Polophonic

New Bob, Old Bob

2009-04-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit astonished by the consensus that Bob Mould's new album, Life And Times, is the best and most accomplished work he's produced since the last worthwhile thing he did (Hüsker Dü/Sugar/Workbook, take your pick). Were people really so uncomfortable with the electronic aspects of the last few albums that toning it down a bit fooled everyone into gushing about his return to rock (and consequently, legitimacy)? For me the problem with this decade's output has less to do with his attempt to graft electronica onto alt-rock, and more to do with the fact that the songs were limp, tailor-made-for-tv-drama drivel. With one exception (the succinct "Argos" is as good as anything on 1998's Last Dog And Pony Show), Life And Times continues the downward trend that first became overbearing on 2002's Modulate. Lyrically, things get downright ugly, the title "I'm Sorry, Baby, But You Can't Stand In My Light Any More" conveying this better than I could.

Speaking of Workbook though, I recently found my copy of the "See A Little Light" 45, a record I forgot I had. The middling but upbeat single was probably the obvious choice, considering what a downer the rest of the album was. But tucked away on side b is "All Those People Know", exclusive to this single (as far as I know), and much stronger than the a side. Note the tasteful synths on the track. A cool rarity overall.

Bob Mould "See A Little Light" (from Workbook / "See A Little Light", 1989)

Bob Mould "All Those People Know" (from "See A Little Light", 1989)

Woods

2009-04-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

After a couple years of trustworthy recommendations, intriguing write-ups and colossal disappointment, I wrote Woods off as a lost cause. Last year's Woods Family Creeps, ostensibly compared to Faust's IV, left me especially cold, a cruel bait-and-switch exploiting one of my favorite albums. This was supposed to be the final straw but somehow the Captured Tracks single from earlier this year drew me in and the spot-on Graham Nash cover ("Military Madness") sold me on what was a killer precursor cassette (Some Shame) for what's turned out to be an equally great album, Songs Of Shame. The shift to concise and relatively straight-up songs may have something to do with it, but even the jams are killer, as evidenced by the collage and the 10 minute "September With Pete" from Songs Of Shame.

For the other naysayers out there, here's one of my favorites from the album, along with the untitled collage that fills side b of the Some Shame cassette.

Woods "Rain On" (from Songs Of Shame Lp, 2009)

Woods – untitled (from Some Shame cassette, 2008)

And if anyone out there saw them at Little Mountain last November, I'd love to hear about it.

Telefon Boys "Get Up Get Up"

2009-04-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

Killer Italo track from four guys that give off boy band vibes but look like an Italian version of Cheap Trick. Whatever. It's an ill one, I'll forgive them.

Telefon Boys "Get Up Get Up" (vocal mix) (from Get Up Get Up 12", 1985)

2008 Wrap-Up Part Two

2009-03-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

2009 has done a number on me so far. I'll spare the details but suffice it to say things have been derailed enough to delay part two of this wrap-up another two months. What follows is the remainder of the list, and with that out of the way I should be back to updating this thing semi-regularly. Honorable mentions: Brainbombs, Nu Sensäe, Mutators, The Mole, The Anals, Love Tan, Cloudland Canyon, Ladyhawk, Hercules & Love Affair, Cave, Cro Magnon, Sun Kil Moon, etc. along with the dozens of reissues.

Jacques Renault

Technically his only release last year was a four song 12" on RVNG Intl., but plenty of mixes surfaced online and they all spent a ton of time on my ipod. Both solo and with partners Marcos Cabral (as Runaway) and Justin Miller, Renault offers up bass-heavy disco, house, and edits that blur the line between the two. The live sets are cool but the polished and refined mix he did for Allez-Allez shines with impeccable selection and an amazing flow. Out of everything I've played at work, nothing has gotten more comments.

Jacques Renault – Allez-Allez Mix

Blood On The Wall Liferz Lp (The Social Registry)

No-nonsense, old style alt-rock from this (former?) Brooklyn-based band. Synthesizing the best aspects of what SST, Homestead, Touch & Go and other classic labels released in the late 80s, everything fits together in a familiar but fresh way.

Blood On The Wall "Hibernation" (from Liferz Lp)

Thee Oh Sees The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In Lp (Tomlab)

2008 saw Thee Oh Sees release two albums and multiple EPs and split releases. All are solid but the cream of the crop is their seventh album, The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In. I'm not easily swayed by stripped down, reverb-drenched, retro r 'n' r but I do get down with The Cramps now and then so why not. I mean, when it's this good..

Thee Oh Sees "Maria Stacks" (from The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In Lp)

Blank Dogs On Two Sides Lp (Troubleman Unlimited)

Speaking of output overload, Blank Dogs is certainly up there (two 12"s and countless EPs since fall with a 2XLp and more out shortly) and much like Thee Oh Sees, Mr. Blank Dogs has a killer batting average. While the Fields EP (released late in the year) is more immediate, On Two Sides has stood up to repeat listens a little better, so it's my pick. Forget 'weird-punk', dude's failed anonymity/identity, the imitators, etc, what's relevant is that the album is full of well-written, heavily phased pop songs not nearly as foreign as they may initially seem.

Blank Dogs "Pieces" (from On Two Sides Lp)

Sic Alps US Ez Lp (Siltbreeze)

More streamlined and focused than previous Sic Alps albums. The best one yet? I think so.

Sic Alps "Gelly Roll Gum Drop" (from US Ez Lp)

Little Claw Spit & Squalor, Swallow The Snow Lp (Ecstatic Peace)

Another puzzler. What I heard initially is not what I hear now and I still find myself wondering if most of the songs didn't sound a bit different last time. It doesn't matter though; hints of the Stooges, early 90s alt-rock and more obtuse sounds mix and bubble to the surface and I'm more stoked than baffled. I'm bummed that I missed their (allegedly) spectacular trainwreck of a live show but this will do until they come back.

Little Claw "Movies For You" (from Spit & Squalor, Swallow The Snow Lp)

Crystal Stilts Alight Of Night Lp (Slumberland)

Deerhunter Microcastle Lp (Kranky)

The crowd favorites, and for once I'm part of the crowd. Do I really need to spell it out? Re-read your own blog/message board post about these two if you can't remember why they're so hot. Or better yet, just listen to them, again..

Crystal Stilts "Departure" (from Alight Of Night Lp)

Deerhunter "Never Stops" (from Microcastle Lp)

Chad VanGaalen The Soft Airplane Lp (Sub Pop)

Singer-songwriter stuff (especially when Canadian) eludes.. I mean annoys me. But on rare occasions it comes across with a totally different vibe and that's when I'm willing to give it a shot. Even though a lot of the album is fairly gentle and somber, there's an underlying edge to it – nearly every song seems to reference death and/or mystical experiences – that makes the whole thing harder to pin down. This isn't purposely esoteric freak-folk, just the product of a colorful individual, shaky voice and all.

Chad VanGaalen "Eyes like a house on fire" (vinyl-only bonus track from The Soft Airplane Lp)

Defektors Secret Trials & Torn To Pieces singles (Nominal / Hockey Dad)

Released on the same day with a quadruple a-side so it's more of an EP than a pair of singles. While they've lost the vague Wipers vibe that their older tracks had, what's left is a more polished rock/punk. The bleak lyrics contrast with the melodic writing, lending the songs a little more bite. One of Vancouver's (many, haha) best bands. Album out soon?

Defektors "Secret Trials" (from Secret Trials 7")

V/A – Emergency Room Compilation Lp (Nominal / Grotesque Modern)

Finding the ER scene a year after I moved to Vancouver was a total revelation and another year and a half later it was basically over. Somewhere in between there were shows, parties, garage sales and this album, featuring eight of the bands that practiced (and frequently played) there. Compilations are a drag – I don't need to point that out that the bad always far outweighs the good. This one seems downright miraculous; I have nothing bad to say about any of it.

Vapid "Sexstain" (from Emergency Room compilation Lp)

Mutators "Instinct" (from Emergency Room compilation Lp)

Nü Sensae "Don't Panic" (from Emergency Room compilation Lp)

Eddy Current Suppression Ring Primary Colors Lp (Goner)

Muslims – s/t Lp (1928 Recordings)

These albums are about as straight up as guitar rock gets without diverging into other sounds, and both make the most of its inherent limitations. Cursory listens painted them as a tad dull but after time the simplicity began to highlight the ingenious writing that was there all along.

