Monthly Mix!

As promised I have thrown up the mix for this month. Don’t know what to say about it other than it’s filled with some pretty great tunes. I mean come on, how can you not take a chance on something that opens with a Didjits song? So yeah, download it…listen...and pick up some of this great music if you’re into it. As per usual, all the band names are linked to a place of purchase wherever it is applicable. Also, don’t forget to check out past months mixes here before they disappear. But anyway, enjoy!

01 – Didjits – Dear Junkie
02 – NoMeansNo – In Her Eyes
03 – Parlour – Such (A One Year Stem)
04 – The Hospitals – She’s Not There
05 – Jatun – Bee Bee
06 – KIT – Forest
07 – Frank Black – Headache
08 – Rig – Warthole
09 – Child Abuse – Age of Reason
10 – Raccoo-oo-oon – Invisible Sun
11 – Bowery Electric – Fear of Flying
12 – Placer – 34 Cents
13 – Jaks – Cock of the Walk
14 – North – Ash
15 – Butterglove – Sleep Thirsty
16 – The Wrens – Dance the Midwest
17 – Midget – Sniffum
18 – Durian – X and Y
19 – Microfilm – La Fille Que en Savait Trop
20 – The Building Press – The Ceiling is Falling

Download (.zip file)

Under Pressure - Come Clean

Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend. I did what I imagine a lot of people did, that being attending a BBQ either with friends or family. The only downer was the fact that it remained a bit too cool for me to take advantage of the swimming pool that was available at ours. However, I imagine it was a blessing in disguise for most others in attendance as they didn’t have to witness my blindingly pale skinny self get into the water. They remain safe for now…

For those interested, the monthly mix is right around the corner. I plan on posting that up on Thursday, if not Thursday then definitely Friday. Either way, it will be up this week so keep an eye out.

Coming out of Winnipeg, Canada is the band Under Pressure whom I wasn’t familiar with before hearing their latest record Come Clean released on Escape Artist for the North American market. Originally the album had come out in 2006 on the German label Yellow Dog Records specifically for their European tour. Well, thankfully it’s getting the proper treatment here in the US because this is exactly what fans of hardcore need to hear. Granted, anymore I don’t listen to as much hardcore music as I used too. In my late teens I was pretty big into it and every once and awhile a record will come through still and revive my interest in the genre all over again. Under Pressure’s record Come Clean is exactly the type of record to do just that. With the current state of hardcore music, which is becoming increasingly blurred by tight pants, spiked bracelets, and high dollar haircuts it’s hard to really keep with it anymore. Such a thing is what makes it even more of a delight to hear something like Come Clean when a genre like hardcore music is currently in sort of stagnation. Under Pressure’s music here comes off with a complete “no bullshit” type of vibe that puts a nice big smile on my face. From the opener title track “Come Clean” it’s pretty evident from beginning that Under Pressure are serious about bringing back the spirit and pulse to hardcore music. Practically every song on Come Clean comes at you with riffs that will instantly grab you and won’t let go. This is what it’s all about. I’m pretty impressed with vocals too, which remain consistent and ring true to more classic sounding hardcore. The band receives a lot of comparisons to Poison Idea, which after listening to this I’d say is pretty accurate. In a small way it reminds me of older Revelation bands, but with a bit of a modern flair attached to it, which is by no means a slight in any way. It works well. Anyway, I highly suggest checking out the tracks below. Enjoy!

Under Pressure – Come Clean [MP3]
Under Pressure – Sick/Sinful [MP3]

For those interested in this fantastic release, head on over to Escape Artist Records and pick this up. This is some great stuff folks, don’t miss out.

Clutch...

Last weekend I was at a get together with some friends and it was probably one of the most fun things I’d done in an awhile. However, at one point I remember standing close to the sliding glass/screen door that led out to the balcony where a bunch of people were standing. I overheard them mention something about the band Clutch and I quickly popped my head outside like the nerd that I am and questioned “what about Clutch?” Then, all I remember from that point was their response having something to do with them being boring sounding as they were driving/walking past the venue they were playing at that night. I was disappointed to hear this obviously. But then they conceded that they had never heard the band actually. I then went on to defend Clutch in some way I am sure. I doubt I defended them very well considering I'd probably had a couple drinks at that point. But I do remember saying that I was going to do a post on Clutch and let them revel in their greatness. So it’s Friday, and I don’t have anything else to post yet, and I want to live up to my promise to these unfortunate souls that have never partaken in listening to this wonderful band. I know some of you read the blog, so here it is…

First and foremost, one of my fellow friends in the blogosphere Hank Shteamer who runs the amazing Dark Forces Swing Blind Punches blog did a wonderful post on the band earlier this year in January. I would highly recommend reading his post on the band at some point as well.

