Built on a Weak Spot

The Bismarck have been together for nearly a decade now, released a total of three albums, and haven’t had nary a word said about them really. It’s a bit disappointing, but the thing is though I imagine they are bit less disappointed by this than I actually am. The band seems more focused on having a good time and performing to rooms of like minded people that are also there to simply have a good time. And when your band is made up of four close friends, I imagine this type of endeavor becomes a bit easier to accomplish. With that said, Great Plains is in fact The Bismarck’s third album and was released this past May on their own imprint Pride of Dakota (most, if not all, of the members are originally from North Dakota). And as one of their first EP’s suggests, they most certainly do not “bring the weak shit”…maybe more so on Great Plains than any of their previous records. This is a full on display of rock from start to finish with loud ringing Burma-esque guitars that as much as they are there for the hooks are maybe even more so to coax shouting matches out of the members with their shared vocal duties. I’m not going to waste any more of your time however, since the band has the whole album up for streaming on their Bandcamp site. So instead of me posting the typical file to stream or download…just go listen to the whole thing below.

The Bismarck – Great Plains (album stream)

If you haven’t already clicked the stream and seen, the album is available for download for a mere five dollars. Trust me, it’s worth every cent of that…even if you aren’t into the whole paying for digital files thing. Enjoy!

A lot of times I’m in the position where I get a nice little brief explanation as to what I am about to hear when a record arrives at my doorstep (or in my case a box that requires a key). More often than not I have hard time understanding where half of those ideas came from because I’m obviously not hearing the same thing or it’s not really an ounce close to what it wants to be. It’s just the cold hard truth of it all I guess. Why am I bringing this up? Well Generalissimo passed along their record Western Medicine not long ago and like many before them it had a nice little write up attached to it. However where they set themselves apart is that the write up actually kind of works or is something that I can in fact buy into. It’s a nice change of pace.

So what is Generalissimo? They are a five piece from Oakland, CA that has members that have spent time in a few other notable bands such as Angel Hair, Stay Gold Pony Boy, and Boyjazz. I actually had to kind of take a double take when I noticed the Angel Hair connection. Quite a bit of deviation in styles, but hey that’s cool. Anyway, the band seemingly takes great pride in their strict and precision based style of punk/post-hardcore. With five members, three of which are playing guitar here, you’d think this would just be a clusterfuck of noise or giant blown out riffs, but rather Generalissimo seem to get their reputation from the restraint and execution of thick catchy rock. They aren’t working towards completely ripping your head clean off with blunt force. Their style is more so in the repetition or stealthily wearing you down so they can creep up behind you and slit your throat. It’s sneaky good in a way. While the comparisons that were expressed to me to such bands as Killing Joke and/or Melvins are pretty apt in this case, there were also bits and pieces that reminded me slightly of earlier Clutch. You know, before they were full-bore into jam band territory. It might be the rigidness in which this is played that draws me to that, who knows? Regardless, give Generalissimo a listen. It’s worth your time for sure.

Generalissimo – Yoked (stream)

Those of you interested in picking up Western Medicine can do so by heading on over to the bands website where they have it available in 180g vinyl or on CD, whichever floats your boat. Enjoy!

Has it really already been three years since Bottomless Pit put out their debut Hammer of the Gods? That just almost seems crazy to me and at the same time makes me a bit sad. It gets me wondering how little time I actually get to spend revisiting albums like that as opposed to constantly seeking out the new. No matter, Bottomless Pit have put those thoughts at ease for now as they have a new record on their hands titled Blood Under the Bridge that is currently up for grabs at Comedy Minus One.

