ChooChooShoeShoot - Choose Your Own Romance

Formed as early as late 2004, it would be hard to tell that the Nantes, France based ChooChooShoeShoot are merely a little under four years old. Following a demo that the band recorded in ’06, they have just released their debut album titled Choose Your Own Romance through Kythibong Records that sets the bar pretty high for the foursome in the future.

It’s absolutely no secret that ChooChooShoeShoot are heavily inspired by a lot of the music that Chicago produced during the early to mid nineties, very reminiscent of Shellac, Big’N, Table, and etc. Fans of those bands and anything that sounds remotely like them might as well stop reading now and just listen to the tunes below because the likelihood of at least mildly enjoying Choose Your Own Romance seems pretty high with this one. The album was originally recorded in a live raw setting with Miguel Constantino and then later handed over to Bob Weston for the finishing touches, containing all the abrasive tight explosiveness that one could possibly hope for. The female vocals provided by singer Chrystelle play right into the bands tension testing sound, going from quieter spoken passages to the inevitable shouted outburst outcome. Choose Your Own Romance is a head turner of a debut, definitely give it a listen.

ChooChooShoeShoot – Lao Lao [MP3]
ChooChooShoeShoot – Houlette [MP3]

For those interested in picking up Choose Your Own Romance, just head on over to the bands MySpace where they have it all set up for you. It definitely comes recommended. In the meantime, enjoy!

Caesura...

Caesura was an absolutely fantastic trio based out of San Francisco during the earlier part of this decade. I am not actually so sure if they are around these days still or not, but I am assuming not because I haven’t heard or seen anything about them since their last release in ’04. I could be wrong though and it sure wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.

Anyway, Caesura was members Evan Rehill, Brad Purvis, and Mike Shoun. Together they released an EP in 2001 titled Escape Equals Light through their own label Bird Go South Records. They followed that release up with two albums, 2002’s More Specific, Less Pacific through 54°40' or Fight! and 2004’s excellent Wallpaper the Witness once again through Birds Go South.

While often slapped with the label of a math-rock band Caesura was and always sounded a bit like a different band than that. Yeah, their songs are filled with the all the stop/start guitar playing and wild percussive blasts that could essentially land them in that category, but with a singer in Rehill that had a bit of thing for theatrics it helped fuel a more unique post-punk influenced sound. While all of Caesura’s albums are pretty good in my opinion, I would definitely suggest picking up their last release Wallpaper the Witness before anything else as it features the band at their noisiest and most complex. Check out some tunes below…

More Specific, Less Pacific:
Caesura – Craschandelier [MP3]
Caesura – Overhead [MP3]

Wallpaper the Witness:
Caesura – Hammer [MP3]
Caesura – Killer B [MP3]

For those that are interested in picking up an album or two by the band, then you can still pick up their EP and first album through Amazon it appears. However, oddly enough Wallpaper the Witness seems to be a bit harder to find, although Copper Press apparently still sells the CD and LP of it. Don’t know exactly how reliable that may be though, might want to shoot them an e-mail first. Anyway, I definitely recommended tracking down any of the bands material you can find!

Tulips...

I don’t really know much about the Tulips; in fact I know almost absolutely nothing about them. The band is pretty much a complete mystery to me. The only thing I am aware of is that they released a couple albums on Sonic Bubblegum, 1992’s Jack Mag and 1995’s Night of the Hunter, during the mid-nineties and an EP that preceded both of those titled Buxom on Earthling in 1992 as well. The cover of Buxom is a black and white shot of a hairy nipple, so that should give everyone and idea of what type of music you’re in store for.

Not really unique in any sort of way I imagine. Tulips played a fairly typical brand raucous noisy rock that was fronted by the howl of a female vocalist. Although knowing next to nothing about the band, I wanted to at least post a few tracks up on here since I imagine fans of anything noise-rock will dig this, and most of their records go cheaply on Amazon these days. Take a listen…

Buxom:
Tulips – China [MP3]

Jack Mag:
Tulips – Do Me [MP3]
Tulips – Panther [MP3]

Night of the Hunter:
Tulips – Wolf Pack [MP3]
Tulips – Wet [MP3]

For anyone looking to pick any of these albums up on the cheap and used, then head on over to Amazon to do so. Ignore the MP3 thing at the bottom of the Amazon page…I couldn’t find a page that just showed the right Tulips albums. Anyway, enjoy!

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!

Gravity Propulsion System - Days Like Razors

Heading back into the noisier side of things…wait, make that much nosier…is the latest installment from the Oklahoma based trio Gravity Propulsion System. The new album Days Like Razors is their third through Ascetic Records, which was released this past March. For those not familiar with the band they’ve been around for roughly ten or so years putting out completely solid albums and EP’s of recorded guitar/amp abuse of the best kind. Over that period of time they’ve also shared the stage with some other excellent noise rockers that have been featured here on the blog, such as Vaz, SWITCHhiTTER, Neptune, and Enemymine.

