Dirty Old Man River...

After the Chicago based Drunk Tank came to an end around 1992 or so, Julian Mills went on to form the even darker and dirge driven Dirty Old Man River not long after. While the band was together they released three pretty solid albums (Self-Titled, The Saddest Movie Screen, and Ageless respectively) through Radial Records. Interestingly enough, joining Mills for the last two albums was Ben Miller (brother of Mission of Burma’s Roger Miller) on stereo pre-prepared guitar.

While Dirty Old Man River traveled down the same dark murky paths of that of Mills’ previous band, they were still two completely different beasts. This wasn’t the same raucous guitar attack that Drunk Tank was. Still though, one of the center points of the band was the raspy and chilling grate of Mills’ vocals. However, picture those to the backdrop of a menacing piano and the random clinks and buzzes, that of which remind you of the sounds that a larger older house makes when you’re sitting alone in it late at night trying to convince yourself it’s nothing but the house itself. Dirty Old Man River operated on the same level of “spooky” I suppose. Doing away with most melody in favor of the tension mounting random oddball noises and bringing together the seedy red lighted sound of a late hours dive bar. Dirty Old Man River is essentially what “creepy” music should sound like. It’s basically every long drunken walk home alone in the dark you’ve ever taken…

Dirty Old Man River:
Dirty Old Man River – Katy Did [MP3]

The Saddest Movie Screen:
Dirty Old Man River – Ghosts on the River [MP3]

Ageless:
Dirty Old Man River – One More Round [MP3]

For those looking to pick up any of the releases from Dirty Old Man River, I believe all three of the albums are still available through Amazon, both used and new. So definitely pick one, two, or all three of these if you enjoy what you here!

Thisquietarmy - Unconquered

Just recently released at the end of this past March was the debut from Thisquietarmy titled Unconquered out on Foreshadow Records. Some may already be familiar with Thisquietarmy and that the man behind the moniker, Eric Quach, is also a guitarist for the fantastic post-rock/shoegaze group Destroyalldreamers. Taking his love for fuzz and ambiance further (which is already hinted at in the space defiant band names), Quach has turned to his solo project for an outlet and the results of it certainly speak for itself.

Unconquered is a record that takes on a few different shapes and sounds as it progresses through the eight tracks that make up the album. The opener “Immobilization” is a fantastic joint effort between Quach and guest collaborator Aidan Baker. To little surprise it resembles Baker’s work on his past textural/ambient albums and it’s obvious that the two teamed together create a fairly captivating creative force. However, one of the things that makes Unconquered such a strong debut is that Quach doesn’t try to mimic these results for the rest of the album and the structure and mood shifts considerably after the first track. It follows up on the next couple tracks with a semi-abrasive wash of rising and falling distortion. “Battlefield Arkestrah” is a notable punishing piece of work, which is featured further below. One of my favorite tracks off the album is easily “The Great Escapist”, which features vocals from female singer Meryem Yildiz. The implementation of vocals is a fantastic addition and although it may be one of the more structured tracks on the album, it still fits right along with the rest of the album.

While Unconquered may not be something completely new to drone/ambient fans, it’s surely something that should and likely will be enjoyed by fans of the genre. Quach’s execution and unique approach to the genre is certainly worth checking out.

Thisquietarmy – Battlefield Arkestrah [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Unconquered, it is currently available through Tonevendor. Fans of this sort of music should definitely give it a chance. Also, for anyone that is looking for some more sampling of Thisquietarmy’s music, then definitely download the internet only single that features the excellent non-album track “Dronewars”. In order to do that, just head on over here. Enjoy!

Singer - Unhistories

With U.S. Maple being on hiatus for the foreseeable future, guitarist Todd Rittman and later era drummer Adam Vida set out and teamed up with former 90 Day Men member Rob Lowe and the brother of Adam, Ben Vida to form Singer. The band has just recently released their full-length debut, Unhistories, this past March on Drag City.

I remember first hearing about Singer and where it would lead. Their debut kind of snuck up on me, but something like Singer is definitely a good surprise. I guess it’s not terribly surprising the band resembles U.S. Maple in quite a few ways, most notably continuing on with the off-kilter guitar arrangements and general “making something from nothing” type of mentality that the previous outfit so successfully pulled off. There are a few key differences interspersed throughout the record though. One being that the name of the band is something to be taken quite literally, which was a complete surprise to me. I had no idea that the foursome would be collectively providing vocals. Furthermore, I didn’t expect them to be harmonized in such a way that they are on the album, albeit it’s Lowe that often takes center stage with the vocal duties. It’s quite a difference and really contrasts well with overall uneasiness that is created by the deconstructed rhythms floating along behind them.

