B.E.A.R.D.

Corey's year in music 2011

2012-01-17T17:56:00.000-08:00

2011 year in music:

I'm not doing a list because at this point I'm sure everyone is as tired of reading them as I am of making them. Instead here is my take on various things that I listened to this year as well as other musical highlights from 2011.

Windmills by the Ocean - II

The breakup of Isis was one that I had a particularly hard time dealing with, but I suppose if one is going to look for a replacement then a band containing a former member probably isn't the worst place to start. Indeed, I'm sure that on paper a post-metal band that combines shoegaze and ambient electronic influence probably doesn't sound that different from a certain legendary Boston band, but Windmills by the Ocean are actually pretty different. WbtO were also around when Isis was together, this is their second album and I was pleasantly surprised with it. Tracks like "Pagan Sun" feature churning guitar roars and beds of electronic ambience with dreamy, reverbed vocals that sound Jesu influenced to say the least, but then tracks like "Azure" and "Occul" are stunning in their unexpected beauty. "Azure" features a delicate, siren song-like vocal over swirling white noise until 70s style synths dance in right at an intense chord change that makes one of the most compelling songs I've heard all year. Its stoned, dreamy beauty that should not be missed.

This Will Destroy You - Tunnel Blanket

This Will Destroy You proved that there were competant at the instrumental post-rock game with Young Mountain, but either they got bored of what they were doing or maybe they realized all those Explosions in the Sky comparisons were well warranted. They knew they were going to have to step things up and they made a big change with Tunnel Blanket, an album of warm, ethereal soundscapes thats actually kind of ballsy. The opening track "Little Smoke" lures you in with delicate murmurs before you're hit quite hard with a wall of ambient, distorted guitar. The song's progression is beautiful, unexpected, and repetitive, a formula you'll be pretty used to as you listen more. Its all the more awesome on pieces like "Communal Blood" which feature epic minimal percussion to accentuate the waves of suspended, mind-drowning sound. To go from making friendly, melodic instrumental rock to an album of ambient drone took some courage, but Tunnel Blanket yields alot of enjoyment with time. Great for meditation too.

Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die but You Will

As long as Mogwai are still active then modern music will have something good going for it. One of the greatest post-rock bands not only because they helped invent it but also because they always give a healthy dose of variety; Mogwai always express a great range of emotion without seeming trite or cliche'. You get triumphant cinematic rock with "White Noise", heavy, haunting, fuzzed-out goodness on "Rano Pano", and even dancier, more electronic-based moments on tracks like "Mexican Grand Prix" and thats just a few tracks. Each song has its own unique personality but the album works great as a whole too. "Hardcore" is yet another solid testament to why Mogwai will always be one of the best at what they do.

Tyler the Creator - Goblin

This one took some time to grow on me, and even then I've gone back and forth on how I really feel about it. I guess the main reason I'm writing about this album is that it was certainly a trending topic this year, and to a degree this album actually deserves its hype which is a rarity. I'm not saying what Odd Future does is high art, sure they and their ringleader Tyler's lyrics can sometimes be tasteless, childish, and existent only for sheer shock value, but the fact that they've gotten where they have doing whatever they want regardless of what the public thinks is pretty admirable by itself. Most modern rap is as self-indulgent and self-gloryifing as anything could possibly get, but here's a collective full of talented rejects that aren't trying to get you to like them at all, its actually quite the opposite. Tyler is as self-depreciating as he is relentless, and this album certainly shows off his talent as an emcee (I especially like his vocal delivery). Frank Ocean does the impossible by making me like modern R&B on tracks like "She" and "Fish". Overall, Tyler and company made a splash with this one.

Scale the Summit - The Collective

Most instrumental bands either concentrate on cinematic, shoegaze-y compositions that don't need vocals or they are the kind of band that are so adept at boggling minds with instrumental skill that vocals would only slow things down and take attention away from the shred. While Scale the Summit certainly lean toward the showy nature of prog, they still don't really fit into either of these categories. These well-hyped young dudes may not have hit anything that would be described as atmospheric or "post-metal" on their third LP The Collective, but they have certainly written the best and most textural album of their careers yet. There is still plenty of jaw-dropping musicianship (the opening track "Colossal" features a bass solo which should tell you something) but the quartet's ability to write smart, memorable, and beautiful instrumental metal songs is certainly getting sharper. The song "Whales" never contains a dull moment and constantly keeps you guessing, even with sublime fusion-like volume swells at the end. The Cynic influence is strong here, but no one said that was ever a bad thing.