There are really few bands these days that can release a new record and before even listening to it I can be assured that it will be solid. And no, it’s not because I’m a fan boy (ok, maybe just a bit). I mean I’ll fully admit right now that the new Autolux record is shit, and this is coming from someone that adored the first record, loved Failure, and digs plenty of shoegaze. So yeah, there are few things in my musical world that are “automatic”. However, Bottomless Pit is just about as close as it can get in my opinion. For those that are maybe just tuning into the band, well they are made up of former Silkworm, Seam, and .22 members. And not to discredit the other bands mentioned here, but Silkworm were a band with a pretty flawless track record in my opinion and to have a band like Bottomless Pit that has continued on in a somewhat similar fashion is rather exciting to me. Their debut Hammer of the Gods was a grower, as the differences were one that took some getting used to, however after a couple spins or so it was one of my favorite albums of that year. It’s just a grade-A rock record. With Blood Under the Bridge, the band don’t drift too terribly far off from what has made all of their previous material so repeat worthy. This record however does seem to change moods and tempos more dramatically than anything that I’ve heard them do thus far. With tracks that range from lighter and more melancholy to vaguely Americana inspired driving rock. The album closes with what may very well be my favorite track they’ve done so far in “38 Souls”. And the fact that it’s the album closer fits extremely well. Give it a listen.

Bottomless Pit – 38 Souls [MP3]

If you’re enjoying what you hear, then definitely head on over to Comedy Minus One and pick this up. Enjoy!

Back in ’06 Ventura leapt onto my radar with their debut album Pa Capona, an album that consisted of a very 90’s big riff heavy rock that I think I mentioned at the time hinted a bit towards sounding like Hum. Nevertheless, the album went on to be among my favorites for the year as I found myself going back to it more and more. Since then the band has stayed fairly active as far as touring and such, however hasn’t released much in they way of physical product. I think maybe label troubles had something to do with that, although I’m not positive on it. Anyway, I was extremely pleased to find out a couple or so months ago that Ventura would have a new one out by mid summer. It seems the up and coming European label Africantape is handling the release of the bands second effort We Recruit. With that, this one should be a bit easier to obtain for those of us in the US this time around. So that’s definitely a plus.

I remember in between albums that the band had a couple live videos on their MySpace, one of which was a cover of an old God Machine tune called “The Flower Song”. It never occurred to me until that point that Ventura shared a few similarities to the sadly underrated band. Their cover of that tune was excellent by the way, pretty by the numbers, but yet that was one of the main reasons that led me to the connection. On We Recruit Ventura do little in the way of straying from that path, keeping in line with what mostly made their first album so worthy of repeat listens. Again, I find myself running across songs that work their way to an amazing finish but leave me wishing that they did not in fact have to finish. The band has a true knack and/or ability to discover and capitalize on a simple yet extremely effective melody. And to make it soak in that much more, it typically is worked into the most tension filled moments of the song. This isn’t a band that simply stuffs its records with cheap riffs, but rather knows how to structure a song around them in a way that will command the listener’s attention. We Recruit has no trouble accomplishing this once so ever.

Ventura – With Ifs (stream)

For those interested in picking this up, it’s available through Africantape on CD. However if you’re just looking to get it digitally the band has it available through Bandcamp or it is also available through Amazon digitally as well. Definitely check it out of you enjoy the tune above.

A couple or so years ago a review popped up on Your Flesh penned by AmRep founder Tom Hazelmyer for the disc Harlem by the Denton, TX group White Drugs. Seeing as how a large chunk of my music taste and a slightly smaller but still rather large chunk of my music collection have been molded around Mr. Hazelmyer’s label, I took the heaping praise he laid upon the disc to heart and sought it out. Unfortunately at the time Harlem was a bit harder to get a hold of, but nonetheless I got a chance to listen to it and it proceeded to prove why it got all those kind words/comparisons with a blistering set of dirty garage flavored noise. Information about the band seemed pretty scarce however, even with the presence of a MySpace and an actual working website. There was little in the way of actual activity from the band, other than the physical evidence that is Harlem which was released on the bands own label Kunstwaffe

So yeah, that was probably early ’08 and time passed and then I noticed the name White Drugs in a list of bands that would be performing in August at the AmRep 25th anniversary bash. Very cool I thought, however I couldn’t quite figure out how they fit in with the whole thing aside from definitely sharing many attributes of plenty of bands that were part of the roster over the years. Then out of pure coincidence an opportunity arose to hear the bands new record Gold Magic and I gladly jumped at the chance to do so. However, not only was I extremely pleased to hear a new White Drugs record, I was given my answer as to why they were playing the AmRep bash in the first place and that’s because Gold Magic is in fact being put out by AmRep in conjunction with Kunstwaffe on July 20th.

