart is like
a bag of shit on fire, and I’m afraid to put it out cuz
it could get messy’. Yep, we all have been there once upon
a time.
Listen: No
Crabs |
The USA is a Monster – Tasheyana
Compost
Load Records
review by Hammock: There is no place that USA is a Monster can not
take the listener. This heavy handed two piece hails from the
Brooklyn of New York has pushed the heavy rock environment to
a new level with the Tasheyana Compost album. They play amazingly
well together as they cross
the tight drum and guitar riffs of early Jesus Lizard with those
of Melt Banana and everything in between. They had the guts to
make a heart stopping musical rendition of Chief Joseph of the
Nez Perce 1877 surrender speech, "No More Forever".
They pull it off in such a way that makes me believe USA is a
Monster really means it. The next track, "Screaming Bloody
Murder", exists only to solidify that fact with guitar riffs
that might make Buzz Ozborne wish he had practiced a little bit
longer. The vocal style is a mix of spoken and sung loudly which
allows them to have some folk-type moments. Two thumbs up!
Listen: Anal
Lies |
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Snoozer is the fine pop work of Susie Ghahremani,
a mostly one-woman band from Providence. This is a far
cry from much of the grinding noise so prevalent in our fair city
these days. This six song CD shows
Snoozer to be as versatile as it is lyrically introspective. Fans
of the bands Ida and The Breeders should like these thoughtful,
melodic songs. Snoozer incorporates bass, moog, and drum machines
with a style that is difficult to pin down with a single track.
The song that stood out the most
to me was "Sweaterweather" with the unmistakable guest
drumming of Cara Hyde. The song makes a great transition from
the more upbeat songs earlier in the ep to the more gentle tracks
that mark its conclusion. Although titled "Winter Stops All
Sound" I suspect that this brutal winter will fuel more from
Susie.
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Vincebus Eruptum S/T CD/LP
Load Records
review by Scott Langlais (Scoots):
Vincebus Eruptum's eponymous debut album on
Load Records is a hard document to pin down. Alternating between
brilliant and retrograde, fast and slow, austere and humorous,
it is an album of contradictions. Its sounds are those of a
war against bourgeois complacency-the inexorable rumbling of
titanic war machines and the roar of Black Metal jet engines.
Mayhem-style Black Metal is an obvious part of VE's musical
heritage, as are Sabbath, Can, the Swans, and more contemporary
bands like the Melvins and Godhead Silo. Gut-wrenching bass
and thunderous drums lay down the framework for a minimalist
assault that boasts more bludgeoning power than Mike Tyson at
a soccer riot. Lyrically, these guys do what hardcore did for
the rock song format in the 80s-cutting away all the extraneous
bullshit, virtuosity, and self-important wankery till nothing
remains but the bare indivisible essence of form. The songs
are tales of urban angst and futility born of Providence's post-industrial
sprawl.
Yet despite their bone-crushing sound and faux-Black Metal album
cover, VE's sense of humor sets them apart from their legendarily
humorless Norwegian counterparts. When the blitzkrieg attack
of "The Novice" shifts back into slow motion for the
solemn pronouncement "You're a one-pump chump," all
of Black Metal's rigidity is thrown out the window along with
their corpse-paint and Viking paraphernalia. It's hard to feel
Satanic headbanging along with the mantra-like "Who Farted?"
Clearly they are aware of this irony, as they further dissect
the genre in the self-titled song that ends
the album: "This is that kill your mother kill your father
music/Makes you want to burn down a school, burn down a church,
burn down a house." I don't know if that's true, but it
did make me want to play the album about 50 times in a row.
This is quite simply the best new album I've heard in years,
and undoubtedly one of Providence's most ferocious and unforgiving
recordings. Throw this on the turntable and forget that nu-metal,
Clay Aiken, and the wannabe garage rock explosion ever happened.
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Nefarious
- s/t
Armageddon Label
by T. Tram Clean
First, hooray for a cassette-only release. That's
the only medium I listen to in the car and much of my favorite
tunes are on cassette. They're not dead yet.
