Panel Donor...

Following up on my post from last Monday, here are a few tracks from the severely underrated Panel Donor. The “Donor” as they were/are commonly referred to in and around this area were one of the finest indie rock groups to come out of Lawrence, Kansas during the 90’s. Originally formed with members Brandon Aikin (vocals/guitar), Charlie Hines (bass), and Jeff Conaway (drums) during the early 90’s, the band released their Self-Titled debut album through Lotuspool in 1994. After the albums release Jeremy Sidener of Zoom joined as a second guitarist. With the addition of Sidener and with a collective songwriting approach among the members of the band, Panel Donor’s sound absolutely blossomed. Their second album Lobedom & Global, released in 1996 once again through Lotuspool, showed the band displaying an even quirkier/warbling sound that to these ears was practically perfection, thanks in part to the incredibly tight guitar interplay between Sidener and Aikin. A year later the band released their final album Surprise Bath through Sonic Bubblegum and called it a day thereafter. Those that missed out when the band was together definitely should check out the tracks posted below. They were a band that was basically in a league of their own and with a sound that was just absolutely brilliant.

Panel Donor:
Panel Donor – No Outlet [MP3]
Panel Donor – Sweetheart [MP3]

Lobedom & Global:
Panel Donor – Ecto Nocturne [MP3]
Panel Donor – The Ballad of Ya-Ya [MP3]
Panel Donor – Goddess [MP3]

Surprise Bath:
Panel Donor – AnaKata [MP3]
Panel Donor - Koon Yick Wah Kee [MP3]

Sadly these days it seems that most, if not all, of Panel Donor’s albums are a bit of a pain to track down. I did a bit of searching through Google but couldn’t come up with any real good results so it looks like eBay is pretty much the only option for maybe obtaining some of the bands albums. There were a couple places, but way too pricey. Anyway, I am not too sure what the members of the band are up to these days. I know Sidener, like I mentioned in the Zoom post, is currently playing in The Danny Pound Band. Brandon Aikin was eventually in Volara with former Proudentall, Giants Chair, Farewell Bend members. Jeff Conaway and Charlie Hines eventually reconvened in Sabers. That’s about all I know. I’m sure there is someone out there that could fill me in, I would be grateful.

In blog related stuff, it was suggested to me by a reader that I start a Last.fm group for the blog. I imagine it could be a pretty cool idea if enough people join up and we can see what everyone out there is listening too. With everyone who reads the blog probably having pretty similar tastes, it wouldn’t be a bad way to possibly find some new music as well, and that’s always a good thing right? So anyway, for anyone out there that wants to join the BOAWS group on Last.fm, then check out the page here. For future reference I’ll have the link in the side column too.

Nadja - Guilted by the Sun

When I heard the debut full-length Truth Becomes Death from Nadja in 2005, it was near the end of the year and I was already starting to compile my top 20 list. Before I could ever finish the list I found myself enjoying Nadja’s own brand of blown out ethereal drone more and more. At the time I hadn’t heard much like it, or really anything for that matter. Jesu’s debut album came out the same year, but even that didn’t match the wall of noise that Nadja had to offer. This was a different kind of monster that combined melodicism and beauty with slow shifting walls of metallic distortion. Needless to say my first exposure to Aidan Baker’s prolific side project ultimately forced me to alter my year end list for ’05, which is quite a testament to the power of their music.

Now here we are in 2007 and Nadja has gone on to release a number of other great releases on various different labels. With a few releases already under their belt for ‘07, Nadja is set to release their latest excursion into droning bliss territory titled Guilted by the Sun, which will be released on August 7th through Elevation Records. Those who pick this up will be greeted with a bit of a different side to Nadja. Those expecting the trademark slow moving ambient pieces that have come to define the duo will be surprised to hear a heavier side. Still drowning in electronic fuzz, Guilted by the Sun strays away slightly from the usual slow burning guitar sound and instead experiments with a chunkier/sludgy approach. It provides an interesting and different look into Nadja’s seemingly endless and expansive sound. It also furthers the idea that Baker can take on just about anything and probably do it with such high quality results as this. He hasn’t let me down yet. Although the approach is a bit unusual for what fans of Nadja have come to expect over the years, there is still plenty here that they will like…including lots of feedback.