I hate to use the word accessible, but Singer provides a bit more of a gentler approach than what was previously experimented with in U.S. Maple. But let me remind you that I am using the term “accessible” very very loosely. Singer does a pretty good job at diving into the odd guitar/rhythm experimentations of Rittman’s and A. Vida’s previous group and delivering something with a few interesting twists that ultimately work better than I think most would expect.

Singer – Dumb Smoke [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Singer’s debut album Unhistories, then head on over to Drag City to do so. I definitely recommend this purchase for fans of U.S. Maple.

Capillary Action - So Embarrassing

Behind the name Capillary Action you will find the mastermind of the group in Jonathan Pfeffer, who uses an ever changing cast of musicians to assist him in creating what is one hell of a mind bending sound. Now whether that is a good or bad thing, well that’s up to you because I can honestly say right here and now that this isn’t for everyone. So Embarrassing is the groups second record which has Pfeffer going full steam ahead into concept album territory by delivering a thirty plus minute palette of genres that weave their way in and out as fast as one can blink their eyes. All within this wild but surprisingly fine tuned orchestration is elements of jazz, progressive rock, math-rock, world music, and classical composition.

Generally albums like So Embarrassing prove to be much tougher of a listen than probably most people want to deal with. It’s an exercise in seeing just how far someone can push the boundaries and sometimes it’s only fun for those that are doing the pushing. One of the best aspects about So Embarrassing is that it successfully goes from being merely an experimental album to becoming a slightly more complex pop album that reveals itself as quite listenable really. That’s not to say, as I mentioned before, that everyone will enjoy this…although you never know. Really though that description remains to be a bit vague for the album as a whole as it accomplishes far more in my opinion. The many twists and turns that the album takes are paralleled with the soft melodic vocals of Pfeffer that often provides an extra intriguing element to the groups already spazzed out sound. So Embarrassing has gotten its fair share of comparisons to Mr. Bungle and Naked City, which seems fair. Fans of music in that sort of area should definitely find some interest in what Capillary Action are doing here on their latest album.

Capillary Action – Pocket Protection is Essential [MP3]
Capillary Action – Elevator Fuck [MP3]

For those looking to pick up So Embarrassing can do so by heading on over to Pangaea Recordings. I definitely recommend doing so.

Downtime // 16-17 - Gyatso

Some may have noticed that BOAWS was down for the majority of this past Sunday. There were some server issues that understandably took awhile to fix on my hosts end. Sorry to anyone that visited expecting an update for Monday and wondered where the site disappeared to. All is well though! Now on with the updates…

Some may be excited to know that Savage Land Records is reissuing the fantastic album Gyatso by past Swiss noise makers 16-17. Originally the album was released on Kevin Martin’s (ICE, Techno Animal, and God) Pathological label in 1994, but with the label being long gone it left a fair amount of excellent releases out of print, including Gyatso.

I doubt there is anything that can fittingly describe 16-17 or even more so the album Gyatso, which is arguably their crowning achievement while together. The lineup for this album consisted of Alex Buess (sax/bass clarinet), Markus Kneubuhler (guitar/electronics), and Knut Remond (drums). Often hindered by poor recording quality, Gyatso was the first album that really gave them the chance to fully present their power and insanity. The overall result was a giant step forward for the bands warped and bludgeoning style of free jazz. The album also drifted further into electronic territory, which would become even more of a focus on their later EP Human Distortion. Providing many of the electronic samples heard on the record was Kevin Martin himself collaborating with the band.

While dealing mostly in improvisation and freeform, Gyatso takes on a much different feel than a lot of similarly styled albums. The wild array of chaotic saxophone squalls and bass clarinet is more often than not set to a backdrop of monotonous bass and drums that proves to be an exhaustive listen as the album trudges through each track. Providing the disgustingly heavy low end on the album is none other than GC Green of Godflesh.

For those that have never heard this record, then definitely check out the tracks below. The album has been remastered by Weasel Walter (Flying Luttenbachers).

16-17 – Attack-Impulse [MP3]
16-17 – Motor [MP3]

Anyone that wishes to pick up this fine reissue may do so over at Savage Land Records. It’s well worth it, so don’t miss out on this!

Thank You - Terrible Two

The amount of interesting and often experimental music coming out of Baltimore, Maryland these days seems to be increasing. More and more I feel like I have been combing through the wealth of music coming out of that scene and a small portion of it has landed on the blog at some point or another. If I weren’t so lazy (and somewhat tired) I would go back and try and tally up the number. That’s just not to be though. Despite that, for today’s post I have an excellent new record from another Baltimore act, the trio of Thank You. Thrill Jockey just released their new album, Terrible Two, on vinyl this past April and are set to release it on CD here shortly in early June. So be on the lookout for it if vinyl is not your game.

