music is done

Rough Sleep

2011-12-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

This is my new band's demo. Two-piece hardcore grunge from Baton Rouge, LA aka Punk Capital of the Universe.

Short cassette run coming soon. I recorded this on Megan's Ross 4-track straight to cassette with limited resources and know-how. Enjoy.

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August Mix

2011-08-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hi, how are you? That's great.

I'm hitting the road next weekend to play a few shows on the East Coast, so I figured I ought to make a lil mix to alternately piss off/please my bandmates. I don't think any of them will enjoy all of these songs, but each of them will probably be into one or more. They're just lucky I didn't upload that Michael Jackson "Man in the Mirror" 45 that I like to play at 33 1/2.

Since we play loud and heavy music, I figured I should steer clear of most of that stuff.

Tracklist:

1. Freda Payne - Band of Gold

On our recent excursion to Europe, Henry and Chris from Moloch jammed this song in the car almost every day. I had totally forgotten about it until then, and it remained in my head for the next month and a half.

2. Mirah - Don't!

Not to be confused with "Don't Go" or "Don't Die in Me", this is an old Mirah song that was compiled on the oldies/rarities album The Old Days Feeling. Total 50s doo-wop worship in the best way.

3. Orchestra Baobab - Seeri Koko

I culled this song from an excellent mixtape called The Eyo Beats that Hope picked up from Domino Sound in NOLA. It's all African music from 1960-1970. I must've listened to this song seven times in a row, seriously. I'm not any sort of reggae aficionado, but this is scratchy lo-fi goodness of the best kind.

4. Nas - One Love (MF Doom remix)

This is from Special Blends Vol.1, one of many Doom albums that a co-worker of mine turned me onto long ago in a dishroom far, far away. This is one of those rare instances where a cover/remix actually tops the original.

5. Witchcraft - I Know You Killed Someone

From the ultra-rare, ultra-coveted If Crimson Was Your Color 7", a record I look for in every shop I go to. I actually found it in Santa Cruz last summer, but $14 sticker price was a little rich for my blood.

6. Chumbawamba - Liberation

This is the old anarcho-punk Chumbawamba that most casual music listeners never take the time to get to know. Protest music of the highest order, totally inspiring.

7. Honey Bane - Boring Conversations

I learned of this lady's band through my friend Beck. They were on Crass's label, and she was on the run from the law when this album was cut.

8. Blouse - Into Black

This is a band that I probably would've hated a few years back. They (along with another band on this mix, Minks) have put stuff out on a trendy New York label and their shows are probably populated with annoying folks with calculated haircuts. Still, the music is great, and I can't fault them for their fanbase.

9. The Smashing Pumpkins - Here Is No Why

I got this album in 5th or 6th grade and listened to it constantly. The guitar solo in this song is in my top five of all time (The first solo in "Bohemian Rhapsody" is number one, I think).

10. Minks - Bruises

Good lazy morning music, or when you're stuck inside during inclement weather. This is from live radio session that was released as Araby.

11. Weekend - End Times

Driving shoegaze-ish new wave. I don't understand why I don't like New Order but I'm down with stuff like this.

12. The Magnetic Fields - I Think I Need a New Heart

I used to hear this song on the radio all the time, and after about ten times it finally grew on me. Now I can fully appreciate the coldly depressing lyrics juxtaposed behind some upbeat guitar and Latin rhythms. This dude plays all the instruments on his records.

13. Adrian Orange - Blushing

This is the one all of my bandmates will probably hate. The lyrics are just great, though. I would never think to start off a song with the line, "have you ever seen an asshole crying?" but I'm glad this guy did.

14. Callers - More Than Right

I talk about this band so much that I probably don't need to say anymore. I listen to this song every morning, the earlier the morning the better.

15. Knife in the Water - Sundown, Sundown

An awesome Lee Hazelwood/Nancy Sinatra cover done by an obscure 90s alt-country-rock band. They named their band after the Roman Polanski film, but of course this was years before we all learned what a creep that asshole was.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Awkward Soul

2011-02-14T15:41:00.001-08:00

Here's a mix I made today for no apparent reason. It's got some hardcore, soul, weirdo shit, and some other music than lines the cracks of all those things.

Tracklist:

01 Randy Crawford - Street Life
02 The Men - Lazarus
03 Los Gatos Negros - Canadian Ending
04 Sonic Youth - Kill Yr Idols
05 SQRM - Upsidedown Cross
06 Aerosols - Afterthought
07 Boris - untitled
08 Nerveskade - side two of 7"
09 Cower - untitled
10 Slavescene - Fuck Off Away From Me
11 Pygmy Shrews - Your Party Sucks
12 Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi Family - Troublemaker
13 5 Revolutions - Kulemela Kwa Bambo Wanga
14 uncredited turkmen - untitled
15 Exploding Hearts - Throwaway Style
16 Mirah - Recommendation
17 Martha & The Vandellas - Heatwave

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COWER

2011-02-11T17:55:00.000-08:00

The first time I ever went to Portland, my band shared a bill with these dudes in a ratty basement. I had heard a couple of their tracks online (thanks, Miguel) and was super super excited to see them. 3 young kids, still in high school, playing brutal powerviolence. Then they discovered marijuana and rode that wave from slippery Eyehategod-style riffs to full-on psychriffery. Their live show blends the old and new material, but I'm gonna upload these older trax that Bryan sent me a couple months back. Thou/Cower split is in the works right now (they already have their side written) and should hopefully be out before our European tour this summer. You can download their newest album for free on their bandcamp site here: Land Before Time

DOWNLOAD OLDER TRAX

Morning Music

2010-11-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

Good morning. Today it is cold and rainy outside, but I have the day off and am drinking coffee at my desk. Here are two albums I like to listen to in the morning when I'm not quite ready for an all-out aural assault.

The first is by a band called the Callers. They are from New York and they are amazing. They just dropped a new album, but Hope and I haven't gotten around to ripping the vinyl to mp3 yet, so here's their old album, Fortune. You will love it, I promise.

The Callers -- Fortune

The second is by Cassette, an acoustic project by a lady named Samantha Jones, who was in that band Bitchin. Just mellow acoustic jams with some sparse drumming and bass work here and there.