Nadja – By [MP3]

For those interested in picking this one up, I suggest doing it rather quickly as this EP is limited to just 2,000 copies and will NOT be reprinted once it’s gone. So head on over to Insound and pre-order a copy of Guilted by the Sun. It’s well worth it.

Monthly Mix: July 2007

I had planned on updating quite a bit earlier today; however thanks to a small internet outage from my wonderful cable company Mediacom I wasn’t able to do so. I have reason to believe that our cable system out here is made out of nothing but twigs, string, and some duct tape. Regardless, it’s back up and running and I have this months mix to present to everyone out there. As always, please support the artists wherever possible. All the artist names link directly to a place of purchase, wherever applicable. Everyone have a good weekend!

01 – SWITCHhITTER – Oklahoma!
02 – Cheer-Accident – Smile
03 – Daniel Striped Tiger – Disconnection
04 – Girls Against Boys – Satin Down
05 – Grouper – Shadow Rise, Drowned
06 – Pain Teens – Prowling
07 – Old Man Gloom – Volcano
08 – Moose – Butterfly Collector
09 – Owl Xounds – Untitled #2
10 – Heatmiser – Plainclothes Man
11 – Dis- - Catch Me, I’m a Prick
12 – Gaunt – Purple Heart
13 – The Nightblooms – Slowly Rising
14 – Morphine – Souvenir
15 – Astral – Yesterday’s Calling
16 – Oiler – Snoball
17 – Knapsack – Cellophane
18 – The God Machine – The Flower Song

Download (.zip file)

Sterling - Cursed

Recently reformed in ’05, Sterling has returned this year with their third album Cursed out on File 13 Records. This time around, guitarist Eric Chaleff and drummer Tony Lazzara are joined by ex-Milemarker member Al Burian on bass and former 90 Day Men member Andy Lansangan playing piano.

As with every record that Sterling has put out so far, I’ve been drawn in by the bands creative use of low-end and drums into their production. From the opening drum kick on the track “Lurker” it sets an immediate mood and sends a warning message that this isn’t post-rock with any sort of light at the end of the tunnel. As fans of Sterling probably already know, the band has been creating and fine tuning their dark and incredibly interesting form of post-rock for a few years now. On their latest album Cursed, they haven’t shied away from that approach at all, if not actually embracing it even more. Scaling things down to just three long tracks, Cursed has production values that will absolutely send shivers down the listener’s spine while listening to it. The drums sound absolutely thunderous behind the rumbling low-end provided by bassist Burian. The combination of it all leaves the album with a consistently effective haunting vibe to it. With every odd twist and turn, Sterling end up covering a lot ground in their songs, covering everything from progressive, classical, metal, and math. All of that while never once retracing their steps, each one of the songs plays out as a unique journey into creative dark landscapes that the members of Sterling have masterfully crafted.

Sterling – Lurker [MP3]

I won’t lie; this album completely caught me unprepared. I honestly didn’t know about it until about a month ago. Sterling seems to work often under the radar and with a slight mysteriousness to them. Regardless, don’t miss out on this album like I did for so long, it’s one of the better things I’ve heard from ’07 thus far. For those interested, the album can be had over at File 13. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

Faucet...

I can’t say I know a whole lot about the band Faucet other than that they were yet another pretty solid band to come out of the hot bed for noise-rock in the 90’s known as Austin, Texas. The band released a couple albums (Bleeding Head and Self-Titled), both on Southern Records and a couple singles to my knowledge. One of the singles was a split with Chicagoans Mama Tick, which featured the excellent song “Daddy-O”, however a cleaner version can be found on their self-titled second album.

There isn’t a whole lot to say about the band sound really. I think just stating where they were from pretty much sums that up fairly well. Think loud, distorted, and filthy. Although the bands first album Bleeding Head does feature some occasional psychedelic flourishes here and there, most notably on the song “Raspberry”, which is definitely one of the highlights from that album. I think Chris Goyer, the singer and guitarist for the band, went on to be in the critically acclaimed indie rock outfit I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness, with members from other Austin related bands like Glorium, Paul Newman, and Windsor for the Derby. Anyway, check out the tunes below.