I can’t exactly remember when it was that I discovered Clutch. I know it was whenever I saw the video for their single “A Shogun Named Marcus” on MTV many years ago when Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes, and Undeniable Truths was coming out. I was instantly hooked, not only by the song but by the bands then hick tobacco spittin’ vibe, which was greatly portrayed or mocked throughout the album and in the video for “Marcus”. Living in a small town myself, I think it probably appealed to me due to my everyday surroundings. It just seemed cool and it rocked in such an awesome care free way. Yeah, I wasn’t cool enough to be into the band whenever they were putting out their earliest material like the Passive Restraints EP or the Pitchfork 7’’. I however found myself quickly trying to track the material down.

Now back then, and by that I mean around 1993 or ’94, Clutch was almost a completely different band. Their sound was much more post-hardcore sounding with slow driving chunky guitar riffs that were often attached to Neil Fallon’s guttural vocals, which also eventually changed over time. When they released Transnational Speedway League I remember getting it and being pretty blown away by the whole thing. All the way from the insane lyrical content to it being full of top notch riffs and overall making me want to tear things to pieces. Yes, all 125 pounds or so of me back then. Regardless it was one of those albums that came at the absolute right time for me when I was younger and to this day I am still rocking it. You just honestly can’t beat some of the lyrics and riffs on it.

“Well I rolled Jesse Helms like a cigarette
And smoked him higher than the highest of the minarets
Jesse James couldn't even handle it
Started looking at me like I was Sanskrit”

A couple years passed and Clutch released their second album, which was simply titled Clutch. Upon hearing that disc I couldn’t figure out what had happened. What had happened to the Clutch I had heard on their previous album? This sounded like a completely different band. Instead of the plodding riffs that had been a staple on all their previous releases they had taken up a very spacey, almost jam band element to their sound. For someone that had gotten into Clutch due their previous recordings this was definitely something really hard to comprehend at first, but the more I eventually listened to it the cooler it became. They lyrics especially were quite redeeming. It really didn’t take long to fall in love with their new sound, but sadly for Clutch the change probably sealed their fate with their current label and they were eventually dropped. The self-titled album is still probably one of, if not, my favorite Clutch album. Songs like “Animal Farm”, “Escape from the Prison Planet”, and the mega spaced out “Spacegrass”. The album also ends with the insanely awesome complete jam fueled “Tim Sult vs. The Greys”. It’s just a ridiculously solid album, that’s about all I can say.

I’m always a bit torn as to which Clutch sound I most prefer, and as of this writing I still probably can’t tell any of you which one I am partial to. After the self-titled album, Clutch basically stuck with this sound and over the years has tinkered and continually added to it. Fallon’s lyrics eventually morphed into a story telling sort of method where the content of the songs were of these mythical proportions. Their third album Elephant Riders, which was released on Columbia in 1998, was very much in this vein. It continued with the jam aesthetic and probably upped it by a thousand notches. It was basically like the self-titled but on steroids and I completely ate it up. However as one might suspect the sound didn’t really catch on with enough people and the band again found themselves without a label. This would be a pretty common theme for them throughout the 90’s and early 00’s until they eventually found a home on DRT, which have released their last three records.

After they released Elephant Riders I somehow lost track of the band. Without a record label, I wasn’t even sure if they were still around. Then they made an appearance in 1999 by self-releasing a record called Jam Room and would eventually find a place on the Atlantic Records roster for 2001’s Pure Rock Fury, which ultimately continued to see the bands sound evolve more into a rock behemoth. With another solid album under their belts they eventually left Atlantic Records and eventually found their home with DRT.