Cassette - s/t

Diet Cokeheads

2010-11-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

Oh, my. Here's an awesome band that's part of the ever-prolific Florida noise-punk thing that's happening now. Drink the shit that's under your kitchen sink and crank these jams to 11. Just listening to this right now makes me want to quit my job and faceplant straight into slacker heaven. Dissonant, heavy, and absurd. For people who are too fucked up to give a shit. Naw, fuck that. For people who are too lazy to even download this shit. This, of course, is all a ringing endorsement.

If you're in BR, come see them at 869 Violet on 9/21.

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THE GIFT

2010-07-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bands that I ever met on the road was D.C.'s legendary TURBOSLUT. They were four women resurrecting the spirit of bands like SPITBOY while putting their own spin on the genre, especially their later stuff which had a definite noisy-sludge element happening. Unfortunately for the human race, they broke up a few years back. I was crestfallen upon receiving this news, and my fellow bandmates and I tried diligently to convince the ladies to reunite so we could tour Australia. I recall very distinctly sitting outside of the van in Austin late one night before a show pleading with various members of the band. It just wasn't meant to be. Luckily, I kept in touch with vocalist/guitarist/life coach Beck, and she sent me a demo tape of her new band in the mail this past month.

They are called THE GIFT. While retaining the bleak lyrical content and punk edge of Turboslut, the songs have a noisy grunge influence that really set them apart. The vocals are heavier on the singing, with some shrieks thrown in at the right moment. One song starts off really pop-punkish and transitions flawlessly into straight up dissonant black metal, complete with blast beat.

My favorite thing about this band is how they really don't sound like any other band happening right now, even though you can hear strands of different genres spread out in these songs.

Word has it that they might be down here in October to play with GHASTLY CITY SLEEP. More details as I get them.

THE GIFT - DEMO

WEBSITE

We Need To Talk

2010-07-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

We Need to Talk - It's Not Us It's You

I met Matt Sexton eons ago in a past life where I lived in New Orleans. We both went to punk/metal/whatever shows and attended the University of New Orleans. Over time we had always talked about starting bands together, which we eventually did. Unfortunately, none of our bands lasted very long or played shows, which the exception of Hundred Eyes (a thrashy hardcore band that did a lot of Tragedy aping) who played a few shows in Baton Rouge and New Orleans (notably a couple shows with anarcho-legends REQUIEM and a show in a gutted-out house in Lakeview right after Katrina with MATT & Kim, of all bands). That band eventually fell apart for many different reasons, but out of its ashes-- and without Matt-- formed We Need to Talk. Shorter songs, more blastbeats, etc. I bring up Matt because this band would've never formed without him, and I would've never got to play in such an enjoyable group. Also, we've been friends for a long time and I credit him with getting me into a lot of the punk/metal stuff I listen to these days, which influenced my drumming on this record a whole, whole lot. Cheers, mate.

WNTT was around for a few years, and in that time we did 9 days on the east coast with my other band Thou, a Florida/east coast tour with LOADED FOR BEAR from Chicago, tons of BR/NOLA shows, and Thou vocalist/long time New Orleans Punk Dictator Bryan Funck put out this sweet 7" for us.

Our last show was in Baton Rouge with American Cheeseburger in a squatted apartment on Carlotta St. and was one of my favorite shows of all time. Someone had to break into the place with a crowbar, but luckily the power was still hooked up. Louisiana Punk Rock.

Tracklist:

1. 96
2. Push Pit
3. I'd Rather Die Twice Than Be Born Again
4. No "I" in "Fuck You"
5. Am I Meant to be Lunch for Leviathans?
6. The Ramifications Will Be Damnifications
7. Unholy Outlaw
8. Getting Used to Not Being Remarkable/This is Not a Song About Regret
9. Riff Limit

This download was ripped straight from the vinyl, and the songs are so short that I just broke it up into two tracks (Side One and Side Two). Boo Hoo.

DOWNLOAD HERE

NOLA weekend.

2010-05-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

The Spits, Nobunny Super Destroyers, Missing Monuments @ Saturn Bar

Degree of Awesomeness Index: 9.5/10

I haven't been going to as many shows as usual lately. I guess because I've been too busy tending to my own bands and all that. Oh, and there just haven't been too many shows worth going to. But then, after a long day of recording the next Thou EP (and two Nirvana covers) and then playing a show at Hey! Cafe with Baby Boy (alongside the amazing Small Bones) I heard about a killer punk/garage show going down at the Saturn Bar. It was actually a pretty loaded night for live music between those two shows and Hurray For The Riff Raff at Allways. I felt like Riff Raff was a little too mellow for my blood on a Saturday night, so off to the Saturn Bar we trekked.

Missing Monuments are a throwback garage-rock band fronted by King Louie (cornerstone of the burgeoning NOLA garage scene). Just like every other genre of music ever, I normally hate this kind of stuff. I know, right: What other genres could I possibly loathe? New Wave? Proto-metal? Jazz-Fusion Metal? So-called "Noise Rock" ? Well, sure. There's always some band out there that will make hate an entire genre. And by the same token, there will always be some band that will be the exception. My thing with garage rock is its lack of innovation and reliance on rock cliches that were worn out by real garage rock bands in the 60s. Dude, I get it. You like "chicks" and "getting kicks" and "cheap thrills" and shitty guitar playing. But it's the year 2010. I'm sorry.

Well, Missing Monuments had a little more attitude that all that, and they actually had some decent hooks. If you don't have good hooks with this type of music, you might as well sit at home and think up a new genre to ape. Oh yea, the singer had some classic quotes like, "we are the best goddamn band in this city, so fuck you!" A dubious claim? You better believe it. Entertaining? Yes, definitely. And that's all that really matters on a Saturday night in a dirty bar, I reckon.

Super Destroyers took it a notch higher. Still poppy and garage-like, but with a dose of punk mixed in there. And vocals that worked really well. And no pretense. Looking forward to see these dudes again.

Nobunny came up next, but I didn't catch the whole set as I was outside catching up with some people. When I got back in I saw guys in bunny masks going apeshit while a sea of bodies swayed across the room. Genre-wise, I guess you could call this garage-y punk. Emphasis on the punk. It was hard to even concentrate on the music since I was defending myself against the general cacophony.

