Roma 79 - The Great Dying

The more I listen to The Great Dying by San Fran’s Roma 79, the more I wish I would have included it in my top 20 records for 2005. I know, it’s a couple years ago, but it’s one of those things that stick out every time I pop on this album. I am constantly reminded of how I completely excluded this album from the list. Why? I really don’t have any excuse other than maybe I heard it so late that year that I didn’t think I had listened to it enough. However, I don’t think that’s a very good reason and if it were ’05 all over again, there is no doubt in my mind that The Great Dying would have fallen somewhere in that list.

Roma 79 is yet another amazing band that happens to be on Ascetic Records. I don’t know how they do it, but the label is considered home to at least two of my favorite bands currently operating (Traindodge and Riddle of Steel). Roma 79 is doing their best to try and make it three bands. Ever since hearing The Great Dying in late 2005, it’s grown on me more and more. Originally I was sort of surprised by its sound, it didn’t really remind me a whole lot of what else I’d heard come out on Ascetic. The guitars were tinged with a sort of shimmering quality and there wasn’t that obvious thunderous rock power behind it. Maybe that’s why I didn’t include it on my year end list that year, I don’t know. All I know is that eventually after a few more listens it finally hit me. This album combined two of my favorite genres of music and sort of mashed them together to create one solid rock album. Roma 79 may be from San Francisco, but they have a very Midwestern rock influence in their music and then combine that with the glistening beauty of dream pop/rock and you have The Great Dying. Although it took me awhile to fully realize what I was hearing, it was obvious from the beginning that Roma 79 are a group of great song writers that fit absolutely perfect alongside the other bands on the Ascetic roster.

For anyone that didn’t give The Great Dying a chance in ’05, then by all means have a listen to the tracks below. Don’t expect over powering rock, however enjoy some solid and creative song writing with a bit of a dream pop/shoegaze touch.

Roma 79 – Gold [MP3]
Roma 79 – Angel Message [MP3]

For those interested, The Great Dying can be picked up over at Ascetic Records and while you’re at it I suggest checking out the rest of their roster of bands. Also, be on the lookout for a brand spanking new album from Roma 79 later this year. You can be sure whenever that comes out I’ll be posting about this band again. Enjoy!

Engine Kid...

Engine Kid was a fairly interesting band to me and still is for the most part when I go back and listen to a lot of their material. Their sound took on a bunch of different influences that were easily detectable within their own music, however in the end they made it all work. Initially they got a bit of flack for sort of aping Slint’s sound, which isn’t necessarily unwarranted, they did in fact sound a lot like Slint in the beginning. The whole quiet/loud/quiet dynamic was pretty prominent and various mumblings throughout the quieter areas of the bands music were also pretty common. Despite all of that though, the band was good. People can say what they want about them obviously being big Slint enthusiasts but what they did with that influence was pretty impressive. It was heavier for one thing, which naturally sat well with me. However, following the release of their EP Astronaut they released their debut album Bear Catching Fish, which helped establish the group as a band that had something more to offer to the world of noise-rock/post-rock.

Their second album Angel Wings, which was released on Revelation in 1995, is what made Engine Kid so special in my eyes. There is just a lot to take in with this album. It’s hard to judge just as to where it will go, and it still seems like every time I listen to it that I am listening to a completely new album. It doesn’t allow the listener to ever become too familiar with it, which to me is a pretty big deal. The unpredictability of Angel Wings is easily its strongest point in the end. The cover of John Coltrane’s “Olé” at the very end of the album pretty much sums up the direction of it, in that it’s completely free and boundless. In a world of heavy music, it’s rare to see something like that unless you dive deep deep into the underground and even then the amount of shit you have to sift through is a chore. Engine Kid pulled out all the stops for this one incorporating jazz, post-rock, noise-rock, and probably a few more things too. It’s simply an amazing record that really needs to be listened to.

Astronaut:
Engine Kid – Furnace [MP3]

Bear Catching Fish:
Engine Kid – Treasure Chest [MP3]

Angel Wings:
Engine Kid – Windshield [MP3]
Engine Kid – Anchor [MP3]

Heater Sweats Nails 7”:
Engine Kid – Heater Sweats Nails [MP3]
Engine Kid – Husk [MP3]

Engine Kid released one more single before they broke up. Singer/vocalist Greg Anderson would later play in a few different bands, such as Burning Witch and Goatsnake. Currently he can be found in Sunn O))). As far as finding Engine Kid records go, you can still pick up Angel Wings and the split they did with Iceburn over at Revelation Records. Big thanks to Billy in the comments section for providing a link to purchase both Bear Catching Fish and Astronaut. Check out the C/Z Records for those.

