Coaltar of the Deepers - Forever

While being up late last night I found myself listening to the live audio version of Coaltar of the Deepers DVD/CD release Forever. Before that I had never heard it, mostly due to me not really having a method of doing so other than going out buying a DVD player that can play region 2 DVD's. Anyway, for those who haven't heard this band, they are an interesting outfit from Japan who play an odd combination of shoegaze and metal. They have been around for quite awhile over in Japan releasing multiple albums and at the same time going through a number of lineup changes throughout that time. If I were to say this band sounds like anyone, the closest I can think would be possibly a bit like Swervedriver during their early "Raise" era. That though is even a stretch as Coaltar of the Deepers have definitely forged their own sound with their hybrid of shoegaze.

The live disc Forever was just released just a couple years ago and features the band playing at Shinjuku Loft November 2-3 in 2004. I wish I had the DVD, but however from the CD portion only, it sounds absolutely amazing. Some of the songs have been tinkered with, like "Good Morning", toning it down a bit and adding a nice electronic beat to the background. The same is done for "Receive Assimilation", which again adds a lot to the song in my opinion. One thing I was incredibly impressed with was their ability to pull off all of this live. They are an incredibly tight outfit pulling off each of their songs without a hitch and even adding to them more so than on the albums, which are already incredibly textured to begin with.

For those of you that have a region 2 DVD player can find Forever over at Tonevendor. The DVD portion actually includes the whole live performance, 4 promotional videos, a "making of" feature of their "Dead by Dawn" video, and an interview. So yeah, it would be extremely cool to have. And for other Coaltar of the Deepers releases I would suggest checking out YesAsia possibly.

Coaltar of the Deepers - Good Morning (live Shinjuku Loft) [MP3]
Coaltar of the Deepers - Blink (live Shinjuku Loft) [MP3]
Coaltar of the Deepers - Receive Assimilation (live Shinjuku Loft) [MP3]

A New Don Cab, In More Ways Than One...

Coming out in May will be the new Don Caballero record called World Class Listening Problem which will be out on their recently new found home Relapse Records. I went from having almost no interest in this release to absolutely loving it in a matter of a couple days. Reason for the initial lack of interest was the missing in action Ian Williams, as he is currently focused on his project Battles, which is also insanely great as well. After hearing the album though, I am pretty damn excited for this sucker to come out. I figured no Williams would be fairly noticeable, however the new recruits surrounding drummer Damon Che are pretty good in their own right. I guess this shouldn't really be to surprising as the newly recruited members all played in a highly influenced Don Cab band called Creta Bourzia, so the talent and familiarity of style is already there. Regardless, for anyone who might be turned off by the fact that there is no Ian Williams and that there is no possible way that this record can be good, well...you're wrong cause it is. It's really good. Please, please, and another please...pre-order it from Relapse. I am also eying the "Krokus" inspired t-shirt they have too, haha. Anyway, get the record when it comes out. Here is my favorite track from the album, and probably one of my favorite song titles now too.

Don Caballero - Palm Trees in the Fecking Bahamas [MP3]

Pre-order Don Caballero - World Class Listening Problem!

Vacationing (kinda sorta), Monthly Mix, and and and...

Ah, finally my vacation has arrived, for which I am taking a long overdue week off from work. However, I don't really consider it a full-fledged vacation as I am not really doing anything or going anywhere, other than hanging out with friends and just being lazy here at home. However, with the extra time, or the high potential for extra time, I can hopefully do some things on here throughout the week. Who knows.

At the Drive-In - Paid Vacation Time [MP3]

I have finished this months mix early once again, which is always a good feeling. Also, I have began taking down older mixes, which as of right now is only January's. So don't wait to long to grab the last one. Anyway, here is the tracklisting and enjoy!

01 - The Beatings - A Responsible Person
02 - Pia Fraus - Right Hand Traffic
03 - Red House Painters - Have You Forgotten
04 - Maudlin of the Well - Gleam in Ranks
05 - The Natural History - The Right Hand
06 - Maritime - Tearing up the Oxygen
07 - Scissorfight - The Dredge
08 - Danielson - Did I Step on Your Trumpet
09 - Shift - Spacesuit
10 - Curt Kirkwood - Beautiful Weapon
11 - Magneto - Isa
12 - Sea Wolf - You're a Wolf
13 - Morrissey - You Have Killed Me
14 - Made out of Babies - Pirate
15 - Sondre Lerche - (You Knocked Me) Off My Feet
16 - Starmarket - Safe Bayoo
17 - Gunfighter - Thirty Three Teeth
18 - The Afghan Whigs - When We Two Parted
19 - Chore - The Wall Burns
20 - Be Your Own Pet - Girls on TV

The Beatings and Magneto...