Days Like Razors falls right into line with the bands previous output, delivering thirty five more minutes of their filthy brand of fuzz filled rock. A good portion of this comes at a quick burst to the listener as the first seven tracks fly by in a pummeling thirteen minutes, a few of those being short little segues into the next punk fueled noise explosion. The inclusion of these just gives the album that much more of a disorienting feeling. Things come to a bit of a rest though with the track “The Travel Agent”, which is a surprisingly melodic yet noisy affair that brings their notable post-punk influences to the forefront. While the band may appear to be quite the aggressive bunch on first listen, they’ve always managed to work in a bit of catchiness to their overall sound giving them an added bit of appeal. Days Like Razors is yet another excellent addition to the bands catalog.

Gravity Propulsion System – The Situation [MP3]
Gravity Propulsion System – The Travel Agent [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Days Like Razors or any of the bands other albums for that matter, then head on over to Ascetic Records and pick it up. It’s definitely recommended.

Sweet Tooth - Soft White Underbelly

Sweet Tooth was a short lived band that featured members Dave Cochrane (bass, vocals), Justin Broadrick (guitar), and Scott Kiehl (drums). They were more in the area of one of Cochrane’s and Broadrick’s other outfits, Head of David, in that they were more of a noisy guitar driven band. Eventually the members found themselves consumed with other projects and Sweet Tooth ended sometime around 1993. While together they released one mini LP called Soft White Underbelly on Earache Records in 1990 and followed that up with a live album in 1993 titled Crash Live. They also made a couple appearances on compilations.

I don’t typically do a request type of thing, but since Soft White Underbelly is long out of print from the looks of it and it being released only on vinyl, I’ve provided a link to the full thing. That and it goes right along with the outline of the blog, so why not? Also, I don’t think it’s really that scarce, as I’ve seen it on eBay from time to time, so definitely snatch it up if anyone ever comes across it.

Sweet Tooth – Soft White Underbelly

Enjoy, I’m out until tomorrow.

Ritual Device...

Before I barrage everyone with a bunch of new/upcoming releases to check out for the rest of this week, I figured I would squeeze in a post for something older and maybe new to some peoples ears out there. I always take great pleasure in posting about some of the great bands that were in or around this area at one time. One of those bands was Omaha, Nebraska’s Ritual Device who were around for a small period of time in the mid-nineties. Their sound was largely based around the crop of Chicago noise-rock bands at the time, which often landed them comparisons to that of The Jesus Lizard and Tar. That’s pretty good company to be in really.

Consisting of members Tim Moss (vocals), Mike Saklar (guitar), Randy Cotton (bass) and Eric Ebers (drums), the band released their full-length album Henge in 1993, which in turn led to their -ismist single “Rabe” and their 1994 10’’ split with the mighty Killdozer. Before their live album Trademark of Quality Years could hit shelves in 1995, the band had already decided to pack it in. What they left behind though was a fairly solid album and in my opinion an even further excellent single, which has been kindly posted below. Do check these guys out if you’ve never given them a listen before.

Henge:
Ritual Device – Hatesong #3 [MP3]
Ritual Device – Pretty Things [MP3]

Rabe 7’’:
Ritual Device – Pork Fist [MP3]
Ritual Device – Young at Heart [MP3]

Despite “breaking up” and losing singer Tim Moss the other 3/4th’s of the band forged on as a three piece and changed their named to Ravine, whom will most likely be a post on the blog at a later date. Moss ended up in Men of Porn and has since released a few albums with that group. Most of the members of Ritual Device/Ravine these days can be found in various bands lurking around Omaha. Anyone looking to pick up their album Henge can still do so through Amazon, there are an absurd amount of cheap used copies on there so I suggest snatching them up. Enjoy!

Scrid - The Island of Misfit Toys

The lovely album cover pictured there to left on screen is from the Iowa City based band Scrid. Originally formed in 1993 in Fort Madison, Iowa they quickly made the move to Iowa City thereafter. The album, titled The Island of Misfit Toys, was released in 1997 through the Lincoln, Nebraska based –ismist recordings after multiple years touring the country. The album would be the bands only full-length that I know of. They did later release a split 7 inch with the band Sludgeplow in 1999, again released on –ismist. There isn’t anything stating that they ever split up, but I am pretty sure that they are no longer around.

The bands sound wasn’t an uncommon one, however for fans of mega distorted bass and guitar with a dish of slower sludgier sounding noise-rock then this is an album that people may want to look into. They often got compared to the likes of Killdozer, partly because of the whole backwoods persona that they carried and probably also due to the less than serious subject matter of the material. Regardless though, it’s hard to really understand what Craig Owsley is saying/barking anyway so it’s almost irrelevant. To me they sound more like a mix of earlier Clutch around the Transnational Speedway League release and maybe the Cows. Either way, it’s some abrasive rock for sure. The Island of Misfit Toys caps off the album with a fifteen minute piece of nothing but samples of various explicit subjects, not really something I want to hear for fifteen minutes but the nine songs that precede it are absolutely fine by me.