Bleeding Head:
Faucet – Raspberry [MP3]
Faucet – Steel Belted Penis [MP3]

Faucet:
Faucet – Daddy-O [MP3]
Faucet – Bluebirds [MP3]

Both of Faucet’s albums are available used over at Amazon for a pretty good price. Definitely spend the couple bucks to pick these up.

The Angelic Process - Weighing Souls With Sand

There is just no easy way to describe The Angelic Process, which is quite the compliment really. In their case it’s the problem that there is just so many things to list that the band weaves into one large cacophonous but beautiful sound. Descriptive words like “drone” or “ambient” could very easily be thrown in here somewhere and that would be that, but it would only be discrediting what The Angelic Process has done on their latest release Weighing Souls with Sand or really any of their past albums. Weighing Souls with Sand happens to be the duos third album and debut for Profound Lore and while it follows a similar path to their past material, it’s definitely their strongest yet.

With more metal influenced groups are starting to work in elements of the hazy dissonance of shoegaze like feedback into their music, The Angelic Process have been perfecting this craft for a bit longer than most would assume. While it hasn’t been ages, the duo has been putting out chunks of melodic feedback with a metallic twist since around 2001. Taking the more blissful and harsher aspects of shoegaze and mixing in the industrial downtrodden and oppressive brutality similar to that of the Swans or Godflesh. The result has always been something to marvel at whenever I throw it on my stereo and Weighing Souls with Sand is no different. On the album they manage to weave in and out of blasts of feedback and simple moody ambience without a single hitch. Even more so on this album the duo has made it work more as a whole rather than track by track. When listening to it, it becomes apparent that the track listing and number of tracks are merely just a guideline or map to where the listener is at as the music itself seams together magnificently. It only takes a few minutes to get completely lost within the albums thick droning beauty.

The Angelic Process – Million Year Summer [MP3]
The Angelic Process – Weighing Souls with Sand [MP3]

For those interested in picking this up can do so over at Profound Lore. It’s one of my favorite albums of the year so far, so it definitely comes with a high recommendation.

Zoom - Helium Octipede

Here is a lost gem from the Midwestern indie rock crop during the early to mid-nineties. The album in the nice little 150 x 150 square up there is Helium Octipede by the Lawrence, Kansas group Zoom. Those that haven’t heard this record have truly missed out on something special if you’re a fan of quirky but complex indie rock from that time period.

Zoom also had an album out before Helium Octipede, which was Self-Titled and came out in 1991 on the Lotuspool label. While still pretty good, it wasn’t until this album that they would be fully clicking on all cylinders, stripping down their sound some and allowing their natural talents to shine through more so than they could before. That and their songwriting had improved a fair amount too, which is saying a lot considering their debut was pretty solid. It’s unfortunate however as this would prove to be their final album as well. Unsurprisingly Helium Octipede received little to no exposure and ultimately did the band in. On the Allmusic website it mentions Polvo once in their tiny review of Helium Octipede, which is actually pretty spot on I feel. It’s probably not as overly warped and quirky as Today’s Active Lifestyles, however it’s a fair comparison. Songs like “Balboa’s Cannon” and “Letter From Allen” will speak for themselves anyway. Anyway, check out the two aforementioned songs which are available for download below, it’s some good stuff.

Zoom – Balboa’s Cannon [MP3]
Zoom – Letter From Allen [MP3]

After Zoom broke up singer Mark Henning played in the Bells for a bit and can currently be found in The National Trust. Bassist Jeremy Sidener ended up joining the amazing Panel Donor to play guitar. They are yet another band I will eventually get around to posting about on here. You can currently find Sidener playing bass with Danny Pound of Vitreous Humor fame in his band The Danny Pound Band. Drummer Chris Cosgrove spent a tiny bit of time in Dis- and that’s it as far as I know.

