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!

Kowloon Walled City - Turk Street

I received this fine little 3 song EP called Turk Street from San Francisco’s Kowloon Walled City a few days ago in my e-mail and I’ve been listening to it off and on for the past few days on the computer. It was mentioned in the e-mail that Kowloon Walled City is intended to be no-frills, undecorated, and heavy. If that is indeed the intention then I believe that they've definitely achieved that, in my opinion. Kowloon Walled City is pretty much everything that I enjoy about sludgy bottom heavy rock. Although it’s only three songs to go by, these guys are batting a 1.000 so far, there is nothing to dislike about these tunes as they are crushing. According to singer/guitarist Scott Evans the band has plans to hopefully release a full-length some time this spring through Evans’ own label Wordclock Records. If so, then I’ll definitely be looking forward to hearing it.

Kowloon Walled City – My Hands are Turning to Bricks [MP3]

For those looking to check out the EP, head on over to the bands website to download the entire EP for free in high quality MP3. So take the two minutes or so to do that. Also, for those interested check out Wordclock Records for some other freebies from Scott Evans’ various other projects. As always enjoy the tunes!

Leechmilk...

I can’t say I’ve ever been a heavy listener of what is often labeled “sludge”, however there were always a few bands here and there that I really was able to get into. Mostly they were the obvious big hitters like Eyehategod or Buzzov*en, stuff like that. Just the other night though I was reminded of a band that came a bit later, Leechmilk. I hadn’t listened to either of their records in quite sometime, but I was quickly reacquainted once it was revealed to me again at just how much these guys ripped.

I remember the good old days of dial up Internet surfing when I would cruise around on MP3.com and download various tracks from bands that put their music up on the site. One of the tracks I distinctly remember getting off of it that completely tore me apart at the time was Leechmilk's song “The Garrote”, which appeared on their first full-length, Starvation of Locusts (2000, Spare Change) and then again on their second release that was a split with Sofa King Killer called Guilty of Sloth (2001, Tee Pee). Not much else to say really other than these guys were among the best bands that I heard that did the whole Southern sludge/swamp sound, just incredibly crushing and vicious, the vocals especially. It’s too bad that they didn’t release more, but what we got was plenty good enough. Give it a listen.

Starvation of Locusts:
Leechmilk – Doubleplusungood [MP3]
Leechmilk – The Garrote [MP3]

Guilty of Sloth:
Leechmilk – Saltlick [MP3]

As far as I can tell Starvation of Locusts is no longer available, however Guilty of Sloth still can be found used on Amazon and there might still be copies available through Tee Pee. Honestly have no idea what happened to the members after this band. I am counting on some of the readers to help me out here if possible. For now though, enjoy the tunes above!

Daisycutter...

Tim Cronin formed the short lived band Daisycutter in 1991. Some might remember Cronin from the brief time he spent as Monster Magnet’s vocalist before taking over the bands light show duties after Dave Wyndorf assumed vocal duties. Daisycutter was all Cronin’s though and although short lived they did put out one EP titled Shithammer Deluxe in 1993 and one full length for Rockville Records titled Truck Fist in 1994, which was their finest work by far. While the EP was certainly inspired, it sounded like a combination of what Cronin had originally intended to do with the project, which was something centered on tribal drumming. The result on Shithammer Deluxe sounded almost like a compromise between where the band was naturally heading and the original intention. By the next year when Truck Fist rolled around and after a couple of lineup changes the bands sound had developed into what was hinted at on the EP.

Cutting away basically all of the skronked out pretensions of the EP, Truck Fist was loaded with a much fatter and straight forward Daisycutter sound. Very reminiscent of a lot of the sludgy rock being produced in the early 90’s Truck Fist certainly establishes itself as a worthy member of that family. Although not completely varied through its thirteen songs, the album is still worth tracking down these days as it definitely does feature more ups than it does downs, with loud buzzing guitar work and nice raspy vocals to compliment it all. It would have been nice to see the band not completely lose the acid inspired oddness that they displayed on their EP, however without they still made a pretty good album in the end, so oh well.