Bibio - Mind Bokeh

I have been utterly obsessed with Bibio ever since I discovered his one of a kind "folktronica", a genre that he may or may not have made up to describe his combining of low-fi folk with analog electronics and loops. 2009's Ambivalence Avenue took a decidedly more urban turn, featuring soulful rhythm tracks and J Dilla style beats, but still kept the mesmerizing beauty intact. Mind Bokeh continues moving in more danceable directions, which I imagine will either delight or disappoint you greatly. Even though I can't possibly see myself arguing with the excellence that was his former material, there's something essential about Mind Bokeh as well. Songs like "Pretentious" and "Light Sleep" offer hints of vintage soul with electronic glitchiness for pure feel-good weirdness, while some moments like "Take off Your Shirt" are surprising in their modern danceability. Every track on Mind Bokeh is different in its own brilliant way, and this was easily one of my favorite albums that came out all year. You certainly won't need anything else for a pot-addled summer evening party.

Mastodon - The Hunter

I had to take some time to come to terms with this one but its a grower. I've been a fan of Atlanta GA's Mastodon for some time, and I didn't exactly want them to strip away the lofty, sometimes dark concepts and prog posturing that have helped form all of their former albums, but once they did they were still able to make an album full of great songs. The Hunter is the sound of a one of the heaviest and most original bands in modern music somehow finding success, and just having fun with it. While some songs find them at their most radio friendly (Curl of the Burl) others such as "Black Tongue" feature classic Mastodon riffs (and heaviness), and there's plenty of completely new ground on tracks like "Creature Lives" that show a side of this band we've never seen before. I'm a bigger fan of Matt Bayles' style of production but The Hunter still sounds great, and should not be passed up or dismissed. Hopefully their recent popularity will keep introducing kids to the greatness of the Melvins and Black Sabbath and rock radio can be reborn.

Opeth - Heritage

Opeth are a band that will always have a secure spot on any year end list that I do, because they never do anything that doesn't blow me away. Heritage is still a good deal different from any of their past albums, this time the prog-metal legends took away the production and usual epicness out of the equation to concentrate on a classic prog-rock record reminiscent of Jethro Tull and Camel. The production is the biggest thing you're likely to notice first, its refreshing to hear just how organic and analogue that Heritage is with the affinity that modern metal bands have for overproducing everything until you're no longer listening to real instruments. The sinister, winding riffs of songs like "Devil's Orchard" are all Opeth though, and the keyboard/organ/mellotrone work will especially delight old-school prog fans like myself. Best soundtrack of the year for a stroll through a Tolkien-esque fantasy land.

Primus - Green Naugahyde

How long have we been waiting for this? I was excited about the return of Primus but uncertain about which Primus would show up to the studio. Would we have the funk-metal of Frizzle Fry? the weirder and less liked later eras of albums like Antipop? It turns out Primus' new album Green Naugahyde contains a little of everything that made this band so unique and essential. While I'm not saying that this album will be remembered as one of their best necessarily, its still a great return for Claypool and company. As usual Claypool's bass is sitting way up front, he displays some funky lines on songs like "Tragedys a Comin" along with a myriad of odd effects. His vocals also sound distorted and distant, this along with the usual creepy guitar dissonance of Larry Lalonde throw a dash of late-Primus weirdness with the album's early Primus feel. While it isn't the cool almost jam phase of their farewell dvd Hallucinogenetics, its still a great return, and an album worthy of being called Primus.

Grails - New Politics

Maybe its because I just started associating myself with the acid trip voyages of Grails a couple of years ago so I haven't had much of a chance to fully immerse myself in this band's disography yet. Or maybe its because New Politics is an extremely well-realized and put together album, but I've been pretty blown away with how good that this band's latest release is. New Politics listens more like a well-scored movie soundtrack than it does a typical atmospheric or psychedelic rock album. The album displays both great production and a wide range of instrumentation, including a healthy dose of eastern instruments. There's some old-school krautrock influence here, but really what Grails does is hard to define, its simply great music.

Other mentions/thoughts

Tom Waits - Bad as Me
A new full-length LP from Tom Waits is never anything to complain about, but with that being said I wasn't entirely blown away by his latest when compared to his other recent output. Of course by "recent" I mean the albums that he's done over about the past ten years or so, Mule Variations, Real Gone, etc. Bad as Me seems to capture Tom wanting to get back to the gravelly crooning of his earlier work as the album contains everything from his normal rough juke-joints to noir reminiscent ballads. There's not as much of the creepy backwoods blues Tom Waits that I usually love to hear, but as usual there's still plenty of variety. Not one of his best, but Bad as Me still shows a good look at Tom past and present.