For those interested in picking up Helium Octipede I would suggest doing some searching as the prices on Amazon are ridiculous for used copies. It’s definitely not THAT hard to find this album. A little simple Google searching turned up five copies for under three bucks at Secondspin and if you don’t want to take that route there is always eBay. Either way, I can’t suggest picking this up enough.

The Pope - Sports

Is it just me or is the drum and bass thing becoming a more and more of a common thing within underground music? I don’t know, maybe it’s always been there and I’m just falling ignorant. That’s very possible. However, it seems like I’ve never run across so many bands that have made the distorto-bass thing their trademark of sorts in the past couple years. Regardless, I can’t really complain, it sure as hell beats the number of post-rock/metal bands that continually pop up everywhere like it’s some sort of race. If I want my music to sound apocalyptic, I want it to be of the type that rings with the sound of absolute destruction and it seems that more often than not a good old fashion bass and drum setup can deliver that just fine.

For those out there that has a sick fascination with the punishing sound of these duos, then do I have treat for all of you. Sports is the latest album from the Oakland, California duo The Pope. My first time hearing these guys was actually not too long ago on their split LP with Bipolar Bear, which pretty much blew me right out of my seat here. Keeping with that, Sports delivers 17 tracks that pretty much bulldoze their way right through you and then back up and do it all over again. To put it simply, this shit is relentless and the band plays it with the utmost filthiest sound they can construct. Obviously the comparisons to bands like godheadSilo and Karp are going to get thrown in and by the looks of it they already have. However, The Pope has to know they are in good company when they are getting named dropped alongside bands like that. These guys play at such a powerful level that really has gone unmatched on pretty much any record I’ve heard this year. This is the true sound of devastation.

The Pope – Triumph of the Will [MP3]
The Pope – Chocolate Babies [MP3]

For those that dig what they here Sports is available through Wantage USA. Definitely pick this up if you get the chance. This is some crushing material.

Sleepy Eyes of Death - Streetlights for a Ribcage / Jatun - Jatun

Two releases I want to talk a bit about on here today. Yeah, that’s right…two. I rarely combine things on here, but both releases sort of share similar qualities to them and it seemed like a good idea to just post about both of them.

Anyway, first up is the debut LP from the Seattle based Sleepy Eyes of Death, which have one EP already under their belts and their debut, Streetlights for a Ribcage, was just released this past Tuesday in stores and online download sites such as iTunes, emusic, etc. Their bio states that they take a bit of influence from My Bloody Valentine and Kraftwerk, which is probably a fairly accurate way to describe their sound too. The band uses a number of keyboards and periodic guitar effects to create a very large sound but never to the point of overwhelming where it seem like it may be reaching the point of overkill. No, these guys pretty much know what they are doing and have made good use of every instrument and effect that they employ. It often reminds me of M83, which is actually stated in their bio too so I’m not actually that clever nor the first person to think that obviously. However, it shares that very textural and lush sound that some of M83’s earlier material contained. Not to slight the Sleepy Eyes of Death in any way, because this album is great, but it almost feels like it picks up where Dead Cities, Red Seas, and Lost Ghosts left off except a bit more delicate and at times even more epic. It’s just genuinely inspired and moving music that I imagine shoegazers out there will enjoy heavily. I know I am.

Sleepy Eyes of Death – Mean Time Till Failure [MP3]
Sleepy Eyes of Death – Cells Divide [MP3]

For those interested in picking up Streetlights for a Ribcage, it can be had online over at Sonic Boom Records.

The second album comes from the Portland duo Jatun, which consists of members Scott Worley and Alan Grosvenor. The two have been making music together since ’04 and just this year released their debut Self-Titled album through Other Electricities. As you might have guessed by this point, Jatun are another group that relies heavily on electronics to create their lush and textural sound. However, Jatun are a bit more rooted and influenced by actual electronica as opposed to completely focusing on the sweeping melodies and dreamy atmospheres that are often captured within their songs. The duo seamlessly mixes in scattershot beats here and there to help liven it up where need be. The result comes off as very fresh sounding. Jatun’s music won’t hit you immediately, as it isn’t aiming to create that “raise your fists in the air” type of explosiveness; however the thirteen songs included on the album float by gradually enveloping the listener in their soft fuzz tinged melodies. By the end it leaves one feeling practically otherworldly and throughout hints at feelings of melancholic nostalgia. I included the song “Bee Bee” on the mix for May awhile back and I’ve included it again below because it’s honestly one of the best pieces of instrumental music, electronic based or not, that I’ve heard this year and really I feel it captures more or less what Jatun do best.