Eddy Current Suppression Ring "Which Way To Go" (from Primary Colors Lp)

The Muslims "Right And Wrong" (from s/t Lp)

Cut Copy In Ghost Colours Lp (Modular)

I swore this album was at least two years old now, but it was indeed released in 2008. Out of all the synth-touched, dancefloor-friendly nouveau rock bands that made waves in 07/08, Cut Copy are the only ones that do anything for me and I'll cop to being down with In Ghost Colours. The So Cosmic mixtape they released just prior was a collection of sounds that were inspiring them at the time, and not surprisingly the tracklist (Harmonia, Alan Braxe, Fleetwood Mac, Giorgio Moroder, etc) hints that they were aiming for something a little more tempered than what their peers came up with. They could easily play it safe and slip into easy listening indie-mode with their next album but this one had enough twists and turns to keep me interested.

Cut Copy "Far Away" (from In Ghost Colours Lp)

Bottomless Pit Congress 12" (self-released)

Even less noticed than their Hammer Of The Gods album from 2007 but every bit as good. These four songs could have been seamlessly tacked onto Hammer and it would have been even better by being a bit longer. I listened to this more than anything else in 2008.

Bottomless Pit "Fish Eyes" (from Congress 12")

New update soon, for real.

2008 Wrap-Up Part One

2009-01-19T21:50:00.001-08:00

Now that everyone else has had their say, I guess it's time for me to run down my favorites from 2008. The end of January feels a bit late to be looking at the previous year, but to be honest, there were so many killer releases in November and December that I didn't even acquire some of the year's best until a few weeks ago. All in all, I don't think there's been as much amazing music released (and re-released) in one year in over a decade. I felt like a teenager again, struggling to keep track of all the new bands, buying records blindly based on the label, or even straight-up whims, new favorites all the time. What follows is a random-ordered list, part one of two or three, best releases of the year.

Wavves – s/t Lp + Beach Demon/Weed Demon 7" (Woodsist [Lp] / Tic Tac Totally [7"])

I'm not really hearing the surf-rock / 'Beach Boys' vibe that everyone else is, yet somehow the beach/surf/skate thing suits Wavves fuzzy pop songs quite well. The album is really just a demo and I'm stoked as hell for the "real" full-length debut out shortly.

Wavves "Beach Demon" (from Beach Demon/Weed Demon 7")
Wavves "California Goth" (from s/t Lp)

Fabulous Diamonds – s/t 12" (Siltbreeze)

Definitely a noodle-scratcher at first, this mysterious, dubbed-out, drums/organ/sax EP from Australia was fully hypnotic by the time fall hit.

Fabulous Diamonds "untitled six" (from s/t 12")

Nodzzz – s/t 12" (What's Your Rupture?)

I was pretty amused by the Nodzzz demo when I first heard it early last year. But once I got past its wonky charm (goofy lyrics, budget recording, amateur-ish vocals, hell, an 'amateur' vibe in general), the songs were stuck in my head and I began checking for a new release. The demo songs were deceptively simple, sounding off-the-cuff but well constructed. Well, it's the same deal here but the songs are a little more developed and this time around the fuller recording doesn't detract from the songs. But they still sound more or less like the first Feelies album redone by three college roommates with a guitar (no amp), some pot and a 4-track, and the longest song is 2:15, so I'm totally down.

Nodzzz "Is She There?" (from s/t 12")
Nodzzz "Simple Song" (from s/t 12")

Der Teenage Panzerkorps – Games For Slaves Lp (Siltbreeze)

2007's Harmful Emotions soared right over my head, but this one unexpectedly hit just the way I needed it: dark and gloomy jagged punk with a subtle motorik vibe (half the band is indeed German). The soundtrack to my fall/winter. Another win for Siltbreeze.

Der Teenage Panzerkorps "Human Winter" (from Games For Slaves Lp)

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Real Emotional Trash (Matador)

"Down in Sausalito we had clams for dessert / You spilled some Chardonnay on your gypsy skirt". I never liked Pavement anyway.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks "Dragonfly Pie" (from Real Emotional Trash Lp)

Ty Segall – s/t Lp (Castleface)

A perfect companion to the glut of Oh Sees releases this year (and released on Oh Sees' main dude John Dwyer's label). 24 minutes of perfectly blown out, garage-y, one-man-band rock and roll.

Ty Segall "The Drag" (from s/t Lp)

Sex Vid – Communal Living 12" (Dom America)

There are a number of ways for a hardcore band to make moderate success likely, but completely ruin themselves in every meaningful way (youth crew bullshit; straight edge bullshit; lyrics about hardcore/'the scene'; metal; 'emo'; 'arty'; humorless; contrived; stuck in the past; not knowing their place in the musical cosmos; career-motivated; too dumb; too smart; too safe; etc). Sex Vid avoid them all, making it look painfully easy, and I still can't decide if its by way of being totally pragmatic or if they lucked into some magical formula that makes them so obviously better than everyone else. I'm guessing it's a combination of the two, but regardless, I quit buying hardcore records in disgust almost a decade ago and I can't overemphasize how perfectly right this shit is.

Sex Vid "No Room" (from Communal Living 12")
Sex Vid "Footsteps / Cardinal Red" (from Communal Living 12")

Magic Lantern – High Beams Lp (Not Not Fun)

Like Sex Vid do for hardcore, Magic Lantern do for modern psych, cutting through all the bullshit and coming correct with something so obviously right that you can only wonder how all the others continue to get it so wrong. Rippin'.

Magic Lantern "Deathshead Hawkmoth" (from High Beams Lp)

More soon.

Kleenex – Nice

2009-01-12T20:23:00.000-08:00

Youtube embedding was disable for this one so you'll have to follow the link. Trust me, it's worth it..

Kleenex "Nice"

Song Of The Day 005

2009-01-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

Heya. What's good?

I've got a series of year-end good-shit lists coming shortly, but in the meantime here's a random one (and accompanying video) for you. I never really felt The Fall too hard until I heard this song. Currently listening to it for the 7th time this afternoon. Too killer.

The Fall "Smile" (from Perverted By Language, 1983)

Engine Kid "Heater Sweats Nails" / "Husk" 7"

2008-12-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

There are a number of ways to approach Engine Kid, depending where your interests lay. I first discovered them as one of the first non-hardcore bands on the legendary NYHC label Revelation Records, where they remained an oddball curiosity until my tastes branched out a bit. By the mid/late-90s they fit perfectly with my interest in Slint, Rodan and other Louisville, KY bands affiliated with the Touch & Go / Drag City / Quarterstick family.

Engine Kid were from Seattle however, and had a few releases on C/Z Records, home of Hammerbox, Icky Joey, Coffin Break and other alt/grunge bands relegated to the dollar bin by the cruel passage of time. While EK didn't really have much in common with those bands, they did have a number of releases on C/Z at a time when anything connected with Seattle was painted with the same brush.

Nowadays however, they're most relevant as the band Greg Anderson was in before Burning Witch, Goatsnake and SUNN O))). There are a few moments where Engine Kid hinted at the territory Anderson would explore with his later work. One of those was the band's final release and crowning achievement, the Heater Sweats Nails / Husk single, released by Troubleman Unlimited in 1995. While the b-side sounds like a lost lullaby from Slint's Spiderland, the a-side covers the other end of EK's spectrum: sludge. The classic mid-90s indie label budget mastering takes a bit of the oomph out of the song, but "Heater.." still packs a pretty good punch for a Slint-enamored band trying to sound like the Melvins. I always thought that "Husk" complemented it well, yin-yang style. See for yourself..

Engine Kid "Heater Sweats Nails" (from Heater Sweats Nails / Husk 7", 1995)

Engine Kid "Husk" (from Heater Sweats Nails / Husk 7", 1995)

Heavenly Pop Hits – Flying Nun Records

2008-11-28T18:10:00.000-08:00

Heavenly Pop Hits – Flying Nun Records

pt. 1

pt. 2

pt. 3

pt. 4

pt. 5

pt. 6

pt. 7

pt. 8

pt. 9

Song Of The Day 004

2008-11-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

Back again.. hopefully things will continue like this.

My girlfriend listened to a lot of The Clean back when we started dating and for the most part, they didn't really do much for me. The exception to this was one song on their 1982 EP Boodle Boodle Boodle: "Point That Thing Somewhere Else". I'm a sucker for the Apache / Motorik beat wherever it pops up and "Point That Thing.." borrowed it to great effect. Sounding like a cross between straight ahead 4/4 Krautrock and Yo La Tengo's more propulsive moments (though YLT and their own adaptation of that sound obviously came later on) it was right up my alley at the time. Much later now, noticing a nice vinyl reissue of The Clean Compilation (which gathered most of their early work) floating around, I've revisited the early EPs. At this point I'm down with most of their material, but "Point That Thing.." still stands out, offering their best example of Velvet Underground-style repetition and escape from traditional song structure. 1982 seems a bit wrong for a song like this - the era of post-punk, full-blown hardcore, early Industrial, etc., but as with a lot of the best music, the wrong time was totally the right time.