Nefarious has an ample vocalist who offers up
a fine mix of howling, snarling and tortured wailing. Underneath
is some incredibly spastic drumming, this guy has got to be
good live. There's some engaging drama with the arrangements,
and the two guitars occasionally have some interplay when they're
not playing the same thing. When they do play the same thing,
the tunes slip into the mush of the sub-par production. The
production is the weakest point here. The whole thing is bit
too rounded off . . . where's the grit? The bite? These are
crucial elements in metal. No doubt a live show by these guys
offers a good bite in the sac, but listening to this release
did NOT make the hairs on my arm stand up . . . and when people
are thrashing their instruments this violently and screaming
so wildly, I should be getting goosebumped. Part of the lacking
response is desensitization . . how can metal bands sound brutal
after Slayer and Marduk and so many others before? Sure Nefarious
are brutal, but they're retro-brutal. You can go watch (this
is a far-off comparison musically, but . . ) the Itchies imitating
the real thing live, or listen to the Sonics or Monks recordings
of the real thing. I want the real thing. I'm sick to fucking
death of retrospective music, whole genres are being looted
over and over, for style over substance. Anyways, Nefarious
are good imitators, (so what). I don't believe metal is dead,
however, the bar has been raised into the stratosphere.
Bands playing in a genre that's so thoroughly flushed really
have got their work cut out for them.
This is an Armageddon release, and in support
of a great record store, go buy it. Maybe Ann or Ben can turn
you on to some other more fufilling metal, they certainly have
the best stock around.
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HONEYBUNCH
- self titled EP
by Jason
Theres an urban myth that has
circulated around Providence for as long as I can remember. If
you drink from the fountain that's located on Benefit st. between
the RISD & Brown campus you will always return to this town.
No matter how hard you try to get away, the mystical power of
this fountain & town will pull you back.. looks like Honeybunch's
Jeffrey & Lisa Underhill had a drink at that fountain sometime
during the late 80's when Jeffrey started Honeybunch here. Because
after being absent from these parts for many years these two talented
songwriters have returned home.
Jeffrey was one of the founding members of Velvet Crush, a seminal
band in Providence music history. But Honeybunch was no less important
to Jeffrey and he kept it going even when he was touring with
the latter, releasing a slew of 7"s and helping to put the
Providence indie sound on the map (anyone remember Small Factory?).
Now its been 14 years since Honeybunch started, and they've returned
to our town with a new lineup, a new ep and a well needed injection
of quality pop to keep things honest and eclectic around these
parts.
This self titled 5 song ep is filled with the kind of earnest,
emotional songwriting that I've come to expect and enjoy from
Honeybunch. Jeffrey & Lisa seem to be chronicling they're
lives to a certain extent with this release, track one "Throwaway"
is a lazy, jangly affair with a little bit of slide guitar that
mixes in really well with Lisa's airy vocals and Jeff's lonesome
sounding voice. The song seems to either be about starting things
new in another place, another relationship (or both). Track 2
"Fear of Dating" showcases Lisa's vocals and has an
almost Stereolab feel to it with a drum track and keyboard/synth
squalls layering this pop gem.
The rest of the ep is quality and I definitely reccomend this
highly... for fans of Hope Sandoval, Rainy Day, Opal & Small
Factory...... Welcome back home Jeffrey & Lisa. You were missed.
ps.. if you dig this then you should
pick up "Time Trials", an anthology that was released
around 96' and covers almost all of the earlier singles put out
by Honeybunch... a must if your serious about your pop.
|
Friends Forever -
Killball
As you may have heard or seen, Friends Forever
has a few interesting things going on. First…the trio,
unable to be corralled into your silly little clubs, plays right
out of their van in the parking lots outside. Second (and more
important to this review) they have just released their new
cd KILLBALL on Providence’s Load Records…and it
seems to be a sort of theme album. Here is a quote that I tracked
down on the Load site:
“FRIENDS FOREVER'S KILLBALL details an
ultra-violent future where games are played to the death. KILLBALL
is similar to American football circa 1920-2016, except the
players wear no pads and are given PCP to ensure a grizzly game.
Each player is equipped with a switchblade and a machete. To
be tackled is to be destroyed. Tonight you have been chosen
to play KILLBALL. Can you win?”
Killball appears to be a tale not unlike Running
Man. Song by song a tale is spun of arena death and sports carnage.
Now, I don’t know jack-shit about sports except that
I hate them. However…I love the Running Man! I also love
Pro-Wresting which seems related I guess.
The record starts off strong with a sort of
James Kochalka Superstar vibe (I am sure that F4E will hate
that) in Carnisaur
vs Unicorn. The second track, easily the best track, is
Win”. This has a pretty rad groove and is unlike most
of the stuff I hear. It has a sounds that is actually unmatched
on the album with the exception of 1 or 2 other tracks.
With the exception of the last track, (IMHO)
a terrible song Winners” (unneeded noisefest), this album
rocks in a way that is really refreshing.
Speaking of Killball… where is my Rush
2112 album?
|
Khanate - No Joy
(remix)/Dead
Ryan:
Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Chnk…
Chnk…
Chnk…
Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…
I know the above gibberish is probably meaningless
to you…but if you are a fan of dirgy, slow evil…then
you know the sound of ultra-low, ultra-distorted guitars playing
(probably) down-tuned power chords and dissonance.