Shithammer Deluxe:
Daisycutter – Pull [MP3]

Truck Fist:
Daisycutter – Truck Fist [MP3]
Daisycutter – Pig in a Can [MP3]

Members of Daisycutter went on to be in Solarized, Atomic Bitchwax, and Blackout Shoppers to name a few. Although the bands output is out of print, both Shithammer Deluxe and Truck Fist can be had over at Amazon for practically nothing. So if the tunes above are pleasing to the ear, then head on over pick those up. Enjoy!

Back and Sunburnt / Weedeater - God Luck and Good Speed

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

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

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

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

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

16...

I’ve been meaning to do a post on these guys for quite a long time now. 16 was formed sometime in 1991 in Santa Ana, CA and despite a few lineup changes here and there they managed to release roughly 6 full-length albums, two 10 inches, and plethora of 7 inches. There are probably a ton of odds and ends in there, but that’s just a quick summation of their extensive discography.

For starters, 16 rocked hard…maybe one of the riff heaviest bands that I’ve ever had the pleasure of exposing my ears to. Their music was a great mixture of hardcore, stoner rock, and punk. The end result of that was some straight out balls to the wall rock. 16 are quite possibly one of my favorite bands to listen to in the car for that very reason, probably creating an unsafe environment for whoever is driving around me. I apologize to anyone out there that may have been cut off, flipped off, honked at, etc due to my listening of this band while behind the wheel. Unfortunately I never got to see these guys live, but judging by things I’ve heard and read it seems it would have been a treat to see. On record 16 is a crushingly heavy riff machine. I honestly have a hard time understanding as to how anyone could not be sucked in by the infectiousness of their music. Out of their albums, I am a pretty big fan of their 1996 release Drop Out on Theologian/Pessimiser, mostly for all of the above mentioned and the production on it. But really you can’t go wrong with a 16 album, I dare you to try.

16 also hold the title for creating one of my favorite music videos. I imagine anyone that is a fan of the band has probably already seen this a hundred times or more, but for those that haven’t it is a must see. The video is for their song “Damone” from their final album Zoloft Smile, which was released in 2003 on At a Loss, and the video is nothing more than the song synched up to clips from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Simply brilliant and at the same time hilarious. Thanks to YouTube everyone can view this masterpiece.



Curves That Kick:
16 – Chum [MP3]
16 – Mr. Mouse [MP3]

Drop Out:
16 – Trigger Happy [MP3]
16 – Butterfly Labes [MP3]

Blaze of Incompetence:
16 – Asian Heat [MP3]
16 – Glowing Bowl [MP3]

Zoloft Smile:
16 – Damone [MP3]
16 – Hearing Voices [MP3]

I think most of the bands material is sadly out print these days, however you can still find copies of a few of their albums floating around on Amazon. I imagine a Google search would turn up some results too. I strongly recommend tracking down any of their albums that you can.

Big Business - Here Come the Waterworks

It looks as if 2007 is going to begin with a plentiful amount of great releases, one of those included is the new record from Big Business called Here Come the Waterworks. The album is set to be released on March 6th through Hydrahead and I am here to tell you that it pretty much rocks.

Big Business is a duo made up of Jared Warren (vocals, bass) and Coady Willis (drums, vocals). Warren was also once in the amazing sludge driven juggernaut that was Karp and Willis has previously spent time in Murder City Devils. While I was a fan of the duos first record Head for the Shallow, I was left feeling a bit under whelmed by it. I felt like with all that potential that the album should have been absolutely mammoth sounding. I mean, it sounded huge and it was most definitely loud and sludgy, but it wasn’t quite there yet. All of this has been taken care of on Here Come the Waterworks. Maybe that time they spent playing, touring, and recording as part of the Melvins had something to do with it, I don’t know. Regardless of whether that’s the case or not, the album is magnificent and blows their debut out of the water. On top if it being ridiculously crushing, it sounds like a more complete and fluid effort as well. I know it sounds like I am dogging on their debut a bit, but really...their debut was excellent too. However, they've somehow managed to make that effort seem average in comparison.