The Clean "Point That Thing Somewhere Else" (originally from Boodle Boodle Boodle, 1982; reissued on Clean Compilation, 1986)

Nodzzz 12"

2008-11-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

Hey folks. Sorry about the massive gap in posting.. I've been busy with a lot of real world stuff lately. Ironically I've been spending a lot more time than usual listening to music and getting stoked on it during the break - I just haven't had time to post about it. I'm hoping to change that though.

I spent a lot of time listening to the demo from San Francisco's Nodzzz over the summer and was amped to find out they have a 12" out next week. The label, What's Your Rupture?, tossed the first song up last month and it sounds pretty killer, expanding on the sound of the demo but still keeping things simple and effective. Also killer is their West Coast tour with Love Is All and Vivian Girls later this month (Vancouver date is Nov. 24 @ Richard's). Interested parties can pre-order the 12" here or pick it up at one of the shows.

Nodzzz "Is She There" (from s/t Lp, 2008)

Mayyors – Forest City Rockers Motorcycle Club video

2008-09-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Mayyors + cartoon = killer. Video by Jay Howell

Juan Maclean for president!

2008-09-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody. Long time, no see. Sorry about that..

I've got a backlog of rad stuff to post, but first things first, Juan Maclean hit Vancouver Tuesday night and absolutely killed it. I've seen dude rock a few solo sets and he was solid, mostly spinning early 90s house and techno classics, but it always left me wondering how amazing a full-band live performance would be. Last night I found out – it was killer.

The crowd was fairly sparse but very receptive, so the vibe was a good one. Aside from some juggling and adjusting of parts, it was cool to hear how close the live versions of the songs sounded to the recorded ones. Juan's band's drums/synth/theremin/pseudo-303 configuration faithfully recreated the sounds of all the songs.. not really a surprise since after a while it dawned on me that they functioned as a live band from the beginning and weren't just adapting their songs to a band situation.

After running through earlier singles "You Can't Have It Both Ways" and "Give Me Every Little Thing", a couple from Less Than Human, and a few new ones, I knew the final song would be a loooooong one when they announced 30-some minutes into the set that it was their last. As my Facebook status (ha!) alludes to, they ended with a massive 20 minute version of Happy House, with multiple breaks and extended acid action. Every time I thought they were done they brought it back again and the twists, turns and breaks kept things hype right until the end.

For me, 'live band' performances of hip-hop and dance music usually sacrifice the funkiness of the dance element and the energy of the band element and you get the worst of both worlds: a lethargic, incoherent mess that sounds like stiff studio musicians jamming on songs you thought you knew; snooze-ville. Not so here – everything hit just right and perfectly captured the essence of the songs, making it seem so easy and obvious. Hopefully they'll utilize the band more often for touring because it's a completely different and unique show.

ESPO, Spongebob and Guantánamo

2008-08-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

ESPO's new Coney Island Sideshow in the NYT.

In interrupting a day at the beach with scenes of the United States government’s rougher practices, Mr. Powers is being deliberately provocative. “What’s more obscene,” he asks, “the official position that waterboarding is not torture, or our official position that it’s a thrill ride?”

new Bottomless Pit!

2008-08-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

I love pre-orders, especially when they're so far in advance that you forget all about them until one day a package appears in your mailbox, like a gift from the past. Today the new Bottomless Pit 12" showed up under my door, something that had only crossed my mind a few times since I ordered it months ago. Last year's Hammer Of The Gods Lp stayed on my turntable through winter and well into spring, and I've already flipped the four song Congress 12" a good dozen times today, A/B/A/B, repeat. It's a perfect extension of Hammer Of The Gods, musically, thematically, like a lost fourth side. Their songs draw you in and closer examination is rewarded as the songs and stories unfold.

Bottomless Pit "Red Pen" (from The Congress EP, 2008)

Vancouver, summer 2008 = 2 killer

2008-08-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

Too much ill shit going on here lately. I just learned that Sorcerers & Bison are playing the Biltmore next Friday (the 15th) and Ladyhawk & My!Gay!Husband! are at the Sweatshop the next day (Saturday the 16th). All this in addition to the Mutators 12" release show at the ER this Friday (the 8th) with Shearing Pinx, Brooklyn's Zs & V.Vecker, and the Chromatics / Twin Crystals show (now) at the Biltmore Saturday (the 9th). Fuck yeah.

Song Of The Day 003

2008-08-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been feeling a lot of trashy, primitive, blown out, lo-fi stuff on one hand, and a lot of Krautrock (still.. always..) on the other. San Francisco psych-rockers Wooden Shjips are a natural fit, bringing the fuzz along with zoned out repetition and minimal grooves.

This track is from their recent Volume 1 collection on Holy Mountain, originally from a 2006 10" EP (right now I prefer the older material to last year's self-titled album). A lot of their songs hover around 4-5 minutes in length, maybe due to the restraints of releasing 7" EPs, but this one sees them stretching out a bit and it works beautifully. It's one of many songs I had to axe from my already bloated muxtape..

Wooden Shjips "Shrinking Moon For You" (from Volume 1, 2008)

muxtape / Defender / Principle Theory / Scottie B

2008-07-31T23:39:00.000-07:00

Just cause I can, I made a muxtape. It's a two-parter actually – you can check it here and here. It's pretty evenly split between all-time favorites and new stuff I'm loving. I think it bangs if I do say so myself, which I can because it's not like I wrote the songs or anything.

So.. because I've totally been slacking on posting new stuff so far this summer, here's a doubleshot of rips for you:

Defender was a one-off project by Alan Braxe, Fred Falke and Savage. The title track here doesn't really do much for me (call me a purist but I never really felt the guitars), so the b-side wins again – "Bliss" is a Braxe / Falke classic.

Defender "Defender" (from Defender / Bliss EP, 2005)

Defender "Bliss" (from Defender / Bliss EP, 2005)

Principle Theory was a name used occasionally by Byron Walton, aka Chicago House legend Jamie Principle. It's a bit of a tough call, but I think I have to go with the b-side here too. Both tracks are ill but "Voyeur" just hits a little harder.

Principle Theory "Bitch" (Vocal Mix feat. Coco Cocktail) (from Bitch 12", 1992)

Principle Theory "Bitch" (instrumental) (from Bitch 12", 1992)

Principle Theory "Voyeur" (from Bitch 12", 1992)

Scottie B has been getting around the internets lately and most recently he's popped up on KarmaloopTV, giving a tour of Baltimore, including some quick shots of the Unruly HQ. Check it out below:

Sneeze Mag No. 1

2008-07-24T11:36:00.001-07:00

Not terribly timely at this point, but if you're in Vancouver or NYC, the inaugural June / July issue of Sneeze Magazine is available for two bucks. The content is a mix of skate/street stuff and randomness wrapped up in a cool 22 x 16, full color format that works really well. The full-screen vibe of their front page gives you a feel for what the mag is like: large and in your face.

Copies can be ordered through their website but the primary distribution method is via the old style newspaper boxes at Lafayette & Prince (NY) and Water & Abbott (Gastown). Very cool idea. It's definitely worth your toonie, and hopefully an August / September issue will be out soon.

And if you are in Vancouver, the No Age / Abe Vigoda / Mika Miko tour hits Richard's tonight. I've been looking forward to this since No Age played one of the best shows I've ever seen, period, at Pat's Pub last summer. It should be a killer night.

Mika Miko "Frisco Dyke" (from PPM EP, 2004)

Abe Vigoda "Animal Ghosts" (from Skeleton LP, 2008)

No Age "Sleeper Hold" (from Nouns LP, 2008)

Paul Westerberg – 49:00

2008-07-23T15:48:00.000-07:00

Holy crap, out of nowhere Paul Westerberg released a new 'album', 49:00, a couple days ago. This one is download only.. but, never being one to fully embrace modern ways, he made things a little difficult: the album is one long 44 minute track comprised of a couple dozen songs. If this sounds like a drag, the price sure is right: $0.49 for the whole thing. After a couple listens, I'm really liking it. It's got some definite gems, and beats the hell out of the Open Season soundtrack. It's very much in line with the vibe of his post-major label releases: raw, ragged, and off-the-cuff. There's just a whole lot more fucking/joking around this time, with snippets of Born To Be Wild, the Partridge Family, and some brief musical sketches mixed in with the actual songs. At one point there are different songs in each channel. Anyway, it's great to see him back at work.

The easiest place to grab it would be here (Google Checkout/Paypal), though Amazon US has it too.

K-Swift

2008-07-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

Sad news from Baltimore and the Unruly family – the Baltimore Sun and other outlets are reporting that 92Q DJ K-Swift passed away late Sunday night after an accident at her home. Back when Baltimore Club first spread outside the east coast, the mixes she sold through her website were one of the few ways to hear it. I never saw her spin or heard her on 92Q so I can't speak on the impact she had in Baltimore, but her mix cds did a lot to bring Club music to the people who were looking for it at a crucial point in its growth. Much respect.