Scrid – Oralfice [MP3]
Scrid – Hedgehog [MP3]

There are still copies available of The Island of Misfit Toys on Amazon, both used and new. If you dig the tunes above then definitely pick it up. Enjoy!

Northern Bushmen...

Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was the short lived foursome Northern Bushmen. Among that lineup were Pat Morris (Don Caballero, Six Horse, etc.) and Noah Leger (Hurl, Taking Pictures, and a number of others). Formed in 1988, the band released a couple 7 inches along with one 12 inch dubbed Raymond Fischer. Their final release was the Biggest Player 7’’, which was put out through Pop Bus in 1992.

Although Morris would end up playing in Don Caballero concurrently and thereafter, there wasn’t really a direct connection between the two musically. Northern Bushmen bared more of a resemblance to the early 90’s Pittsburgh noise-rock sound, primarily focused on trebly discordant guitar tones and feedback. Despite a minimal catalog of releases, they were definitely one of the highlights. Here are the two singles the band put out, I highly suggest listening to the Biggest Player 7’’ as it features probably my favorite song they did along with a nice cover of “Neat, Neat, Neat” originally by The Damned as a b-side.

Laura 7’’:
Northern Bushmen – Laura [MP3]
Northern Bushmen – Camel’d Back Whale Driver [MP3]
Northern Bushmen – God’s Cunt [MP3]
Northern Bushmen – Knob [MP3]

Biggest Player 7’’:
Northern Bushmen – Biggest Player [MP3]
Northern Bushmen – Neat, Neat, Neat [MP3]

Enjoy the tunes; these singles are long out of print along with their excellent 12’’. Of course there is always eBay and those sorts of things. If there is ever a moment in which anyone runs across these, definitely snatch them up!

Trance Syndicate: Cinco Anos / Love & Napalm

Here are a couple of compilations from the defunct label Trance Syndicate. I’ve posted about many of the excellent bands that appear on both Cinco Anos and Love & Napalm in the past (Cherubs, Johnboy, Crust, and etc), however there are still quite a few I haven’t gotten around to posting about. These comps manage to cover many of those in one nice swoop. And for anyone reading the blog that haven’t listened to anything found on these comps in the past, then by all means give them a download and take a listen. Some good stuff to be found here for sure. Just click the album covers for the download.




For anyone looking to pick up physical copies of these discs, there are still numerous copies available through Amazon (here & here) for basically nothing but the cost of shipping. Along with that, many of the bands featured on them also have albums still available used on there too, so if you like something you hear, definitely pick up an album or two. You can’t go wrong with something like Cherubs. Enjoy!

Witch Hats - Cellulite Soul

After listening to the Wound of a Little Horse EP from the Melbourne, Australia based Witch Hats back in ’06; I honestly didn’t envision an album like Cellulite Soul being spawned from them two years down the road. Sure, that EP had plenty of promise, but to think they would deliver on it within such a short time just didn't cross my mind. However, here we are and Cellulite Soul is punishing my stereo speakers in the best way possible as I type this.

For Cellulite Soul the band has taken bits and pieces of 60’s pop along with the best elements of the earlier eras of noise-rock/post-punk and has promptly draped it all in a darker grimy image. The bands influence from past brooding rockers The Birthday Party is undeniable on this record, to the point that they even enlisted former member Phill Calvert to share recording duties with Ben Ling. The end result is more than anyone could ask for though, in that they created moody but powerful sounding album.

From the opening track “Before I Way”, the bass line kicks in with a rolling punch that doesn’t back down from the plodding succession throughout the entire album. The bass lines provided by member Ash Buscombe are easily one of the highlights of the album. Adding to overall skin crawling feel of Cellulite Soul is the vocals of Kris Buscombe, who at times slinks around the wavering guitar mess with merely a whisper, as if he’s coaxing the listener that everything is ok and no ones going to hurt you. However, that hand reaching out to grab hold of quickly disappears as Cellulite Soul doesn’t take long to reveal its true intentions of providing a soundtrack to the underbelly of the worlds workings.

Witch Hats – Hellhole [MP3]

Cellulite Soul is definitely one of the best surprises I’ve heard this year. For those digging what they here, then head on over to the bands MySpace to hear a few more songs and to purchase the album. It’s a dandy.

The Catalyst - Marianas Trench + 9

Oh the sweet sound of filthy muddy distortion. I have a feeling I would get along with the guys in The Catalyst very very well if were to ever come into contact with them. This of course comes after listening to their recent release Marianas Trench + 9, which essentially is a re-release of their ’07 EP of the same name with their 12’’ split with Mass Movement of the Moth and their 7’’ split with Brainworms tacked on. All of which have also been remastered by Carl Saff (Pencil, Neutrino). The compilation was just released this past Tuesday through the excellent Perpetual Motion Machine, which has released fine albums from Tulsa Drone and Wow Owls! in the past as well.