In 2004 they released Blast Tyrant through DRT, which to me was the album that really catapulted them into that hierarchy of bands that can do absolutely no wrong. Blast Tyrant was such a swift kick in the ass upon first listening. Clutch felt more alive than ever and their sound had found the perfect mixture between balls out rock n’ roll and the psychedelic 70’s jam sound that they had quietly been working with throughout the last decade. Blast Tyrant is what I feel Clutch is all about; they really managed to capture the essence of the band on it so well. From that point on Clutch has released two more albums, 2005’s Robot Hive/Exodus and 2007’s From Beale Street to Oblivion, both available though DRT.

One thing that has made me appreciate Clutch so much over the years is that they are a band that has continued to exist completely on their own terms, despite being yanked around time after time by various labels. Even with all the ups and downs throughout the bands existence they have managed to sustain a large enough cult following that will surely inspire the band to continue making music into the foreseeable future. And how did they get this fan base you ask? Well, by simply forging on and making the music they fucking want and at the same time it being mighty damn good music too. Clutch is simply one of the greatest rock bands to exist in the past 15 or so years in my eyes. There is no question.

As much as I would like to post every single Clutch song I love, that would be way too many songs for me to post in one night, so I am limiting it to my absolute favorites. Here you go folks and to those of you that were standing on the balcony that night speaking poorly of Clutch.

Pitchfork:
Clutch – Juggernaut [MP3]

Passive Restraints EP:
Clutch – Impetus [MP3]

Transnational Speedway League:
Clutch – Walking in the Great Shining Path of Monster Trucks [MP3]

Clutch:
Clutch – Escape from the Prison Planet [MP3]
Clutch – Animal Farm [MP3]

Impetus EP:
Clutch – Pile Driver [MP3]

Elephant Riders:
Clutch – The Soapmakers [MP3]

Blast Tyrant:
Clutch – Mercury [MP3]

Every single one of Clutch’s releases is still available through Amazon. Go pick some of them up if you already haven’t. You’ve been missing out, that’s for sure.

Tulsa Drone - Songs from a Mean Season

While Richmond, Virginia’s Tulsa Drone may often be lumped into the instrumental post-rock crowd, they are forging on with their own brand and vision of what instrumental rock should sound like. One thing that I have come to enjoy about Tulsa Drone and their latest album Songs from a Mean Season is that they don’t necessarily rely on the quiet to loud aesthetics commonly used within the genre. Something you’ll read often about Tulsa Drone is that their music contains an almost cinematic feel to it, and while listening to Songs from a Mean Season I couldn’t agree more. That aspect of the bands sound is partly the reason I’ve been able to really enjoy this album. It has a completely different approach to what I am used to, it’s not relying on the same old tried and true methods nor does it buy into any of the genres tired clichés.

Using a good amount of different instruments, including impressive incorporation of the bass-hammered dulcimer, the band has captured the sound of desolation in such a manner that it’s almost hard to put into words. The groups sound is definitely slightly influenced by that of old-western music and/or lifestyle, which often lends to the bands illustrative soundtrack of possibly being surrounded by nothing but the cold lonely plains or desert. Don’t let that description fool you into believing that this is simply something that will fit naturally in the background as opposed to a disc that warrants multiple listens, because it surely does. It’s surprisingly captivating to listen to it, maybe more so because of the area I live in, however I can’t help but think about driving along the highway at night through Kansas or even here in parts of Missouri. It’s almost too fitting for those times whenever I am out there and I can’t see nothing but dark fields and the eerie feeling of being the only one on a long stretch of highway. Whether that’s the exact visual picture Tulsa Drone were aiming for, I am not quite sure, but I am imagine they are happy to know that their music has the ability to create such mental images to the people that are fortunate enough to sit down and listen to Songs from a Mean Season.

For those that are familiar with Tulsa Drone, it might be a bit surprising to hear that there are indeed vocals sparsely used in a couple places on the album provided by guitarist Erik Grotz. While I would have been perfectly content with the album being strictly instrumental, and for the most part it is, it was actually very rewarding to hear Grotz’s vocals. On top of being a very capable vocalist, his voice and delivery is actually very fitting to what the bands music is trying to accomplish in terms of feel and imagery. His voice has a slight downtrodden monotony to it that blends perfectly with the bands practical soundtrack to the barren locations left on earth.

Tulsa Drone – Monongahela [MP3]
Tulsa Drone – Brace [MP3]

For those interested, Songs from a Mean Season is available through Perpetual Motion Machine. The album gets a strong stamp of approval from me, so I highly recommend picking this up.