Jatun – Bee Bee [MP3]
Jatun – Move it or Lose It [MP3]

Jatun’s debut is available now through Other Electricities, so head on over there and pick it up if you’re digging the songs above.

Furry Things - The Big Saturday Illusion

Furry Things were around from 1993 to 1998 and were yet another great band to be featured on King Coffey’s Trance Syndicate label. While I sort of prefer the earlier stages of the band when they were more interested in pedal effects and harsh garage-like feedback, all of their records were pretty enjoyable listens. Their later stuff, such as the Frequent Lunacy EP and their second album Moments Away drifted into a more new wave/trip hop area that pretty much did away with the abrasiveness of their previous releases. However, their first album The Big Saturday Illusion is a great find for anyone that is into a harsh shoegazy sound. Furry Things often remind me of Medicine (the first incarnation), which is actually pretty interesting considering that Brad Laner of Medicine did collaborate with the band during their brief existence.

Don’t let the Medicine comparisons tell the complete story here though, although for some that might be all they need. However, The Big Saturday Illusion can stand on it’s own in terms of originality and bringing something interesting to the plate. Even on this album there was still a slight hint of where their sound would eventually end up like on the song “Porno Queen’s Love Dive”, which is purely instrumental and features a very danceable drum beat throughout. The Big Saturday Illusion also leans more heavily on a psychedelic sound rather than constantly opting for in the red blistering feedback, although there is indeed a lot of that too to be found on the album. Really, the album offers quite a bit of variety within to keep it from coming off as just a one trick pony. The band spreads their sound all the way from garage to at times a completely fried psychedelic spaced out journey such as on the eight minute long “Piled High”. Regardless, The Big Saturday Illusion is an album that should definitely be checked out for those that are fans of a harsher shoegaze sound or just noise-pop in general. Although the album is pretty good on its own, a couple of my favorite tracks by the band happen to come from either singles or compilation appearances, which I have posted below as well…so do check those out as well.

The Big Saturday Illusion:
Furry Things – Still California [MP3]
Furry Things – Take You Away [MP3]

Still California/Car Songs 7’’:
Furry Things – Car Songs [MP3]

VA – Cinco Anos (Trance Syndicate Compilation):
Furry Things – Everything New [MP3]

If the tunes above peak your interest at all, The Big Saturday Illusion and most of their other releases can be had over at Amazon for fairly cheap used and maybe even new if you do some shopping. Anyway, pick this up. Well worth it.

Sideshow...

It’s very possible that without the band Sideshow there wouldn’t have been a Caulfield Records, which is kind of a scary thought considering the amount of great bands that released records on it. Sideshow was the band of Caulfield founder Bernie McGinn. Originally the band had went under the name of Peer Puppet in the late eighties but decidedly changed right around the release of their first 7 inch. That 7 inch is initially what started Caulfield Records. On top of being the band responsible for the label, they were also a pretty fine sounding one as well. Along with fellow members Paul Tisdale (drums) and Rich Higgins (guitar), Sideshow would release three full-length albums during their time together and a couple 7 inches. Their first couple albums, Self-Titled and Sunspots and Eggplants were both released on Caulfield, however during the labels heyday it became hard for McGinn to find room for his own band on the roster so they put out their third and final record Lip Read Confusion on the Flydaddy label. The label never really fit the band as they would sort of go in a different direction in terms of signing similar music to be featured on it, which kind of screwed Sideshow in the end probably.