Lizzy Mercier Descloux – Fire

2008-07-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Another cheapo 45 find, this time from a Value Village. Covers on both sides: Arthur Brown's "Fire" and the Mission Impossible theme. When I found it, I didn't know that Philips Canada had licensed her Press Color album from ZE, so I almost skipped over it when I saw the label (seriously, what else was Philips releasing around that time? Zamfir? Santa Esmeralda?) I would have preferred the 12" version, with the full edit of Fire, but this is still a nice one. Sadly, LMD's work still seems fairly slept on in light of how James Chance, ESG, Liquid Liquid and related NYC artists have been embraced and championed in the last 5-10 years.

Lizzy Mercier Descloux "Fire" (from Press Color, 1979)

Lizzy Mercier Descloux "Mission Impossible" (from Press Color, 1979)

On a completely different tip, journalist Jane Mayer fields six questions from lawyer/writer Scott Horton today on the subject of the Bush administration's torture program. Though she's been writing since the 80s, Mayer came to my attention after her in depth articles about the Bush administration, torture, SERE, and the Fox show 24 for The New Yorker, doing a lot to expose the extent of the program.

Cornell Campbell – Natty Dread In Greenwich Farm

2008-07-07T16:31:00.001-07:00

After months of questionable weather it feels like Vancouver's summer might be here to stay for a while – great time for some roots. I found this single in the basement of Into The Music many years ago when they were in the Village. Not sure why it was relegated to the $0.25 bin but I wasn't going to complain, especially since it's one of the only reggae 45s I ever spotted there. 1975, produced by Bunny Lee, and backed with a killer dub – I don't know about your day but it suits mine perfectly. Enjoy.

Cornell Campbell – Natty Dread In Greenwich Farm (vocal)

Cornell Campbell – Natty Dread In Greenwich Farm (version)

SINDEN mix for We Make It Good

2008-07-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

New-ish Sinden mix, courtesy of We Make It Good / Shilo / Death Of The Party.

Loads of new rips coming in the next while (something I've been slacking on), so keep checking back.

Who lives in the Downtown Eastside?

2008-07-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

A new 102 page report (from the city)

..along with some commentary

It only includes those in social housing and SROs, but it's a very interesting look at that slice of the DTES population.

"They should erase this crap and redo it"

2008-06-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

Pretty much..

2008-06-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

Ahh Rogers.. you came close, but now you've got people rioting in the fucking streets..

For added amusement, count to 60 and see how many signatures are added right before your eyes.

Song Of The Day 002

2008-06-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

Big Country "Wonderland" (from the Wonderland EP, 1984)

On the strength of The Crossing and the Wonderland EP alone, Big Country are one of my favorite bands ever. No foolin. While rock history may paint them as a one-hit wonder pop act with pseudo-bagpipe guitars, dudes created some of the most incredible anthems of our time. Lumping them in with the transient, novelty- and image-driven groups that plagued the 80s is most unfair. Here's a bonus instrumental demo version, along with the video..

..and, yeah, sure, why not?

In other news, a fifth and a sixth human foot washed up along BC's coast.. oops sorry, forget that sixth one, Barack Obama enlisted a war criminal to advise on foreign policy, Blackwater requested to be tried under Sharia law, and there's a psychedelic berry that makes everything taste really wonderful (complete with accompanying industry conspiracy). What a week.

Music Waste

2008-06-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's Wednesday already. It seems a bit late to post about the past weekend's Music Waste, but I didn't want to let it pass without comment. Poor planning and some unrelated running around meant that I missed about 9/10th of the bands, but I enjoyed what I saw. Highlights and surprises include i/i, White Lung, and Ice Cream, but what really floored me was Sorcerers. I was curious after hearing their hardcore meets reggae meets skaterock blasts via myspace, but live, they went way beyond my expectations. Dudes came ferocious and tight, but the unexpected dub effects that the drummer and guitarist dropped on the fly put them into another realm. It was all too perfect and I'm still kind of in disbelief, anxious to see them again.

In general though, it was super cool to see 60 or so bands from the city's underground come together to play well-attended shows with good vibes all around. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Here's a small handful of pics..

Japandroids at The Astoria

i/i at The Astoria

Sorcerers at Pub 340

White Lung at Pub 340

Scottie B & Shawn Caesar interview

2008-06-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

Another interview with Baltimore Club/Unruly pioneers Shawn Caesar and Scottie B, aka Chavy Boys Of London. This one's up at Earplug. Peep it here.

On the same tip, check these while you're at it:

"Nuh, Apple Jacks.."

The VSS

2008-06-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hydra Head reissued the sole VSS album, Nervous Circuits, last week and a magazine I contribute photos to tapped me for some shots of them to coincide. My first reaction was a cynical 'people still care enough about this band to gamble with reissuing them?' since they broke up over a decade ago and realistically, probably only sold a fraction of what the average HH release does now (not a dis at all). My second reaction was 'wow, was that really over a decade ago?'

When they first appeared in the mid-90s, The VSS were notable for containing members of Angel Hair (though they may now be better known for becoming the Sub-Pop band Pleasure Forever), a band I was a bit too young and not quite cool enough to catch when they played at a local punk house a few years prior. Everyone I've ever talked to about it spoke of that show as a legendary event, and I never really got over missing it. Now, more than ten years later, I have great memories of that whole time, but Angel Hair, The VSS, and all the other Gravity Records-related or influenced bands of the 90s.. hell, 1990s 'post-hardcore' in general, are the furthest thing from my mind.

Digging up the negs and getting them printed led me to dig up my VSS EPs (I always thought the early EPs were far superior to the album) as well and re-evaluate them. Little things like the synth touches and the delay on the vocals (and if you saw them live, the DIY lightshow that Sonny controlled) made the VSS stand out against the sea of generic post-hardcore bands of the 90s. The passage of time has only made this much more apparent. What's surprising though is how the songs sound in the late 00s. Comparing post-hardcore bands to 80s post-punk bands like Joy Division, Bauhaus, or Wire was a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy that was very popular back then, but you can definitely hear echoes of that time in the VSS, and despite this, it all stills sounds fresh to my ears today. I can't say that too much else of that era has aged very well. I expected to listen to the songs once and file them away for another few years or more but I've found myself spinning them repeatedly in the last week.

The show? If you can believe it, some friends and I trekked to Fargo, North Dakota for it. It was one of those where other than the promoter, his girlfriend, and the other bands, we were the only people there for the show. This (and many other things) made for a weird vibe, but the VSS and their light show threw down a killer set. They only played one or two EP tracks, the rest being new songs. This was late spring 1997, right around the release of Nervous Circuits. They broke up weeks later.

Anyway, here are a few tracks from the second EP, and an Echo & The Bunnymen cover from the posthumous split EP with Rye Coalition.

I Cut My Teeth (from Gravity 25 EP, 1996)

Cosmic Retribution (from Gravity 25 EP, 1996)

No Hands (from split 2X7" EP with Rye Coalition, 1998)

May 28

2008-05-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the lack of updates. I've been doing my best to stay away from computers now that summer is kinda, sorta, maybe here. On that tip, here are a handful of summer-ish joints I've picked up or been sent lately.

Lykke Li "I'm Good, I'm Gone" (Fred Falke remix)

Yeah, I've been living in a cave, ignoring all the Lykke Li hype. I'm still not sure what to think now that I've actually heard her voice, but FF turns in a nice remix capturing the classic retro French vibe. Too bad he and Alan Braxe won't be working together anymore, but it's good to see him dropping his own tracks more frequently.

Chromeo "Needy Girl" (Lifelike remix)

Speaking of Braxe, I'm so amped to see him and Lifelike at Fast Life in a couple weeks. Like Daft tour 2007 amped. Yup.

Emynd "Rock This Park"

When I saw the title I knew this would be a rework of the Blackbyrds classic. Emynd's got that Philly club sound on lock, and this one is tasteful and solid the way his work always is. Brought to you by Unruly.. not sure if this will be seeing vinyl release.

No Age "Sleeper Hold" (from Nouns, 2008)

After the killer show they played at Pat's Pub last year I've been patiently waiting for the return of No Age. It's finally happening in July and the fact that they're bringing Mika Miko and Abe Vigoda with them has me extra excited. Three of LA's finest in Vancouver.. too much.

King Tutt "Release" video

2008-05-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

Kinda surreal DJ King Tutt video featuring nothing but dudes jumping onto/off of shit. A bit of a head-scratcher but King Tutt's electro-tinged version of the Baltimore sound is so hot I can't front.

via Unruly.