Big Business – Grounds for Divorce [MP3]

Definitely pick this up when it comes out. Those out there that enjoyed Head for the Shallow should be pretty excited about this album because it surpasses it in my opinion. There are some really great tracks on it. Keep checking the Hydrahead site for its availability.

With that, I am out for the weekend. It’s supposed to be all icy and nasty here this weekend, so for those that have to get out and make their way around the KC area this weekend…be safe!

The Gersch

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. There is nothing much to say on my end of things. My fantasy football team continues to tank. Most weeks I think I do fairly well and just have terrible luck, but this week my team actually just tanked. There is no other way to put it. Next year, I am going to make more of an effort to not draft players that are on perennial losing teams. I am fairly sure that is what hurt me this year and the fact that Shaun Alexander was featured on the front of a Madden game. Oh, and in other news…owners of major league baseball teams continue to spend large amounts of money on players with practically no talent. If anyone out there can throw a baseball, you can probably make a million dollars easy. Give it a go! Anyway, on with what I am really suppose to be talking about…

Tortuga Recordings has put together this nice compilation of various material of The Gersch, which featured current Isis and Red Sparrows multi-instrumentalist Clifford Meyer. The band originally formed in late 1994; however their output was quite limited. They had one 7 inch on Tortuga, which also stands as the labels first release. The band also managed to appear on a couple compilations as well. To those that come looking for this in hopes of hearing something identical to that of Isis, well…you’ll probably be met with a bit of disappointment. However, to those that are fans of slowed down, bottomed out, and just overall sludgy rock then this is something that could quite possibly spark some interest. The Gersch was the combined effort of three guitarists and a drummer. There was no bassist, as the plan was to just play all three guitars tuned low and for the most part it worked. As with any compilation of scattered works and rarities, it’s bound to have a couple misses or items that just leave you scratching your head. However, surprisingly enough the majority of The Gersch’s material is rock solid and ends up being quite a treat to hear. Obviously it’s nothing revolutionary and something that bands like Kyuss and/or The Melvins haven’t already covered before, but I am of the type that will gladly welcome something like this with open arms.

The Gersch – Listwish [MP3]
The Gersch – ‘taker [MP3]

For those looking to pick this up, it can be had over at the Hydrahead shop featured at Blue Collar Distro.

Harvey Milk Returns With Special Wishes...

It’s been a wonderful year for music. It took a bit to get the ball rolling, but now here in September I can look back and confidently say that there have been some amazing releases this year. Even better, there is still about 3 and a half months left! Awesome.

All this was put into perspective for me as I was listening to the new record from Harvey Milk titled Special Wishes. I was extremely excited to see last year that the band had regrouped after initially disbanding back in ’98. I honestly didn’t think I would ever actually hear new material from these guys, but this year being full of surprises, here they are with a new record out on Troubleman Unlimited.

For their first two records, My Love is Higher Than Your Assessment of What My Love Could Be and Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men, they produced some of the most mind numbingly slow and crushingly heavy music to ever be put on record. Adding to the uneasiness of the music was Creston Spiers’ vocals which were every bit as trying and tormenting as the music itself. The complete package was so honest and painful that by the end of a record it had most likely exhausted you. Their second album is the paramount of just that, epic and absolutely heart crushing. For their third album, The Pleaser, they changed things up taking in a bit of a classic rock influence and creating a much more straightforward hard rock sound.

On Special Wishes the band returns in stunning form, not missing a beat. The album is kind of mixture of everything found in their past discography. Featuring their trademark sloth like pace at times while working in some fairly mid paced riffs here and there. Themes again range from heartache to that of our nation.

Harvey Milk – I’ve Got a Love [MP3]
Harvey Milk – Instrumental [MP3]

Please, please, please go pick this up though Troubleman Unlimited as this album was the work of many years that thankfully have come to fruition in the form of this fine release. Also, you can now also pick up the reissue of the amazing Courtesy and Good Will Towards Men through Troubleman as well. Well worth it folks.