Solar Coaster...

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. It was rainy here for the majority of mine, which wasn’t all bad since I had already dedicated myself to getting everything organized and put on to a new bookcase that I had given to me. Pretty awesome, but the downside of that means taking everything out of all the CD racks/towers I had before, putting them in alphabetical order, moving them over to their new home on the bookcase, and all that completely nerdy stuff. It was time consuming but I can safely say now that this portion of the house has never looked better. Enough with that though, I don’t need to make my self sound any more pathetic.

About three weeks ago I had a reader write me and inform me of a little known band called Solar Coaster, whom released one record on Turnbuckle Records back in 1998 that was self-titled. As far as I know they didn’t go on to release anything else after the label went bust. Anyway, after listening to a few mp3’s attached to the e-mail, I found myself really enjoying them. It was enough for me to go out and track down their one and only album, which is really good actually. Their sound isn’t anything completely original; however those that enjoy the sounds of Bailter Space or Swervedriver will probably find this album pretty easy to get into. Solar Coaster play a much faster paced rock driven style of shoegaze that probably takes a cue every once and awhile from the cream of the crop of 90’s indie rock. The guitars kind of relegate the vocals to a part-time background duty as the album rips through twenty, yes twenty, tracks of feedback laced rock. Most of the songs clock in around the two minute mark on average. The music in general has a very uplifting vibe to it along with it making me want to hop in my car just drive really really fast. It’s pretty good music to pop in for a long drive on a sunny day, no doubt.

Solar Coaster – Likeness of No One [MP3]
Solar Coaster – Anonymous [MP3]
Solar Coaster – Want it to Be [MP3]

Solar Coaster’s self-titled album is still available through online vendors such as Amazon for pretty cheap and brand spankin’ new. However, there a ton of used copies as well. You’re choice. Regardless, if you like what you hear, pick it up because the rest of the album is exactly like the posted songs. Enjoy!

Six Horse...

Featuring members of both Don Caballero and Blunderbuss was Six Horse who weren’t around for a real long time but managed to release one 7 inch to my knowledge and a full-length on Dubious Honor titled Fine Business, Excellent. I like to think of Six Horse as sort of a middle ground to both of the aforementioned bands, however maybe leaning towards the mathy side of things a bit more. Regardless, if you dig either those bands and you haven’t ever listened to Six Horse, then by all means do so. It’s great stuff that kind of gets forgotten about when going back through the whole math-rock period of the 90’s, mostly due to the obscurity and the short time frame they were together.

Fine Business, Excellent:
Six Horse – But the Lights Are On [MP3]
Six Horse – Won 28 [MP3]

Don’t Doubt Annie 7”:
Six Horse – Don’t Doubt Annie [MP3]
Six Horse – Dance Gypsy [MP3]

Fine Business, Excellent is still available from what I can tell through Dubious Honor.

Also don’t forget to pick up the most recent Blunderbuss album! Get it, because it pretty much rocks more than anything I heard in 06. It's still available here.

Sway...

Finding information about Sway is almost damn near impossible. Even when they were together it still seemed like finding information or news on the band was incredibly difficult. They had a website and all that, however that disappeared eventually. Most likely aside from their home in Southern California they remained quite an elusive band. I was lucky enough to stumble across them somehow or another a few years back, probably right around the time of their EP Millia Pink and Green in 2003. I’d always meant to write a little something about them on here, being such a huge fan of the little bit of material they released when they were together. However, I kept holding off due to rumors popping up from time to time that the band would finally be releasing their first album, but as far as I know it never surfaced. I assume it’s recorded, but it’s just never been released, which is a shame.

Sway were a great band that through their brief time together kind of touched on all areas of shoegaze. Their first EP was self-titled and was limited to only 500 copies. It was quite a bit different than the direction they would take later. The EP was noisier and a bit rough sounding, however it was still very fun to listen to. The band went on to release their second EP in ’03 called Millia Pink and Green. It was noticeably more ethereal sounding and the rock edge of the first EP was entirely gone. Not a bad thing, as Sway was very good at doing both in my opinion. Although the band is defunct they still have a vinyl only EP called Winter Heart that is scheduled to come out on Claire’s Echo still. I really wish they could have stuck it out longer or at least been able to put out their full-length. I have no doubt in my mind that it would be amazing.