Sideshow made a name for their selves in the Lincoln, Nebraska music scene. While they probably still go largely forgotten in most circles, they really had more to do with the whole Midwestern emo/rock thing than probably most bands out there. I mean considering the singer only operated one of the most important labels to the genre. However, I think that kind of overshadowed the bands musical contributions which is too bad because Sideshow honestly were cranking out some of the best music the genre ever had to offer in the early to mid nineties. All I can say is that if you’ve never listened to Sideshow and you’re a fan of rock with a Midwestern sound to it, then tracking down some of these records are a must. Personally Lip Read Confusion is my favorite album by them, although their self-titled LP gets a lot of love too. Regardless, any of Sideshow’s output is worth owning, much like anything that was released on the Caulfield label in general. McGinn would also later appear in Luck of Aleia, which I think only released one EP on Caulfield. That’s also worth tracking down too.

Sideshow:
Sideshow – Halspar [MP3]
Sideshow – Veil of Happiness [MP3]

Eggplants and Sunspots:
Sideshow – Blinky Doll [MP3]
Sideshow – Right [MP3]

Lip Read Confusion:
Sideshow – Option Refused [MP3]
Sideshow – Everything’s Breaking [MP3]

Rust 7’’:
Sideshow – Face Foot Ladder [MP3]

VA – A Caulfield Compilation 7’’:
Sideshow – Consume [MP3]

Most of the bands material I am thinking is out of print; however some searching around online for used copies of any of the above albums should turn up some results. I know for a fact that Lip Read Confusion is on Amazon for no more than a penny and the price of shipping, so snatch up a copy of that if you’re digging the tunes above, it’s well worth it.

Back and Sunburnt / Weedeater - God Luck and Good Speed

Well I’m back after spending a few days camping by the Grand Canyon and a night in Las Vegas. Overall the trip was a pretty good time. I definitely need to go back to Vegas at some point in my life. I got somewhat sunburnt while I was there. That’s the first time that’s happened in awhile. The top of my feet and my nose got it the worst. Needless to say I’ve been hitting the aloe vera gel bottle pretty hard the past day or so. Anyway, it’s nice to be back and sleeping in my own bed again instead of some air mattress inside of a stuffy hot tent.

I wouldn’t consider myself a big sludge/stoner rock guy, but there are still a few bands out there that make some fairly engaging and undeniably heavy tunes that grab my attention. Being a fan of Buzzov*en when they were still around, I was naturally drawn to the band Weedeater when they arose out of the ashes when Buzzov*en came to an end. I remember one thing about Buzzov*en from when I was younger. My friend told me he heard them on the radio, which was surprising, and he told me he couldn’t stand the vocals. I kind of laughed, however it’s funny to ponder what he would think of Weedeater if I was still in contact with him today. I would have to assume that it would force him to break out in tears.

For those that haven’t followed Weedeater since their inception in the mid-nineties, they have released two albums. Both of which were produced by Billy Anderson. This time around though for their latest album God Luck and Good Speed they enlisted Steve Albini for producing duties. While I have never had a chance to see the band live, the band themselves state that the album captures their live sound better than anything they’ve done before. All I can say is if this is what their live show sounds like then count me in. I’ve always dug Weedeater’s previous albums, but their latest is definitely a step up. Never have the band sounded so incredibly mammoth. While the band has always had a distinct sound to their bottom heavy swamp rock, it’s never been showcased in such a way as this. God Luck and Good Speed is definitely one of the better sludge/stoner rock albums I’ve heard in awhile. For those that haven’t heard Weedeater and consider yourself a fan of sludge, then check the tunes out below.

Weedeater – God Luck and Good Speed [MP3]
Weedeater – Dirt Merchant [MP3]

For those that are interested, God Luck and Good Speed is available now through the excellent Southern Lord. Definitely pick this up.

Boys Life...

I really don’t want to count the number of times I’ve mentioned Boys Life on this blog when speaking of another band. I know it has to be quite a bit, which I apologize for, but they were pretty much the head of the class when it came to the whole Midwestern emo sound around here. Anyway, today’s post is actually going to focus on them instead of using them in one of those “RIYL” spots.