The Catalyst has been kicking around since about 2002, playing their aggressive assault of down tuned sludgy distorted post-hardcore and most likely causing havoc around Richmond and the state of Virginia throughout it all. To imagine what the venues must look like after these guys have played is slightly scary to think about. I can imagine a few people probably being unconscious and on the floor, whether from being beaten or from alcohol poisoning. Either one seems completely fitting. No matter what though The Catalyst undoubtedly leave a mess behind, both on record and I can only assume live. The music is played at a hardcore tempo and ferocity, however there is just as much AmRep type of earth rattling noise making taking place here as much anything else. It’s loud, crude, and most importantly powerful. Well worth the price of admission.

The Catalyst – This Bike is a Gravity Bong [MP3]
The Catalyst – Smoke Crack Worship Satan [MP3]

For those looking to pick this up, which if you don’t own any of the previous splits then I highly suggest doing so, head on over to Perpetual Motion Machine and order a copy.

Dead Elephant - Lowest Shared Descent

Around mid ’06 I heard Sing the Separation by Italy’s Dead Elephant. In fact I was looking back through all the mixes I’ve done and their song “Clopixol” appeared on a July mix during the same year. However after that I didn’t really hear or see much about them, but fast forward to now and apparently they have a new album out called Lowest Shared Descent which is currently available now through European labels Robot Radio & Donna Bavosa. I don’t think there is any US release at this current time, but is planned.

Dead Elephant are a band that could really go a number of directions musically and probably be able to do it very well. Throughout Lowest Shared Descent, the music ranges from sludgy metallic noise-rock, avant-garde, and industrial/ambient pieces. It’s an interesting and well executed blend of styles that in terms of combining to form an album will have the listener’s attention from start to finish. A lot of the songs on their previous EP Sing the Separation were a bit trebly in my opinion, however all five songs that appeared on that release have been re-recorded and included on Lowest Shared Descent. The new versions sound huge and are absolutely punishing. A lot of things can be heard through these versions that didn’t quite make it through in the earlier ones, so it’s excellent to hear and also doesn’t give off the feel as if these are just rehashed songs. Anyway, along with the re-recorded songs there are also a couple collaborations with one of my favorite music personalities in Eugene Robinson of Oxbow fame and another with Luca Mai, the saxophone player in fellow Italian noise makers Zu. Both of which are highlights on this album.

Dead Elephant – The Same Breath [MP3]

Definitely check out Lowest Shared Descent which can be ordered over a Donna Bavosa currently. Easily one of the best things I’ve heard this year.

Jack'O'Nuts...

The Athens, Georgia based Jack’O’Nuts released a handful of singles, an EP, and one full-length album through the late eighties to mid-nineties. However, even during a time when noise/math rock was at one of its definite highs, Jack’O’Nuts were still flying under the radar despite leaving behind possibly one of the genres finest releases in their 1994 full-length On You released on Radial Records.

The band closely mirrored that of the Touch & Go scuzzy noise-rock sound often landing them comparisons to Jesus Lizard, etc. However, the late Laura Carter was ultimately the cog within the bands lineup that helped set themselves apart, with her formidable vocals that tied in perfectly with the bands jagged discordant style of play. Although On You is a rather short LP, it’s still incredibly explosive at just eight songs. For those out there that don’t own it, it’s definitely worth having in your collection, especially at the used cut out bin prices that it often finds itself these days.

While, in my opinion, On You is the bands high point there are a number of excellent singles out there too if you search around stores hard enough. Also, there is the five song Jack'O'Nuts EP that was released in 1992 through Radial that is absolutely worth having as well.

Jack’O’Nuts:
Jack’O’Nuts – Eskimo Pie [MP3]

On You:
Jack’O’Nuts – Hook [MP3]
Jack’O’Nuts – Q [MP3]



For those looking to pick some releases by Jack’O’Nuts, head on over to Amazon where there are still plenty of used copies of both the Jack’O’Nuts EP and On You for pretty cheap.

Algebra of Need - Self Improvement

If only I could have heard this album last year. I have a strong feeling that it would have made the year end list. And yet again, I have to thank one of the blogs loyal readers for directing me to the Philadelphia based Algebra of Need. A bit of poking around on the internet really doesn’t turn up much press or anything of the sort for them, which is a shame because their debut record Self Improvement completely smokes and definitely deserves some praise.

While a lot of bands out there struggle with combing through their influences to create something interesting, Algebra of Need has apparently had absolutely no trouble with that once so ever. They are channeling the absolute best of the past two decades of noise-rock while mixing it up a bit with sort of a post-punk groove and bounce that ultimately keeps it from being one giant wash of noise. Not that I would have much of a problem with that either, but on Self Improvement the band manages to create a sound that will likely appeal to quite a few people despite the explosive feedback and tempo changes that come at the listener with reckless abandon. At thirteen songs in just under forty minutes, it really actually feels much shorter than that due to the band not slowing down one ounce throughout it all.

Algebra of Need – Another Skyscraper [MP3]
Algebra of Need – Nothing to Report [MP3]

Definitely check this one out if the samples above are sparking any interest. Self Improvement was self-released by the band as far as I know and can currently be purchased over at their MySpace or it can be had over at CD Baby. Fantastic stuff.