Sway:
Sway – I Just Die [MP3]
Sway – Us Girls [MP3]

Millia Pink and Green:
Sway – Fall [MP3]

Us Girls 7”:
Sway – Channel [MP3]

A couple of the members from Sway went on to form the The Northern Two, which for more info on them you can check out their MySpace. They have a full-length album that should either be coming out or just came out, so give them a listen. As far as finding Sway releases, good luck. Their material is pretty hard to track down, however with some thorough searching you may be able to turn up something.

Big'N...

I’m digging back into the fertile grounds of the Chicago 90’s noise-rock scene for today’s entry and am going to take a brief look at one of the greatest bands to come out of that whole noisy mess, Big’N. It’s long past due.

Big’N might not be one of the first bands mentioned when people think mid nineties noise-rock, but they sure as hell should be. Their music could have been a blueprint for how it should sound. Although, that blueprint would surely be covered in beer stains and probably be partially torn to pieces. That’s just a mere reflection as to how Big’N sounded. They were completely raw, full of energy, and absolutely out of control.

The band was formed in the early 90’s and released a number of 7 inches before being offered to release a full-length album through Germany’s Gasoline Boost Records. With that they were able to issue their debut album Cutthroat, which in my opinion is the better of two but it’s a very tough call. Cutthroat is just a little bit noisier, which gives it the slight nod. However, their second album Discipline Through Sound stacks up pretty nicely to it. There is no noticeable drop off between the two.

Sometimes I think there are bands that are named almost perfectly in contrast to their sound. Big’N is one of those bands. Their sound was a lumbering juggernaut of filthy bass and dissonance combined with that “good ‘ol boy” attitude with a partial drinking problem. What better name could they have had other than Big’N to solidify that image?

Regardless, for anyone that missed out on these guys while they were around, do yourself a favor and check out the songs below. The band was amazing and should be a staple within noise-rock.

Cutthroat:
Big’N – Dirtfarmer [MP3]
Big’N – Jackalope [MP3]

Discipline Through Sound:
Big’N – Moonshine [MP3]
Big’N – Dry [MP3]

Musket 7’’:
Big’N – Musket [MP3]
Big’N – Tight One [MP3]

Big’N recorded one last split EP with the Oxes before they disbanded in 1997, however they did reunite for one show this past December. Drummer Brian Wnukowski went on to drum for a variety of bands including Neutrino, Runner, Check Engine, and most recently Haymarket Riot and Cougars. The other 3/4ths of Big’N can be found in a project called Cowboys and Zombies. Check out their MySpace for more. I am not aware of any place that still has Cutthroat available; however you can still find Discipline Through Sound at Amazon either new or used.

Edit: Thanks to one of the readers in the comment section for pointing out that Cutthroat is still available through German hardcore label X-mist.

White Mice - BLASsSTPhLEGMEICE

I am wondering if the world were actually taken over by gigantic mutated mice, if all music would just inevitably sound like this. Crazy thought I know, but after listening to the new album BLASsSTPhLEGMEICE by Providence, Rhode Island noise makers White Mice I have to begin to ask myself that question. In the end I am just not quite sure. I mean, these mice are obviously very disgruntled and looking to seek revenge for years of torture in labs and test facilities in the most bloodiest of manner. Not all mice can be this way, can they?

I got to hand it to these guys; they are entirely dedicated to their craft, all the way from their bloodied and disfigured mouse costumes to the constant running mouse-like themes of their songs and albums. It truly goes a long way in saying that these guys are definitely a bit disturbed in some shape or form. I can’t imagine any other setting really where this shtick would necessarily go over well. However, whenever you hear the trio’s music, it all makes sense very quickly. These dudes are serious about being mice. Not just mice, but mice with the sole intent of wiping out all of humanity.