The Spits brought their A-game, and after a few drinks I was in some kind of A-game mode as well. No garage-y bullshit with this band, just raw working-class punk dressed up in cutoff denim vests. The crowd was out of control from the first note and after a few songs standing my ground, I finally gave in to the undulating mass of sweat and got lost in its flesh-swath. At some point I even crowd surfed, though it was short lived. The band did a marathon set with very little fucking around between songs, and even pumped out an encore or two. Finally the heat took over, and the drummer yelled, "we're not playing any more songs, everyone get the fuck out!"

That show was a classic example of how playing on the floor instead of a stage is infinitely more enjoyable for both the band and crowd. People are much more apt to dance around and enjoy themselves when they're on the same level as the band.

Twin Stumps, Kyklooppien Sukupuuto, Kim Phuc, Nutria Assault @ The Saint

Degree of Awesomeness Index: 7/10

Saturday night did a number on my body and mind, but a good punk show is often enough to motivate me for Round Two. After drinks at the obscure Garden District Pub (served to my cohorts and I by my favorite bartender/friend-4-lyfe Anne) and a bowl chili at the Half Moon, we wandered over to the Saint just in time to see Kyklooppien Sukupuuto. They are a hardcore band from Finland who seemed very excited to be in the states. The crowd was mostly tame except for a couple of crusties who were apparently having a very good night. There's always that dude at the show who insists on a one-man mosh extravaganza. I appreciate someone wanting to incite some craziness at a hardcore show, but if no one else is feeling it then you just look like an asshole shoving everyone. Anyhow, the band was exactly what I wanted: fast, loud, and excited.

Kim Phuc was up next, and I was really pumped on what I had heard online. Plus, one of the dudes was in Caustic Christ. They brought it pretty hard with some mid-tempo noisy hardcore. You could probably call this "post-hardcore" but that's kind of a stupid sounding description. They were really awesome, though. The one-man mosher stepped up his game, so I was forced to step mine up as well. He kept knocking into me and making me spill my drink, so I was shoving back and getting kind of peeved. It sucked because I was trying to focus on the band. Well, he finally knocked me to the ground, at which point he helped me up and apologized profusely. At least he was a nice guy. Still, he was being THAT dude.

Twin Stumps fucking sucked. I don't even want to waste another sentence on them.

We hung out outside with the singer for Kim Phuc, who was one of the nicest, most enthusiastic guys I've met at a show. Then we did a shot of whiskey and drove home.

16 Songs in 17 Minutes

2010-04-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

No bullshit here. 16 tracks of punk/hardcore ranging from the 80s to 2010. Maybe you've heard all these bands, maybe not. It doesn't really matter. I've got most of these bands' full-lengths, so let me know if there's any band you want to hear more of. By the way, this mix borrows a few songs off the great recent comp The World Itself Is a Bad Dream. Seek it out.

DOWNLOAD HERE

ps - the tracklist is in alphabetical order after the 5th track. strangely enough, the order really worked that way.

Tracklist:
1. Poison Idea
2. Duress
3. School Jerks
4. Dead Stare
5. Assfactor 4
6. Brain Killer
7. Dead Friends
8. Divisions
9. Dropdead
10. Hatred Surge
11. Herds
12. Knifed
13. No Comment
14. Punch
15. Rational Animals
16. Skewbald/Grand Union

Des Ark/Pygmy Lush live

2010-03-18T18:02:00.001-07:00

Ok, been a while, but I have some free music for you. That's gotta count for something.

A few months ago I got this bootleg from Bryan who got it from Andy who runs Robotic Empire. It's Pygmy Lush and Des Ark playing a bunch of mostly new stuff live. The first half is just PL, then some collaborative stuff between the two, and also some solo Des Ark. Disclaimer: this is some gutwrenching shit. Both bands seemed to have stared deep into the abyss with this new stuff, so be careful driving down long, winding, roads with it on. I can't vouch for these songs enough. They crawl into my subconscious and wake me up into the middle of the red-eyed night.

Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD HERE

The Let Down / Necro Hippies / Fisher Cat @ Allways Lounge

2010-01-11T13:57:00.000-08:00

The cold has been keeping me indoors and away from shows, but I sucked it up and made the trip to New Orleans for this Books 2 Prisoners benefit show that Hope's band was playing.

The Let Down / Necro Hippies / Fisher Cat @ Allways Lounge
Degree of Awesomeness Index: 8.5/10

I'm a big fan of fun. And even after a long, bitterly cold night rife with deafening music and copious whiskey shots, I'm often willing to do the whole thing over again the next night. Such was the case this past weekend. We opened for Eyehategod on Friday night, and it seemed that everybody wanted to buy me a whiskey shot. 8am could not have come any quicker the next morning, but surprisingly my body aches were minimal. And so onward I trekked to the Marigny Theatre/Allways Lounge (formerly Cowpokes, for you NOLA-savvy show-goers) with the usual suspects and a flask of Evan Williams Green.

The night started off memorable enough, between one black-out drunk Hispanic man trying to hit on Hope but failing miserably before getting kicked out of the bar, and a more friendly nearly black-out drunk woman buying everyone in the bar shots of whiskey.

The show itself kicked off with Hope's band The Let Down. Obviously I'm a bit biased, but I have to say that I normally hate shit like this. As I've said before, folk punk is not my thing. Well, this band has awesomely New Orleans-centric lyrics and they balance out the usual acoustic guitar/singing combo with singing saw and banjo. I mean, you have to love songs about not having sex in certain bar bathrooms because you've got standards. Anyway, they were fun.

Next up was maybe my favorite band in New Orleans right now (which, yea I know, changes every month), Necro Hippies. Man, they are fucking punk to the bone. Snotty 80s-style hardcore, plenty of dancing around with beer flying everywhere. I had almost forgotten how fun punk shows can be until that night. In BR, it's rare that people really get into the music and dance around and have fun. And shit, it's actually pretty rare in NOLA too. But that night the planets aligned and all was right in the world. They closed with a cover...I think it was an SS Decontrol song? Every one was going nuts, from unshaved miscreant Thou roadie Derek Z, to nice collegiate-looking Uptowner couple Darin and Nathan Acosta. The crusties, the weirdos, and the hangers-on all locked arms that night.

