New Lightning Bolt album set for release on October 13th.
'Earthly Delights' is the duo's upcoming fifth full-length.
If you're like me, probably have this on repeat until physical release..
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Lightning Bolt - Earthly Delights
New Lightning Bolt album set for release on October 13th.
'Earthly Delights' is the duo's upcoming fifth full-length.
If you're like me, probably have this on repeat until physical release..
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Killing Joke - Hosannas from the Basements of Hell
Killing Joke are a post-punk group from England. Formed in 1978, the band stood out with their unique form of industrial-rock, incorporating quasi-metal flavor with Jaz Coleman's savage vocals. If you've never heard Jaz Coleman, afterward Scott Kelly might just seem tender in comparison.
Killing Joke influenced basically every rock band that you're too cool to listen to anymore (fun fact: Killing Joke was in the process of suing Nirvana for plagiarism before Kurt's passing...Later on, Dave Grohl would go on to drum their entire 2003 second self-titled album), though the group never received huge success, possibly in part to their controversial nature, multiple line-up changes, etc.
Their latest album in 2006, 'Hosannas from the Basements of Hell' (interchangebly referred as '..Basement() of Hell'), is probably my favorite Killing Joke album
(that I've heard...dudes have 13 studio albums).
The album was recorded in a dark basement studio in the Czech Republic, also apparently with old 70's equipment to add to the atmospherics -- dark equipment too, of course.
The result I think is one of Killing Joke's most refined albums from a songwriting standpoint, yet one of their most unhinged works from sanity.
If you haven't heard Killing Joke, this is a great place to start and a great representation of what Killing Joke does best -- namely dark, pounding grooves for Coleman to exercise his demons over.
I love the cover too...awesome piece from Victor Safonkin.
Monday, August 24, 2009
MF Doom Meets Clutchy Hopkins
Unofficial collab between Doom and the elusive Clutchy Hopkins. If the album is tagged as 'The Life of Clutchy Hopkins' it's because the album was often released/packaged with it.
Probably the best mash of Doom's work that isn't his own, but then, you just never know...
Tracklisting :
(on the CD the titles are blank, but for reference of Doom's tracks)
| 1 | Change The Beat (3:26) | |
| 2 | My Favorite Ladies (3:44) | |
| 3 | Melody (2:41) | |
| 4 | Impending Doom (3:39) | |
| 5 | Vomitspit (3:19) | |
| 6 | Air (3:22) |
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Little Dragon - Machine Dreams
Little Dragon is an electronic/mutated-pop group from Gothenburg, Sweden. The group is fronted by Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano, alongside three of her close high-school friends.
'Machine Dreams' is the band's upcoming sophomore full-length.
The album has been growing on me each listen, and while I (literally) can't compare it to their past work, have a feeling it falls nowhere in the supposed SS category.
Won't bother writing what you can't hear, but def recommend giving the group a go if unfamiliar -- come with an open-mind and Little Dragon should take care of the rest.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Memphis Reigns & D-Mitch - Skeleton Crew Diaries
Another quality hip-hop album from Memphis Reigns, featuring guest collaborator/producer D-Mitch. 'Skeleton Crew Diaries' is a recent 2009 output that Reigns distributed for free, recorded between his times of service in the military.
All around different vibes from 'Scorpion Circles' (largely in-part to the absence of Genelec), but some genuine hip-hop goodness none the less.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
HARK! It's A Crawling Tar-Tar - Dorr Darr Gelap Communiqué
HARK! It's A Crawling Tar-Tar were an experimental hardcore/punk group from Bandung City, Indonesia. The group incorporated thrash, crust - even skewed segments of hybrid folk.
Their 2005 album 'Dorr Darr Gelap Communiqué' has been getting some spins from me lately, really ambitious album/band...can tell they aimed to create something unique and different.
The name is pretty questionable/bad (vocalist apparently based it off a random thought in his head), but the music is anything but -- def recommend giving it a try.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
WhiteRoom
WhiteRoom are a duo from Montreal, currently residing in London. The small press garnered from their 2006 self-titled hailed them as "this generations Radiohead" (kinda' ridiculous, I know) -- whatever the case, the band made an impression on me.
Their self-titled is a journey through piano-driven headspaces, trip-hop/urban beats, and cinema soundscapes with sporadic vocals. The album intro leads into "Papillons", the most aggressive track on the album and undoubtedly my favorite -- the Vincent Volaju sample fits perfectly too and adds a lot to the track.
As mentioned, the pair moved to London for inspiration for their upcoming album, as well as tracking material for their new EP, 'The Amusia'.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Don Caballero - American Don
Don Caballero are seen by many as pioneers of "math-rock" -- implementing elastic time signatures, guitars seemingly inside-out, tapping, looping, etc. to carve out their unique sound. Though the band apparently hated the term.
The group had multiple lineup changes but operated primarily as an instrumental trio/quartet, with octopus-drumming Demon Che at the backbone of the group. Ian Williams (currently of Battles) also had a large impact on the sound and direction of the group - his unconventional guitar playing mixed with Che's dynamic drumming constructed much of the band's appeal.
This seemingly didn't last though, as their fourth full-length in 2000 marked the falling-out between Che and Williams, whom Che said he vowed to never play with again.
Che resurrected Don Caballero with a new core of musicians afterward, but to many fans, Don Cab's last album was 'American Don'.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Moth - Chapter One: Evolution
Have you seen The Moth?'Chapter One: Evolution' is The Moth, an elusive producer supporting a guest-hive of MC's.
Wish I could divulge more info, but I can't turn up anything on this album or The Moth himself...all I really know is that it came out in 2002 (with other great-unknowns like 'Scorpion Circles').
Your indie-cred is going to soar through the roof...this album art is like 56x12 pixels.
But on the real -- solid album.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Thee, Stranded Horse - Churning Strides
Thee, Stranded Horse is Normandy's Yann Tambour, a talented young musician who specializes in the kora and the guitar. His debut release, 'Churning Strides' showcases his versatile playing styles, as well as his gifted and genuine voice (think somewhere between Aaron Weiss' subdued moments and Devendra Banhart, maybe)...
Really choice album, def recommend it. Eases you into its comforting pace then capsizes into a cathartic-wave during middle-mark "Swaying Eel". Plus the nylon stringed acoustic-guitar/kora combination is really interesting.
Awesome stuff.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Gorod - Leading Vision
Gorod (formerly Gorgasm) are a technical death metal group from France. The band have three full-lengths, with the recently released 'Process of a New Decline'. Their prior full-length in 2006, 'Leading Vision', knocked me off my rocker...
So I'm just sitting there, enjoying my technical death metal, thinking about some twenty-foot tall black horse, with glaring demonic eyes galloping/leaping over small villages, and it occurs to me that this album is really good and I'm at this point hallucinating.
This album is like a juicy steak: well done/medium-to-medium-rare, it doesn't matter cuz it'll fill you up right, like a protein shake made of sludge. Or a twix bar made of nothing but whale lard. If your angle maybe the densest shrubbery.
It just makes sense to listen.