While not from Providence, Khanate’s
new No Joy/Dead 12inch is a Load
Records release and a pretty damn good example of how sludge
is done. The two songs, one a remix of an older song and one
new one from the new upcoming release, are slow, heavy and a
bit psychotic. The music is reminiscent of predecessors Earth,
Sleep and even Melvins back when they didn’t suck so
badly. It is very ominous, slow moving waves of metal splashing
over sparse punctuations of percussion. The vocals are one of
the more standout qualities of Khanate (said Con-Eight). They
are not the typical fare found atop this sort of sludge. Khanate’s
vocalist tends to be a bit more psycho and ultimately a little
scarier than the standard cookie monster or uber-low vocals
found in dirge rock.
Listen
to it.
Chnk…
Chnk…
Chnk…
Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…
|
Mahi Mahi - He No
Wa
by Chris
Mahi Mahi is the big fish in this small Providence pond this
summer, and their debut CD ‘He No Wa’ is out
just in time. This two piece consists of Josh Kemp (ex- L.U.V.’s)
on keyboards and vocals. Paul Servizio plays traditional drum
kit with additional electronic drum pads.
This is another excellent release on one of
Providence’s newer labels, Corleone
Records. Dance-y, but really interesting and not at all
boring. I thought of two bands when I first heard this.
First, The Residents. I’m not familiar
with a lot of their records (there’s a slew) but I do
know ‘The Commercial Album’ and ‘Duck Stab‘.
OK, maybe they’re not this weird, but I’m totally
reminded of this.
The second is Gary Newman and Tubeway Army ‘Replicas’.
I just listened to this and it really is a good comparison,
but with super metallic robot vocals and way more raw. But don’t
get me wrong, they’re not retro sounding or Electroclash-ish,
but totally their own deal.
Check out this MP3:
That
Man.mp3
then go here
and buy it.
|
PINK
And BROWN - Shame Fantasy II
JASON KENDALL:
If a sitcom were ever created featuring some
of the best and brightest of the noisy rock genre of the last
10 years (LB, Boredoms, Locust, Melt Banana, AOR etc) Pink and
Brown would be the late arriving often drunk oblivious butt
of joke neighbor/building super. But in they're fumbling unpretentious
way they stumble upon something all too missing from most outfits,
a sense of fun. Yep, I said fun. The kind of sloppy, discordant
fun that you have when you don't care who's looking while you
pee on the lawn and wrestle your drunk friends in it.
I've never been a Pink & Brown fan, never
really got my head around em'. In preparing to review this I
must have listened to the cd about 20 times. The first 5 I had
to make happen. The next 5 went a little smoother, and so on
till this morning I woke up with the opening salvo to Black
Pearl (track 1) slamming around my brainpan. Its quite a loose
piece of riffage, it lurches, bobs and weaves like a punch drunk
prizefighter high on the groove. Its one of my faves on this
posthumous anthology that clocks in at 22 songs compiling all
of the recorded output by the not so prolific duo. Some of the
recording quality differs (the first bunch of tracks are the
most recent and best recorded in this reviewers opinion) but
all have the signature stamp on them. Frantic bursts of guitar
and the drums are always teetering on the edge of falling off
the beat, vocals are overmodulated at times, tinny and undecipherable
mostly. Some other tracks that have stuck with me include Messy
Bessy Get Undressy, Sherriff Jessum, Je Suis Nasty ( this song
opens with what could be a cop show theme then degenerates into
enjoyable Scratch Acid type squall.) & Two Clicks Communicator.
All in all its a hefty chunk of music and probably best sampled
in shifts, but don't pass it by.. I'm glad I didn't.
R.I.P Pink & Brown.
Pink (man about town Mr. John Dwyer) can now
be found in the Coachwhips and Brown (Mr. Jeff Rosenberg) can
be seen in Young People... all good things come to an end but
for these 2 maniacs the party continues.
RYAN:
Just wanted to add my 2 cents. I also was not
a fan of this CD until a few listens. Now I love the shit. As
Jason said, I believe this to be best listened to in 2 session.
It feels too long or like too much of the same thing when listened
to straight through. If you cut it in two it is rad.
Anyone know where the name Pink and Brown comes from? If so,
tell me. My guess is that those are the colors of the RI flagship...Dunkin
Donuts.
|
Lightning Bolt
- Wonderful Rainbow
RYAN:
It took me weeks to review this cd because I could not figure
out what to say that you do not know already. You all have this
record/cd by now...and if you don't, you are lost without it...go
get it.