Their latest album and second for Load, BLASsSTPhLEGMEICE, is yet another huge slab of nauseating noise. Fueled by bass, drums, and an oscillator…the result could very well be deafening at high volumes. Hell, it could be deafening at mid level volumes. It’s definitely not for the weak hearted or for anyone who has a fear of murdering mice. I have a feeling the number for the latter will be rising here very shortly. But anyway, one noticeable difference about this album when compared to their last, ASSPhIXXXEATATESHUN, is that the muddy production qualities have been pretty much eliminated. Whether this is a good thing or not has yet to be determined as it could be argued that the muddied clarity of the last album was yet just another portion of the groups sound. To these ears though, it doesn’t hurt a thing and it’s actually quite nice to sort of hear just what the fuck these guys are doing to those poor poor instruments. I suppose it’s all fine and dandy, so long as it’s the instruments that receive the beating and not us unsuspecting humans.

White Mice – Catasstasteatrophy [MP3]
White Mice – Rattarddead [MP3]

BLASsSTPhLEGMEICE is available now through Load Records. It’s definitely recommended to those that are interested in the more extreme end of noise-rock, and by extreme…I mean pretty damn extreme. Do check this out.

Kepone...

To finish off this week is the band Kepone, whom I’ve been meaning to write about on here for a couple months or so now. I hate it whenever I get sidetracked and then forget about certain groups that I’ve wanted to feature on here. But anyway, it’s Friday and I think this is a pretty good way to go out for the weekend as I really enjoy the bands work that they put out during their time together.

Kepone was brought together in 1991 and was originally the side project for bassist/vocalist Michael Bishop, who was currently at the time known as Beefcake the Mighty in the infamous Gwar. That’s about the extent of that though, as musically Kepone didn’t have a damn thing in common with Gwar. It’s an interesting anecdote though. Regardless, that stint would only last until around 1993 when the band put out its first single and eventually landed itself on Quarterstick Records thanks in part to the lobbying of The Jesus Lizard. I bet a lot of bands wish they could get that sort of backing. Anyway, from that point on the band would go on to release three albums Ugly Dance, Skin, and Kepone all of which were full of hard driving alcohol fueled noise and some amazing bass lines provided by Bishop. It’s kind of surprising that they don’t get brought up more often, as their sound in my opinion fit Touch & Go/Quarterstick like a glove. However, that is the way things are sometimes as we’ve seen time and time again. I would go on about this band, but I am guessing that for anyone that is interested that you probably already have a good idea as to how this is probably going to sound. So go for it.

Anyway, for those that haven’t heard the band I strongly recommend it especially to those that are even remotely interested in 90’s noise-rock. It may not be the noisiest, but it’s really fucking solid and that’s by far and away good enough for me.

Ugly Dance:
Kepone – Leadbreath [MP3]
Kepone – Ugly Dance [MP3]

Skin:
Kepone – Velveteen [MP3]
Kepone – Prisoners [MP3]

Kepone:
Kepone – Ghost [MP3]
Kepone – Jimmy Spit [MP3]

While I’m not to entirely sure if the bands material is still available/in print or not it can still be had over at Amazon used for rather cheaply. With that, I am out for the weekend. Everyone have a safe one! Enjoy!

Today is the Day - Temple of the Morning Star

Well, I hope everyone found some way to make Valentines Day the least bit enjoyable. Me, I got some cupcakes out of the whole deal and that’s about it, however they were damn good cupcakes so I am pretty satisfied. The day wouldn’t have been complete however without a little bit of music to help celebrate this fine holiday. So, one of my first choices was Temple of the Morning Star by the renown Today is the Day. Honestly, nothing says “Happy Valentines Day” any better.

A truly terrifying album to those that aren’t familiar with the band and even to those that are this album is still pretty damn creepy. Today is the Day has always been, in whatever lineup configurations it’s went through, a band that continually pushes the limits in terms of being extreme and disturbing. Temple of the Morning Star is so oppressively dark that it’s almost hard to sit through in one listening. The continual running themes of depression, hatred, soured relationships, and alienation are truly close to the point of being overwhelming. Doesn’t sound the least bit redeeming, does it? Well, for whatever reason I break out this album every once and awhile and let it remind me that this is probably what rock bottom sounds like, oh and the songs are pretty top notch too.