Russian Circles - Empros
The latest from Russian Circles is probably one of the most critically acclaimed releases they've done in some time, and Empros certainly catches your attention quickly. Most post-metal bands begin leaning toward the last part of that hyphenation later in their careers and it would seem Russian Circles are no exception; Empros is easily the most aggressive thing this band has ever done. This three piece display yet again, their uncanny knack for telling a story without words, the way they work together to fill in the spaces and keep the song moving with only three members is quite impressive. The drumming is always tasteful and essential, Brian Cook's bass tone is monstrous at the least, and the layering of guitar effects to maintain mood is always clever. However I still can't bring myself to call this RC's best, at only six songs it feels incomplete (even though most of those six tracks are over seven minutes long) for some reason. I wouldn't call it one of the best albums of the year but its still another great release from this talented instrumental trio. Oh and the last track has vocals, tempting me far too much to make the comparison that this album is to Russian Circles what 2009's What We All Come to Need was to Pelican.

Shows:
Didn't go to many this year for lack of money. I missed some great ones like Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Primus, The Flaming Lips, Parliament, Black Moth Super Rainbow, etc. But heres some good stuff I did get to witness.

Yes at the Fillmore in Charlotte
Show of the year. My longtime prog obsession owes alot to Yes. Other than Pink Floyd and Rush they were the first true prog rock band I heard, and they remain one of my favorites to this day. Jon Anderson may not have been on vocals but I can honestly say the guy in his place did a pretty admirable job. I was a little disappointed with the Fillmore's sound at first but they had things mixed pretty well by the time "Yours is No Disgrace" was played. The set was incredible, songs from Relayer were played and I got to hear the ultimate prog epic "Close to the Edge" which was one of the musical highlights of my year. Steve Howe did a beautiful guitar only rendition of "To be Over", and I also got to hear "I've Seen all Good People", "Long Distance Runaround", "Starship Trooper", and many other great songs from their discography. I could have dealt with some more Fragile but other than that I can't complain. Chris Squire did an extended bass jam from "The Fish" which gave me the biggest bass nerd moment I've ever had. Stellar experience from a band truly not of this world.

Clutch at the Handlebar in Greenville
As it turns out, Clutch are just as tight, powerful, and groovy live as you would expect. There wasn't a head that I saw that wasn't nodding, almost everyone sang to every word of every song and as to be expected, many just continued drinking. Condensing back down to their classic four-piece lineup, it made sense that the set contained mostly songs from the middle of the band's discography. Songs from Pure Rock Fury and Blast Tyrant were well received, but surprisingly the band only played two songs from their new album Strange Cousins from the West (those being 50,000 Unstoppable Watts and Freakanomics). The band's tight rhythms and huge riffs were indeed better in a live setting, and Neil Fallon's soulful vocals had an even more commanding presence. This show was a display of classic Clutch instead of the expanded hammond organ-style jam band that we heard on Beale St. to Oblivion in 2007, as a matter of fact they didn't play a single track from that particular album which was dissapointing. If anything, it was an observance of the almighty riff but with more fun, like if Black Sabbath had lightened up and listened to more Allman Brothers. Highlights for me were "Cypress Grove" and the Robot Hive/Exodus hit "Burning Beard". All in all, a pretty satisfying night of rock for only $20, and I have a feeling that those who were there and actually remembered it the next day are certainly agreeing.

Ocoai at Earshot records in Greenville
I was lucky enough to play this one with (young) American Landscape. An absolutely huge sound from a Johnson City, TN instrumental band that conjures up metalgaze, doom, prog, and pure rock. These guys pretty much tore Earshot down and those in attendance were either blown away or just didn't know how to react at all.

East North at the Irish Pub in Greenville
Those outside of the Greenville area might not know this band which is a shame, they are head and shoulders above any other band around here by far. East North's cinematic post-rock is always air-tight and dynamic live, this evening they displayed some new material that showed a greater emotional range than they previously covered. I've seen this band a good deal, but this was truly an awesome set.

The Body and Braveyoung at the Get Down in Asheville
NC post-rock band Braveyoung and doom metal duo The Body sounded like an unlikely collaboration at first, but not only is their album great but the two of them performing together is an experience not to be missed. Braveyoung's hall-reverb moans and overwhelming crescendos sounded amazing even in the dive bar that is the Get Down, and when they joined forces with The Body they unleashed some pretty devastating albeit beautiful noise. I'm talking wall of amps roaring at you noise. It was an honor to open this show. Oh and its worth mentioning that The Body's vocalist screams without a mic...and is heard somehow! Once you hear them you'll realize how un-human of a feat that is.