Bozart...

I began to write this entry for today and I realized that this would be the third band in a row that has appeared on the blog this week that is a two piece. Kind of odd, I wonder if there is some sort of subconscious deal going on there where I just wanted to prominently feature duos this week. Doubt it and I know for a fact that I will be breaking that trend come tomorrow, so yeah. Anyway, today’s update is on the great math-rock guitar and drum duo from Minneapolis, Bozart. Formed in 1997, members Derek Oringer and Peter Hawkinson would go on to release a couple mini albums or EP’s (Kurth and Bunge), a three way split with Wicketran and Rogue States, and one full-length called Steel Bridge before they eventually called it quits. At least I assume they called it quits, they just kind of disappeared and it’s been a few years now, so I just assume they aren’t together anymore. That and they no longer have a working website to my knowledge, which is always a good indicator.

Anyway, Bozart’s sound often drifted back and forth between delicate intricately played melodies and more straight forward metallic riffs. The quieter side of Bozart was easily the most impressive, especially once it began to soak in that it was just one guy playing all those crazy notes and odd time changes. It’s pretty impressive stuff definitely making for one of the more underrated math-rock groups of the late 90’s/early 00’s. For those that enjoy their math-rock with a bit of metallic punch or with a bit more melody than I highly recommend you check out some of the tracks below, especially the track “Bunge”. Well worth it.

Kurth:
Bozart – Wieldy [MP3]
Bozart – Kurth [MP3]

Bunge:
Bozart – Moves Through Locked Doors [MP3]
Bozart – Bunge [MP3]

Steel Bridge:
Bozart – Darkest at Night [MP3]

3-Way Split w/Wicketran & Rogue States:
Bozart – Hats at Easter [MP3]

For those interested everything posted above can be purchased from Frenetic Records. If you dig the tunes then by all means pick a couple of these up!

Bloarzeyd - Delirious Insane Ventilator of Bloarzeyd

Honestly, what the hell is a “Bloarzeyd” and how does anyone even come up with a name like that? According to the band on their website it means absolutely nothing. At least that’s what they want us to believe, judging by the excessive use of exclamation marks. It might be a word randomly thought up or another word that was horribly mispronounced in an alcohol binge that ended up sticking, regardless of what it is…it’s an appropriate moniker for the two men that make up the band, Phil (bass/vocals) and Mike (drums).

As their name might suggest, these guys could care less about any sort of traditional song structure. They are simply about making sludgy slabs of noisy deliciousness. Do they succeed? Oh you bet your ass they do. Bloarzeyd are keeping the gut rattling low end sound of such greats like Karp and Milkmine alive and well on their debut album Delirious Insane Ventilator of Bloarzeyd currently out on Wooden Man Records. There is always a place in my heart for music that thrives on such primal craziness such as this. On their debut Bloarzeyd displays their penchant for creating completely balls out tunes. For the most part they let their instruments do the talking, or screaming…whichever way you want to look at it. However, at times it is helped along the way by the screeching and shouting from Phil (there are no last names to be found) pretty much adding to the cacophony taking place here. While this may not be anything that hasn’t already been done in some form or another before, anyone who is willing to keep disgustingly bottom heavy noise-rock like this going is absolutely appreciated.

Bloarzeyd – Dead Cow [MP3]
Bloarzeyd – Adnarim [MP3]
Bloarzeyd – Law of Motion [MP3]

If you like the tunes posted above, then head on over to Wooden Man Records and pick up Delirious Insane Ventilator of Bloarzeyd. It’s well worth it.

Videohippos - Unbeast the Leash

Hailing from Baltimore, Videohippos is the duo of Jim Triplett (guitar, vocals, keys) and Kevin O’Meara (drums, vocals, keys). The group will be releasing their debut album Unbeast the Leash through Monitor Records on June 19th and I would be pretty surprised if this doesn’t end up getting some well deserved attention soon after it’s available. My first thought was to call this noise-pop, but that doesn’t necessarily fit with Videohippos. First and foremost the melodies contained within Unbeast the Leash are just too goddamn catchy and intoxicating to simply write it off that easily. The groups sound is definitely one of the most intriguing and unique mashups that’s I’ve heard in awhile, combining a crazy amount of churning synth, feedback, and thunderous drumming. Really, O’Meara’s ferocious battery to his drum kit is a driving force on Unbeast the Leash giving the group an almost mutant like essence to their already cartoon-like sound. Surround that with Triplett’s wonderfully crafted melodies and then sprinkle in samples upon samples and you have Videohippos odd but highly tantalizing view of pop music.