Black Cobra is Indeed Bestial...

You almost have to assume something that comes from ex-members of Cavity and 16 is going to be something worth hearing. So when listening to Black Cobra’s new record Bestial, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have any expectations for it. The duo that makes up Black Cobra is members Jason Landrian and Rafael Martinez. The band itself shows similarities to both members past projects, which is welcomed by me.

The idea for the duo originally formed when both Jason and Rafael were in their hometown of Miami visiting family. The result was endless amounts of tape trading and visits to each others respective place of residence (NY/LA). They released a three-song demo in 2004 that immediately demonstrated the ferocious nature of the bands sound. It’s now 2006, and after years of laboring over this release, Black Cobra has released their first album Bestial on At a Loss Recordings.

The music is dense, so dense that it almost feels like that it’s still moving at a sloth-like pace even when the band itself dives into a crust-punk fueled barrage of noise. It’s the type of sound that feels heavy even when it’s hardly making any noise at all, which is a rare occasion on Bestial. Regardless, the duo does well for being just that, a duo. The sound is large and full giving Black Cobra a sound that is almost juggernaut like, possibly larger than many of their peers. Among the dense layers the drums are pounding and pummeling, equally huge as the feedback itself. The vocals are raspy screams for which are indecipherable for the most part, fitting right along with the conveying anger displayed in the music.

I generally find “sludge” a hard genre for me to really appreciate at times. I won’t lie; there are many cases where I grow tired quickly with a lot of music associated in this genre. However, it really impresses me when something like Bestial is released that can sit in my CD player and I never have the notion to get up and take it out. It keeps my interest and to put it quite simply, it just really fucking rocks.

Black Cobra – Thrown From Great Heights [MP3]
Black Cobra – Sugar Water [MP3]

For anyone that was fans of the band member’s previous bands, by all mean check out Black Cobra. And anyone that digs music like High on Fire, Eyehategod, or anything of the sort…check it out too. You can do so by heading on over to At a Loss Recordings and picking up the album.

Boris - Pink and Some Other Things Too...

The new Boris album Pink has recently been released here in the US after seeing its initial release last year in their home land of Japan. Had I not used it in my year end top 20 last year, it would of certainly had a spot this year. That being said, Pink is one of Boris' strongest releases to date, combining a wide collection of past styles and mashing it into one mammoth of an album. The lead track "Farewell" is one of my favorite songs off the album. A slower paced cut that opts out of the doom/sludge area instead for a surprising melodic piece that sounds a bit MBV inspired, which ends up being quite epic as well. However, you can't get to comfortable with it as the majority of the album dips back into the grittier and dirty Boris that many of their fans have attached themselves to. However, the song could go a long way to show how great this band really is. The production values might be a concern to some, as it's definitely not the cleanest and quality sounding production ever. However, I've always found that to be a strong point for the band giving their songs an even nastier/rocking feel. It's definitely not for everyone though, which is understandable.

The album has definitely ignited a notable amount hype for the band. This year seems to be the year that many people are starting rant and rave about the them after releasing numerous albums in Japan and some in the US through Southern Lord. However, I will back whatever hype surrounds Boris, as everything they have ever put out has pretty much impressed me. Even more so with the fact that the band pulls off some of the heaviest doom/sludge material I've heard then switching it to some fine dirty fast paced rock n' roll all at the snap of a finger. Amazing really. Give it a try, as it's better heard than explained. You can do so by picking up Pink through Southern Lord.

Pink:
Boris - Farewell [MP3]
Boris - Blackout [MP3]

And for good measure, a couple more favorite Boris tracks.

Boris/Barebones Split:
Boris - Soul Search You Sleep [MP3]

Various Artists: From Koenji to Eternity:
Boris - Vacuum [MP3]

You can check out Boris' website over here for more information on releases that are Japan exclusive and various collaborations with such artists as Merzbow.