Things I'm looking forward to in 2012:

New Converge, Baroness, Mars Volta, and probably many more upcoming releases that I don't know about yet.
The possiblity of At the Drive-in and Refused maybe doing some shows other than Coachella....
Maybe seeing Roger Water's The Wall in Charlotte this summer?
Another Isis release even though they broke up
Getting to experience a little touring for the first time (knock on wood)

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T23:17:00.001-08:00

Its 2012! Mayans n shit.
Listen to Bygones.
Www.Bygones.bandcamp.com

Hey!

2011-12-25T12:26:00.001-08:00

Haven't posted in a while but Merry Christmas!!! Listen to Busdriver.

(young) American Landscape

2011-12-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

My boys in (young) American Landscape posted their new album "The Burden of Song" for free on bandcamp. Go peep that shit.

-DHAGZ

Rites of Initiation

2011-12-06T21:49:00.001-08:00

I'm late on listening to the newest Circle Takes the Square. I've been a big fan of their music for years and I simply let myself forget about them. Shitty. Anyway, I love it. I read somewhere online that some dude thinks CTTS are corny. Fuck that. These songs are amazing.
Listen here: http://ctts.bandcamp.com/album/decompositions-vol-i-chapter-1-rites-of-initiation

Why aren't you listening to Ocoai right now?

2011-11-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

Ocoai is a really good band from Johnson City, TN that I discovered not too long ago. Its unusual to find a band this adept at what they do that isn't signed, I can say that having seen them live not only is their material compelling but their the kind of band thats tight and powerful enough live to make you feel like the room could collapse around you. I suppose you could easily call this post-metal but there's alot of things that make these guys hard to classify. Sure there's the usual Isis influence, but there's also beautiful cello and slide guitar melodies as well as good doses of riff-based stoner rock and prog. I have a feeling you'll probably be hearing more about them soon anyway.

Listen to

2011-11-24T23:32:00.001-08:00

Bad Bad Not Good
And
Alexander Spit!

You should listen to

2011-11-24T13:09:00.001-08:00

Wolves in the throne room

West coast, dead?

2011-11-23T13:52:00.001-08:00

I'm in menifee, CA and wondering what the fuck is going on here. When I was younger I thought California was head-first with music and style. Yet, all I've seen/heard so far is a shit ton of thuggy moto x gear, rockstar apparel and almost everyone listens to some shitty scary kids scaring kids nonsense. Is boring as fuck. Vietnam core bullshit can ninja kick their way outta here. OFWGKTA and Trash Talk are from LA and Tera Melos are from somewhere in CA so I suppose all is not lost on the left. I'm happy that www.terroreyes.tv exists. Maybe California shouldn't fall in the ocean just yet.

Listen to This

2011-10-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Blast from the past, but great songs and bands nonetheless.

SHELLAC

The Jesus Lizard

Charles Mingus

Bad Religion

Polvo

...and that's what that's about.

-DHAGZ

Corey's decade list 19-10

2011-08-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

19. M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us
M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us
2005

I usually find music most enthralling when its vivid enough to paint a picture that you wouldn't have normally seen on your own. And even though initial thoughts like "Mogwai scoring the soundtrack to prom on the moon" aren't exactly commonplace, M83 bring this and much more to mind with their 2005 album Before the Dawn Heals Us. M83 is the musical project of French musician Anthony Gonzalez, and along with a small supporting cast he brings forth of bevy of sound and emotion on Before the Dawn Heals Us that while heavily electronic, still has more in common with post-rock/shoegaze than it does a typical electronica or synth-pop act. This album literally makes me think things like "Who needs movies or television when you have an album that unfolds as cinematically as this one does?" While there doesn't seem to be a certain narrative present, each song manages to tell its own story while the album still feels right as a whole, most of the songs bring very different emotions forward and sometimes contain pre-recorded sound effects and dialogue. This is still mostly an album for the hopeful though, there's upbeat, dancier tunes like "Don't Save us from the Flames" just as much as there are mesmerizing post-rock scenes like the album closer "Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun" which are so triumphant that no other band in the genre could come close to matching them. M83 are masters of taking seemingly simple chord progressions and changing their meaning with whats played over them, making even the longer songs feel as if they are constantly building towards something. Apparently the combination of shoegaze and electronics work together really well and M83 figured that out at just the right time, because life has certainly been better since the release of Before the Dawn Heals Us. Literally one of the most strangely addicting albums I've heard in years.