Quitters Club...

Here is a quick one for today or tonight, but in no way is something that should be passed up. I am just kind of late in trying to type this up and in actuality there isn’t much to say about the band Quitters Club, thanks in part to their extremely brief existence. I think I did a post about the great KC noise-rock group Germbox way back in the earlier stages of this blog and I thought I would finally follow it up with the band that was formed out of the ashes of them, Quitters Club.

Quitters Club was made up of two members of Germbox (Davy Jones & Matt Bramlette), a member from Season to Risk (Duane Trower), and a member of Vitreous Humor (Brooks Rice). The band didn’t fall too far from the tree in terms of similarities to Germbox. However, Quitters Club benefited from a bit clearer production with an added punch in the bass department, plenty of low end to be found here. The band did a split single with fellow noise-rockers Johnboy in 1994 that was released in 1994. They followed that up with their only album, which was Self-Titled and released in 1995 once again through Imminent Rock. The release features seven tracks, one of which is a cover of Half-Life originally by the Swans.

Quitters Club - Roku [MP3]
Quitters Club - Gamuts Room [MP3]

Update:
Big thanks to Davy Jones for directing where to get a copy of this fine album. If you like what you hear then check the comments section for info on how to contact either Jones or Bramelette. Both still have a few copies of the album left, so by all means drop them a line for one.

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.

White Tornado...

I’m diving back into the vaults for tonight’s update by posting a few things by the excellent and sadly overlooked Italian math/noise-rock band White Tornado. The band was formed around 1993 by experimental/improv guitarist Ninni Morgia and with the lineup of Morgia, Massimo Sapienza (vocals), Jeremy Evans (guitar), and Ivan Bonica (drums) they released their first EP titled Leg in 1996 through Lollypop Records. The EP was definitely the band in its infancy, not containing the full blown grinding twisting mess of a sound that they would later achieve. However, this was definitely a good start. It often times reminds me, especially on the song “Gino”, of the blunt forceful swagger that Big’n pulled off so well. The vocals are also blown out similarly to that of Unsane or Big Black. The latter of those two had the largest influence on the band from what I can tell. For an interesting listen, I’ve posted their cover of Nick Drake’s song “One of These Things First”. Hardcore Drake fans may want to withhold downloading that one…

Following the Leg EP the band jumped right into a full-length album titled From Hand to Mouth which was released on Freeland Records in 1997. This also saw the exit of guitar player Jeremy Evans and the addition of guitarist Marcello Di Lorenzo. The album, in terms of clarity, was much improved from the EP. This is also where Morgia’s presence is for the first time really felt, with the songs taking on added elements and twists. It’s a huge step up from Leg. Sadly, I don’t think this album is very easy to find anymore. Never fear though, I’ve provided a link to the full album. I do suggest picking it up if anyone does happen to run across it. Well worth having, that’s for sure.

White Tornado’s final two releases would come in the form of splits, one being a vinyl 7’’ with Colossamite released in 1998 through Freeland & Rock n’ Roll 86. Their contribution, “Contrived”, to the split is one of the best pieces they recorded. It’s a great blast of tinny sounding noise that captures some of the finer moments from the bands past and present. The second of the splits was a CD with Oxbow released in 2000 through Wallace Records. It features yet again, three excellent cuts from the band.

Leg:
White Tornado – One of These Things First [MP3]

From Hand to Mouth:
White Tornado – From Hand to Mouth [full album]

Split 7’’ w/ Colossamite:
White Tornado – Contrived [MP3]

Split CD w/ Oxbow:
White Tornado – Poem to the Most Affectionate Lady [MP3]

Most of the material is out of print these days, or just hard to come by. However I think Wallace Records still has copies of the Oxbow split for sale on their website. So definitely give that shot.

Whitey - The Whitey Album

So today’s update is a bit late, I apologize. Some of it was partly due to Blogger acting wonky, however the other part of was probably just me being lazy and not wanting to deal with it. Anyway, moving on with today’s slab of noisy goodness…

For some reason I never thought to obtain this last year, which has proven to be a fairly large mistake. Being a fan of Glazed Baby it pains me that I never gave Andy Newman’s post-Glazed Baby band Whitey a listen. As it turns out they just released an album last year through SF Recordings simply titled The Whitey Album. And even better it almost sounds like a continuation of Glazed Baby’s loud thundering lo-fi noise assault. The key difference here is a further emphasis on the bands infatuation with the blues, as it shapes a good portion of the bands sound…albeit a very rough and perhaps mutated take of it. As if making their own twisted songs wasn’t enough, Whitey throw in some covers, including “Nightmares by the Sea” originally by Jeff Buckley and “Well, Well, Well” originally by John Lennon that give the album an added warped spin. At the very least they prove to be interesting. However, I imagine anyone who was a fan of Newman’s work in Glazed Baby will most likely enjoy the blues tinged beast that is Whitey.