Boys Life were great, lets just get that out of the way. Their second and final album Departures and Landfalls is somewhere in my top records of all time. I can’t say where, because that list will most likely never materialize (too much time, and too complicated), but lets just say it’s in there somewhere for sure. The band was formed in 1993 out of the Kansas City area. In their beginning stages the band was a bit rough around the edges, influenced heavily by various ongoing post-hardcore acts at the time. However, even by their first album (Self-Titled), they were already shaping their sound into something incredibly special. Before that the band had already released a couple singles and splits with KC’s Vitreous Humor and Giants Chair. After the release of their first album the band went on did a split 10’’ with fellow Midwesterners Christie Front Drive. To me some of the bands best work can be found on this split, the song “Sight Unseen” is incredibly good. After the split, the band would release one final album, Departures and Landfalls on Cargo, before breaking up. That album undoubtedly helped, if not single handedly, define what Midwestern rock/emo was all about. The songs are plodding and spacious at times, however everything eventually builds itself up so much that it eventually tumbles out of control. Those are the pieces that Boys Life was able to make work so well, especially on Departures and Landfalls.

Boys Life:
Boys Life – Golf Hill Drive [MP3]
Boys Life – Lister [MP3]

Christie Front Drive/Boys Life – Split:
Boys Life – Sight Unseen [MP3]
Boys Life – Two Wheeled Train [MP3]

Departures and Landfalls:
Boys Life – Radio Towers [MP3]
Boys Life – Calendar Year [MP3]

All three of the above release can still be found over at Amazon used and some new. If you don’t already own these, then do yourself a favor and pick these albums up. They’re well worth it.

Zelienople - His/Hers

I honestly forget who told me to listen to Zelienople a few years ago, but whoever it was I owe them. Although I initially got into the band because of their dreamy ambient sounds, it’s been interesting to hear them grow into a much more psych-folk/drone sound, which they’ve done very well I might add. After releasing albums on various labels such as Root Strata and Last Visible Dog, the band has found themselves a part of the Type roster for the release of their latest effort His/Hers.

It only took me until the second song “Moss Man” to think that this might be some of my favorite material that they’ve released. As soon as His/Hers completed I was pretty much positive. The album is a slightly different one for Zelienople in the fact that it shows a bit more of an abrasive side to the band as in the past. Granted, past albums haven’t been completely void of this attribute, but I can’t recall where the band has displayed as much unrest as on this album. Obviously they have left the dreamlike vibe way in the past and aren’t looking back, as this is far from sounding like any dream that a person would ever want to have. With each track pushing the ten minute mark, there is still plenty of room for the bands psych folk noodling which is showcased most notably on “Parts Are Lost”. Regardless of what the band is dwelling in, Matt Christensen’s vocals are as hauntingly distant as I’ve ever heard them and it really couldn’t accompany what the members of the band are churning out behind them any better. The end result is forty five minutes of hazy drugged out murkiness that absolutely echoes with sadness and desperation throughout, a perfect record for a complete freefall.

Zelienople – Moss Man [MP3]

For anyone that is interested, His/Hers can be picked up over at Type Records. I strongly recommend it.

Happy 4th! / Shallow North Dakota...

Hope everyone has a good 4th of July; I did most of my celebrating earlier this evening, or yesterday depending when people read this. I managed to see a pretty good fireworks display which I haven’t done for a couple years or so since our town decided to not have one during that period of time. Other than that, didn’t do a whole lot. Won’t be doing anything tomorrow most likely either since everyone will have to drag themselves to work the next day. Anyway, I hope for those having festivities today that you have a good one.


Getting back into the noisier side of things, I am posting today about the great Hamilton, Ontario outfit Shallow North Dakota. SND have been around since 1992 and since that time have released three very fine albums. Their first couple albums, Auto Body Crusher in 1995 and This Apparatus Must Be Earthed in 1997, are both albums that probably shouldn’t go overlooked for anyone that is into filthy and low-end heavy noise-rock in the area of Unsane, etc. While the band was more active in their earlier years, they sort of dropped off the face of the earth for a few years or so before finally resurfacing in 2004 with their album Mob Wheel. The album was put out by the band members themselves as a vinyl only release. I think their since has been a CD release of the album. Regardless, Mob Wheel saw the band taking on a whole different approach. Instead of the practically cut throat quick blasts of low-end distortion that filled their previous two albums, the band decidedly took their sound in very Melvins-esque territory. With a slight crawl to their music, the band crunches through seven songs that pretty much destroy.