18. Mono - You are There
Temporary Residence 2005

I'm going to try not to over-use words like beauty to describe the truly life-changing music of a band like Mono, even though this Japanese group (with the exception of maybe Sigur Ros) seem to have found a way to translate that word to a language that our ears can understand more than any other modern band. However, Mono's music is for more than just your ears, the same way the the music they make transcends sounds being made by musical instruments. These are pieces that exist in ones heart and are brought to life by living breathing people, not instruments, in a similar manner Mono's You are There is for your heart and soul. You are There is not simply an album defined to trite genre terms such as "chamber-rock" or post-whatever, but a deeply moving collection of music that balances every nuance of sound and melody perfectly. Not only are Mono's compositions here on classical caliber, but the level of detail payed to every note played is astounding. Reverb and delay swells fall as softly as snow while distorted climaxes burst forth with commanding power on tracks like "Yearning". The ghostlike, pushing and pulling melody of "Are You There?" makes one of Mono's finest pieces ever, and the grandiose strings on "Moonlight" further cement this albums' status as a true heart-wrencher. While I'm sure there have been many peak and valley comparisons used to describe the intensity of Mono's music I'll simply leave this one saying that they showed themselves as being head and shoulders above the rest of the instrumental post-rock movement of recent years with You are There.

17. Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue
Warp Records 2009

Criminally underrated and overlooked British artist Stephen James Wilkinson (aka Bibio) is probably even more overlooked due to the fact that in recent years you may not even realize that song on that Nook commercial you just saw is the same artist that was once making obscure, lo-fi "folktronica" on albums like Fi and Hand Cranked. However there's absolutely no question that everything this guy has touched is golden. There are many artists that I consider to be exceptionally good, but its a true rarity when one comes along like Bibio that creates music so utterly beautiful and boldly creative that your mind could never conceive or imagine what it might be like until you've heard it. In short, there's nothing quite like Bibio, and the bold new step that he began taking on 2009's Ambivalence Avenue only brought his music closer to my heart. An artist once known for mixing nature field recordings, spine-tingling folk and vintage analogue electronics, Ambivalence Avenue would bring new ideas forward but with a similar artist touch that lets you know that you are indeed listening to the same person's music. Bringing in soul, funk, and psych samples that are so utterly convincing of not being from this era that its scary, Wilkinson began an all together groovier approach to his songcraft on gems like "Jealous of Roses". "Fire Ant" is Bibio's first foray into beat-making, and the song carries a strong J-Dilla/Madlib feel (coming from me thats about the biggest compliment a beat can possibly get). His acoustic moments are still there, this time with better production and trippier effects on tracks like "Lover's Carvings", which is the perfect summer day personified in song (no seriously, listen to it and tell you didn't smile inside). Which is really the most perfect thing about this perfect album, it simply makes you feel good. Ambivalence Avenue is the soundtrack to all of your great memories with friends and loved ones, and for that its an album I will always cherish.

16. Mouth of the Architect - The Ties that Blind
Translation Loss 2006

Bands like Neurosis, Cult of Luna, Mastodon, and Isis would usher in an altogether new heavy music movement in the first decade of the 21st century. Like any new music movement, some of the imitators fell short by large margins, but Ohio's Mouth of the Architect is not one of those bands. In all the "post-metal" albums that there were to sift through this past decade, few that I heard were better than this colossal sophomore effect by Mouth of the Architect. The Ties that Blind didn't merely follow the "Neur-Isis" blueprint as much as it did take notes where needed and then make its own permanent indention with both flawless production and a stellar understanding of composing this style of music. Mouth of the Architect observe the almighty riff but don't let anything drag on where it doesn't need to, the opening song "Baobab" lets several awesome ideas breathe and meld together, the second half of the song resulting in a buildup that manages to layer new riffs and melodies without ever sounding boring or trite. The album's second track "No One Wished to Settle Here" could be one of my favorite songs ever, with a hypnotic opening melody that is pure musical narcotic. At 15 minutes long and them some, the song never wears out its welcome and it resolves beautifully by going back to the main tremolo-picked melody that climaxes the first half. The rest of the album may still move at a slow pace but does so by leading the listener through some truly interesting chord progressions and changes (such as at the beginning of "Carry On"). At six songs and over an hours worth of music, The Ties that Blind balances beauty, crushing heaviness, and forward-thinking composing. The beauty element comes through most on the tranquil and heart-wrenching opening of "Harboring an Apparition" with pristine clean/delay guitar tones and faint keyboard bell chimes. Its the closest thing we got all decade to the genre's true masters, and it doesn't get far from their greatness.