The next band was Fisher Cat, who I've actually been meaning to see for a while now. The singer wrote this badass zine called Breakfast which you should all read. I really didn't know what to expect, and by this point in the night I was 2 glasses of wine and 2 Johnny Walker Black Labels deep, plus the joint was packed so it was hard to see. From what I could piece together, they fused spoken-word poetry, noise-rock, and hardcore into some creepy gelatinous blend. It was weird, but people were into it. They seem like the kind of band that I would put first on a bill just to freak out all the people that came to see the more "normal" headliner.

After they were done, Juvenile's "Back Dat Ass Up" came on and a dance party broke out. We called it a night after 3 songs because we're only so tough, you know.

Baroness / Iron Age / Dark Castle @ One Eyed Jack's

2009-12-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

If the commercial success of Metallica's Black Album was a sign of anything, it was that even certain genres of music deemed unlistenable by the general populace can be tweaked, repackaged, and thereby heralded the world over. Who would've thought that four long-haired alcoholics from the Bay could infiltrate mainstream culture the way that they did when "Enter Sandman" hit the airwaves back in '91? The Metallica model is being reintroduced today via bands like Mastodon, and the Mastodon model is being used by bands like Baroness.

I count Mastodon's album Remission among some of the best heavy albums put to tape. The whole feel of the album is relentless and uncompromising, not unlike the first few Metallica studio albums. The next album, Leviathan was excellent in its own right. Although much less heavy, it still maintained the spirit of the band through righteous riffing, epic imagery, and driving tempos. But every album since then has been more watered down, more accessible, and more heavily promoted. I'm not against bands trying something different, but when a band simulataneously signs with a major label AND downplays their inaccessability, you've got to suspect that something is up.

Which brings me back to Baroness. I heard about them through a kid in North Carolina who showed be some of their live footage on the DVD comp Doomed Nation. It was heavy. It was rooted in hardcore. They made a name for themselves playing this kind of punk-rooted stoner rock, and released stuff on awesome underground labels like At a Loss and Hyperrealist. Honestly, I hadn't really kept up with this band a whole lot after that, so when I went to OEJ's for this show I was expecting something heavy.

Well, looks like I'd been out the loop too long. The band I saw on Wednesday night bore little resemblance to the one on that DVD, with their incessant noodling, catchy vocals, rockstar stage presence, and goddamn if I didn't hear one fucking riff the whole time. I was bored midway through the first song. It was as if the band were genuinely scared of their low E strings. Count me out!

It stands to reason that, as with so many genres, underground hardcore/stoner/metal and all its variations will be commodified and introduced to the mainstream in time. Which bands will stand against the grain and which will welcome their new masters with open arms?

I missed the only band worth seeing on this bill: Dark Castle. They are legit, good people. Check them out.

Fistula / Iron Lung / Lana Dagales

2009-12-07T12:53:00.000-08:00

Fistula - We the Beast

Man, I like my doom metal slow and raw, but this is some jagged shit. The production is kinda Steve Albini if he spent most of the recording budget on downers, with the drums nice and spacey but the guitars left to sink deep into a bog. Due to this nasty production, I can only understand maybe 1/8th of the riffs on this album, but surprisingly that doesn't take away from it's baddassitude (for the record, Firefox did not correct my spelling on that word!). No surprises from the lyrics on this album: one song is called "Die, You're a Fucking Cop" (which contains a most excellent maxim: "fuck parking tickets") and from what I can tell most of the other lyrics have to do with drugs and apathy. Reminds me a little of Facedowninshit but heavier and with more punk agression. The tempos vacillate from groovy downtempo to full blown d-beat punk. Personally, I wish every track was as head-noddin' as the opener and "We Don't Need You." Still, great album to throw on if you're in a shitty mood and happen to have a fifth of Evan Williams on hand.

Iron Lung / Lana Dagales - split 12"

Iron Lung is one of my favorite bands right now. Their newer albums sound a lot heavier than this split (which came out in 2004) but they do the modern powerviolence "sludgy part straight into one second blastbeat" thing better than just about anyone. On this release they mix it up with some weirder, more noisy guitar work peppered with their usual scary sounds-from-a-b-movie soundscapes between songs. Brutal set of songs, and they top it off with a totally unironic late 90s breakdown at the end. A good example of their newer, heavier sound is the Sexless/No Sex LP.

Lana Dagales is a band I know next to nothing about except that they're from California and have apparently been around since '98. Oh, and like Iron Lung they are a two-piece. Unlike Iron Lung, they don't have a guitar player. The bass tone is so damn fuzzed out that I honestly didn't notice that it was bass and not severely down-tuned guitar until about 3 tracks in. The material here is a little more tech. Plenty of odd time sigs, some jazzy licks thrown in, but don't get me wrong...this is still metal. The songs are short and the vocals are of the throat-scraping variety.

Rainbow of Death + recent shows

2009-11-21T11:48:00.000-08:00

I. RAINBOW OF DEATH - S/T 10"

Put this motherfucker on first thing in the morning while you're waiting for the water to boil and your day will be replete with joy. Somehow blurring the lines between J-pop, fastcore, and mid-tempo punk, Rainbow of Death unleashed a full-frontal assault back in 2007 when this EP came out. Who knows why I didn't hear about it until a couple months ago, but now I'm addicted. Blast-beat driven walls of white noise give way to dance party punk parts that eventually segway into just a fragment of catchy, sing-song melody before shifting right back into powerviolent noise. Over and over. Pop-violence? Something like that.

Later, on side B, you hear some caterwauling feedback that turns into a mock-"Reign in Blood" intro before morphing into a riff that's a little more 80's D.C. punk than Kerry King's whammy-bar rants. It's a neat little trick they pull. This whole album is an absolute treat. Check out their other band, Monarch, if you want to hear what the near-polar opposite of this band sounds like. Fuck I wish this band was still around and going on tour in the states!

I'm pretty sure this thing is out of print...luckily someone sold me their copy last week! Check ebay.