Although I’ve yet to see these guys live, I am thinking that Unbeast the Leash may only be scratching the surface as to what this duo is all about. Apparently they play to a backdrop of a screen that runs video collages that run in synch with the duo’s music. I can only assume as to how much of surreal experience that would be. But yeah, I am hoping to possibly catch them when they come around here on their current tour with Dan Deacon, as should everyone else out there. Check out their MySpace for complete tour dates!

Videohippos – The List [MP3]
Videohippos – Kool Shades [MP3]

Be on the look out for Unbeast the Leash out on Monitor come June 19th.

I apologize for the miniscule amount of updates this week. I haven’t really been able to put together anything to throw up on here. Anyway, hopefully I can get back in to my normal routine next week. I do have some stuff I want to get to here in the near future, including some fine new releases.

However, to cap off this pathetic excuse for updates this week is not so much an informative paragraph or two, but rather a reaching out into the vast world of the world wide web asking for a bit of information myself. I’ve always wanted to mention the band Bakamono on the blog, and oddly enough I’ve even gotten a couple e-mails from people looking for information about the band themselves. Unfortunately I am of no help because I am pretty much in the dark when it comes to this group. So in order to help those people and myself, I am asking as to whether anyone out there has any helpful information about Bakamono. I think have the discography pretty well figured out and all that, but other than that there is nothing out there.

Anyway, I initially heard Bakamono upon purchasing their, what I assume, first full-length The Cry of the Turkish Fig Peddler. Even after all this time I’ve never been able to find anything on the band, which is disappointing because they are pretty great. The Cry of the Turkish Fig Peddler was released in 1994 through Basura!/Priority. Before that the band released a couple of singles that I know of, one being a split with the often overlooked Oiler. Following their first full-length they had a couple other smaller releases and then one more full-length on Super 8 Records called Long Time Cain.

The Cry of the Turkish Fig Peddler:
Bakamono – Optimator [MP3]
Bakamono – Donny Brooke [MP3]

Long Time Cain:
Bakamono – Sex Video [MP3]
Bakamono – SMD [MP3]

Even though it would appear that they were damn near non-existent when it comes to finding anything about them, you can still find and purchase both albums around various places of on the net. Check out Amazon for a very cheap copy of The Cry of the Turkish Fig Peddler and you can still find Long Time Cain over here for those interested.

Seefeel - Quique [Redux]

I am back from my one night stay in the tourist pit that is Branson, Missouri. The drive down and back went pretty flawlessly, although on the way back I about saw a diesel smash head on with an oncoming truck on a two lane highway. The idiot behind the wheel was trying to make a quick pass around a school bus and couldn’t have picked a worse spot to do it going down a hill and with a curve you couldn’t see around at the end. Needless to say it was a very close call when the other truck came around that corner. I’m just glad I didn’t have to witness what would have been a very very nasty wreck. And with that, on to today’s update which happens to be of the reissue type.

It’s really good to see an album like Quique get the reissue treatment this year from Too Pure. Seefeel's original masterpiece has been remastered and been tacked on with a second disc of rare material. There is some really cool stuff to be heard on that. But anyway, Seefeel was an experimental/ambient group in the early 90’s that some may not be real familiar with due to their fairly short time together and maybe the reissuing of what could be considered a breakthrough album for its time might gain it some well deserved new appreciation. Quique, for many, is an album that helped pave the way for similar bliss sounding IDM artists that are becoming increasingly popular at the present time. However, for Quique it was 1993 and at that time an album like this was pretty mind blowing. Originally Seefeel had originally dabbled within the fuzzy layering and washes of distortion, which sort of led them to the shoegaze tag. However wanting to break out of the restraints of traditional songwriting the group moved toward more of an electronic experimentation in their music, which they hit the mark with completely on Quique. The sounds they achieved on the album were something that felt as if it were out of this world if you just sat and listened to it with your eyes closed. Throughout each song it gains loops and layers which are then sprinkled here and there with a touch of distortion to wash over it. At times it’s complemented beautifully by the vocals from Sarah Peacock which contain a very similar dreamlike vibe that Seefeel’s base sound already operates on. Unlike many electronic/ambient acts operating at that same time, Seefeel made a lot of their dreamy and droning sounds by using their guitars instead of synthesizers and other electronic instrumentation. However, electronics still played a very big roll in their sound, thus making the album what it is obviously.