Whitey – Oh, Oh Marie [MP3]
Whitey – Barely Legal [MP3]

For those looking to pick up The Whitey Album, it be had over at CD Baby.

S.P.U.D. ...

To sort of go along with the Solid Gold Hell post I did not too long ago, I figured it would be good to throw up some S.P.U.D. since a couple of the members spent some time in both of these wonderful New Zealand based bands. S.P.U.D. produced a much more confrontational and abrasive form of noise-rock that was outlined by a heavy dose of feedback. Like Solid Gold Hell, one of the main attractions to the bands sound was Glen Campbell’s somewhat eccentric vocal style. They could have easily fit right in as something that would have been on Touch & Go back in the early 90’s. Sadly though I don’t think they ever gained much exposure outside of NZ. During their brief existence they released a couple singles (Breakdown Town in 1989 and Recliner in 1992), one EP titled Sour in 1990, and their one full-length Gnaw in 1991. All of them were released through Flying Nun. I recommend tracking down anything by them if possible, all are excellent.

Sour:
S.P.U.D. – Breakdown Town [MP3]

Gnaw:
S.P.U.D. – Fur Burns [MP3]

Recliner 7’’:
S.P.U.D. – Recliner [MP3]
S.P.U.D. – Shitman [MP3]
S.P.U.D. – Hee Ha [MP3]

For those interested, you can still find used copies of their full-length Gnaw on Amazon these days for pretty cheap. It’s definitely worth picking up and owning one of the lost classics of the genre.

A Ten O'Clock Scholar - Quietest

Quietest was the one and only album from the Dayton, Ohio band A Ten O’Clock Scholar. Released in 1996 through the Grass Records label, this little gem of a record probably graces many cut out bins across the country these days. That seemed to be the fate for many bands that were on Grass before they eventually (and unfortunately) mutated into Wind-Up records. Regardless, before that there was plenty to love about their roster, including A Ten O’Clock even if they were fairly short lived. For those that haven’t heard this and are fans of a noisy and loosely arranged indie-rock, then this is definitely something that you may want to check out. It’s kind of funny though, as I was digging around trying to see what happened to these guys I took at their AMG page and some of the listings under “similar artists” were so incredibly misleading. For the record, these guys sound nothing like Gravity Kills or Orgy. Seriously, who came up with those? Plus, I would never subject any the readers out there to anything similar to those bands. You can count on that.

But anyway, A Ten O’Clock Scholar could probably be better described as Pavement if they had become fascinated by 80’s no wave. Quietest contains quite a bit of dissonant guitar playing and it rides strongly on that. It’s not so indigestible in that it will only appeal to a small select few people; however it’s harsh and unsettling enough to scare away a fair amount. It’s one messy sounding record that prides itself on being just that.

A Ten O’Clock Scholar – Hooded Figure at the Foot of My Bed [MP3]
A Ten O’Clock Scholar – Excellence in Safety [MP3]
A Ten O’Clock Scholar – Infant [MP3]

Some of the members went on to spend time in Ohio Casket and Lab Partners. I am not so sure what any of these guys are up to these days however. Regardless, definitely pick up Quietest over at Amazon if the tunes above are of any interest. There are million used copies up on there for basically nothing, so definitely check it out.

Bitch Magnet...

The Chapel Hill based Bitch Magnet had a pretty good four or so year run in the late eighties, capping off their time together with the excellent album Ben Hur in 1990. The band featured singer/bassist Sooyoung Park, whom most know from his later and more prominent band the excellent Seam. The band released their first EP in 1988 titled Star Booty with a lineup that included Park, Jon Fine (guitar), and Orestes Morfin (drums). The Steve Albini recorded EP got them some attention, however still showed them trying to sort of gather their footing as a band. Star Booty did however layout the foundations of what the band would be known for, and that was a loud brand of post-hardcore/punk laced with plenty of distortion. For the bands second release Umber, they added second guitarist David Galt to the mix and it proved to payoff for the band as Umber sounds full and contains the extra bit of power that the band was sort of missing for Star Booty. I’m not slagging Star Booty either just for the record; it’s still pretty good which says plenty about how great this band was. Both Star Booty and Umber would later be released on one CD in 1995 I think.

Joining the fold not long after the release of Umber was ex-Squirrel Bait and then current Bastro member David Grubbs, who replaced David Galt on guitar just in time for the bands EP Valmead featuring slowcore pioneers Codeine on it as well. Their previous release Umber, along with being a pretty solid album, also served as a decent bridge into what would be in my opinion the bands finest work, Ben Hur. The album, which would be the bands last, was released in 1990 through Communion Records. It featured Bitch Magnet at their absolute best, showing off the excellent guitar work provided by Fine and Grubbs along with the amazing drumming of Morfin. Ben Hur may be one of my favorite records to listen to just for the drums alone, it’s definitely a treat. The actual songs were a bit of an expansive take on some of the things that were featured on Umber, there is a hint of moodiness however plenty of rocking and scorching feedback. The Grubbs and Squirrel Bait connection inevitably landed them some comparisons to Slint, which I suppose I can see at times but for the most part doesn’t really fit them.