I am playing catch up a bit today, for which I apologize for no post since the weekend. Also, instead of dwelling in the past like I usually do or have, I felt it was time to look at some 2006 releases that have caught my attention. I am still waiting for that absolutely mind blowing release however. There is always that ONE, and it seems to be eluding me thus far. Yet, it's only March so I can't quite be expecting it yet. However, these are a couple great albums to take a look at in the mean time.

Hailing from the New England area is The Beatings (website) who have recently released Holding on to Hand Grenades which serves as their follow up to 2002's Italiano. I'd never really listened to them before this release however, and I am kind of disappointed I haven't. They play a fairly straight forward brand of post-punk that is highly influenced from various acts like The Pixies and Mission of Burma. However, The Beatings are much more guitar driven and noisy than really either of those bands were, fueled by a heavy melodic edge with just as much feedback to compete with it. It's obvious the group is looking to make sure that alternative music is still alive and well, and to be perfectly honest, they are doing a damn fine job of it. The vocals fall somewhere close to those of Frank Black, however they tend to lapse into more of Interpol feel at times. Regardless, this is a great listen and a very fun/energetic one at that, adding just enough interesting elements to an already tried and true style of music to turn ones head and possibly get it nodding as well. You can purchase the record from their very own imprint, Midriff Records.

The Beatings - This City is Killing Me [MP3]
The Beatings - Feel Good Ending [MP3]


I give thanks for the heads up on this one to So Much Silence. I am always, and I mean ALWAYS, looking for bands that sound like this. Magneto is based out of Seattle and have just recently released their debut album titled Sounds Like Space, which is a more than fitting title since the album is, in essence, very much a space rock album. Despite all the space rock attributes, the record rocks just as hard and is equally catchy. Album opener "Isa" sets it off perfectly displaying almost everything this band is about with layered guitar effects, a wall of twisting feedback, and a penchant for good pop song-writing that will immediately draw the listener in. The female fronted vocals provided by Lian Light are a good fit as well, being a bit subdued and relaxed. For some reason they remind me of something I would of heard 10 or so years ago, if that makes sense. With that, I highly suggest giving this album a chance and picking it up from their CDbaby page and also visit them at their website here.

Magneto - Isa [MP3]
Magneto - Machine [MP3]

Attack of the Simplest Band Names...

The band Chore is relatively new to me, as I had never heard of them up until a few weeks ago. I kind of just stumbled upon them when looking through other albums by similar artists. I am pretty glad I did though, as this band is actually a nice find for a band I came across so late. Chore was formed sometime around 1995 in Dunnville, Ontario and was comprised of members Chris Bell (vocals/guitar), Mitch Bowden (guitar/vocals), Mike Bell (bass), and David Dunham (drums/vocals).

Chore, while together, put out three albums...two of which would appear on indie label Sonic Unyon Records. Their sound combines a bunch of different influences, mostly reading like a who's who of post-hardcore and alternative music. However, what sold me on this band was the comparisons to long time favorites Hum. That lofty tag left me no other choice but to seek out this bands records, to which I managed to track down both their second and third albums, Take My Mask and Breath and The Coastaline Fire respectively. The music within does manage to contain a lumbering subtle heaviness along with their ability to write entirely catchy songs, to which I can appreciate any day. Drawing from mostly obvious influences though, Chore remain to be a fairly conventional band throughout its records, however they pulled off the style quite well and it makes the band highly worth listening to if you're a fan of Shiner, Hum, and the likes. Unfortunately for Chore the band would eventually call it quits sometime in early 2004 due to really never gaining exposure anywhere in either the US or their home country of Canada.

Chore - Coprock [MP3] (Take My Mask and Breath)
Chore - Superville [MP3] (Take My Mask and Breath)
Chore - The Wall Burns [MP3] (The Coastaline Fire)
Chore - B Coma [MP3] (The Coastaline Fire)