Mats / Peter Jesperson

2008-05-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of another major Replacements binge at the moment, brought on by Jim Walsh's All Over But The Shouting and anticipation for Rhino's reissues of the four Twin/Tone albums.. as if I ever needed an excuse. I read the first half of All Over.. in two sittings and could easily finish it in a third. It started out a tad gushy but quickly got down to business: fascinating stories, anecdotes and musings for the obsessive fan, all provided by friends, cohorts, fans and the band members themselves. On that tip, Teenage Kicks recently did a lengthy interview with Peter Jesperson of Twin/Tone, who is, of course, all over the book. Check it out here, here, and here. And if you still haven't gotten your fix, Spin has a five or six page feature on the Mats in the current issue.

Current favorite previously overlooked Mats joint:

Replacements "Shutup" (from Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash, 1981)

Errol Morris - Recovering Reality

2008-04-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

Full interview here.

Song Of The Day 001

2008-04-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

Right now:

U.S. Maple "Dumb In The Wings" (from Purple On Time, 2003)

After eight years of meandering, stalling and getting lost in so-called "deconstruction", Chicago's U.S. Maple finally allowed themselves to rock out a wee bit. Who knew they had it in them? It's like listening to a completely different band but I love it just the same.

Incidently, there's a documentary in the works.

Annette's Got The Hits

2008-04-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Before the International Red Cross made them change their name, and long before they were a crappy rock band getting played on Citylimits (or 120 Minutes I guess), Red Cross (bka Redd Kross) were a pretty killer LA punk band with members of Black Flag and Bad Religion. It's kind of funny that this song mocks cover bands ("we're a cover band/we like boring songs/.../we listen to Kiss..") and then four years later their second album was all covers, including a Kiss song, but whatever, this rips.

Red Cross "Cover Band" (from s/t 12", aka Annette's Got The Hits, 1979)

Thank You Friends

2008-04-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

Big Beat (this one, not this one) has issued a double-disc set celebrating the mid 60s – early 70s era of the legendary Memphis label Ardent. The compilation features a host of Big Star-related bands and more than a dozen BS rarities, ranging from near identical outtakes to previously unreleased songs. This is what drew me in, but hearing the lesser known Ardent bands is a big treat as well, and shows that Big Star weren't the only Memphis artists operating at the nexus point of rock, pop, glam and more traditional sounds.

Disc One:
01 The Ole Miss Downbeats – Geraldine
02 Lawson & Four More – If You Want Me You Can Find Me
03 The Avengers – Batarang
04 The Wallabies – White Door
05 Lawson & Four More – Halfway Down The Stairs
06 The Bitter Ind – Hands Are Only To See
07 The 1st Century – The Surveyor
08 Terry Manning – Rocks
09 The Wallabies – Up And Down Children
10 Terry Manning – Not At All
11 The 1st Century – Looking Down
12 The Honey Jug – In 1852 We
13 The Goatdancers – Patches Of Dust
14 Chris Bell – Psychedelic Stuff
15 Alex Chilton – Free Again
16 Icewater – All I See Is You
17 The Badgers – Every Shoemaker
18 Sid Selvidge – Miss Eleana
19 Rock City – Lovely Lady
20 Alex Chilton – Every Day As We Grow Closer
21 Terry Manning – Guess Things Happen That Way
22 Icewater – Feeling High
23 Alex Chilton – The Emi Song (Smile For Me)
24 Rock City – Think It's Time To Say Goodbye

Disc Two:
01 Big Star – In The Street
02 Cargoe – Feel Alright
03 Big Star – When My Baby’s Beside Me
04 Big Star – My Life Is Right
05 Big Star – Back Of A Car
06 Cargoe – I Love You Anyway
07 Big Star – I Got Kinda Lost
08 The Hot Dogs – Let Me Look At The Sun
09 Big Star – Mod Lang
10 Big Star – She’s A Mover
11 The Hot Dogs – I Walk The Line
12 Big Star – September Gurls
13 Big Star – Big Black Car
14 Alex Chilton – Lovely Day (aka Stroke It Noel)
15 Big Star – For You
16 Alex Chilton – Downs
17 Big Star – Kizza Me
18 Big Star – Holocaust
19 Chris Bell – You And Your Sister
20 Tommy Hoehn – Love You (All Day Long)
21 Big Star – Thank You Friends
22 Tommy Hoehn – Blow Yourself Up
23 The Scruffs – My Mind
24 Alex Chilton – Don’t Worry Baby

new Bottomless Pit

2008-04-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

Bottomless Pit have a new 12" entitled Congress coming out in summer, and half of it ("Red Pen" and "Angry Swan") went up on their myspace a few weeks ago. No surprise, the new songs sound excellent, like an extension of Hammer Of The Gods. Definitely looking forward to the EP..

DFA crew live at the MoMA

2008-04-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

New York's Museum Of Modern Art was kind enough to toss up recordings of the DFA crew and affiliates spinning at the March 1 party for the Color Chart exhibition. Grab them here (direct links - right click, save as):

Justin Miller & Jacques Renault
Holy Ghost
Tim Goldsworthy & Tim Sweeney
Juan Maclean

Or at the MoMA site here

Friday

2008-04-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

1. 80 minutes worth of Tony Humphries live on KISS FM, summer of 1989, via Good Records' ongoing "Hoody Allen Files" mix series.

2. Jeff "I like pizza (a lot), pigs are very cute but I love ham and bacon" Nelson waxes nostalgic on his "Meese Is A Pig" poster/shaming campaign of the late 80s.. on Ebay no less. Own a piece of Iran/Contra and DC punk history with one $10 item.

3. A handful of joints to honor the Angello/Ingrosso portion of the Swedish House Mafia hitting Celebrities tonight..

Steve Angello & Eric Prydz "Woz Not Woz"

Felix Da Housecat "Jack U" (Angello & Ingrosso remix)

Steve Angello "Voices" (Eric Prydz remix)

Steve Angello / Laidback Luke "Be" (Nacho Lovers Edit)

45 sleeve archive

2008-04-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

From Record Envelope

R.I.P. Klaus Dinger

2008-04-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

From Grönland:

We are very sad to report the death of Klaus Dinger, who died suddenly of heart failure four days before his 62nd birthday on March 20th 2008.

Dinger formed Neu! with Micheal Rother in 1971, releasing three seminal albums: Neu!, Neu 2! and Neu 75!

His landmark drumming style on these records, a propulsive almost surf-like repetitious groove defined the term 'motorik' and has had a profound influence on a huge range of artists such as Primal Scream, Stereolab, Wilco, David Bowie, The Boredoms and Four Tet.

He later formed La Dusseldorf, selling over a million copies in the 70s and 80s.

The burial took place amongst a private circle of family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

NEU! and La Düsseldorf are two of my favorite German bands and a lot of that has to do with Dinger's so-called Motorik beat. The "Apache Beat", as Dinger referred to it, is an instantly identifiable 4/4 rhythm that epitomized the mechanical / futuristic vibe at the heart of Krautrock. Endlessly propulsive, it drove most of their songs and was adopted by many other German bands, as well as American and European bands of the 90s and 00s.

It's worth noting that Dinger was also an early member of Kraftwerk along with his future NEU! partner Michael Rother. Both appeared on the first self-titled Kraftwerk album.

NEU! "Hallogallo" (from NEU!, 1972)

NEU! "After Eight" (from NEU! 75, 1975)

NEU! "Quick Wave Machineue" (from NEU! 4, 1986)

La Düsseldorf "Time" (from La Düsseldorf, 1976)

La Düsseldorf "Geld" (from Viva, 1978)

R.I.P.

Red House Painters, live 1997

2008-03-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago someone sent me a radio broadcast of Red House Painters playing at Hultsfred Festival in Sweden the previous summer. At the time most of the set was new material, and it was another three years before studio versions of those songs surfaced on the Old Ramon album. In that time I got used to the live versions, and Old Ramon was a big disappointment when it was finally released in 2001. RHP were always a fairly mellow and somber band, but much of Old Ramon was downright lethargic, lacking momentum and direction when compared to the live set. "Michigan" in particular was completely reworked, retaining only the lyrics. The update tried to sound cheery but instead ended up lifeless (somewhere there exists a 23-minute studio version that must be either the pinnacle or nadir for the song). Excellent demo recordings of other songs follow suit, highlighting the disappointing nature of the album.

Since then I've come to appreciate Old Ramon a lot more for what it is, but after revisiting the Hultsfred set recently I was reminded of how those are still the definitive versions of the songs for me.

Red House Painters, live at Hultsfred Festival, Sweden (June 1997)

Random Jams

2008-03-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

Three random joints that never fail to get me amped..