I suppose I just want to say that I consider
it a priviledge to know people (LB) that are truly contributing
to the future of music. This album is just plain amazing.
|
Noxagt - Turning It Down Since
2001
RYAN:
This is one of those albums that, to me, is great partly because
of the band and partly because of the producer. In the past,
there have always been bands/producers with this sort of relationship.
A perfect example: Steve Albini and pretty much most of the
bands he recorded. OK…that is an exaggeration…but
that is my way. How about Jesus Lizard, PJHarvey and the Pixies
for starters. All of these bands had great albums partially
thanks to the producer. (In these cases…the other albums
from these bands were sucky). AAANYWAY, this Noxagt album is
produced by Billy Anderson. I did not know this until after
listening to the record…but I should have known. This
guy has done records with some of my all time faves…Melvins,
Sleep, High On Fire, etc. and the magic is still there.
Turning It Down Since 2001 is some heavy shit. Consisting
of just 3 instuments (drums, bass and viola) Noxagt does damage.
I have seen and heard comparisons to Lightning Bolt and the
like but I really hear more Sleep and High On Fire in there.
Here are certainly some tracks that are more noise than metal
and vice versa, but on the whole this is a sludgy, rocking record.
Recommended.
|
Dropdead/Totalitar
RYAN:
This hardcore mini-monster, weighing in at 9 minutes and 9 songs
is fucking awesome. My full-on hardcore days are pretty much
over but I can still spot a good HC record when I am smacked
in the ears with one.
My 1st introduction to Dropdead was about 11 years ago (damn_is
that possible?) at the Newspeak Block party. My lame band was
playing the rock-o-rama with like 20 other bands downtown, and
a few slots after us were Dropdead. I was pretty thrown back
by their now trademark 30 second songs overflowing with political
themes. I think I was playing harmonica in my band…so
lame. These guys rocked.
There is something about this new recording that sounds really
good to me. The production and even the song compositions remind
me of the good old days of Nuclear Assault, S.O.D. and the Crumbsuckers.
Not whole songs mind you, just little snippits. The breaks,
bridges and chord progressions are super tight. Tracks 2,3 and
4 have a lot of what I am talking about.
Though I like the later Totalitar tracks OK, I am not as huge
a fan of the Totalitar songs. I know these guys are long time
heavy hitters, but the production is thinner than I like and
the singer’s voice is not as individual as, say, Dropdead’s.
These 3 songs are still pretty good; I just do not think that
they are quite as rockin as the Dropdead tracks.
Take a listen, then go get it.
|
Forcefield
- Roggabogga
RYAN:
Rarely do I see a record cover that
actually seems appropriate for the music being held within. To
me, this is a crucial part of a record. The cover helps to set
the tone for what you are about to experience and can really bring
a person in to the whole experience. This new Forcefield is a
pretty good example of a successful cover. The entire front and
inside are filled with Forcefield’s characters. The creepy
sculptures staring at you from the artwork make for a perfect
transition into the listening experience. Why? If you have seen
these sculptures in person, you know that they are scary as hell.
This cd sounds like a recording of a surveillance microphone in
some Providence gallery where the sculptures reside. When the
lights go out, and the doors of the gallery are locked…those
fuckers come alive. I just know it, and this cd proves it. What
you hear is track after track of gurgles and garbles, bleeps and
squeaks…voices. While the music proves to be a bit on the
spooky side, there is also a strangely serene quality to it. Depending
on your stereo system, this cd has two faces. On Dare’s car’s
system (not too great) the songs are harsh and noisy, more reminiscent
of older Forcefield recordings that I have. On my home stereo
though the songs, at times, sound a bit like those sharper image
sleep/sound machines. The strange gurgles and garbles transform
into babbling brooks, echoes and air. The cd becomes sort of peaceful
in a strange way. Good speakers reveal the depth of the sounds,
whereas crummier speakers tend to enhance the harsh highs.
The second half of the cd is strikingly different from the first,
and I wonder if it should have been a second cd in a 2-disc set.
Best I can tell, the second half is recorded live. It sounds like
just that…live recordings.
While forcefield is not my favorite of favorites, this cd is strong
and is a marked step in a good direction.
Listen
up. |
The
(glowing) Barnacled review. 1 select CD from a 3 part tour set.
By Cyrus Leddy
This Barnacled CD I'm reviewing begins on a
misleading note, with the extremely entertaining and aptly named
"Cloud Pump". It is the song on the album with the
most structural integrity, beginning with drumsticks on a staccato
snare rim followed, cheerfully, by a cheerful sounding bari-sax.