While the album may be a wee bit on the dark side of things, it’s hard to not notice that the band is also pretty technically proficient and alongside of Steve Austin’s raspy screams is some pretty insane and impressive riffs. For Temple of the Morning Star and really Today is the Day’s music in general, the sound is heavy for completely different reasons. It’s heavy in such a way that it grabs the listener and places such a weighted burden on them that it feels almost impossible to get away from. It’s a sound that practically feels like it’s choking you. Temple of the Morning Star is one of those records that should only exist in the deepest darkest corners of the world, however has somehow been unleashed to terrorize us all. Again, what fits Valentine’s Day any better than that?

Today is the Day – High as the Sky [MP3]
Today is the Day – Rabid Lassie [MP3]
Today is the Day – My Life with You [MP3]

Relapse Records was awesome enough to have this album remastered and reissued this past year, so it’s still widely available. Pick it up over at Amazon. Enjoy!

Eldridge Rodriguez - This Conspiracy Against Us

Sometime last year I wrote a small piece on Boston noise-rockers The Beatings and their last record Holding on to Hand Grenades, which I was really impressed with. Well, I’ve been lucky enough to receive the solo offering from Beatings/La Faccia Brutta member Eldridge Rodriguez, who is dubbed as just E.R. on his record This Conspiracy Against Us.

Rodriguez is joined here on the album by his backing band The New Jerseys, who is made up of members Willie Dale Scales (Spanish Armada), Greg Lyons (Spanish Armada, The Pending Disappointment), Dan Parlin, and Kamiko Darrow (La Faccia Brutta). With help from this group, Rodriguez is able to construct some fascinating and fractured noise-pop. Rodriguez has taken the most intimate aspects of being a singer/songwriter and basically made it into a much more personal and upfront issue. As hinted at in the press release, this album is all about being unhappy with everything that surrounds you, from bad relationships all the way to just being completely fed up with others unjustified artistic merit. It seems as if Rodriguez had some things that he undoubtedly wanted to get off his chest and This Conspiracy Against Us is where he absolutely lets loose.

One of the most interesting things about this record is getting to hear Rodriguez’s lyrics, which are completely raw and at times in your face. You don’t necessarily get to see that side of him in The Beatings, or at least you don’t get to notice it as much when those lyrics are being screamed over a bunch of crashing distortion. Here though, Rodriguez is able to take them and make it a very valuable tool to the albums overall success.

E.R. – Stillborn in New Jersey [MP3]
E.R. – This Conspiracy Against Us [MP3]

I recommend anyone who is interested in hearing music that is brutally honest or is just simply a fan of The Beatings to check this album out. It’s a very solid solo effort. This Conspiracy Against Us will be released officially on February 27th, however it can be pre-order now over at Midriff Records. Check it out!

Air Formation - Daylight Storms

It’s actually kind of odd in a way. I found myself getting pretty excited about the new album Daylight Storms by Air Formation after never really listening to them a whole lot. It’s not completely out of the blue I suppose. I have enjoyed the bands music for a few years now; however it really wasn’t until last years EP 57 Octaves Below that I really began to take notice of them. In fact I actually wanted to write something about that EP a few months back, but never got around to it and then I figured out they had this album coming out eventually which put things on hold a bit. But back to what I initially stated. I found my excitement for Daylight Storms to be slightly surprising. Like it sort of snuck up on me in a way or dwelled inside of me until just about a week before the album came out. All of that though can be attributed to a wonderful EP and goes to show that great music does in fact stick with you whether you know it or not.

On to the actual album though, Daylight Storms is exactly what I’d hoped it would be. It’s full of lush shimmering beauty that, while being heavily influenced by earlier shoegaze groups, it shares a lot in common with the epic beauty found within some post-rock groups like Explosions in the Sky or God is an Astronaut but maybe not as powerful. The combination is great though and Air Formation continues to prove that they only get better with each release. Their sound is a perfect blend of hope and sadness that goes right along with those occasional late night reflections we have. It’s simply great stuff that hopefully will get this band some much deserved recognition. All I can say is don’t make the mistake I made and brush them off like I did for quite awhile.

Air Formation – Cold Morning [MP3]
Air Formation – Adrift [MP3]

For those interested you can pick up the album here or check out Club AC30 if you’re in the UK. Enjoy!