15. Sigúr Ros - Takk...
Geffen 2005

Iceland's Sigur Ros are very far from an average music group. Through the years they've brought to life visions that no one else ever could. They've done it by unusual mean as well, not through skill at playing one's instrument per se but by an uncanny understanding of what brings forth human emotion. They tap into that part of you that you almost forget (or try to ignore) sometimes that leaves you vulnerable to feel. Often thought of as one of the band's most beloved albums, Takk... may do this to an even greater degree. Not to undermind the perfect chamber-rock of Ageatis Byrjun or the somber dirges of ( ), but Takk... Is almost too intense to take in at certain moments. Its a bit of a paradox then, the quality of the music here is so amazing that it could be one of the most addictive albums ever made, except for the fact that there are certain times when Takk... almost offers too much emotionally for us to digest. The ceremonial beauty of Saeglópur brings back innocent memories of a first snow, while Glosoli's constant crescendo is what every other band in this genre hopes to replicate. Sigur Ros have an excellent way of suggesting their own melodies, and things seem to find a way back into your head even when the notes aren't being played. Hoppipolla is triumphant celebration of life that has been known to bring tears, but its only the third track on the album. Whats in store for you throughout the rest of the album? I encourage everyone to find out yourself, you won't be dissapointed.

14. Isis- Oceanic
Ipecac 2002

It could be the album that launched a thousand metalgaze bands (or at least its partially to blame with any Cult of Luna release) but you can't blame people for being so entranced with what many consider to be Isis' magnum opus: Oceanic. While Isis' previous efforts would mostly just draw the listener's attention to how much Godflesh and Neurosis vinyl they had sitting around at home, who would have thought of what they had in store for us with one of the most notoriously expansive and and mind-altering albums in all of heavy music? With Oceanic, Isis began building upon a foundation of meditative post-rock with subdued progressive metal and hints of a sludge/doom-coated past that would set them apart as one of the most powerful and creative bands of the decade. Oceanic also stands out as a fan favorite often because of the albums balance between what Isis had previously done and the band's future evolution into prog that they would continue to push further with each release. This album made Isis into what they are today, and made plenty of imitators as well. Oceanic is a climactic movie scene played in slow motion, the scope of each precious second of music magnified by its slow movement and epic gestures. The track "Maritime" offers a glimpse of depressing melody to lighten up the atmospheric waves of heaviness, while "False Light" is mid-tempo riff nirvana, and quite possibly the most perfectly written post-metal song ever. Oceanic was even good enough to merit a remix and reinterpretation album (which is also essential listening) that featured everyone from the glitch-hop of Venetian Snares to the heavy shoegaze of Jesu's Justin Broadrick. Even though we no longer have Isis, Oceanic's impact can still be felt today.

13. Sufjan Stevens - Come On, Feel the Illinoise!
Asthmatic Kitty 2005

Nothing seems too ambitious for this seemingly gentle, prolific songwriter. He's done things like push the limits of freak-pop with crazed synthesizer chords and create beautiful indie folk. He's done things like taking on a project that involves making an album about every state in the USA, and thank God for that. Come on, Feel the Illinoise! is one of the most brilliant and essential albums of the decade, and its definitely the one that put this soft-spoken genius on the map. Trying to find a genre here won't do you any good, this is an album so diverse in emotions expressed that it literally goes from one of the most jubilant songs I've ever heard (complete with full horn and string ensembles) to a song about a mass murderer/rapist. There's laid-back banjo complimented modern-americana on songs like "JACKSONVILLE" and "Decatur, or a Round of Applause for your Stepmother!". There's the utterly breath-taking but all too short "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illiniose," and the heart-brightening choir of voice and woodwind on "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is out to Get us!" You get the point, if you don't then you're probably confused and you desperately need to acquaint yourself with this buffet of musical genius. There will truly never be another Sufjan Stevens, at least I hope not, no one else would do it anywhere nearly as perfect.