Umber & Star Booty:
Bitch Magnet – Navajo Ace [MP3]
Bitch Magnet – Joyless Street [MP3]
Bitch Magnet – Carnation [MP3]

Ben Hur:
Bitch Magnet – Dragoon [MP3]
Bitch Magnet – Lookin’ at the Devil [MP3]

After the breakup, Sooyoung Park went on to do Seam and was then in a band called ee. I am not sure if they are still around or not. David Grubbs continued on with Bastro, which later developed into Gastr del Sol. He’s also released a number of solo albums. Jon Fine spent time in Vineland and then later a short period in Don Caballero. He was in a band called Coptic Light that released an album in ’05. Orestes Morfin would later reemerge playing drums for Walt Mink.

For those interested in picking up material by the band, Ben Hur can still be had over at Amazon. The Umber & Star Booty disc is a bit hard to track down. Regardless, at least pick up their final album, it’s truly worth it.

More Fire for Burning People...

Formed around 1994 was the Richmond, Virginia based More Fire for Burning People. After working to solidify a full-time lineup of Brian Landis, Curtis Brown, Becky Sanchez, and Bret Payne the band set forth on recording a four song demo and then quickly followed that up with the “Utah” single. The band also did a split with Blue Baby New Year that was released on Moodswing Records. Not long before the band split in 1997, they put out their one and only full-length on Ruido Records titled Sitting Breathless in New Chairs. A brief tour after the release would prove to be the end of the band as members starting focusing on other projects and/or life outside of being in a band. Regardless, their album is a fairly interesting piece of work that due to their brief existence may have been easily overlooked in the past.

Their sound, while not totally uncommon at the time, was definitely a good one sort of soaking itself in mathy bass-lines while branching out a bit more into drifting pulse like rhythms that ultimately rope the listener into being caught off guard with a hit of distorted guitar noise. Along with the impressive bass work of member Becky Sanchez, you also had some fine drumming thrown in too provided by Bret Payne, keeping things more than interesting. Definitely check the album out if you happened to miss it whenever it originally came out.

More Fire for Burning People – Daddy’s Girl [MP3]
More Fire for Burning People – Frank’s Mill [MP3]

After disbanding Sanchez went on to be in Shiloh Sound along with member Brian Landis. Bret Payne went on to be in Galusha Grow and eventually formed his own record label Cadillac Flambe. Thanks to that, anyone interested in picking up Sitting Breathless in New Chairs or any other material by More Fire for Burning People can be done so at Cadillac Flambe.

Solid Gold Hell...

Formed partly from the ashes of New Zealand noise makers S.P.U.D. (one day I’ll get to them too), Solid Gold Hell belted out equally noisy tunes however with a bit more emphasis on blues and bar rock swagger. As much as I dislike trying to describe a band by mentioning another band, they do often get compared to Killdozer, which ultimately fits them well. I really can’t argue with that one. The vocals from Glen Campbell are even at times sound somewhat similar, however Campbell could just as easily jump from sounding like a gravely lifelong smoker to mumblings and shrieks of a mental ward patient. Needless to say Campbell played a large part into creating the eerie image that Solid Gold Hell aimed to present. All of it was put to a backdrop of lumbering guitar noise and occasional squalls from a horn. It’s done rather well and for fans of scuzzy alcohol tinged rock, you could do a whole lot worse than Solid Gold Hell and their slightly baroque styled noise-rock.

While they were together they released two albums through Flying Nun. Their first being Swingin’ Hot Murder in 1994 and then their follow up 1996’s excellent The Blood and the Pity. If you happen to run across either of these, definitely pick them up…they are well worth the bargain bin price that they probably end up in sadly.

Swingin’ Hot Murder:
Solid Gold Hell – Hot Murder [MP3]
Solid Gold Hell – The Bid Tease [MP3]

The Blood and the Pity:
Solid Gold Hell – The Country Sow [MP3]
Solid Gold Hell – Motel Hell [MP3]

You can find used copies of Swingin’ Hot Murder online fairly easily online; trying Amazon is a safe bet. You can also find The Blood and the Pity on there, but it’s a bit pricey. I am sure a bit more intensive searching can turn up some cheaper copies on other sites or even eBay if someone wants to take that route. Either way, definitely grab these if possible. Good stuff all around.

Casus Belli...

Casus Belli was formed not long after the break up of the often overlooked Minneapolis band Bastards. Former bassist for the band Anthony Martin created Casus Belli as a vehicle for his solo work after making the move to Germany in the early 90’s. Under the name, Martin put out a couple singles and one full-length titled Tailgunnrangeles. The disc is sort of hard to come by these days as the album was strictly a European only release through Amphetamine Reptile. I think the disc was limited to something like 1,000. It’s too bad since the album is a fairly solid one at that and you definitely don’t hear about it that often. The singles that were put out on AmRep as well were pretty great too, in particular the Punishment 7’’. The singles seemingly had a harsher or increased abrasiveness to them, a bit rawer than the sound that is on Tailgunnrangeles. As for the album, it at times reminds me of what other former Bastards member Joachim Breuer did in Janitor Joe and Gnomes of Zurich, but with an echoing guitar buzz that sounds like it's being played in a cellar. It’s a pretty good album and if anyone can find a copy of it I do recommend picking it up.