Chavez - Better Days Will Haunt You

In sort of keeping in the same spirit with my Seam post I made a few days ago, I return today with another band that also holds a spot in my mind as one that helped define 90’s indie rock. Keep in mind; this is aside from the obvious choices like Built to Spill, Pavement, and etc. The band I am thinking of is Chavez, which just near the end of last year saw the release of a much anticipated three disc retrospective called Better Days Will Haunt You that compiles the bands two albums, their EP, their first single, and a few other rarities. Also included is a pretty spectacular DVD that contains the bands two videos and various footage of the group shot on tour.

Why am I writing about this now? Well, mostly because I didn’t get around to it whenever this first came out and the fact that this weekend has consisted of some pretty heavy Chavez listening. So, forgive me for this being old news to probably just about everyone who is a fan of the band. However, if there is anyone out there that hasn’t given this band a listen or missed out on them during their short three year existence, then please please please buy this compilation. For a mere $15 dollars you can own the bands entire discography, which is pretty much the best deal ever.

I owe my discovery of this great band to yet again, 120 Minutes during its glory days. Seeing the video for “Break Up Your Band” is what really got me turned on to them. The song itself would have been enough, but combined with an oddly surreal video featuring male strippers dancing for an audience of older women, it was just so insanely weird and out there that I instantly became a fan of the band.

On the outside Chavez may seem like nothing more than just another guitar driven rock band from the 90’s and we all know how many of them there were during that period of time. However, Chavez put such a creative spin on it, twisting their melodies and laying down riffs that were completely unexpected. It was more than enough to captivate the lucky listeners that got a chance and took the time to hear it. Their sound was thunderous and crushing at just the right moments. They were simply amazing.

Chavez – Wakeman’s Air [MP3]
Chavez – The Guard Attacks [MP3]
Chavez – Unreal is Here [MP3]

Yet another band that I probably couldn’t live without and to whom I owe quite a bit for helping shape my musical tastes to where they are now. So to Chavez, thank you. And to Matador for putting out this compilation, thank you as well. I urge everyone to purchase this. Check it out over at Amazon.

Spore...

I’d been meaning to get to Spore, especially after doing the post on Kudgel not to long ago. Spore was yet another great band that was part of the amazing 90’s noise-rock circle in Boston. Out of that group, I’d consider Spore’s sound to be one of the most punishing. The bands first couple of releases, Fear God EP and Spore, are easily enough to back that statement up. Both releases capture the band in its rawest form. Even though most of the songs on Fear God are included on the bands self-tilted debut album, I find that the combination of those songs and a slightly creepy rendition of The Beatles “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” makes for one hell of an EP. I may be in the minority here, but I even find Fear God to be slightly unsettling all the way through.

Anyway, the band managed to release the material mentioned above and one other album called Giant before splitting up. You can also find some singles from the band floating around here and there.

Fear God:
Spore – Fear God [MP3]
Spore – Hemorrhaging Gums [MP3]

Spore:
Spore – Lee [MP3]

Giant:
Spore – Paradise [MP3]

As far as I can tell you can still pick up practically everything that the band ever released, and on about every format as well, over at Taang! Records. With that, I am out for the weekend. Everyone have a safe one, and maybe even a warm one in some parts of the country. I envy those that will.

EDIT: I did have a video for "Lee" up, but apparently it was removed from YouTube along with a bunch of other great 90's vids. Bummer.

The Seventh Ring of Saturn - Self Titled

I was lucky enough to receive this album a few days ago by a band called The Seventh Ring of Saturn. Before even listening to it I was fully prepared to be greeted with a nice heavy dose of psychedelic inspired music. However, what I wasn’t prepared for was its very deep rooted influence in sixties pop/rock, which at first I couldn’t decide whether this was a nice addition to the bands very throwback psychedelic sound or not. After listening to it off and on throughout the week, I’ve really warmed up to it and thus now I figured would be a proper time to write about it.

The albums opener “In Time” is actually one of my favorite songs off the album, despite my mixed reactions upon hearing it for the first time. It’s a wonderful wave of sunny feel good sixties rock that really thrives on its sort of laid back hazy vibe. That and I honestly find the riff during the chorus to be amazingly catchy. The rest of the album sort of runs with this theme, although opting to vary it up every once awhile and relish more in the psych side of things. The albums last two tracks are prime examples of this. The eight minute freak out “The Cassini Division” is yet another highlight on the album, which to me is the most impressive track off of it. After hearing repeated songs that were practically all smiles and sunshine, this instrumental piece is almost disturbing to hear as it quickly establishes itself as a very menacing and unsettling affair. The album is then wrapped by a track that sort of combines the bands varied influences, mixing in another improvisational jam before capping it off with a tiny portion that slightly reminds of The Beatles.