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?fgptrxyrmct

II. 2 quick show reviews:

-Captured by Robots / justinbailey @ the Spanish Moon
DEGREE OF AWESOMENESS INDEX: 6/10

I first heard CBR when I was working a terrible restaraunt job and my coworker put it on the stereo in the kitchen. There's gimmick bands and then there's GIMMICK BANDS and CBR falls into the latter category. For the uninitiated: this dude built robots and programmed them be his backing band. Awesome premise, no doubt, but how does it translate live? Personally, I thought it was pretty boring after the initial 15-minute shock of seeing these things move around and "play" their parts. The music is nothing special and the dude's personality in between songs was a bit grating. For $8, I wasn't complaining. Justinbailey opened up the show and did what they do so well: a blend of metal, hardcore, emo, and punk that effectively sidesteps all the bad parts of all those genres mixed in with a healthy dose of drunken bombast. Unfortunately, the crowd wasn't drunk enough on a cold weeknight to give them their due. You gotta see them on a Saturday night during summer when everyone's ready to let loose. It's really somethin else.

-Melters / Lovey Doveys @ The Circle Bar (New Orleans)
DEGREE OF AWESOMENESS INDEX: 9/10

I don't care if it's biased that I review my friends' bands. This was a great show. Melters have that sweet new-wave-informed-pop-punk melodic sensibility crossed with Nirvana's fuck-it attitude. The hooks are simply undeniable and the drumming is as solid as you'll find 'round these parts. The two ladies next to me at the show remarked, "Usually you have to sit through some crap before the band you want to see comes on, but this is awesome! What a nice surprise!"

The Lovey Doveys share a little DNA with the Melters but have a way beefier sound and a more drunken presentation. Grunge via the Replacements? It rules, whatever the case. Great hooks, plenty of heartfelt attitude, oh...and that totally rad Jaguar Bass. Man I wanted to steal that thing, and I don't even play bass.

This show was totally fun.

PUNCH

2009-11-18T11:29:00.000-08:00

Now that we've finally found a wireless network to connect to at home, I can begin my slow climb up the monolithic slopes that make up the mountain range of new music that I've been missing out on. Last night I got my grubby paws on a slew of new and old releases, mainly punk and hardcore. Let's get things started:

PUNCH - S/T (2009 Discos Huelga)

Good god. This is where it's at. Absolutely crucial vegan straight-edge hardcore from the Bay Area with window-shattering vocals that kind of remind me of Kat from Salome at her screechiest. Quick songs, no bullshit, and brilliant lyrics:

"Deodorant and Alzheimer’s? Deodorant and breast cancer? Forget it. You’re over reacting. Research shows nine out of ten consumers prefer the smell of chemicals to people, which certainly makes it easier to sell."

You need this band in your life, pronto.

http://www.mediafire.com/?5ujut2zu5tk

Miniature Album Reviews

2009-11-16T12:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a little list of new stuff/old stuff that I've been jamming.

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
At first I was thinking this was way too twangy and country for me, but there are some incredible songs on here. "Hold On, Hold On" is so awesome that I listened to it 3 times in a row when I got a copy of this CD. Awesome harmonies and smart lyrics that aren't about love. The production is a little too slick for my tastes, but it works here.

Boris - Heavy Rock Hits 7" Series Vol. 1 & 2
I know you can't really predict this band's next step, but still I have to ask: just what in the hell is going on here? Vol. 1 starts off with a cool spacey indie thing called "8" but the B-side is some weird dance-y pop song. Ok, not so bad. But Vol. 2 expands on the pop stuff in a way that isn't very exciting at all. The song "Heavy Metal Addict" is the worst thing they've ever done. Just pure crap. I applaud all attempts to alienate fanbases, but this just wasn't really worth my money.

Young Widows & Melt-Banana - Split 7"
Two bands I like that have very little in common. On this 7" they both stick to the formula: a tense, driving thing from Young Widows and a spastic synthed-out rocker from Melt-Banana. Both solid songs, but the Young Widows side is waaaay two short. 7" records that spin at 45 aren't my favorite...by the time you sit down to look at the lyrics you have to get up to flip the record over. Good release, though.

Harvey Milk - 7"
Awesome record. Side one is a sludgy metal tune with an interesting hook and side two is a sort-of awkward Leonard Cohen song that totally works. Put this slab 'o wax on if you find yourself home alone and drunk late at night. Eclectic, and totally worth my $4.

Black Cobra @ Hi-Ho

2009-11-16T12:02:00.000-08:00

BLACK COBRA, BLACK TUSK, HAARP @ The Hi-Ho Lounge (NOLA)
DEGREE OF AWESOMENESS INDEX: 7.0

My initial reasons for going to this show were threefold:

1. To see my friends in Haarp.
2. Black Cobra fucking rules.
3. To see Howl, who my band shared the stage with a couple times.

Despite the fact that I had been to New Orleans just a few days prior and would have to be back down there two days later, I hopped in Andrew's car thinking, what would I have done 4 years ago if there were a badass metal show in New Orleans on a weekday? The old me would kick the new me's ass if he knew I was thinking about skipping out on this show. So we went.

We walked in as Haarp was finishing their last song. Bummer. Still, Shaun was utilizing that 50ft mic cord by performing most of the this song at the back of the room, dripping sweat all over the floor and freaking out the people trying to get in the door. If you can make a death metal fan uncomfortable, you're doing something right. Once they were done packing up, I asked Shaun where Howl was. Apparently they were at home in Providence and had no idea the show was even happening. Huh. How about that.

Next up was Black Tusk. Seems like the kind of band I would like. 3 dudes that apparently play "sludge" from Savannah that have put out records on good labels like Hyperrealist and No Idea and did a split with a great hardcore band called The Holy Mountain from Florida. Maybe they were having an off night, but their set just bored the crap out of me. Yea, it was heavy and sludgy. The vocals were kind of annoying, though. And the songs didn't have any impressive riffs. And their stage presence just wasn't floating my boat. Now I'll be damned if the bassist from Weedeater wasn't in this band at this show. Either that or he's got stunt double. Maybe he was just filling in for their regular dude on this tour? Whatever the case, I would take his band over Black Tusk any day of the week.