Seefeel – Industrious [MP3]
Seefeel – Charlotte’s Mouth [MP3]

For those that enjoy ambient/electronic music with a bit of a blissful/shoegazy touch, then I can’t recommend picking this reissue up enough. If you like what you hear, then head on over to Tonevendor and pick this up for pretty cheap. The packaging is almost worth the price alone. Definitely my favorite reissue of the year thus far. Good job Too Pure.

Seven Storey Mountain - At the Poles

For those that visit the blog regularly, just thought I would make it known that I most likely won't be updating this coming Monday and Tuesday. I have a wedding to attend down in Branson, Missouri. Gonna be a quick trip and back, so I'll be back to regular updates come Wednesday. In the meantime check out the archives or all of the great blogs I have linked for some quality music. And now on to today's update...

At the Poles is the first album from Arizona’s Seven Storey Mountain since their 2002 effort Dividing by Zero. Over the years the band has continued to mix their DC post-hardcore/punk sound with a bit of a more upbeat, dare I say, poppy one. However for a band that still contains so much bite to their sound it continually proves to be a successful formula for them. At the Poles is no different, the band is back after a bit of a dormant period and has released yet another fine 30 minute slab of catchy yet dissonant post-hardcore that surely their old fans and newcomers will enjoy. Throughout the years, Lance Lammers has remained the bands only one constant and really is Seven Storey Mountain, which makes sense even with or without the original members as Lammers’ ear for a good melody is unquestioned. Seven Storey Mountain surely wouldn’t be the same band without it. Regardless, for those out there that haven’t heard of these guys, which is entirely possible since they’ve managed to fly under the radar for oh lets say 10+ years, then check out the tunes below from their latest album At the Poles just released this past April on Thick Records.

Seven Storey Mountain – Sinking In [MP3]
Seven Storey Mountain – Reason for Rhymne [MP3]

For those interested, At the Poles can be had over at Thick Records in their online shop. Definitely plunk down the cash if you enjoy the music above.

Ricaine - Regret is an Inevitable Consequence of Life

For those that have never heard of Melbourne, Australia’s Ricaine and are fans of math/noise-rock then you might be in a for a treat here. Ricaine were together from roughly 1994 to 2002 and during that time managed to release a couple of EP’s and three albums before calling it a day. Their first album Regret is an Inevitable Consequence of Life released in 1996 is a solid slab of moody noise-rock with some chunky Helmet like guitar thrown into the mix. To me it’s probably the best out of their three albums, although their follow up The Clarity of Distance released in 1997 and recorded with Bob Weston is a really close second. Maybe that’s where all the Shellac comparisons come from that get attached to this band, although I am quite sure they were getting them before their second album as well, who knows. Regardless, I don’t think Ricaine really sounds all too much like Shellac, if any at all. Anyway, check out the couple tracks from Regret is an Inevitable Consequence of Life below. It’s good stuff.

Ricaine – The Failed Actor [MP3]
Ricaine – 308 [MP3]

Ricaine would go on to release their final album in 2002 which was called Urbanity. Since then the members have all went on to other projects. Neil Thomason is currently doing recording work and actually worked on the band My Disco’s latest record which I wrote a bit about on here at one point. Anyway, for those looking for Regret is an Inevitable Consequence of Life, it can be had over at Rubber Records in their online shop, albeit relatively pricey. Enjoy!