Somehow when I dove headfirst into house music a while back I didn't manage to do the same with techno. Despite the fact that defining a track as one instead of the other is often a matter of splitting hairs (nevermind geography more than musical difference), techno usually seems too esoteric for me, and sails right over my head. Maybe it was all the trips to Chicago that did it, I don't know. Anyway, one of a handful of Detroit tracks I do keep coming back to is Carl Craig's "Oscillator", 7+ minutes of tech bliss.

Paperclip People "Oscillator" (1991)

I've got so much love for Kelis (one day I will post some tracks from her first two excellent albums, back when she worked with the Neptunes exclusively) and this song in particular. After the hysteria surrounding "Milkshake", which I thought was the Neptunes' weak and late stab at that ubiquitous riddim whose name I can't even remember right now, I was certain this song was going to be massive. Ultimately I don't even know if it was an official single in North America (the UK and Australia got a video and 12", neither of which made it over here, though I did find dozens of $0.79 jukebox-style 45s for it at a Virgin Megastore once) but needless to say, "Trick Me" was not a hit. Would it have been one if it was pushed as a proper single? I'd like to think so, but who knows. I still think it's a gem though. Here's the Heatwave remix with TOK and Beenie Man..

Kelis "Trick Me Twice" (Heatwave remix feat. Beenie Man & TOK, 2004)

Still on the dancehall tip.. when it comes to bizarre lyrics, this song is up there. From what I gather, they're running down a list of illnesses and diseases God will inflict upon, for example, females who choose to commit such abominations as.. wearing pants instead of dresses? Sure. Can't argue with the song as a whole though - strictly bangin.

Papa Michigan & General Smiley "Diseases" (1981)

Let Me Be Fictional

2008-03-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

I guess every band has their own documentary nowadays.. not my thing. But that said, this looks pretty killer:

As does this..

if you remember this..

Check this while you're at it.

(more) new Fred Falke

2008-03-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hot on the heels of his Music For My Friends EP, Fred Falke has turned in an excellent remix for Erlend Øye's Whitest Boy Alive, reminiscent of his best work with Alan Braxe.

Or maybe you're unsure of whether Falke actually exists. Ignoring the cockamamie aspect of this theory for a moment, wouldn't it make more sense that "Fred Falke" is actually DJ Falcon rather than Thomas Bangalter? Doesn't anyone else find it odd that the Quême cousins (Braxe & Falcon) are both producers, yet have never collaborated? Plus the "Falke" surname could be a thinly-veiled allusion to "Falcon". Hmm.. maybe I'm onto something here..

Whitest Boy Alive "Golden Cage" (Fred Falke Remix)

Soundmaster T

2008-03-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

Ever hear a song on a mix or in a club and spend years trying to figure out what it is? When you finally do, it's the greatest shit ever. After a bunch of dead ends, I took a wild guess and finally ID'd Soundmaster T's "2 Much Booty" as the most recent nameless mystery track I've been hunting. I've actually had it for years, just not this particular remix. Enjoy!

Soundmaster T "2 Much Booty (In The Pants)" (Boom Shaka Mix) 1994

Scottie B / Shawn Caesar interview

2008-03-05T09:31:00.001-08:00

SB- Mike Dunn was like the street hip house guy. He didn’t get the recognition that others got. I would have loved to see his records played in Chicago with Fast Eddie’s, but he stayed on his small labels. Mike Dunn was the shit.

Great interview with Baltimore Club legends, Unruly founders and Chavy Boys Shawn Caesar and Scottie B over here.

Joe Budden "Secrets" remix

2008-03-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

I love a good challenge, along with switching things up from time to time, so I took a shot at remixing a new Joe Budden track a couple weeks ago. It certainly was a challenge (on the acapella, dude just rhymes for 4 minutes straight, no break, no hook, nothing..), and I haven't even attempted a straight up rap joint in years, but all things considered I'm happy with how it turned out.

Joe Budden "Secrets" (King Polo "minimal rap banger" remix)

If you have any feedback, hit me up.

Alan Braxe & DJ Falcon interview and live set

2008-03-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

I don't normally re-post content from the blog scene, but in case you missed it, someone recorded Alan Braxe & DJ Falcon's LA set last fall and tossed it up online, along with interviews from both.

Alan Braxe & DJ Falcon, Viper Room, LA, October 10 2007

From kidzbycolette, via Showtrotta, via Solid Goldberger (grab the VINYL FEVER EPS!).

More Fiat Lux

2008-02-25T13:23:00.000-08:00

The first two posts I did were from a handful of Fiat Lux EPs I got. For some reason I never posted the rest of them, so here they are today:

Superfunk Come Back Remixes EP (1999)

"Come Back" was the second single from Superfunk's Hold Up album, and this is the remix version of the 12. I'm partial to Mike 303's 80s/electro-ish take on the track here.

Sexy Kool is Olivier Gauthier. He also produced as Exotica and Star Deluxe, under which names he released a few of the only FL EPs I haven't heard. There's some smooth French shit on this EP.

Sexy Kool Kool Vibrations EP (1999)

MattSoReal on Pimp C

2008-02-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

About an hour later, Bun B hit me back with three of the saddest words I’ve ever read in a text message: "Yeah, it’s true."

Eulogy for Pimp C

90s UK DIY part 2

2008-02-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

I was trying to track down my favorite Skinned Teen song when I did the initial UK post – no luck. It turns out the record was sitting a few feet away in my girlfriend's collection the whole time, hehe. I'm not sure if this was its first appearance or not, but regardless..

Skinned Teen "Nancy Drew" (from Battle Of The Bands 7" compilation, 1998)

While digging through her records I also found the Heavenly P.U.N.K. Girl 10", which is one of only a handful of records I regret getting rid of. Back in the mid-90s, nearly everyone I knew owned this and it stuck out like a sore thumb amongst all their punk/hardcore/grind records. I didn't realize until now that this isn't a proper EP - just two singles combined for the US market.

Heavenly "P.U.N.K. Girl" (from P.U.N.K. Girl 10", 1993)

I also found the Slampt 4 Track, 4 Track comp, featuring four bands, all recorded on 4-track machines.

Delicate Vomit "Mr. Potatohead" (from 4 Track - 4 Track 7" compilation, 1997)

Speaking of Slampt, the label was run by Pete and Rachel from Avocado Baby, Pussycat Trash and, later, Red Monkey. What I said about Huggybear missing out on the early 00s revisiting angular, rhythmic punk can be said for Red Monkey as well, though in RM's case that sound became popular again right when they were near the end of their run.

Red Monkey "18+" (from Do What You Feel [Feel What You Do] 7", 1997)

Red Monkey "Weight Of Should" (from The Time Is Right 7", 1998)

A few years before Slampt and Red Monkey dissolved, my band at that time opened for RM on one of their US tour stops. They were really amped about the Petty Crime EP they'd released and I think everyone I was with left with a copy. Petty Crime was Layla from Skinned Teen's band, along with Peter Rojas, who recently started RCRD LBL. It's still one of my favorite EPs of the 90s.

Petty Crime "Mathematics"
Petty Crime "Closed Eyes" (both from s/t EP, 1998)

Nowadays, Layla is playing in the San Francisco band Modern Reveries, who sound pretty great and have a demo cd-r available via their myspace.

Around the time of that Red Monkey tour, Troubleman Unlimited and Slampt released a joint compilation of underground bands from the UK and USA, and I picked that one up at the show as well.

Sally Skull "Heaven" (from Taking A Chance On Chances compilation Lp, 1998)

Obviously there are a lot of bands I missed here so I'll probably do additional parts at some point. I might start doing a 70s / 80s version too, so watch for that.

Switch / Bottomless Pit

2008-02-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

I caught Switch at Republic last night. I was pretty amped for it and he did a great set of predominantly new tracks, including a Hervé remix of Bucketheads' "The Bomb" (I'd need to hear that one again before commenting, heh).

He didn't drop this one last night and it's not new, but it's new to me and probably the best thing I've heard from him in a while:

Busta Rhymes "Light Your Ass On Fire" (Switch Dub) (2007)

On a completely different tip, I've been caught up listening to the Bottomless Pit album for the last couple weeks. I found out about it via Scratch, but it was actually released back in November. The band features 2/3 of Silkworm, who I regretfully never really checked out, along with the former drummer from Seam, who I loved. Had I heard it last year, the album would definitely have made my best-of-the-year list.

Bottomless Pit "Dogtag" (2007)

Enjoy.

More updates soon, including more UK DIY stuff and many, many recent rips.

R.I.P. Sean Finnegan

2008-02-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

Sean Finnegan, drummer for DC hardcore legends VOID, died last week at 43. They weren't the best or most consistent DC band (uh, Potions For Bad Dreams, anyone?) but amongst the people I know they were always a favorite, and their early releases are all killer. Void were much more raw and frantic than any other band of that time, fusing an unconventional guitar style similar to Greg Ginn's with their very loose style of DC hardcore. Like a lot of DC bands their sound was ahead of its time and influenced a lot of bands of the 90s.