It's goofy. You can hear an accordion pumping along, and it's
goofy. The whole thing sounds like fun. And this tricks the
listener into thinking that this is the sort of music to expect
on the rest of the album. That this will be a bouncy clown music
album. To play at parties. But then the clown music stops. And
the baritone sax never sounds "cheerful" again.
The rest of the album kinda squeals. It drones,
held together with synth-noise and a lot of really depressing
pauses, pauses that a broken suddenly by a scream, a rim-crack,
or a wedding march for the blind and deaf. And all the while,
and in the interim, you can hear the saxophone squeaking pathetically
in the background. Party's over.
It is on a lot of these songs that the accordion
kinda acts as bookends for the music, shaping and holding the
discord in while giving the listener a tangible (but subtle)
melody to follow along to. And then coming out front to lead
the way in a drag your drunken partner (who you don't even like)
across the dance floor waltz. It's really sad.
Barnacled has been called "jazz."
But I would compare all this to jazz only in
the way that it creates a mood for the listener (a mood which
I won't describe because it's sure to be different for everyone
and I am not smart enough to put into words). And the songs
are long, like with jazz and jump from idea-to-idea in a way
that makes you forget what you were just listening to, you're
so caught up in what's going on. But then later, (all of a sudden,
walking around) you find that you can remember whole lines of
music. That's jazz.
But you know, it really sucks that I only own
1 part of this 3 part live CD because while this album holds
up on it's own, at it’s end I was left with the very
real feeling that the band hadn't finished expressing itself.
(a feeling that was probably influenced by the fact that I know
that there are 2 other albums out there) But I was also left
with the idea that this was a band that could be abstract and
weird, and still be some kinda interesting. I'm not bored. I
want more. (finally)
(if you too "want more" or have been
made interested by this review, go see Barnacled the next time
you hear they are playing and buy this CD, or look forward (desperately)
to a full-length Barnacled album due out in the late late fall
of 2002)
|
Blackstone Valley
Sinners - Blackstone Valley Sinners
RYAN:
Months ago, my friends asked me to go see this
show …Slim Cessna and the Blackstone Valley Sinners at
Trinity Brewhouse. We all headed downstairs and wandering around
the club was this guy who must have been 9 and a half feet tall
wearing a Cowboy hat and a sweet western suit…with a
gold tooth (I think). He looked so familiar but I could not
place him.
Rewind 4 or so years. I was on tour with my
band across this fine country of ours. We were playing a show
one night in Denver, Colorado. Now, I have a pretty shitty memory,
but I think we were either opening for, or playing against some
guy Slim Cessna. I had no idea what his deal was but I thought
his name was rad.
So here I was at Trinity when it all made sense
to me. This gentleman giant at Trinity was the very same Slim
Cessna that I had seen in Denver. So weird. He was now living
in Pawtucket or something, and was playing music with Judy and
Rich (Gilbert of Zulus/ Frank Black fame) as the Blackstone
Valley Sinners. Trinity is a terrible place to see a show, but
damn these guys were frikkin amazing. There were at least 3
songs talking about Satan, so I was of course psyched. Oh, by
the way, these were country songs about Satan.
That’s right. Country. Not your run-of-the
mill stuff. For starters, there is some sort of old school drum
machine. The sounds are really raw, like old rap 808s. On top
of that are Rich’s insane guitar playing, Judy’s
steady bass and Slim’s acoustic guitar and super spooky
vocals. Oh, and Satan.
I was hooked immediately. I have been to every
show that I can find ever since and love it every time. Wait…this
is a cd review…I almost forgot.
So the cd is pretty good. The songs are still
as excellent as ever but I have 2 complaints. The first is that
there is a great song from their set that is missing. I am guessing
that the title is “Last Song I Sing About Satan”.
It might be a cover, I do not know. No biggie. The second issue
I have is with the production. It is really clean and tame,
and almost too country for me. I wanted that rawness and intensity
that I have become used to at their live shows. Other than those
2 beefs, the CD is solid. One major highlight for me is their
song “Blackstone Valley Sinner”. Brings a tear
to my eye.
If you can make your way to a BVS show, do so.
You will not regret it. If you love it, go ask them for a CD.
For 10 bucks you get some quality Satan and some quality country.
|
25 Suaves - 1938
RYAN:
A few days ago I received a package containing the new 25 Suaves
cd, sort of. I think it is a promo copy or something because
it was missing the cover art etc...so no photo of the packaging
for you all this time. Anyway, after checking out the packaging
a bit I threw this muther into my stereo and commenced with
the listening. Almost immediately, 25 Suaves made 1 thing clear...they
are one with the rock. Riffage and rockage was oozing out of
my speakers not unlike some live Motorhead recordings I have.