Buy both Chore's The Coastaline Fire and Take My Mask and Breath here


After constantly listening to the album Spacesuit by a great band called Shift, I finally took the fall and decided to purchase Get In, which was their final release and first for a major label. The purchase could either prove to be a nice surprise, or watered down fodder. I am crossing my fingers. The real listen here though is the aforementioned Spacesuit, which I really love and by no means has it ever disappointed. The band was always consistently lumped with various hardcore acts, probably mostly due to their label at the time Equalvision. However, they were pretty far from typical hardcore and were actually a much more melodic and riff driven band more than anything else. The vocals from lead man Joshua Locke are a bit interesting with his high pitched delivery, at times nasally, however it goes well with Spacesuits overall pop influence and drifting melodies. Spacesuit is not an overly heavy record, however Shift had an amazing ear for a good melody and the ones found on the album are some of best of I've heard, which makes it all the more disappointing that this band was never really embraced by more people. It's not a surprise by the descriptions given that this band would eventually jump to the majors for its last album Get In. However, judging by the lack of releases thereafter, it appears that the stint would be short lived. Regardless, anyone looking for some seriously good melody driven post-hardcore, pick up Spacesuit by Shift.

Shift - Pinprick [MP3]
Shift - Spacesuit [MP3]
Shift - Pacecar [MP3]

Buy Shift - Spacesuit here

I Shudder to Think...

The past few days at work I have been playing the hell out of Shudder to Think - Funeral at the Movies/Ten Spot, which is a compilation of their second and third albums put onto one disc. Actually, today I managed to play both Pony Express Record and this album. Anyway, I wanted to focus more on Funeral at the Movies/Ten Spot though, mostly because it also contains a bunch of great songs while their other albums like Get Your Goat and Pony Express Record usually hog all the attention.

Before Shudder to Think jumped to the majors for Pony Express Record and became gradually more abstract and skewed in their song writing, they were releasing records on DC punk label Dischord. Even then, Shudder to Think didn't really fit the bill as the type of band that would be on that roster. However, they managed to release three albums on the label before making the big hop to the majors. Their final for Dischord was Get Your Goat, which was really the beginning of their transition into a more disjointed and intricate playing style. However, one thing that is consistent through all albums is Craig Wedren's theatrical vocals. Even on Funeral at the Movies/Ten Spot with a more straight ahead rock approach, Wedren's falsetto is in full force and as dramatic as on any of their other releases. As much as I loved everything that is found on Pony Express Record, I liked the bands ability to just write straight up catchy rock songs just as much, which is what this compilation contains of mostly. It also features a fairly interesting cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic", a bit more schizophrenic maybe. Some of the strongest material comes off the Funeral at the Movies portion of the disc, with songs like "Chocolate", "Lies About the Sky", and "Red House". However, the song "About Three Dreams" is probably one of my favorites off the entire compilation, which slowly builds itself up until Wedren unloads what I am guessing is the three dreams with manic urgency. Such a good song. Anyway, if you're a fan of Shudder to Think and haven't listened to these records, you should. It's a interesting look at the band before they put together everything to release some of their finest music. If you listen to Shudder to Think, this is probably the more accessible material, however not as rewarding as what they would eventually come to release.

Shudder to Think - Chocolate [MP3]
Shudder to Think - Lies About the Sky [MP3]
Shudder to Think - About Three Dreams [MP3]
Shudder to Think - On the Rain [MP3]

A bit further with this, just last year Craig Wedren released a solo record called Lapland. Compared to material that was written with Shudder to Think, it's a bit more mellow and subdued, not nearly as quirky and off the wall as anything written in the past. However, I remember reading that some of the music found on Lapland was originally for a later Shudder to Think album, which I found a bit interesting. It's quite possible, however, that they had been altered quite a bit though, as that's a lot of time in between that last Shudder to Think record and Wedren's solo record. Wedren still manages to put to use his incredibly talented vocal range on various parts of the album, showing that he hasn't lost any edge off it. Anyway, Lapland is a good record and worth checking out, especially if you were a fan of the band and are looking to maybe hear and experience a bit more of an intimate side of Craig Wedren.

Craig Wedren - Do You Harm [MP3]
Craig Wedren - Rain Diamonds [MP3]

You can still purchase most of Shudder to Thinks discography here. Along with Craig Wedren's solo album here.

Tiny Entry...

Just a couple small things for the blog today...

While skimming through my routine of websites after I got home from work, I found that Jesu had posted samples up on their MySpace account. Granted, they are fairly short clips, but just in the few seconds you get to hear from the three songs posted from the new EP Silver, you will automatically notice that it's a bit more uptempo than the full-length. I am super excited for this EP though, the samples sound amazing and I don't expect this to let me down at all. Anyway, go here to check those samples out.

Also, a bit of randomness, here is a nice live version of Texas is the Reason's "A Jack With One Eye". I want to thank Margaret from I am Daylights for graciously putting this song up for me to grab. I would have to say I enjoy it a bit more than the actual recorded song. A great great band indeed...