The Seventh Ring of Saturn – In Time [MP3]
The Seventh Ring of Saturn – The Cassini Division [MP3]

While I probably prefer the more improvisational explorations that the band performs near the end of the album, it’s a still a solid album all the way through. And for folks that want to take a bit of an intergalactic trip, then this is definitely something that you’ll want to check out. Those interested can do so by heading over to CD Baby. Definitely check it out, it’s worth it.

Chune...

The San Diego based Chune were an interesting sounding band. They had an odd combination of the slow Midwestern emo sound, despite being located on the west coast, and the loud explosiveness of such acts like Drive Like Jehu. Their existence was rather short; however they released a couple albums and an EP all through Headhunter Records before breaking up sometime around 1996.

While most descriptions will often work in the “stoner” tag for this band, it’s sort of misleading to those that associate the use of that label to music that is thick and full of fuzz. Chune weren’t necessarily that sort of band. In fact, they were hardly that sort of band. Chune was a band that sounded like it had spent many of lazy afternoons in a place with absolutely nothing to do. You could tell from just listening to a couple songs that they played their instruments haphazardly and that wherever a song ended, that was perfectly fine by them. It wasn’t uncommon for the band to venture into the 6 to 8 minute territory with their songs. However, for a band that probably didn’t particularly have many cares in the world they managed to make some very captivating music. Being able quietly build up until out of nowhere a blast of distorted noise erupted, that was pretty much Chune’s bread and butter.

Chune was also a band that got progressively better as they went on. Although that didn’t amount for much time when looking back, there was still a noticeable step up in the bands sound from their first album Burnt to their second Big Hat, No Cattle.

Burnt:
Chune – C-Lord [MP3]

Nine Ways to Sunday:
Chune – Three Man Dream Machine [MP3]

Big Hat No, Cattle:
Chune – Fishwrap [MP3]

Both of the bands albums are still available through Amazon. As always, if you like the tunes please go and pick it up.

Seam - The Problem with Me

While listening to The Problem with Me by Seam today, I realized that I had gone this whole time without ever mentioning it on this site. I am sure I’ve probably used a song or two here and there on past mixes, but other than that…nothing. It kind of surprised me in a way because it happens to be my favorite record by the band, and is quite up there on my favorite records of all time.

Seam in my eyes was one of those bands that pretty much defined 1990’s indie rock. They had the sound absolutely perfected and they wrote music with such haunting melodies that listening to them still makes the hair stand up on my arms whenever I put on their albums. They were such an amazing band that while they get their proper due here and there, they honestly couldn’t be talked about enough. While you can’t really go wrong with pretty much all of their albums, it’s always been The Problem with Me first. I think out of all their albums this one was probably the most emotionally charged and/or devastating, which is probably why I tend to gravitate towards it more. Hearing singer Sooyoung Park lay practically everything out there with such an honest outpouring of emotion through the entire album is incredibly satisfying.

While The Problem with Me runs the gamut of being bleak to hopeful, it doesn’t hamper it all from being an incredibly rock driven and powerful record. With most songs hitting such a climactic point, it’s one of the few albums that I’ll go back and immediately repeat a song to just to experience that feeling of build up all over again. If the The Problem with Me isn’t considered one of the best albums of the 90’s, then there must be a lot of good albums that I am not hearing.

Seam – Bunch [MP3]
Seam – Stage 2000 [MP3]
Seam – Something’s Burning [MP3]

For anyone that doesn’t own this album by now, then freaking do it. Get it at Amazon, or wherever you must.

LSD and the Search for God...

I got to admit, when I first saw the band name LSD and the Search for God I was a little more than skeptical as to what I was going to hear. Then I saw the album art which raised even more flags. I mean, you can’t blame me can you? Well, I certainly got duped and was more than pleasantly surprised to hear some very well crafted shoegaze related tunes. The group has just recently released their self-titled EP this past month and I got to say it has a lot going for it. While it definitely sounds very reminiscent to the more popular era of shoegaze and the Creation heydays, it succeeds by sounding even more delicate than some of the best to come from that time period.