We'd played with Black Cobra twice already (once at Gilman St. and once at SXSW) and I dug it both times, but the true awesomeness of this band didn't strike me until I heard their record. This is pretty much my shit right here. Think a heavier and more punk-influenced High on Fire sans guitar solos and less memorable vocals. Seems like that might not be that interesting, but the riffs are so driving, memorable, and interesting that it's not even an issue. This is the kind of music that makes you want to drink hard, live fast, and forget about your stupid job.

After the show we were convinced by The Mischevious Enabler and L.L. Raisin' Hell to grab a drink at The John, which was of course a terrible idea since they only serve doubles and I was getting tired. No rest for the weary, though. After a round we made our way to Verti Marte, where a very reluctant graveyard-shift worker bequethed a top-notch French Fry Po-Boy to me at a reasonable price. Possibly the best po-boy I've ever had in my life. In fact, I was going to give this show a 6.0, but that Po-Boy bumps it up a point. I got home at about 4:30am and went to work at 9am, and all I gotta say is that the 2005 version of me used to be able to get up in the morning a lot easier after a full night of metal in NOLA.

November update.

2009-11-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

SHOWS I'VE BEEN TO RECENTLY, AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH THEY RULED OR SUCKED.

-YOUNG WIDOWS, RUSSIAN CIRCLES, COLISEUM @ SPANISH MOON
-DEGREE OF AWESOMENESS INDEX: 6.5/10
Let me just preface this by saying I paid more than I wanted to for this show, got pretty drunk, and was in a very critical mood that night. I arrived with Hope and Andrew during Coliseum's 3rd or 4th song. I've heard a bunch of hype about this band. Bryan did a show for them at Banks St. years ago, and they toured with High on Fire. Judging from the t-shirt designs I'd seen, I was expecting some brutal DIY punk-infused hardcore/metal...like something Profane Existence would give a favorable review to, but less crusty. Well, I was non-plussed when I heard some pretty tame metal with only a slight hardcore influence. Nothing special. You'd think the bassist was playing in Iron Maiden with the way he was jumping around and headbanging. All I could think is, "man, that guy must have to get pretty fucked up every night to enjoy this mediocre shit that much." Highlight of the night was the singer's comments in between songs about how believing in ghosts is stupid. Total agreement there. Skeptic til death for life!

Young Widows came on next. I've seen these guys maybe 3 or 4 times now, and while it's pretty much the same show everytime, it still never disappoints. The guitarist's Telecaster-through-a-full-stack tone is such a welcome break from the creamy tones I'm used to hearing from loud-ass bands (including my own, for that matter), and his use of slapback delay really gives it a unique spin. They have such a huge sound for just a three-piece; one that's part Jesus Lizard and part Breather-Resist, which is these dudes' older band. Rather than mindlessly meld a bunch of genres together to create a virtual melting pot of styles, they take a few different influences and put them together to create something unique. Success, gents.

Next came Russian Circles, who I'd seen a couple years back (I think they opened for Red Sparrowes). I don't remember feeling one way or another about them back then, honestly. And maybe it was the two double well whiskeys, but I was just not impressed at all with this band. I bet if I hadn't already heard Explosions in the Sky, Pelican, GS!YBE, and all of their not-as-good imitators, I'd be creaming myself over this band. But I am a jaded asshole who has seen more crappy bands in basements and shitty bars than is healthy, and it takes a really good band to make me interested in this style these days. To their credit, they were loud as all hell and had some decent heavy parts. Unfortunately, the riffs weren't interesting, the atmosphere not impressive, and their light show just made them look pretentious. Sorry, guys...

-WHY? @ SPANISH MOON
DEGREE OF AWESOMENESS INDEX: 2.5
Everyone was talking about this show 3 months before it even went down, so I knew something was up. Part of me wanted to go just to see what all the fuss was about, but the cover charge was more than I would spend on a band I've never really heard. Fortunately (or not, depending on how you look at it), my friend Walt from Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship? had just been on a tour with a band called Dark Dark Dark who toured with all the bands playing that night, and he got Hope and I on the guest list. Ok, let me just get the obvious jab out the way: More like WHY? does anyone give a shit about this band? My first instincts upon this nearly sold-out show were the pangs of utter confusion. I carefully assessed the situation: a bunch of random people I have never seen at shows watching a guy who looks your boy from At the Drive-In alternately rapping/singing with a live backing band. My eyes nervously scanned the room until I stumbled upon a clue that would provide the context I needed to understand the phenomenon happening before me: an Anticon shirt. Now I'll admit, I was way into the first couple Sage Francis albums. But if this is what all the white kids who sort-of-kind-of know something about underground hip-hop are into, count me out. I'm no hip-hop expert, but I know what I hate.

I'm not shitting you, this band sounded like 311 to me. I'm sure the lyrics are lightyears ahead of what those beach-dwelling-even-though-they're-from-the-Midwest chart-toppers are capable of, but the delivery was painful. Dude's singing voice is grating as hell, like if 311 hired one of the hundreds of whiny emo singers I saw between 2002-2003 (for those of you who were unfortunate enough to have seen any of these dudes, think Armor For Sleep, Copeland, The Conversation, etc). Tons of Bros were swaying, lifting their High Life bottles in the air, eyes closed, reciting every last word. This is just pure shit.

-BIG SHIP / BYWATER GYPSY MARCHING BAND @ NOLA BOOKFAIR
-DEGREE OF AWESOMENESS INDEX: 7.0
I spent all day Saturday on Frenchmen St, cooped up behind a table in the Blue Nile. My girlfriend and her friend were participating in the annual NOLA Bookfair, and I was helping them sell prints, blank books, zines, etc. At about 4:30pm, right as our BBQ Tofu Poboy w/Tater Tots arrived from 13, we headed to the corner of Chartres and Frenchmen to see her friends play. It was most of the horn section of Big Ship plus a bass drum/trombone/baritone/and a percussionist. The crowd gathered at the corner as the first song started. A definite marching-band vibe was in effect, though the songs were much looser than anything John Philip Sousa would imagine, and there are certainly few other marching bands out there that cultivate the train-hopping Bywater gypspy look. The songs were great and the musicianship was A+. These are not your typical crusty punks who don't know how to play their instruments, these are mostly classically-trained people who know what they're doing. Fuck, if only half the old-timey punks in New Orleans could play like this. My only complaint is that the rhythm section was a little too rigid. I would've like to hear some more funky second-line beats thrown into the mix.