With Gold Magic the band continues onward with the full rock ‘n roll swagger that their previous material was dripping with, maybe even more so than before. All I know is that this thing locks into a groove pretty early and keeps with it for damn near the entire half hour by pumping out absolute riffs galore that are given a deep bathing of filthy feedback. To put it simply, you’d be wise to check this out. It’s everything you would pretty much want to hear on a release from a label that has helped develop a certain style of music as much as it has.

White Drugs – Black Wizard Gloaming (stream)

As of right now, you can pre-order Gold Magic through the bands Kunstwaffe label. It’s limited to a pressing of 350, so don’t slack folks and pick this up. For those interested in hearing the bands previous record Harlem, which I highly suggest you do, it’s also available on the site now as well. With that, enjoy!

I was certainly disappointed to hear that Riddle of Steel had called it quits not long after the bands final release 1985 in ’08, although I will admit it didn’t come as much of a surprise. They’d slowly been heading down the path of which Tilts would pick up and continue on with anyway. At the time, I was under the impression that it may be awhile before front man Andrew Elstner popped up in another group, but as I imagine with a lot of musicians, he couldn’t keep himself out of a band for long as Tilts appeared roughly a year later. This time however, he is being backed by some ex-Shame Club members and as expected the band delivers some absolutely smoking riff-heavy rock that rides a very noticeable late 70’s/80’s arena rock vibe. Yep, everything from the music to the imagery, it’s all there. And if you couldn’t gather from his work in Riddle of Steel, Mr. Elstner certainly has the chops to pull this off and does so with a heaping amount of success. I think fans of both RoS and Shame Club will be pleased to here what the members have come together to create here. A lot of the same elements from both bands are certainly found in Tilts; however I believe this truly captures the bit of carefree/good time rock that both groups were often hinting at. This is definitely not the sort of thing you listen to with the windows rolled up and the A/C on.

At the time of this writing the band has already self-released two EP’s titled Cassingle (2009) and the just recently released Sidepipin’. Posted below is a tune from each one for your listening pleasure…

Cassingle:
Tilts – Give Me Some of Your Loving (stream)

Sidepipin’:
Tilts – Hot for Pizza (stream)

If you’re interested in either of these releases, then hit up the band on their MySpace where I believe they are selling them for five bucks a piece. Well worth it! Enjoy!

From the opening blast of dirty distortion, it’s quite clear what Bloomington, Indiana’s Pink Houses are going to give you for the twelve tracks that make up their debut. It’s also not entirely surprising to visit their MySpace page and find two of the three members sporting some plaid attire. Yes, grunge may have died years ago to many, however there are still some out there scraping together some of the remnants that the genre left behind from the it’s major label halcyon days. Pink Houses in particular are putting together some of the finer moments here on this release and giving it the sort of energy that sadly was missing from all too many of the cash in types. That could certainly be due to the background of some of the members, most notably Ryan Woods who plays with acoustic punkers Defiance, Ohio. There is absolutely nothing involving acoustic guitars here however, as Pink Houses keep it pretty rough and loud throughout this disc. And what may be the best part is that it’s available for free over at Dead Nuns, so do yourself a favor and give this a listen.

Pink Houses – Come On In [MP3]

For those that would like a physical copy of the record, then hit up the band over their MySpace where they appear to be offering it up.

This was one of my “Record Store Day” pickups from my outing to Love Garden out in Lawrence, KS. I was actually almost about to head out that day before I spotted a small helping of tapes up on one of the walls and took notice of this tape from locals Rooftop Vigilantes of which had seemingly just been released unbeknownst to me only couple or so weeks earlier. However, it’s nice when things like that sort of work themselves out and I end up stumbling across it anyway. The Rooftops Vigilantes released a wonderful record last year titled Carrot Atlas through Wooden Man Records, which probably had a track appear somewhere on a monthly mix. If not, then I should be smacked for neglecting to do so. Anyway, this new tape titled Who Stole My Zoo? is a quick sampling of six new songs from the band, which since it’s a tape means they sound even messier than usual here. Since it’s the Rooftop Vigilantes though and sweet messy indie-pop is sort of their deal, this tape sounds just as excellent as the tunes that came before it. Seriously though, if you haven’t heard Carrot Atlas, do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy of that. It’s pretty rockin’ and will make you feel a bit less miserable. Who Stole My Zoo? Well, the same applies obviously. Take a listen to the track below from the tape, my fav I’d have to say.