12. Think Differently Music - Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture
2005

A compilation this high on a list of the greatest albums of the decade? You obviously haven't heard this record. Even if it wasn't one of my favorite hip-hop albums ever if would warrant a spot even just for the fact that Treddy Kruger managed to get the Wu-Tang Clan in on a collaboration with some of the greatest indie hip-hop emcees out there right now. They just got my two favorite elements of hip-hop together is all, you'd be happy too. Anyway it certainly doesn't hurt that this comp has some tracks that are absolutely monster, some I would even consider to be perfect rap. The album's strength is in its balance. There's a track with the GZA and progressive political rapper (and general hater of the white man) Ras Kass, there's also spots from heavy hitters like Del the Funky Homosapian, Aesop Rock, and some of Wu's finest as well. But the beats, production, and the way its all brought together is what makes this album essential to any rap fan's collection. Tracks like "Listen" and "Verses" are nothing short of perfect for this reason, with as much collaboration as there is in hip-hop its good to see something come together this fluidly to make you think it might all actually be worth something. And you know you just can't help but love a good compilation, there's just something addicting about a good one that hooks you even more than a real album. This one just happens to do that about ten times more.

11. Hopesfall - A Types
Trustkill 2005

I'll continue to stand alone on this one and speak my mind on why I think Hopesfall's criminally underrated A Types is one of the best straight-up modern rock records that I've heard. Not unlike a North Carolinian take on Cave-In, Hopesfall started off playing hardcore that was known for its gripping emotional intensity, which gradually led them down a more melodic, spacey path on 2002's The Satellite Years. Three years and a few member changes later the band nearly scrapped the melodi-core template altogether and released a space rock album that had both the accessibility and creativity that should have been able to become a full on radio-hit success while still keeping its dignity intact. Well that success never quite came, as a matter of fact A Types really just brought about a bunch of pissed off ex-fans and a few new ones, but surely someone else out there appreciated the unadulterated modern rock goodness of this album? I certainly did when it came to the catchy groove of opener "It Happens", and even more so on the spacey chords and odd lead choices of "Start and Pause" a song that manages to strike an awkwardly delightful balance of heavy and melodic. The album's single "Icarus" should have definitely been a hit in an age when everyone wanted melodic metalcore crossovers, but the songs refusal to go in either screamo, metalcore, or radio rock territory made it slip on by the more close-minded. And while many may still make an argument for the raw emotion of Hopesfall's earlier material, I dare anyone to listen to the ending of "Breathe from Coma" and tell me that this band isn't at their most knee-buckling intense here. The triumphant lead guitar riff that brings out the last chorus takes just the right blend of delay and distortion to put the perfect cap on a modern space-rock classic. If this story would have ended happily then this album would have been the next Jupiter, but instead we have a piece of a legacy from one of North Carolina's greatest bands. Not too bad either.

Playlists

2011-07-23T00:20:00.000-07:00

I'm making progress on the 'living in the future' front. I've mastered making playlists (at least to my own standard of mastery). However, I didn't realize the premise behind sharing the playlists with sites like www.8tracks.com until very recently. For those who are still confused about this trend, it serves to 1. Attract a like minded partner for copulation. Music is the most important thing on Earth to some people and when seeking mating material we often consider their musical tastes, even if only subconsciously. So, by sharing our playlists we are (unwittingly) searching for a place to share our genitals with some other dead heads or something.

2. We (still being music lovers) wish to share our amazing niche genre knowledge because we're smart asses and egomaniacs.

I kid.

Playlist sharing is fantastic simply because one can discover new music easily. Elementary my dear Watson. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins. Man I love the internet.

So without further Mountain Dew, some playlists of mine:

Classic Rock (in the overly generalized sense)

1. Syd Barret - 'Wined and Dined'
2. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
3. Alice Cooper - The Black Widow
4. Alice Cooper - Steven
5. Black Sabbath - Sweet Leaf
6. Elf - Gambler, Gambler
7. Pink Floyd - Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
8. Pink Floyd - Hey You
9. The Marshall Tucker Band - Fire on the Mountain
10. Queen - Good Company
11. Thin Lizzy - Cowboy Song
12. Thin Lizzy - Rosalie
13. Steely Dan - Deacon Blues
14. Steely Dan - Babylon Sisters
15. The Eagles - One of these Nights
16. The Who - Pinball Wizard
17. Tom Petty - Zombie Zoo
18. Black Sabbath - Children of the Grave
19. The Rolling Stones - Paint it Black
20. Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing

Punk/Hardcore

1. NOFX - Vincent (Don McLean cover)
2. Black Flag - Police Story
3. Black Flag - Fix Me
4. AFI - He who Laughs Last...
5. Lagwagon - May 16
6. Bad Brains - I Against I
7. Dead Kennedys - Police Truck
8. Dead Kennedys - Let's Lynch the Landlord
9. Vision - Close Minded
10. Crass - Do They Owe Us a Living?
11. Crass - Fight War, Not Wars
12. Minor Threat - Filler
13. Circle Jerks - Don't Care
14. Dead Kennedys - Kill the Poor
15. The Germs - What We Do is Secret
16. Leftover Crack - Atheist Anthem
17. Minutemen - Jesus and Tequila
18. Hot Water Music - Paper Thin
19. Hot Water Music - Jack of All Trades
20. Pennywise Feat. Exene Cervenka of X - We're Desperate

More like these to come.