Terrible Two is the follow up to last years album on WildfireWildfire titled World City. The band is described as an athletic rhythm/action unit, which almost seems like a good way of describing a band, but yet not really giving any idea of how they sound at the same time. However, after going through the five tracks on Terrible Two, it became clearer to me as to what exactly was meant by it…my mistake. Despite only being a trio, Thank You almost sound like there should be considerably more people standing around playing, hitting, or shouting something. The live shows are apparently something to be seen, which I can believe. The amount of different beats and rhythms they pull the listener through is genuinely impressive, which have all been drawn from a number of different sounds. The songs are drawn out in a fashion that lets them slowly work themselves into a frenzy, which generally leads to them spinning off into a whirlwind of completely different rhythms and beats. Terrible Two may only be around thirty five minutes in length, but it leaves nothing untouched and there is plenty to discover and appreciate here. On top of that it just proves to be a very fun album to listen to as well.

Thank You – Empty Legs [MP3]

As mentioned earlier, Terrible Two is only available out on vinyl as of right now and will be released on CD here come June. For anyone out there looking to pick it up right now however can do so through Thrill Jockey. Enjoy!

Dolomite...

Apologies for the unannounced week long break from the blog. I hadn’t planned on disappearing for that long, but it didn’t seem like there was much going on anyway so I figured it would be a good time to do it. I want to try and avoid that “burned out” feeling if all possible. On top of that I had a bit of a hard drive problem which took some time to sort out. All is well now though and I will hopefully have a few updates for the week ahead.

Dolomite was an experimental/noise-rock group from Chicago during the early to mid-nineties. The group featured members Neil Rosario (vocals/guitar), Rian Murphy (vocals/drums), Doug DeMers (bass), and John Whitney (vocals/guitar). Some might recognize the name Rian Murphy due to his association with Will Oldham and his session/production work with label Drag City. However, Dolomite was way before any of that. The band was originally a trio when they released their first single “Tarantula”, which I think came out through Fiasco Records. The same label would put out their first album …Of the Angels, clocking in at whopping 25 minutes that presented the band at their noisiest stages. Full of wandering noodling and random spurts of tortured feedback, it’s definitely a product of its surroundings and is unsurprisingly partly produced by Steve Albini.

Thrill Jockey picked up the band after the release of …Of the Angels and it was followed up by the release of an EP titled The Gift Horse Acetate in 1994 that is pretty much a middle ground between where they started and where they ended up. The bands second full-length Easter Someday was released in 1995 through Thrill Jockey. It’s an interesting turn in sound compared to their earlier recordings, and even what’s found on the EP preceding it. Easter Someday is a an almost completely scaled back affair when looking back on their noisier beginnings and in fact reveals a much folksier and blues influenced version of the band. The Thrill Jockey site even dubs it their “Americana” record, which seems appropriate. It’s an interesting and quite good album that if it were released today would probably have a completely different and possibly larger reception than it did when it originally came out.

I’ve provided a full album upload to the bands first semi-full-length Of the Angels. It’s a bit harder to track down the bands other two releases.

...Of the Angels:
Dolomite - ...Of the Angels (full album)

The Gift Horse Acetate:
Dolomite - This Future Conditional [MP3]

Easter Someday:
Dolomite - Don't Toss Us Away [MP3]

After Dolomite split up in the 1995, Rian Murphy went on to form Chestnut Station and as previously mentioned done work with Will Oldham. He does session/production work with Drag City as far as I know these days. Neil Rosario spent a brief amount of time in Red Red Meat before forming his own band Fifteen Couples however the band never released anything. Rosario later formed The National Trust that also featured fellow Dolomite member Doug DeMers and former Zoom member Mark Henning. John Whitney has since gone on to record a number of solo albums and also played with Murphy’s Chestnut Station.

For anyone looking to pick up Dolomite albums, most of them can be had over at Amazon for fairly cheap, however used. Definitely pick these up if the tunes above peak some interest.

Toenut...

Kinda sorta formed back in 1991 was the highly underrated and quite interesting Atlanta, GA based band Toenut. I say “kinda sorta” because there wasn’t really a solidified lineup until the band was eventually signed to Mute Records in 1995. Up until that point the band had been playing with a number of drummers and a core lineup that was essentially singer Katie Walters, guitarist Skipper Hartley, guitarist Richie Edelson, and bassist Chris Collins. However, before making the jump to Mute the band enlisted the services of full-time drummer Colin English.