Sean Finnegan (of Void) Passes Away At 43

2.4.08

We are sad to announce that Sean Finnegan, the drummer from Void and an original member of the Dischord family, passed away on Wednesday January 30th of an apparent heart attack, he was 43. Sean's family will receive friends Monday 2 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. at HARRY H. WITZKE'S FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, INC., 4112 Old Columbia Pike, Ellicott City, Maryland. Sean played in Void while they we're active from 1980-1983 and was recently working on the set of the HBO production, "The Wire". An obituary and guest book can be found in the Baltimore Sun. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to Sean's many friends and family members.

In lieu of flowers Sean's family ask that donations may be made to the Fisher House, Walter Reed Hospital , Washington, D.C.

via Dischord

Void "Who Are You?" (from Faith / Void split Lp, 1982, also via Dischord)

Pleased To Meet Me

2008-02-02T19:47:00.001-08:00

..it can all be boiled down to this: There have been better bands, louder bands, and drunker bands, but there has never been a better, drunker, louder band than the Replacements, and the second two qualifiers wouldn’t matter one whit without the first.

Great article about my second favorite Replacements album, via Man Without Ties.

Fresh for '08

2008-02-01T15:53:00.000-08:00

A new species of mammal has been discovered in the mountains of Tanzania, scientists report.

The bizarre-looking creature, dubbed Rhynochocyon udzungwensis, is a type of giant elephant shrew, or sengi.

The cat-sized animal, which is reported in the Journal of Zoology, looks like a cross between a miniature antelope and a small anteater..

via the BBC

Eiafuawn

2008-01-31T15:01:00.001-08:00

New(ish) Eiafuawn vid for an old Duster song.

Hey Mike! Put out their Lp already! You're late!!

90s UK DIY part 1

2008-01-29T18:01:00.000-08:00

While the underground indie scene and, particularly relevant here, riot grrl, were jumping off in the US, similar things were brewing in the UK in the early 90s.

Inspired by Bikini Kill and locals Huggy Bear, and recalling the naive whimsy of The Shaggs (whether they knew it or not), Skinned Teen formed in London when the three members were supposedly 13-14 years old. Their first single (Karate Hairdresser) and early demo recordings were mainly impromptu and accapella, but later releases did include standard instrumentation.

Skinned Teen "Ex-Boyfriend Beat" (from Bazooka Smooth split Lp with Raooul, 1994)

Skinned Teen "Pillowcase Kisser" (from Bazooka Smooth split Lp with Raooul, 1994)

Layla from Skinned Teen later went on to form Petty Crime, who released an excellent EP on Slampt that was more or less the impetus for this post. I'll get to that one in the next part. Speaking of Slampt..

1994 saw release of the Elastic Jet Mission compilation, featuring 15 bands from the region.

Kenickie "Rebel Assault"

Golden Starlet "Baby"

Yummy Fur "Popcorn"

Unanimously ignored during their time, Yummy Fur now have the distinction of being the band that Alex Kapranos and Paul Thomson of Franz Ferdinand were in during the 90s.

Yummy Fur "Cheloveck" (from Night Club Lp, 1996)

All things considered, Huggy Bear are my favorite band from that era and one of the best bands of the 90s in my opinion. They began as a fairly simple, vaguely garage-oriented indie band and morphed into a unique, tense and jagged sound that foreshadowed the rhythmic, angular rock stuff that happened in the early 00s.

Huggy Bear "Dissthentic Penetration" (from Don't Die 7", 1993)

Huggy Bear "Immature Adolescence" (from Weaponry Listens To Love Lp, 1994)

Huggy Bear "Fuck Yr Heart" (from Weaponry Listens To Love Lp, 1994)

Still somewhat mysterious, Phantom Pregnancies were supposedly made up from members of Huggy Bear and Wat Tyler, and according to legend, only played uninvited shows which they crashed. Far beyond lo-fi, their releases were all recorded on a boombox and inserts give advice for maximizing this.

Phantom Pregnancies "Generate Sparks" (from Assassination City Lp, 1995)

REAS and PAM

2008-01-21T23:50:00.000-08:00

I've never worn Nike, not even when I was a kid. It was a coincidence, then an active choice, and now it's not even my thing so it's pretty irrelevant. That said, getting REAS and Misha from Perks & Mini to work on a Windrunner yielded some pretty ill results.

Vibes

2008-01-21T23:24:00.000-08:00

The last time I was in Seattle I found a handful of Vibe Music releases in Easy Street's 25 cent bin. I didn't know the label, but I'll check anything from 1987-96 with a Cook County address, especially four for a dollar, so I scooped them up. Here are two tracks from one of them, Mixx Vibes' "Session #3" 12" (1995).

Mixx Vibes "Here Comes The Sound"

Mixx Vibes "Dance (So Get Up)"

Mixx Vibes was George Andros (aka Georgie Porgie), who was affiliated with Maurice Joshua and Terry Hunter. He also released an EP with Derrick Carter on KMS back in 1989 that I'd really like to hear.

Soggy records

2008-01-16T22:34:00.000-08:00

I got a package of records I was waiting for yesterday and they arrived thoroughly soaked, like someone had just fished them out of False Creek. It wasn't even raining so I don't know what happened. Anyway, while they're drying, waiting to be ripped, here are some semi-random, recent rips..

Etienne de Crécy "Scratched" (Radio Edit) 2001

Etienne de Crécy has been releasing records for over a decade, helping to shape what would later be known as the French Touch sound. This is a smooth downtempo-ish single from his Tempovision album, which I picked up at the last record sale.

Alex Gopher "The Child" (Wuz Mix) (2000)

Alex Gopher has a similar history, having gone to school and played in a band with Etienne De Crécy in the early 90s. The two also started the Disques Solid label together. This is a Gopher/Demon remix from AG's You, My Baby & I album. A lengthy track, but it's worth the wait as some cool drums drop around the 6:00 mark and proceed to open up. Another record sale find.

Mickey Oliver "In-Ten-Si-T" (1988)

I picked this one up in Chicago, on a deadstock copy of the Hot Mix 5 '88 compilation. As far as I know, 1988 was the only year that got its own comp, as Hot Mix 5 output ceased after that year. Mickey Oliver was one of the original Hot Mix 5 DJs on Chicago's WBMX in the 80s and this is his best known single. Love the lo-fi Speak & Spell vox.

Persepolis

2008-01-14T19:50:00.000-08:00

I never read the graphic novel, but the screen version of Persepolis is a nice mix of light-hearted and somber reflections on growing up in 1980s Iran. I thought the simple animation would get dull but it worked quite well, though the style often varied from scene to scene. Forthcoming English language version to feature Iggy Pop, heh.

Cleaning up

2008-01-13T18:04:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning up one of my harddrives the other day and found some things I'd misplaced..

2nd II None "Be True To Yourself" (Extended Remix) (1991)

I first heard this track around 1991 on the H-Street skate vid Next. In the late 90s I found out it was from their debut on Profile, produced entirely by DJ Quik, and a while later I finally found the single in a pipe/pager/rap shop on East Lake in Minneapolis. 16+ years later this track still stands up for me. Yeah, the guitar solo could be dropped, but this mix is more satisfying than the 2:45 album version.

Side F-X "Rock The House" (Club Rap Mix) (1990)

I'm a sucker for hip-house. Like I'll pretty much buy any hip-house 12" and at least consider spinning it at some point. I picked this one up blindly at Jive Time in Seattle and both sides are cool. Jimmy Bo Horne's "Spank" wins every time.

Jazzi & Neat "Ouch Me Baby" (1990)

Got this one at Jive Time too, maybe on the same visit. Produced by DJ Man who did some work for Luke's Skyywalker Records in the 80s. Nice random Miami Bass 12".

Ladyhawk

2008-01-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

Went to see Ladyhawk at the Astoria last night. The listings said first band at 10; we arrived around 10:45 to a huge line, the door person saying the room was overfilled, and Ladyhawk already playing. Oops! I guess I'll have to wait for the April show with Black Mountain..

Anyway, the dudes at the Fader were kind enough to toss up a track from Ladyhawk's upcoming album, Shots. You can grab it here and check the blurb here. The Fight For Anarchy 12" from last summer didn't make too much of an impression on me, but this song has me amped for the new album.

Good morning

2008-01-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

I got up early to get some things done and listened to three of my favorite early morning, watch-the-sun-rise songs:

Popol Vuh "King Minos" (1974)

All of Einsjager & Siebenjager has this beautiful, peaceful quality, but this song stands out.