I think that I read a comparison to AC-DC somewhere. I would
not really say that so much as I would draw comparisons to some
early Motorhead. Some songs even remind me of the lesser known
post-Ozzy Black Sabbath record Born Again with Deep Purple's
Ian Gillian on vocals. 25 Suaves seem to maintain a pretty good,
pretty fun balance between raw, crazy noise and classic early
"metal" (which is really rock at this point---KISS,
Deep Purple, etc.).
25 Suaves are serving up a big plate of rock
for you...enjoy.
Party
Disease.mp3
|
The
Eyesores - Bent At The Waist
RYAN:
The Eyesores...where do I begin.
Those of you who have been in Providence for
the past 10+ years have seen some of these folks in different
bands/projects and you are most probably familiar with the eccentric
music of Mr. Alec K. Readfearn, accordionist extraordinaire.
I personally remember sometime around 1990ish
going into the Rocket, or Babyhead or whatever to play a show
with my band. We played, got off and soon after this guy got
on stage with an accordion. I laughed and teased to my friend.
Accordion?! The spotlight came on and the guy started playing
his accordion through a distortion pedal or something. It was
totally fucked up. It did not take me long to realize that I
was an idiot, and that the guy on stage was schooling me bigtime.
That was the 1st time I saw Alec play.
While looking up the spelling for accordionist,
I came upon a definition of the word:
ac·cor·di·on Pronunciation
Key ( -kôr d - n)
n.
A portable wind instrument with a small keyboard
and free metal reeds that sound when air is forced past them
by pleated bellows operated by the player.
adj.
Having folds or bends like the bellows of
an accordion:
There is something about “Having folds
or bends like the bellows of an accordion” that really
seems poetically apropos. The flow of that sentence reminds
me of the flow of the Eyesores’ music. Y’know
in old cartoons from the 70s when someone would put some pie
in the windowsill and the smell was somehow visible…wafting
through the air until it hit the another character’s
nose? Then they would be blissfully lifted into the air, floating
up and down towards the pie?
That is what this album is like.
Smiling, Chris said to me upon handing me my
copy, “I know your gonna hate this…but …”
knowing that I tend to steer more towards the Rock, noise and
metal. I popped it into my car and went to the hardware store
to get some house shit. I had parked and was ready to get into
the store. Time passed. A few songs later I had realized that
I was just sitting in the parking lot with my car running, listening
to the cd. I was trapped in that pie-smell stuff and did not
know it.
CHRIS:
Honestly, I wasn’t going to review this
record. First of all, my boyfriend’s in the band and
I don’t want anyone to think this review biased. Secondly,
I hear him complain about other Eyesores reviews. Not that they’re
negative (so far they’ve all been good), just that they
make comparisons he feels are off base. That’s a lot
of pressure. But I have a duty to LON!
Having said that, let me start by finishing
the quote Ryan started, “…I absolutely love it.”
This record is so good, it’s being released
twice. The Eyesores first released Bent at the Waist on their
own two years ago. For some reason it didn’t receive
any label interest, so Bent was shelved, and The Eyesores took
a backseat to other member projects. Then along comes Handsome
Records. A burgeoning Providence record label who has some success
with String Builder (who actually shares members with The Eyesores)
and Purple Ivy Shadows.
Bent is prettily dark and bittersweet at times
(actually most of the time). Alec draws on life experience:
hitting rock bottom. Heroin addiction, alcoholism, and broken
hearts make for good song fodder. Shopping
Cart’s powerfully mournful violin, accordion and
bowed cymbals coupled with the songs almost excruciatingly sad
lyrics are amazing (“I still got your name on the tip
of my tongue, but now it tastes bitter as bile.”) Thousand
Yard Stare is a beautiful and depressing tango about waiting
around in rehab.
Dashboard Lazarus is the most rocking song on the record.
It has a really powerful chorus and strange electronic ending.
It’s definitely they’re most “pop”
song.
Did I say this record was good? I think it’s
fantastic. If you don’t believe me, check out the MP3’s.
Hear for yourself.
To purchase Bent at the Waist contact Handsome
Records. Stay tuned to LON for the record release party
coming soon.
|
This Robot Kills - The Over-The-Phone Lie Detector
Test Live With Jesus Christ Live
RYAN:
So, someday I am going to get a record in that I do not like,
and will do my 1st negative review. For now however, you are going
to have to read yet another positive review.
Just hours after Chris returned from her stint spreading the Lotsofnoise
Good Word on the OOPS tour, she gave me a call and dropped off
a few pieces of goodness for me to review. Review item number
one was the TRK record and number two was a new Eyesores...which
I will get to later. Excited to hear them both, I decided to play
the TRK record first based on no reasoning whatsoever. I took
this mofo out of the sleeve and immediately realized 2 things.