Rooftop Vigilantes – My Year Itches [MP3]

Anyone wishing to pick up this tape can do so by hitting up the bands MySpace or I think they are available through Blue Collar Distro as well…or hell, if you’re in Lawrence just pop on by Love Garden to pick up a copy. As for Carrot Atlas, you can still pick that up over at Wooden Man. Definitely do so if you like what you hear!

One Mr. Conan Neutron has been plenty kind in sharing his various music projects with myself and the blog over the past couple years, which I am quite thankful for, being a fan and such. It was only a matter of time after the previous project Mount Vicious dissolved that there would be something new on the horizon. Sure enough the transition to another musical outlet was pretty much instant and with that I am glad to be posting a couple tracks from the latest in Neutron’s cannon Victory and Associates. Along with Neutron in the band are members Paul Miller, Evan Gritzon, Mouse Menough, and Shane Otis whom are all pretty much veterans of rock at this point having been in numerous bands themselves.

With that said, it’s probably pretty safe to assume that Victory and Associates is very much a rock band, and that would be correct. Over the years Neutron has moved steadily from one thing to another, leaving the noise/post-punk style of Replicator behind and shifting gradually towards to a purer rock sound. Mount Vicious was a rather noticeable change, however Victory and Associates takes the fun loving/good time party rock vibe even further and has come out as the purest effort yet. It sort of reminds me of a RFTC at times, obviously minus the horn section, however the energy and anthemic qualities are all there that makes this debut 7-inch from the band a fun time.

Victory and Associates – Party Savior [MP3]
Victory and Associates – Thousandaire [MP3]

The band also has a track on the compilation Karl Rove: Courage and Consequence, which has a collection of other rather cool bands to check out as well if you get a chance. The comp is being spear headed by Mr. Neutron and has been made available for free digital download. For more information about the compilation and what it’s all about, head on over here!

Pre-orders are currently being taken now for the 7-inch over at the bands Bandcamp site. Definitely pick up a copy if you enjoy what you hear.

Not long before I had to pack up and move to my new place of residence I found the latest album from Philadelphia’s Thinking Machines titled Work Tapes sitting in my e-mail, which will be released here very shortly on April 6th through TMvFM digitally. I don’t know if there are plans to release the album physically, but I would certainly be all about it if they did. Anyway, their previous album A Complete Record of Urban Archaeology was one of my favorites from 2008 and much like that album was for me at the time, Work Tapes provides yet another great way to get this year rolling. I know that might sound a bit odd now that April is already upon us (along with me almost becoming another year older, sigh), however I’ve been so busy this year still feels relatively fresh and my paltry list of things I’ve listened to and enjoyed so far greatly reflects that. Thankfully I can add Work Tapes to that list, as it’s every bit of a powerful straight up rock album that A Complete Record of Urban Archaeology is.

During the bands time between records they’ve apparently kicked it back up to four members, which the second guitar is pretty noticeable here on Work Tapes providing a bit depth and an additional layer thickness that, while I don’t think they were necessarily lacking in, is definitely welcome. The bass in some of the tracks is surprisingly low and sludgy even. Just listen to tracks like “Titan” and “Pays to Know” and tell me that doesn’t get you going in some fashion. This is an album that needs to played through a stereo and not some crummy computer speakers, so again, I really do hope they decide to do something more with this. Not that I can’t just burn this to a disc if I wanted to, but really…I don’t care to do that for a number of reasons.

Thinking Machines – Dynamic Shields [MP3]

Continue to check in with TMvFM Records where Work Tapes will be available through them on April 6th. I highly suggest picking this up from them, especially if you consider yourself a fan of any of the bands previous work.