Texas is the Reason - A Jack With One Eye (live) [MP3]

A Much Later Day for Honey...

I remember trying to track down this album for the longest of time. It eventually was given to me as a gift, which came as a great surprise since I figured this would be the last album that anyone would ever find for me. The album is the self-titled debut from a band called A Day for Honey, which would eventually prove to be their only release. They were formed sometime around 1993 by both Frank Giacchetto and Anthony D'Aiuto, who would later recruit former Orange 9mm drummer Larry Gorman, vocalist Tracy Jorg, and Ed Ciappa to be a second guitarist. After some time together they would be signed to Building/TVT records to release the aforementioned album under the helm of NYC hardcore producer extraordinaire Don Fury.

The style of music that A Day for Honey play probably wouldn't win any awards for being entirely innovative, however if it sounds good, I will come to appreciate it which is the case with this record. The music isn't anything fancy, rather it is plain and simple post-hardcore that happens to feature female fronted vocals. Comparisons to the likes of Quicksand or a billion others are sure to make an appearance here. Although it is fairly reasonable to categorize them among these other bands; A Day for Honey do play with a bit more sense of melody and when done with the compliment of Jorg's vocals, it becomes a bit more soothing at times than one would come to expect from an outfit such as this. The album itself is a bit hit or miss, which I chose to ignore a bit in high school, I'll be honest. However, as a whole, you could do a lot worse in this genre, trust me. The band would later go under the name Nympho, but would soon call it a day shortly after.

You can still buy this album new apparently from any of the big online retailers. However, I am willing to bet it wouldn't cost you much at a variety of used places. Regardless, give the band a listen.

A Day for Honey - Laserblast [MP3]
A Day for Honey - Dragster [MP3]
A Day for Honey - Nullify [MP3]

Traindodge...

I know my friends who have read all the crap I have posted on pre cursors to this website are probably just about sick of me talking about this band. However, this blog is a relatively new project for me, so that means Traindodge is once again fair game. I promise though, this is the last...at least until they release something new.

Regardless, the album pictured is Emblem Corners, which is actually a compilation rather than a full-fledged album. It features a bunch of leftover material recorded between 1997 and 2001 as well as one live song ("Tomorrows Mileage"). This compilation of material basically serves as some of my favorite music recorded by the band. However, it's a shame as Emblem Corners was limited to only 200 pressings due to being self-released basically through the bands own label. I really don't know where you go about finding it now, other than online auction sites like eBay and others. Regardless, if you can find this compilation, grab it because the songs featured on it are so damn good.

Traindodge play what could be considered a dated sound to some ears, however I find music like this to be refreshing since it's all to uncommon these days. The band slides in fine next to other Midwestern rock bands like Shiner, Hum, Season to Risk, and Riddle of Steel. Featuring brothers Jason Smith on vocals/guitar and Rob Smith on drums, as well as bassist Chris Allen. Despite being just a trio, the band carries a very very thick sound with some insanely tight drumming to go along with it. When listening to the album, it's hard to believe that such a low end and massive sound can be produced by just three people. What makes the band stand out, or differentiate themselves from the bands mentioned is that their sound is so driving and dense. Just take a listen to "Replica" below and tell me that song isn't amazing, and this is just their earlier material. Hell, these are suppose to be cast-offs? Unbelievable. Although, the tracks "Kachina" and "Low Shoulder" eventually made it on to last years re-issue of their amazing EP Torch. If you're a fan of anything post-hardcore or were a fan of the trademark Midwestern hard rock sound then by all means check out Traindodge. Their later material is a bit more mathy, but is still a good listen. You can find them currently being housed under Ascetic Records. They just recently popped up with a new website, which can be found over here. Do check them out, please.

Traindodge - Huron (instrumental) [MP3]
Traindodge - Replica [MP3]
Traindodge - Among the Ruins [MP3]

Buy Traindodge albums here!

What!?! He Posted on the Weekend?

A rare weekend post for me, however with me being here this weekend I might as well make use of it and post something. So there's an explanation for that, haha.

Sometimes I feel there are albums that are perfect for a period of life or situation. Like me, being in my early twenties, I have still yet to find out exactly what I should be doing with my life, other than this blog of course. Albums that kind of dwell on that topic are a bit harder to come by rather than say albums that are mostly dealing with the ending of relationships and stuff like that. Don't get me wrong, I own a bunch of that stuff, but like I said, it always deals with the same things. Where as, I am more inclined to relate to an album that has to deal with someone going through an odd transition in their life, or someone dealing with numerous changes in their life or maybe just themselves. Anyway, I am sure I've only managed to confuse people with all the above, but those types of albums are going to be my main focus of this post today.