1) the cover feels like the wimpiest coverstock I have ever held
and 2) goddamn, I think this record is made out of the heaviest
vinyl I have ever felt. I swear it is made on like 800 gram vinyl.
This is great, because it lets me do more scratching on my turntable,
wiki-wiki-wiki-wiki shut-up (random Newcleus reference) . This
Lp is a mix of sorts...going from small random tidbits of drum
machine mania to longer, full-length songs that have a great groove
to them. That's right...I used the word groove. Not groove like
Marvin Gaye, or like Deelite...but like the weirdo grooves that
one might find on a Captain Beefheart record. In fact I found
a lot of positive comparisons on this record to the likes of Captain
Beefheart and Braniac and possibly even Quintron when he doesn't
suck. TRK has the ability to do the art rock thing but manage
to put a strangely pop-y beat or melody to it. For example you
might hear a bunch of crashing and smashing and then it all combines
to make a clunky groove. The vocals (and I would add lyrics) are
one of the things that really got me going. Again, there is a
ton of Tim from Braniac in here. Lots of nasal and melodic singing
placed nice and clear in the mix. I was psyched to see that among
the mostly unintelligible packaging there was a small section
devoted to a make-shift lyrics sheet. This is good. These lyrics
are clever and fun and totally worth reading along to the music.
You have to love song titles and lyrics like The Lepricorn and
Rhythmic Matter Smasher. In fact, I think I want to start a band
and use Rhythmic Matter Smasher as the name it's so good. Um,
yeah.
If you want this record... Corleone
Records.
Review #2
by Cyrus Leddy
This band really loves really old and English
punk rock. They love electronica and cheesy thumping house
music too. I know this because on their self-titled album
This Robot Kills try’s to go through every variation
that these 2 distinct genres have to offer, which makes for
an interesting if not fragmented album.
The songs on the album are spastic, and jump
around spastically in a way that is both annoying and effective
(and effective because it is annoying). They turn a very promising
and fast and heavy drum and base number into eccentric new
wave, which turns into bleeping and bloping, which turns into
nothing. And then they do it all over again, like some kinda
bored and neurotic housewife, forever fixing and arranging
their sound, scrambling and skipping their beats. And then
replacing the music that shouldn’t be there in the
first place with empty space. And sometimes these little adventures
don’t work; some of the more extended guitar fuzz seems
more like aimless filler than any sort of musical idea. But
I got the impression that TRK was experimenting with beats
and noise for entertainments sake, and not out of any desire
to create any kinda gorgeous pictorial music passage. And
anyway, perfect music and perfect musical transitions are
fine for the Beach Boys, but they’re kinda awful in
this kind of punk. And for me, one of the charms of this band
is that they let themselves be awkward and silly, and didn’t
iron out all that could have been ironed. But if you are going
to get any enjoyment out of this album, it is better to accept
the fact that the music you are listening to is going change,
and fast. And the groove you are starting to get into is going
to die and be replaced.
But on a second listen, I started to see that
TRK isn’t as flighty as I first thought and the sudden
stops and starts they put their music through seem more like
a conscious decision to stop the listeners enjoyment of their
big ass beats. That they are fucking with their listeners
and kidding around with the genres of music they are imitating.
And once I realized that I didn’t have to take this
band seriously, (that sounds bad but it’s not. It’s
good) I found myself enjoying the album more. And it’s
always good to hear a Providence band that isn’t raging
and raging against half-imagined enemies, but knows what a
goof music is and shows it. And some of this music, taken
serious or not, genuinely slams, so you get the best of both
worlds, don’t you. And you, the listener, because of
the schizophrenic “all things to all people”
nature of this band, are certain to find something on this
album that you will like. Unless you like rap music. Because
there isn’t any rap music on this album.
|
Lightning Bolt - The Power of Salad
RYAN:
Where to start…
OK, well first off, I was super psyched to get this baby in the
mail. I had been hearing a bunch about this from Brian and became
pretty interested in the DVD. I can honestly say I was not disappointed.
The film is definitely a really great look into the music, shows,
schtick, scene and personalities of Lightning Bolt…for better
or for worse (I will get into this later).
The ROCKumentary is pretty evenly split up between live show footage
and in-van interstitials…with a bit of this and that interspersed.
Let me start with the live stuff. One word…AWESOME. These
guys can rock and this video makes that clear. It is so great
to have a good band’s live show documented. It is so important.
Not that a bit of video could ever replace a live experience,
but it is a shame that so many great bands just go away with no
live footage.