Sifting through the endless amounts of newer shoegaze bands popping up these days can get a bit tiresome, but when I eventually stumble across something like this it makes it all worth it. LSD and the Search for God are certainly doing the genre justice. One thing I really love about this EP is how incredibly weightless it sounds. The music drifts along so effortlessly, but at a pace that doesn’t let the listener drift off to sleep or lose interest. The soft to the touch approach of the music is nicely accented with male/female vocals that nestle right in with the shimmering goodness that LSD and the Search for God provide throughout the EP. For something that I believe the band put out practically by them selves, it is actually quite stunning and one of the best shoegaze related releases I’ve heard this year.

LSD and the Search for God – Starting Over [MP3]

Definitely pick this up if you dig the music. Their self-titled EP can be had over at their MySpace. It comes highly recommended!

Death Unit - Infinite Death

Finishing off the week is a record that I had been looking forward to for a little while now, and that is the newest from the noise/avant-rock all-star collection Death Unit. Their latest album Infinite Death was just recently released on Important Records and by no means does it disappoint.

The word “supergroup” gets tossed around when speaking of Death Unit, and I suppose that is what they are in a way. The group features electronics specialist Carlos Giffoni, guitarist Brian Sullivan (Mouthus), Trevor Tremaine (Hair Police) whom plays drums on this album, and drummer extraordinaire Chris Corsano. That is definitely a hefty lineup.

Infinite Death is two tracks of about every possible exploration in noise that someone could think of. It dabbles in every area it can within its short 35 minute time frame. The first track starts off with some fairly impressive interplay between the two drummers before it is completely interrupted and skewed by the electronic and guitar distortion mish mash of Giffoni and Sullivan. From there it’s a no holds barred rush of noise and chaos before the next track sets in.

The second track opens with a sludgy and downtrodden squall of distortion that sounds as if it were being played in the depths of someone’s cellar. The guitar sound that Sullivan achieves on this track in particular is just sickening and at times terrifying like something not from this world. Eventually the track soars into more feedback and an impressive display of power electronics, but really that could be said for both tracks on this album. Regardless, Infinite Death is a great collaboration and will almost surely have something for just about everyone. Give it a listen if you’re a fan of any of the bands that these guys are a part of. Each member’s talents are brilliantly showcased on here. Pick it up, it’s definitely worth it.

Death Unit – Untitled 1 [MP3]

For those interested, Infinite Death can be picked up over at Important Records. With that, I am out for the weekend!

Live Skull - Dusted

I’ve found that there is generally a nice debate to be had whenever mentioning what was the best era of Live Skull. There isn’t a real big preference for me; however I do tend to lean more towards the Thalia Zedek period. Really the only reason I say that is because my favorite record from the band comes from the very beginning of that portion of the bands life. Dusted was simply one of those records I put on and then found myself putting it on again, and again, and again. However, it was almost like I was doing it unconsciously, as I never really found myself being like, “this is an amazing album; I need to listen to it more”. There really haven’t been too many albums like that for me that just click after a certain amount of listens. I am generally of the type that either likes it right off the bat or doesn’t. It’s hard for an album to grow on me; however Dusted falls into that small fraction of albums that eventually did just that.

While there were many great bands that emerged from the NYC avant-rock scene, Live Skull is probably my favorite. Yes, I am taking them over Sonic Youth. While it took me ages to really come to appreciate what this band did, it was suddenly more apparent at one point that I preferred the more dissonant and dreary side of that movement as opposed to the more experimental side of things and Live Skull were practically perfection in that department. Their music was riddled with dark subject matter and shrieking but amazing guitar work. The album Dusted served as pretty much the turning point for me with the band, being the atmospheric and mood driven piece of work to do so. While their back catalog is arguably as equally amazing as their later material, the more focused approach to the vocals courtesy of Zedek completes the package in my eyes.

Live Skull – Cavity [MP3]
Live Skull – W/ The Light [MP3]
Live Skull – 5-D [MP3]

Unfortunately, like the rest of the bands catalog, Dusted is long since out of print. It would be a wonderful thing to see any of their albums reissued at some point, especially the earlier material that I believe was released only on vinyl. Until then it’s searching through the likes of used record stores and online. Sorry folks. In the meantime though, check out Thalia Zedek’s MySpace to have a listen to her solo work following her stints in Live Skull and Come (also worth checking out!). Enjoy!