Rumskib - Rumskib

I had wanted to hear the self-titled debut from Rumskib for a few weeks now or at least since I somehow stumbled across their page on MySpace. The songs contained on their page at the time were pretty stunning, not so much because it was obviously inspired from early days of the shoegaze movement, but more so because it was a sound that just isn’t worked into many of today’s “nu-gaze” artists. More often than not we always fall back on the guitar textures and tone off of MBV’s Loveless and while that’s fine it’s not always a recipe for success. Although, that could be easily argued when it comes down to my own personal music tastes, I am sucker for that sound. However, the duo of Keith Canisius and Tine Louise with a little help from Manual’s Jonas Monk have put together a fine sound that draws most of its influence from the earlier days of 4AD’s blissed out pop days, Cocteau Twins, and maybe even a bit of Curve. Don’t begin to think it’s just a culmination of the best parts of those though, because it’s most certainly not. As pointed out on the Darla site, Rumskib have taken that sound and weaved it together with the pop sensibilities of 80’s Euro pop, which makes for quite a unique sound that when heard one will quickly realize why I was so drawn into this. A couple of the finer points on Rumskib’s debut is the vocals from singer Louise and the masterful job Monk has done with the harmonics and programming. This is simply THE dream pop album of the year thus far and I would assume I’ll be hard pressed to find anything that comes close to dethroning it by years end.

Rumskib – Springtime [MP3]
Rumskib – The Crucial Love Game [MP3]

Certainly check this out if you’re a fan of dream pop, bliss, shoegaze, and etc. This album shouldn’t be missed by fans of any of those. It can be had over at Darla, so head on over there if the tunes above are to your liking.

Well, this past weekend was nothing but me trying to fend off a terrible head cold that managed to keep me up all of Friday night. I don’t think I’ve felt any more tired in my life than I did finally giving up on sleep around 10 AM Saturday. The rest of that day was a blur with me downing decongestants and nodding off at different periods of time. Anyway, I hope everyone had a bit more enjoyable weekend than I did.

In between my nodding off and downing disgusting tasting medicine, I naturally listened to a lot of music since I was not in the mood to really move from either my desk chair or bed. Anyway, I found myself revisiting a lot of material from the oft overlooked Hurl. It’s been raining here for the most part here in KC for the past few days and Hurl kind of fit that rainy day mood, so I chose to bust out a couple of their albums.

Originally formed in the early 90’s as trio, the band would release a few singles in this form before replacing their drummer with Noah Leger (Northern Bushmen, The(e) Speaking Canaries) and adding a second guitarist in Dan Wilson, thus rounding out the remaining lineup of Mat Daly and Matt Jencik. The band would then go on to release two albums, A Place Called Today (1996) and Not a Memory (1997), and an EP titled We Are Quiet in This Room (1998) before eventually calling it quits.

Hurl’s sound was a large one for sure and at the same time it was full of complexities that made them highly interesting to listen to. There are points where they often remind me of fellow thick sounding alt rockers Hum, however Hurl unfortunately never achieved the strong legion of cult followers like they did. Hurl were every bit as good though, making music that certainly had a feel of spontaneity to it that eventually landed itself in a mass of glorious distortion. Hurl certainly were great at achieving a sort of epic feel in their music, that’s for sure. For those that may have missed out on Hurl, then by all means check out the tunes posted below.

Radishes 7’’:
Hurl – Positronic Ray [MP3]

Madison Earful 7’’:
Hurl – Dual Showman [MP3]

A Place Called Today:
Hurl – Four Feet to Infinity [MP3]
Hurl – Faceman [MP3]

Not a Memory:
Hurl – Forget to Breathe [MP3]
Hurl – All Lines Have Been Erased [MP3]

Both Not a Memory and the We Are Quiet in This Room EP can be had still over at the My Pal God shop. As far as I know, A Place Called Tomorrow is out of print but can still be found over at Amazon or various other places used for a decent price. Do pick up some or all of these discs if you dig the tunes posted above. After Hurl broke up 3/4th’s of the band went on to form Taking Pictures which have since disbanded. Drummer Noah Leger also had a stint in Milemarker. Singer Mat Daly is probably more known for his art/design work these days and he can be found over at his own personal website here.