Tailgunnrangeles:
Casus Belli – Bloodhound [MP3]
Casus Belli – Ram [MP3]

Punishment 7’’:
Casus Belli – Punishment [MP3]
Casus Belli – Going Poundin’ [MP3]

Surprisingly enough you can find Tailgunnrangeles on various different digital sites like Emusic, etc. So for those that are down with that, definitely check it out.

Gravitar - You Must First Learn to Draw the Real

It’s tough when a bands discography is littered with enough highlights and good albums that it makes it entirely too hard to go back and justly cover it all. In that case I have to make the grand old hard decision of plucking one album out of the bunch and using it as reference point of some sort. Facing that dilemma today for Detroit avant-garde noise/psych greats Gravitar, I decided to go with one of my absolute favorite records they put out, You Must First Learn to Draw the Real released on Monotremata Records in 1999.

You Must First Learn to Draw the Real is sort of one of those albums that I feel could divide opinions among pure noise enthusiasts. It’s definitely full of noise and packs enough visceral punch to it that it’s by no means going to be mistakenly filed under “pop” in a record store. However, there is a structure here and even the occasional riff buried underneath all of the fuzz and tumbling feedback. It all falls on borderline noise, but it’s a hefty slab of very well done skronk that takes on a psychedelic groove in more than few instances. As with almost all Gravitar albums though the one constant highlight is the freaked out free jazz inspired drumming by Eric Cook. The track “U.R.R.” is worth listening to alone for that very reason as he basically drives the whole 8 minute tune with a barrage of beats and crashing cymbals. The live track tacked on to the end of the disc is another favorite that displays Gravitar’s overpowering and relentless volumed attack.

As a bonus I uploaded one of my favorite tracks by the band off their split with Universal Indians on American Tapes. Great stuff.

You Must First Learn to Draw the Real:
Gravitar – U.R.R. [MP3]

Split w/ Universal Indians:
Gravitar – Automaton [MP3]

You Must First Learn to Draw the Real is still available over at Amazon and most other online retailers. If that doesn’t happen to work out, then it’s also available through Emusic. Enjoy!

Star Pimp...

Star Pimp was one of those bands that kind of defied any sort of good description to really capture what they sounded like. The result of their legitimately weird brand of bizarro noise-rock sort of left them without much exposure during their time together and are now one of those often overlooked and forgotten gems from the early to mid-nineties. Releasing their first single/EP, Treasure Trail, in 1992 through bassist Tom Flynn’s own record label Boner Records, the band would eventually put out one full length for the label titled Seraphim 280z in 1994 and then make the move to Kill Rock Stars for their second and final album in 1996 titled Docudrama.

Like I mentioned, words kind of escape me when I try and think of a way to explain the band. Obviously the best way is to just listen to the music and conjure something up on your own; however I’ll embarrass myself further by continuing on with this. Really though, one of the things that is noticeably unsettling and ultimately makes their music such an oddity is the borderline cutesy vocals from singer E. Marcelle Poulos clashing with Flynn’s sludge filled low end and the high pitched squalls from guitarist Eric Grotke. Not to mention the lyrics were also often a bit twisted as well. The combination works perfectly though, making for a genuinely bizarre, fun, and best of all a noise filled listen.

Seraphim 280z:
Star Pimp – Slave Girl [MP3]
Star Pimp – Little Tattoo [MP3]

Docudrama:
Star Pimp – Blood on the Mountain [MP3]
Star Pimp – Recalcitrance [MP3]

For anyone interested, practically all of Star Pimp’s material is still available through Kill Rock Stars. Definitely pick these up if any of the tunes above are of interest.

The Great Unraveling...

I’m going to be working tonight on the BOAWS top 20 for 07 to be posted tomorrow, and then after that it’s a bit of a Christmas break for the blog for a few days.

In the meantime I upped a couple seven inches from the short lived project The Great Unraveling. The band featured members Anthony Malat (Universal Order of Armageddon), Tonie Joy (Born Against, Convocation Of…, Moss Icon, Universal Order of Armageddon), and Randy Davis (The Uniform). On top of the couple singles featured here, the band did manage to release a full-length record on Kill Rock Stars in 1997, which was self-titled. The full-length is definitely worth picking up if the singles are of interest to anyone out there. It’s more of the same really, which is a nice solid helping of noisy post-punk.

Space Travel 7’’:
The Great Unraveling – Space Travel [MP3]
The Great Unraveling – Left With Only Out [MP3]

The Angel Rang Virtue 7’’:
The Great Unraveling – Burden of Proof [MP3]
The Great Unraveling – Running on Fumes [MP3]

To pick up material from The Great Unraveling head on over to Insound. Now it’s back to work for me. Enjoy!