People started dancing, mainly the aformentioned old-timey punks, but this being the bookfair, there were also a few young toddlers getting down to these family-friendly tunes. This made for quite the interesting scene, especially when one dreaded crusty with missing teeth began drunkenly skanking as if at a Less Than Jake show, nearly plowing right into these poor kids.

At this point, two guys wearing Polo shirts neatly tucked into khaki shorts came up right behind me. One guy turns to the other and says, "This is the weirdest shit I've ever seen in my entire life."

New Bloods

2009-05-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

New Bloods - The Secret Life (KillRockStars)
www.myspace.com/thenewbloods

I listened to this cassette on my way to work this morning. What a cool, kinda weird album. 3 young ladies from Portland doing awesome guitarless post-punk-y, sing-song-y, something-else-y type of stuff.

I don't know why, but I really dig the bass playing on this album. It's real subdued yet nimble, and since there's no guitar it's forced to fill in a lot of space. Add to that the frenetic drone of a violin, sparse tribal kind of drumming, and alternately yell-y/sing-y vocals and you've got a recipe for some kind of strange upside-down cake.

Frankly I'm not so sure why I like this album. I think if someone had raved about this band and then given me the tape, I wouldn't be as into it. But for some reason (getting older?) I'm really digging this. I imagine that all the cool kids who freak out over Dirty Projectors would be way into New Bloods. Go listen to some songs on their myspace. Try "Oh Deadly Nightshade" on for size.

These ladies are going on tour all summer. I just sent them a message asking them to let me book a show for them here in BR, so let's hope that happens.

2 ladies and some dudes

2009-04-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

Mirah - Small Sale EP

I'll have you know I listened to a two-disc Agoraphobic Nosebleed album yesterday.

I'm talking about this one since I've been listening to it all week and don't yet have a copy of her new album (which is called (A)spera). Deal with it! And if you see this 7" in a used record store, buy it and then sell it to me so I don't have to steal it from my girlfriend when she isn't looking.

I'll be brief: 3 incredible songs, 1 not as good song, and 1 awesome instrumental. Totally twee, cutesy stuff here but Mirah's voice is so undeniably pure that all is forgiven. "Lonestar" even made me consider NOT hating Texas as much as I truly and deeply do. Nice try.

And if some sensitive indie-rock loser puts "Birthday Present" on a mixtape for you on your birthday, he's trying way too hard and should really just be more vocal about his feelings towards you instead of letting a beautiful young lesbian woman speak for him.

Madeline Adams - White Flag

I've only heard this one all the way through once, while driving through quaint towns in Northern Louisiana on the way to a rather unfulfilling weekend on tour. It was actually a perfect day outside...not a cloud in the sky. Good thing I was stuck in the van.

Madeline is awesome. She played most of these songs at the show I did for her here in Baton Rouge, and a gaggle of mostly young college girls sat on the floor in the living room with big shiny smiles on their faces. This album is sort of a departure from her other, more Plan-it-X type stuff. She's got a full backing band behind her, and the songs have a little more twang in them. Excellent hooks all around...just really catchy, good, folk-y music.

She calls Athens home, but she was born here in Baton Rouge! See? We're not all that bad!

SFN - (s/t 7" on 625 Thrash)

The first time I saw these guys we were playing with them in this weird office space in Madison, WI and they tore the place to shreds. YOUNG kids, maybe 18 or 19 at the oldest just exploding with energy. The second time, my other band played with them in New Orleans and they all must've done a bunch of coke beforehand or something because they jumping off the stage and tackling people in the crowd while playing their already break-neck-paced set like the record player was on 78rpm or something. Again, they demolished the place.

Powerviolence is such an obscure and stupid sounding genre that I feel ridiculous even talking about it. As if grindcore wasn't already music for people with strange music tastes, powerviolence takes it a step further by adding TOTAL cookie-monster vocals, even shorter songs, lower-tuned guitars, more bass, and 5-second sludge parts. SFN manage to make all this sound pretty impressive, even if their name supposedly stands for Smoke Fucking Nugs. And as if they weren't already playing an obscure-enough genre, 625 only pressed 300 copies of this album. So basically, find it on Soulseek or whatever if you're one of the, like, 2 other people I know who have heard of powerviolence and not of this band, or if you just like extreme stuff. Then go back and listen to Apartment 213, Lack of Interest, and Man is the Bastard if you want to hear some of powerviolence's heavy hitters. Steal mp3s, buy records.

GCS

2009-04-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ghastly City Sleep- (s/t 12" EP on Robotic Empire)

Typically, when I say, "You really need to come to this show, this band is amazing" I mean it. But sometimes, just sometimes, it's an absolute understatement. Even rarer is the odd occasion that someone actually believes me, checks out the show, and comes back saying, "Holy shit, you were right!"

I did a show for GCS across town, and I was really scared that no one would be there. It was a weekday night, after all. Through some kind of hoodoo or voodoo, the hype machine was set to "stun" and tons of people showed up to see GCS and Man + Building. The place was packed. I suppose thanks is owed to Josh, Jesse, Mitch, and Rory for telling people how amazing this band was going to be.

Their live set is pretty similar to this EP: ambient post-rock with trapped-in-a-cave reverbvocals, sparse guitar work, and tribal drums beating ominously in and out of the foreground. Everyone and their parent or guardian will probably compare them to Radiohead, and they'd be right to do so. The only thing is that I really think this band reaches damn near the same magical level as those Oxford clowns. Where the two differ is in presentation. GCS has this mysterious, anonymous veil draped over them...the vocals are clear and up front, but they're dripped in enough reverb and sung smoothly so that you're not bludgeoned over the head with the dude's personality. I guess what I'm saying is that GCS doesn't have Radiohead's pretense factor. I personally love Radiohead, but sometimes I just get the uncontrollable urge to slap Thom Yorke in the face, you know?

What's really cool to me is the origins of this band-- we're talking serious post-hardcore royalty in the house. Members of City of Caterpillar, Pg.99, and Majority Rule. The triumvirate of awesome post-hardcore from that scene's capitol in the late 90s/early 00s, Richmond, VA. So it's great that this band that has a really professional and mature sound and performance is still down for $5 DIY shows. Like I said, no pretense.