Snake Apartment - Paint the Walls

“Here's a small glimmer of hope for middle aged losers who enjoy late Black Flag, Flipper, Brainbombs, Drunks With Guns, God Bullies, and TAD, and neo hipsters and indie label CEOs falling over themselves with glee over bands like Pissed Jeans, Clockcleaner, and Nirvana..” ~Parts Unknown

That glimmer of hope would be Providence, Rhode Island’s Snake Apartment and while I may not be quite middle aged yet; I am definitely a loser that enjoys all of the bands mentioned in the quote above. So with that said, it should be to no ones surprise that I find Snake Apartment’s latest release Paint the Walls to be one of the scuzziest and filthiest sounding records I’ve heard this year. That means it’s good, real fucking good. This is undoubtedly for every lover of noise-rock out there and for those that can’t get enough of that thick, muddy, and dirty sounding distortion. On Paint the Walls Snake Apartment sound like they are living out the AmRep heydays all over again and by god I hope no one gets in their way, because the more of this sort of material the better. But anyway, there are ton of good things to say about this LP; however I won’t spend an eternity boring everyone with that. Just check out the tunes people.

Snake Apartment – Paint the Walls [MP3]
Snake Apartment – Riffless [MP3]

Paint the Walls is now available through Parts Unknown Records and can be had over here. If you like the tunes posted above then get your hands on this record because it’s a beast.

Scuba - Scuba

Coming out in just under a week, May 8th to be exact, is the self-titled debut album from Boston’s own Scuba. I’ve had plenty of time to sit around and really try and get a firm idea of just where exactly Scuba fits in but even after having this album for more than a couple weeks now, I still can’t exactly pin them down. From everything I’ve managed to read in between spinning the album, which is pretty good by the way, is that the band has a strong passion for shoegaze. This appears to be fairly true as Scuba’s debut is no stranger to hazy feedback. However, despite drenching their sound in feedback it’s apparent that Scuba’s true calling lies within the early 80’s post-punk/no-wave scene.

Upon the opening moments of the album I found myself a bit skeptical. I wasn’t quite sure just how the vocals were going to work, or I guess fit in, with Scuba’s sound. It didn’t seem like something that would match up too well if someone would have described it to me before hand. For the most part David Grabowski’s vocals are in line with that of the panicked and anxiety ridden approach to Ian Curtis or Robert Smith, however think of that while being sang against swells of feedback. Oddly enough as the record goes on, it seems to work and get better and better. The first couple songs are solid, no question, but it almost feels like Scuba is falling back on the trendy dancey post-punk thing a bit too much, which doesn’t compliment Grabowski’s vocals nearly as well as some of the later songs like “Maybe It’s Different With Johnny” or “King of Infinite Space”. As the album progresses it’s almost like the band does as well. The two main influences on this record really do come together by the end in quite a nice way. The bands overall creative usage of feedback and melody seems to have created a nice album full of catchy noise-pop songs that will most likely be pleasantly received by both fans of shoegaze and solid indie-pop. It’s definitely some good material with a fairly unique approach at that.

Scuba – Maybe It’s Different With Johnny [MP3]
Scuba – Hate It When You Laugh [MP3]

If you like what you hear, be sure to keep an eye out for this on Midriff Records come May 8th. For more on Scuba check them out at their MySpace.

Drunk Tank

I owe my appreciation for the band Drunk Tank to a loyal reader who was kind enough to send me some of the bands material awhile back. I had never run across the band before and I really doubt I would have otherwise. However, thankfully there are plenty of people out there trying to spread good music in every way they can. So thanks!

Anyway, Drunk Tank was formed in the late eighties in Chicago before eventually re-locating to New York. The band released two singles and their Self-Titled full-length before breaking up. The singles both can be found tacked onto the end of the bands full-length as an added bonus, which was released in 1991 on Radial. The band also had an EP titled Missing that was posthumously released in 1995 on Radial as well. The EP contains three unreleased songs, one of which was recorded for a Peel Session.

It still baffles me as to how I’d never heard this before, however I am entirely glad I did eventually. Drunk Tank’s music is absolutely right down my alley. Their sound contains a very tinny abrasiveness that is similar to that of Big Black, however is played out in a style with such heavy bass and disjointedness that it reminds me a lot of the Chicago greats Big’N. Regardless, if you’re a fan of noise-rock and missed out on this like I did, then by all means check it out the tunes below.

Self-Titled:
Drunk Tank – Honeysuckle [MP3]
Drunk Tank – Pin-Up Girl [MP3]
Drunk Tank – Leadfoot [MP3]

Missing EP:
Drunk Tank – Crooked Mile [MP3]

Both the album and the EP are still available through Amazon, new and used. If you dig the tunes above, by all means head on over and pick those up.