Michael Rother "KM 05" (1979)

Formerly of Kraftwerk, Neu!, and Harmonia, Michael Rother's solo albums of the late 70s/early 80s are also very much worth checking for. Katzenmusik has a dawn/sunny day feeling throughout (check the cover).

Big Star "Watch The Sunrise" (1972)

The music evokes it and the lyrics address it literally – perfect song for watching the sun come up.

Three tracks

2008-01-09T22:23:00.000-08:00

Newly imposed Zshare wait time = wackness. If anyone has suggestions for an easy, reliable file host, get at me.

Lisa Mack "Kickone" (Dukeyman Remix) (1999)

Internet find from a little while ago. I think it was a couple dollars.. it probably flew under the radars of everyone looking for Baltimore Club (or is it just passé now?) since the listing didn't mention Bmore, Dukeyman, etc. This is from 1999 on Iceland Records, which is still semi-active in Baltimore. Lisa Mack now fronts a funk band called The Octonauts.

Circle Children "Zulu" (1994)

Some classic AVH here. According to Baltimore Club lore, this was always a big track in that scene. Seems kind of 'tribal', but I'm not going to argue with it. Apologies for the crackles.

Robbie Rivera "Feel This" (Rivera's Tribal Sessions Mix) (2001)

More Strictly Rhythm and more 'tribal' (hahaha...ugh). No, wait, hear me out. Corny as it may be, this shit bangs hard.

Enjoy!

Super-quick update

2008-01-07T22:29:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite Mike Dunn remixes, one old and one new(ish).

Julian "Jumpin'" Perez "Relight My Fire" (Mike Dunn's Mixx) (1989)

Mina Jackson "Feels So Good" (Mike Dunn Spoken Word Dub) (2007)

Neoteric (and King Polo) on Discobelle

2008-01-05T00:48:00.000-08:00

The homie Neoteric did a Mixin' It Up for Discobelle and he used one of my tracks to kick it off. The track is still unfinished (I scrambled to get him a presentable mix in time) but I'll toss it up here when it's done.

I know he sweated over it a lot but I think dude did a great job with this mix, keeping it fresh and repping hard for Vancouver throughout.

DJ Neoteric - Mixin It Up

Vancouver takeover 08.

2007

2008-01-03T14:49:00.000-08:00

Having hosted radio shows and written for various magazines, I'm used to running down my favorite records/shows/etc. every December. But for the first time in years I haven't submitted a list or had the opportunity to otherwise profile my picks, so I'm going to do it now.

National Boxer

Occasionally I hear too many appealing things about an unknown band or album to ignore. This scenario usually leaves me thinking "what is everyone else hearing here that I'm not?" but The National actually met and exceeded my expectations with Boxer. This somber and beautifully restrained album instantly reminded me of the mood created when I first heard Red House Painters way back. Without really sounding anything like RHP, that is.

Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

I keep thinking they must have peaked by now, but this album is easily as good as the three that preceded it.. maybe even better.

hollAnd The Paris Hilton Mujahideen and Love Fluxus

Two albums of clinically perfect guitar pop in one year (with another coming in spring apparently) and I don't recall seeing a single review, ad or mention of hollAnd anywhere online or in print. It kind of blows one's mind.

Scout Niblett This Fool Can Die Now

Admittedly, this one didn't really come together for me until I saw her play at the Media Club. I listen to and enjoy a lot of 'difficult' music, but this is a whole other kind of difficult, operating entirely within the realm of traditional rock music, but still needing a certain amount of attention and investment or else it just seems too obtuse. Regardless, everything clicked when the more rocking elements came to the forefront at the show, and I've spent a lot of time listening to this album since.

LCD Soundsystem Sound Of Silver

I found the first LCD album to be a huge letdown, especially after being blown away by one of their first live shows outside of NYC. But after the excellent 45:33 piece for Nike, I had a feeling SOS would be something different. It was, and the more organic approach to combining traditional rock/pop with dancefloor elements has me confident SOS will avoid sounding like the 00's version of Screamadelica 10 years from now.

all Death From Above/Abroad 12"s, October - December

Much as the broader approach of SOS was a pleasant surprise, in late summer the DFA blindsided us by pumping out an impressive run of 12"s by Holy Ghost, Mock & Toof, Altz, Bot'ox, Gucci Soundsystem, Hercules & Love Affair, Still Going, and others in the span of a couple months. Seriously, at one point they released three in a day and more the following week. Every time I thought it was over, another one would trickle out, mostly artists I'd barely heard of. For all I know, there could be another half-dozen planned before March.

Dinosaur Jr. Beyond

Even though I didn't spend that much time listening to it (partly due to the horrible mastering, and the decision to relegate the last third of the album to a bonus 7" that manages to sound even worse than the Lp), this is among their best albums as far as I'm concerned.

Arcade Fire Neon Bible

What caused everyone to gush over the questionable Funeral, I heard in Neon Bible. Musically and conceptually, this had enough depth to keep me listening throughout the year.

Freeway Free At Last
Devin The Dude Waiting To Inhale

Truthfully, I listened to the Clipse' Hell Hath No Fury a lot more than either of these in 07, but when I listened to new rap albums (as opposed to individual tracks), these were the ones.

Bruce Springsteen Magic

Dude has always had bumpy moments, and Magic doesn't escape this. But it's a solid album from the Boss if you can get past the frustrating (over-) production.

Sex Vid Tania EP

I get down with modern punk/hardcore about as frequently as modern jazz or bluegrass, but I do manage to stumble onto one band every year or so that reminds me of why I was so into that stuff 10-15 years ago. In 2007 it was Sex Vid. Managing to evoke the bleak, pain-riddled atmosphere of the best Black Flag stuff, the bad vibes just seep from this EP. Live, they're a cloud of pummeling destruction floating around the room.

all the No Age EPs

No Age rival Daft Punk for the best show I've seen in the last five years. After seeing them, I didn't just want more, I wanted to join the band. Recorded, it's just not the same, but they do manage to capture a lot of what makes their shows so great: equal parts complete chaos + noise and soft, dreamy melodies. Hopefully their upcoming album for Sub-Pop will be more in line with the live show.

honorable mention:
The Psychic Paramount Gamelan Into The Mink Supernatural Lp

Technically this was released in 2005, but the vinyl version took an extra two years. This was a total shot in the dark for me, a completely blind purchase at Scratch based on two things: I recalled that No Quarter had released something by Earth; the band name and cover art combined to invoke a most excellent vibe involving feedback, transcendent noise and interplanetary sonics. I was right, more or less; Gamelan is some heavy, heavy psych shit that is light-years from the mental picture "heavy psych shit" just gave you. Very modern, but faithful to the spirit of what Ash Ra Tempel and others were cranking out in the early 70s. And very much in the red.

Next time I'll run through my list of the records I actually spent the most time listening to.

Back to the tracks..

As LNR, Rick Lenoir and Larry Thompson are responsible for the dance classic "Work It To The Bone". Later on, they linked with Gary Wallace and released a handful of EPs as Black Ice Productions, Chicago Trackwerk, Four On The Floor, and a few other aliases.

Here's the first side of their Playtime Kids EP on Night Club Records.

Men On Drums

I Need A Track (How Dare U Mix)

Men On Drums flips the Dominatrix sample later used by Kevin Fisher for "Women Beat Their Men"; I Need A Track is a raw, almost ghetto-style house track. Enjoy..

Superfunk

2008-01-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

Here's the first single from Superfunk's "Hold Up" album, Lucky Star. The album itself is a pretty cool set that doesn't seem to get much mention. In one of the many instances of Chicago veterans showing up on French House releases, Ron Carroll provides the vocals here. Jess & Crabbe's remix was my introduction to the FL label and scene, and it's still one of my favorites from them, but the original mix with full vocals rivals it.

Superfunk "Lucky Star" 12", 2000

Superfunk "Lucky Star" (Album Mix)

Superfunk "Lucky Star" (Mazi Mix)

Superfunk "Lucky Star" (Jess & Crabbe 2K Remix)

testing..

2008-01-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

I'm still working out the kinks, but on with the blogging..

I tend to avoid gemm.com thanks to all the dudes trying to hustle ordinary stuff for 10x the price. But occasionally I luck out and I recently grabbed four Fiat Lux releases from a dealer for a few bucks each.

Caesar Palace "U Do It So Fine" 12", 1998

Caesar Palace "U Do It So Fine" (original)

Caesar Palace "Five On U"

Caesar Palace "U Do It So Fine" (Sexy Kool Remix)

One of the lesser known Fiat Lux artists, Caesar Palace were (are?) Jérôme Chesneau and Christophe Frère, and to my knowledge, their only other release under the CP name is a track on one of the Fiat Lux comps.

Standard fare for Fiat Lux, but I'm a sucker for that stuff so I can't complain.

Enjoy!