Next, to the off-stage stuff. Personally…I could do without
80 percent of this footage. Now, I would like to be clear. Not
everyone will agree with me. I basically do not care much about
the happenings of other folk’s lives. I never read or watch
autobiographies. I just don’t care. It is pretty interesting
to watch 2 people interact sometimes, but mostly I just want from
this dvd what I want from all of my favorite bands…rock.
I don’t care what Ozzy is doing, I don’t care where
Redd Kross shops, I don’t care who King Buzzo hates…I
just want the rock.
As a teacher of film-making, I have to mention one pet peeve of
mine that this DVD includes. It is too long. As a compilation
to be viewed over the course of multiple sittings it is very cool.
In fact, that is how I have watched it recently. As a documentary
meant to be viewed all in one…it is too long. The film-makers
did a great job of capturing the intensity of the LB shows…but
the length of the piece takes the edge off. It is a shame too,
because the last 10 minutes of the film are amazing. Excellent
footage, amazingly well placed edits and a style that overflows.
From Conan on…I love it.
A few side notes:
-there is an awesome shot at 59:44 on the DVD. BC has dragged
drums out into the crowd and faces BG. The two of them keep playing
and sort of stare each other down. To me, this is a great piece
of film-making. There is a great tension there that really wraps
up the experience for me.
-the animations are a great addition to the DVD. Watch them.
-not sure if the practice section is on VHS…but watch that
too. There is a great line from BC. Something like “why would
people want to watch us practice?” It is perfect considering
people are about to drop some dough to do just that.
You should too...it
is worth the 16 bucks (DVD) easy.I was hooked immediately. I have
been to every show that I can find ever since and love it every
time. Wait…this is a cd review…I almost forgot. |
Olneyville
Sound System - What Is True, What Is False
RYAN:
Holy Crap this is good. Digression: When I was a late teen, I
used to frequent local Pawn Shops eyeballing the used guitars.
One day I saw, hanging from the ceiling, a Gibson
EB-3 Bass. The pawn shop was a hole and the bass was beat
to crap...but goddamn it just looked like it would sound totally
badass. Years later, I saw Von Ryans Express and was amazed to
see that someone was actually making an EB-3 sound as good as
I had imagined. Enter Dan St. Jacques. Over the years Dan moved
to new bands, which brings me to the actual content of the review.
This Load Records release may be my favorite OSS record to date.
It has the best of what the others have to offer but has more
clarity to it and is a really good length. The production is great
and super clear. Jon Von Ryan's vocals are still distorto but
clear. Adam Autry, one of my favorite drummers ever, sounds excellent
on this recording. If you are trying to learn how to play drums,
do not get this record. It will send you into deep fits of depression
because Adam is so flipping good. For those unfamiliar with OSS:
way low fuzz bass, Attention Deficit Disorder drumming and raspy
vocals. Get it.
CHRIS:
This record is amazing. Minimal and lacking nothing. Jon Ryan's
lyrics are great, like a raving idiot savant. Adam is pure drum
genius. The beats on "Life, Quality" makes me freak
out. Dan's fuzzy bass grooves are mesmerizing. I adore this record.
Essential ProvidenceRock. Landed, Black Sabbath, Thee Hydrogen
Terrors and P.I.L fans will love this.
Listen to a track: Immigrant
Radio.mp3 |
Sightings
- "s/t"
RYAN:
OK...lotsofnoise's
1st review. YEAH! I am really pleased to say that the 1st submission
comes straight from the dirty hands of Providence local - Ben
from Load Records. The
package included this Sightings CD and the new Ollneyville Sound
System. This CD is freekin in your face. Aggressive, cacophonous
noise rock that is somehow pleasant to listen to. While it is
missing the "riffage" that truly makes me gravitate
to a record...this one rocks pretty hard. These guys are from
NY, but they are definitely hitting it with current Providence
style. The swanky pink and baby blue covers for the LP are silk
screened with limited availability (LP is on colored vinyl as
well). Check out the mp3 below to hear my personal favorite from
the CD. It is on Load...so how can you go wrong?
CHRIS:
NYC 3-piece rock banshees. Super lo-fi, high-energy ear assault.
Paper thin guitar attacks, fuzz-rumble bass overdrives and drums
that beat the shit out of your mind. People with heart conditions
and pregnant women beware. Dance, dance, dance! Fans of Lightning
Bolt, Harry Pussy, Wolf Eyes, and Pink And Brown should check
this out.
Listen to a track: Cuckoo.mp3 |
Quickie
Reviews: Out of 10
| Pink And Brown - Shame Fantasy II |
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| Barnacled - 6 |
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| Mindflayer - Take Your Skin Off |
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