They're new full-length is supposed to be out this year, once again on Robotic Empire, and if they tour then you'd better believe I'll be doing their show. Don't miss it this time and live in shame forever.

check out a couple songs here:
www.myspace.com/ghastlycitysleep

2009-04-16T12:15:00.001-07:00

DEAD FRIENDS (s/t CD on Plan-it-X): Awesome melodic hardcore punk from Gainesville. The lyrics smack of desperation and resentment towards modern life. 14 quick songs with the occasional blast beat thrown in for good measure.

CHRONIC YOUTH Daschillin (self-released cassette): Andy from DEAD FRIENDS' other band. He calls it "noisy, drugged-out grunge" and that's about right. But emphasis on the "noisy". It's so noisy that you can't even make out the notes to a single riff. The vocals are buried in the background, which is a shame. Their singer is a scruffy dude who looks like he just woke up from a nap at 4pm after an intense bong sesh. Kinda sounds like Converge on Xanax without all the technicality.

PYGMY LUSH/TURBOSLUT (split 12" on Lovitt): A disclaimer: I had to listen to this on someone else's record player, and the record would not spin steadily. As a result, I heard everything with a subtle oscillation every couple seconds, and ended up with an undulation-induced nausea of sorts.

Two of my favorite bands, and probably TS's last release (let's hope not, though). The PYGMY LUSH side blends their acoustic and loud stuff pretty effectively. The opening riff on the first track is serious Good Rockin' Fun. The drumming is totally on point and the vocals fit in perfectly. The soft songs are catchy and lonesome, harkening me back to the Lush boys's backwoods palace in the Virginia woods, and towards the end a beautiful drone section begins to lull you sleep.

TURBOSLUT comes out strong with "Speed", which features a brutally droning Sabbath-esque riff, and from there there's pretty much no relief. Somehow the lyrical content is even MORE desperate and negative here than on Order of the Turboslut, which is something I personally enjoy. Disdain for sex, self-loathing, the hollowed-out insides of the used and abused. All the bases are covered and then told to fuck right off. Musically, the riffs are clearer and catchier. I wish Beck did more screaming on this one, but that's just me. Still noisy as hell, their side of this record cuts deep into corners of your brain you tried to forget about.

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF It Don't Mean I Don't Love You (CD, self released?): Alynda Lee has one of the best voices in all of New Orleans. Yea, I said that. Subtle, haunting, and never overbearing. It's a voice you almost instantly have a rapport with. Every track on here makes me feel like I'm drinking in the Marigny on a Sunday morning, watching old-timey bike punks pass by with hard wrinkled smiles on their faces. Hangover music indeed. The songs are all solid, featuring banjo, some light drums, accordian, etc. The standout track is "Bricks", and it's where Alynda's voice truly shines. The lyrics dance along the lines of death, drinking, love, and any combination of the three. The morbid content and vocal delivery make me want to compare Alynda to Dax Riggs, though Dax's lyrics are much more morbid than hers. Still an excellent album, though.

2 bands

2009-04-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

-Cortez the Killer (tour demo) - I heard this band on an awesome mixtape and made my friend burn me the whole CD. She had seen them in New Orleans years ago and said they played to barely anyone in someone's living room. It was hard finding a lot of info on them, especially since there are about 20 myspace profiles for bands of the same name (blame Neil Young).

What we have here is 5 lo-fi tracks that all have a garage-y pop-punk feel. Normally, this would be a complete turn-off to me, but the songwriting is fucking brilliant. It's nothing you haven't heard before, but the hooks are just really solidly executed. The best track by far is "Can't Quit Me" which is just a textbook example of a well-written, catchy rock song. I don't think the lo-fi-ness is really intentional,(the newer stuff on their myspace was definitely recorded more professionally), but it works well with their sound. I guess I just don't like people hopping on the lo-fi bandwagon. I mean, Wavves is okay and all, but sheesh.

Anyway, these guys rule and when I sent them a message online to tell them that, they said they'd let me book a show for them next time they come down South. So take THAT.

this is their myspace
All the other bands of the same name totally suck.

-O Haste Annihilation

Ok, so that mixtape had some other awesome bands on it as well as one insanely awesome Tilly and the Wall song that I was scared to admit that I liked for a while ("Rainbows in the Dark"). Whatever. Punk cred is a sham, and Bilal is the only person I know with an OFFICIAL "Punk Point" patch, anyway. And who can top that besides the hundreds of other people with the same patch?

A disclaimer: I don't really like folk-punk. In fact, I usually detest it. Sure, I was drawn to the beautiful posi-smile of Ghost Mice's violinist and maybe even connected with some of your boy's lyrics at that show at the Banks St Warehouse so long ago...but I have just seen too many spanging-crustlord-folk-punk bands by now, and I can't take anymore. I can't stand when the person singing says, "Ok, this song is about the WTO riots in Seattle....*sings* "The WTO riots in Seattle..."

IT'S OKAY TO BE VAGUE, YOU DAMN HIPPIES.

Enter this band, O Haste Annihilation. Yea, they got a folky-punk thing going on, but it's so much better than the usual. I can't find what album these songs are from, but their label (Anti-Civ) has one listed called Post Apocalyptic Sing-a-Long, so I'm guessing that's it. Anyway, the first track is epic as fuck. Yes, epic folk-punk. It exists. It's actually somehow kind of metal even though there's no distortion and the drums are pretty sparse. You can tell these dudes are having a blast, and even if you doubted it, check out their bio:

"still crazy in love after all these years, we are a serious bro-mance musical love affair that can't stop/wont stop. we have followed each other through the wilds of the eastern seaboard and soon will tour for our third time with charm. coming to a town near you if you are cuddling at least two days drive from the atlantic ocean, lets act like what we share matters, lets cut a rug and holler out our hearts. xoxoxoxoxoxox"

But on the real tip, I usually hate crap like this and I really enjoyed at least 3 of these songs, so that's saying something.

myspace

2009-04-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

I'm starting this blog so that I review records/bands/shows. I don't always keep up with the new stuff coming out, so some of these records are older. My point is to get the word out about bands that people maybe haven't heard yet, and plus I just like to write.