I'll start with the general "relationship" album, maybe with a bit of a more misogynist feel to it at times, which I can always appreciate. That album happens to be The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen. I choose this because it's not the typical "I miss you, I still love you" stuff. It's actually the more logical and what I would believe to be the more common situation or train of thought after such events. Probably has something to do with the fact that it's not written with the mentality of some fruitless teen relationship. Anyway, the album has found its way in and out of my CD player quite a bit. It never takes me long to come to fully appreciate Greg Dulli's lyrics, albeit a bit up front with them at times. However, that's the beauty of this album. It's so completely honest, self loathing, and bitter that it makes for one of the only true heartbreak albums that I can think of aside from maybe a couple others. Regardless, this is an album of someone laying it all on the line...emotions, frustration, etc. It's caught and perfectly expressed in a real way on Gentlemen, all the while still managing to be a straight forward indie rock album. Check out the songs below for some of my favorites off the Gentlemen.

The Afghan Whigs - Debonair [MP3]
The Afghan Whigs - When We Two Parted [MP3]
The Afghan Whigs - What Jail is Like [MP3]

Buy The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen here!


The album This is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About from Modest Mouse is more along the lines of what I was talking about before. An album that focuses, while not completely, on the confusion of lifes direction. At least that's what I've always gathered from it. Of course it deals with the little nuances here and there that makes life so challenging at times, however it's all those things that lead you to question it in the first place.

I'm not to terribly familiar with Modest Mouse's entire discography, as I've never really considered myself a huge fan. This album though always seems to capture a different feeling from me however when I hear it. I don't know if it's having to do with living in the Midwest and its vast nothingness, or if Isaac Brock just hit the nail on the head with it here. Isolation will do strange things to you after awhile, and throughout the album you get the sense that a lot of the songs are partly due to it. Songs like "Dramamine" and "Talking Shit on a Pretty Sunset" creep along slowly and quietly but manage to tell and present a much larger feeling of desperation and confusion. Explaining exactly what the songs or this album sounds like is fairly pointless, as I am sure most by now have been exposed to Modest Mouse by this point, and to be honest they haven't changed a whole lot. However, This is a Long Drive... is the kind of album I feel that is almost essential listening in between jobs or relationships. Although it won't help you any with your outcome, it's at least a bit comforting to hear in my opinion.

Modest Mouse - Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset [MP3]
Modest Mouse - Dramamine [MP3]
Modest Mouse - Custom Concern [MP3]

Buy Modest Mouse - This is a Long Drive For Someone With Nothing to Think About here!

If There Ever was a Gimmick, This is the One...

While these days Dave Sardy is doing mostly nothing but producing, there was a time when he did also create music with his band Barkmarket. Their finest album Gimmick, released in '93, stands as a truly overlooked and under appreciated album. With the slew of terrible music that also came from majors at the time, you would think something as identifiable and different would of at least caught some attention, however, it remains that Barkmarket is still widely unknown to most.

On Gimmick, and as on any other album by Barkmarket, the guitar tone is something that is by far their very own. It may not be for everyone, however, I am a huge sucker for down tuned crunching guitars, and Gimmick serves up plenty of those. Often thrown alongside bands like Helmet or Therapy?, Barkmarket are really not entirely that similar in my opinion. Especially with Gimmick, it seems that Barkmarket may indeed share some qualities with some of their 90's hard rock peers, but the experimental/noise influence shown throughout is much more prominent than of those previously mentioned. When all put together though it forms a very trashy metallic sound that leans more heavily on Sonic Youth or Big Black than anything else. I must say though, I absolutely fucking love it. It's almost like creating and putting an anxiety attack onto a recording, amazing. Dave Sardy's vocals and lyrics should be taken note of and appreciated as well, as he spits out some seriously crazy lyrics. It's even more convincing when they are delivered in such a way that it makes you feel as if Sardy is teetering on the edge of insanity, only adding to Barkmarket's panic stricken sound.

Take a listen to some of these songs below and then run out and find a copy of Gimmick. You owe it to yourself. Like everything neglected, but however amazing, you can find it pretty cheap used, like here.

Barkmarket - Whipping Boy [MP3]
Barkmarket - Curio [MP3]
Barkmarket - Hack it Off [MP3]