The band would put out a couple full-lengths for the label, their debut in ’95 titled Information and ‘97’s Two in the Piñata. Sadly though the band was struck with tragedy in early April of 1997 when Chris Collins was killed in an automobile accident. The result of the tragedy was basically a name change for the band to tyro and the exiting of members Edelson and English.

Toenut were an amazingly talented group of musicians that may have been overlooked due them being sort of swept up in the alterna explosion of the 90’s. However, they were fairly different from many of those sorts of bands in a lot of ways. The bands quirky and often challenging choice of song structures probably didn’t solidify them consistent airplay, we’ll just say that. Along with the bands tendency to use various odd samples throughout their albums and the soft vocals provided by Katie Walters, it made Toenut a genuinely fun band to listen to. They were definitely among the more interesting groups to touch the mainstream during that time, if anything.

Information:
Toenut – Information 32nd Theme Song [MP3]
Toenut – Mouthful of Pennies [MP3]

Two in the Piñata:
Toenut – Feeder [MP3]
Toenut – Debug Me [MP3]

Walters and Hartley these days can be found still making music under the name of tyro, while other former members have since moved on to various other endeavors. For those interested albums can still be purchased on Amazon. Regardless, if the tunes above are of interest please do pick one or both albums up. Both are worth it in my opinion.

Motherhead Bug...

Earlier today someone inquired about the album Zambodia by the band Motherhead Bug and I figured since it was still relatively fresh in my head it would make for a pretty good post for today’s update. It’s nice how things work out like that sometimes, especially when it’s something that I really enjoy but for whatever reason I wouldn’t have thought to write about it on here.

Anyway, Motherhead Bug was formed in 1989 by David Ouimet who was previously a member/co-founder of the legendary noise-rock outfit Cop Shoot Cop. He has also toured and/or worked with the likes of Foetus and Swans. Unsurprisingly his pet project of Motherhead Bug fit snuggly alongside the projects in which Ouimet collaborated with in terms of weirdness and making your skin crawl. The group itself was massive, containing more members than I want to count right now. However when you hear the band, you’ll realize why there are so many as their sound is something that definitely needs to be heard to fully get an idea of what they were like. The sound they produced was more or less the soundtrack to a very twisted nightmare. They incorporated an array of instruments including accordions, violins, trumpets, and a saxophone to just name a few. Really, all I can visualize when I hear Motherhead Bug is a circus if it were run by Satan, and while some wouldn’t think of that as a compliment, it most certainly is…believe me. Sadly Zambodia was the only album the band put out and due to the lack of distribution during its release it goes largely unnoticed these days. There are also a couple singles out there too worth tracking down.

Zambodia:
Motherhead Bug – Demon Erection [MP3]
Motherhead Bug – Bleating Heart Incident [MP3]

Raised by Insects 7’’:
Motherhead Bug – My Sweet Milstar [MP3]
Motherhead Bug – Mr. Whistle [MP3]

Thankfully there are still copies of Zambodia floating around the used markets places like Amazon for a not a bad price at all. Definitely pick this up if the tunes above are of interest because the whole album is filled with equally great twistedness. If anything pick this up and play it for those that come up to the house on Halloween looking for candy. Well worth it.

Indian Jewelry - Invasive Exotics...

I doubt there is any real way to describe a group like Indian Jewelry, whom has undoubtedly set out to push any and all musical boundaries by completely ignoring any idea of traditional song structure on Invasive Exotics. Really, songs are nothing more than a loose guideline for the group. The band consists of key members Tex Kerschen, Erika Thrasher, and Rodney Rodriguez however it is expanded by possibly four or five times that amount throughout the duration of a tour. The songs from there are then altered and expanded upon as well as the different group members come and go. The songs you hear on record may be the only way you ever hear that song played, as it most likely won’t be duplicated in any way when performing live.

Indian Jewelry’s sound is a constant dissonant droning that is the culmination of synthesizers, a heavy dose of percussion, guitars, and whatever else the band can get its hands on. It’s either the soundtrack for the insane or the type of music that you would be greeted with upon your arrival to hell. Although it may be quite noisy at first, there is something strangely hypnotic about it that after awhile you don’t even realize that you’ve spent the past five or six minutes trying to figure out what’s going on. Actually, I just spent the past 45 minutes doing that and I plan on doing it again.

Indian Jewelry – PowWow [MP3]
Indian Jewelry – Come Closer [MP3]

You can pick up their latest album Invasive Exotics over at Monitor Records. You can also check out more from the band at their MySpace. Enjoy!