Auto Body Crusher:
Shallow North Dakota – Open Minded [MP3]
Shallow North Dakota – Target [MP3]

This Apparatus Must Be Earthed:
Shallow North Dakota – Greenhorn [MP3]
Shallow North Dakota – Speed King [MP3]

Mob Wheel:
Shallow North Dakota – Mustache Rock [MP3]

If you dig the tunes above, This Apparatus Must Be Earthed and Mob Wheel can both be purchased still from Sonic Unyon.

Bowery Electric...

Formed in 1993, as the duo of Lawrence Chandler and Martha Schwendener, Bowery Electric released three great albums, a remix album, and a handful of singles before apparently calling it a day after the release of their last album Lushlife in 2000.

Bowery Electric started out as a sort of down tempo or almost ambient group that relied on thick sheets of guitar distortion to fill out their sound behind the drive of sluggish drum beats that for their debut Self-Titled album in 1995 was provided by a live drummer. It would be easy to label Bowery Electric as a shoegaze band, especially in their earlier stages as it was evident that they were definitely inspired heavily by the sounds of Slowdive and the like. However, as they grew older their sound progressed with them, which by the time their second album Beat rolled around a year later in 1996; they had started incorporating sampled beats into their sound. Beat, to me, is their most accomplished release. The use of distortion has been lessened to a minimal slow burn as on many songs it fades in and out along with the hypnotic drum beat that continues to pulsate behind it creating a much more spacey and almost psychedelic sound. The tempo throughout the album remains very much the same, rarely straying away from a simple beat and the churning drone of guitar, making Beat almost like one long ambient piece to be taken in as whole. The duo’s final album Lushlife was once again a step forward. Now with a full grip on the idea of being able to manipulate their sound, they became almost a full-fledged trip hop outfit, relying much more on a low end heavy sound and many more programmed beats and samples. However, as to be expected with Bowery Electric they do manage to squeeze in enough spacey and ambient texture to keep things interesting.

Bowery Electric:
Bowery Electric – Next to Nothing [MP3]
Bowery Electric – Deep Sky Objects [MP3]

Beat:
Bowery Electric – Empty Words [MP3]
Bowery Electric – Fear of Flying [MP3]

Lushlife:
Bowery Electric – Floating World [MP3]
Bowery Electric – Deep Blue [MP3]

All of Bowery Electric’s albums are available over at Amazon still, whether it is used or new you prefer. Regardless, at least pick up Beat if you’re feeling the tunes above. Enjoy!

Monthly Mix: June

Here is the monthly mix for June, albeit a bit late. I completely didn’t realize that Friday was the last update I would be doing in June, had I’d been paying attention to the world around me I would have had this up Friday instead of sometime today. Regardless, it’s only a bit late. As I was messing with the tags for the songs in the mix I realized that there are two songs with the number 73 included in it. I found that pretty odd since I honestly didn’t do that on purpose. This months mix is a little bit less noisy than some of the previous ones, more straight ahead rock with just a little bit of twists thrown in. Anyway, check it out and as always band names are linked to a place of purchase where applicable. Support the artists by picking up the album if you’re into it.

01 – Amusement Parks on Fire – A Star is Born
02 – Dakota Dakota – Indian Givers Cowboy Takers
03 – Oxbow – 1000
04 – Panel Donor – Sweetheart
05 – Battletorn – Spent
06 – Shapes and Sizes – Head Movin’
07 – Pencil – Cumulus Alto Cumulus
08 – Dark Fog – Tomorrow
09 – Gravity Propulsion System – Black Helicopter Undercurrent
10 – Aa – Thirteen
11 – Beauty Pill – I’m Just Gonna Close My Eyes for a Second
12 – Coalesce – 73-C
13 – Sideshow – Option Refused
14 – Les Savy Fav – Dishonest Don (Part 2)
15 – Terminal Cheesecake – Inbred 73
16 – Grant Lee Buffalo – Lone Star Song
17 – Gunfighter – Clean Kills and Other Trophies
18 – Hankshaw - Maple

Download (.zip file)