Your friend,
DHAGZ

DELAYS FROM ALASKA

2011-07-19T04:14:00.000-07:00

Whoa, geez.
Sorry everyone!
I moved from SC to AK last March and have, well, been a little busy!

Instead of a review (I'll get to Prurient's Bermuda Drain later, promise), here's some video footage of some local Anchorage music. ENJOY!

xo
T-BOTZ

Early Mornings Call for Smooth Tunes

2011-07-09T04:39:00.000-07:00

The Bossa Nova Breakfast station on iTunes radio makes any morning at work a little more tolerable.

SHOWS

2011-07-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

What shows do you plan on attending this year? Tell us!

For instance, I intend on going to see Jolie Holland at the Grey Eagle in Asheville, North Carolina on Saturday July 29th.

Chocolate Pressings

2011-07-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

Please click the title link to go to the original article.

I don't want to just repeat what I read at www.disinfo.com but this is amazing. If the price was reasonable enough to listen to and then eat a record, I would be all in.

Your friend,

DHAGS

I'm forgetful and Lazy

2011-06-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

I nearly forgot that this blog existed. Luckily, my friend Corey has not and has been regularly updating the B.E.A.R.D. with great reviews!

Anywho...

Tyler the Creator and the era of

OFWGKTA

Everyone seems to be riding hard on the collective dick that is Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. The LA based hip-hop collective has seen an immense amount of popularity in 2011. This is mostly because of the group's head, Tyler the Creator.

I first heard Tyler the Creator in January of this year. Yeah, so I'm a little behind. Nevertheless, upon first listening, I looked at my girlfriend and said, This guy is going to blow up. I guess I wasn't aware that he already had.

Now having made appearances on Jimmy Fallon's show, MTV and even the mother fucking BBC, Tyler the Creator and his crew of extremely clever misfits are on their way to the top. Which seems a little strange given the deviancy of his lyrics and the suggestive nature of his live show. Let's face it, the majority of Americans don't seem to be very interested in the pent up aggression of a young black man like Tyler. But if I can empathize to some degree, I guess others can too. Even if the subject matter isn't what people are latching on to, I can see several other very viable reasons for loving Mr. The Creator.

For one, his 'flows' are retarded solid. He's not obsessing over AB rhyme schemes which 95% (not a real stat) of popular rappers seem to be enamored with. Tyler ventures around in a lyrical wonderland of half-rhymes and dead end sentences that drop you off in the most unusual places. For instance, in his single 'Yonkers' from his latest album Goblin: "I'm a fuckin' walkin' paradox, no I'm not

Threesomes with a fuckin' triceratops, Reptar
Rappin' as I'm mockin' deaf rock stars
Wearin' synthetic wigs made of Anwar's dreadlocks
Bedrock, harder than a muthafuckin' Flintstone
Makin' crack rocks outta pissy nigga fishbones
This nigga Jasper tryna get grown
About 5'7" of his bitches in my bedroom
Swallow the cinnamon, I'mma scribble this sinnin' shit
While Syd is tellin' me that she's been gettin' intimate with men
(Syd, shut the fuck up) Here's the number to my therapist
(Shit) Tell him all your problems, he's fuckin' awesome with listenin' "

This obviously isn't the latest Lil' Jon hit. There's a deep understanding of writing at play here that, I would venture to say, most people his age just can't grasp. Tyler is terribly imaginative and intelligent. Yet, it seems that most people that I talk to who have listened to his stuff seem to think that it's awfully childish. I don't necessarily disagree, or agree for that matter. Most young men have an affinity for potty mouth musings. This is nothing new. Still, you can't deny the skill.

Tyler seems to have a troubled past. Among many other issues, he lacks a relationship with his father and that truly bothers him. But, I'm not here to psychoanalyze the guy. I merely appreciate his honesty. I wish that more artists were capable of saying exactly what they feel. Instead, most rappers these days tend to indulge in "I've got more money and bitches than you" rants and dick measuring contests. On that level, if you have any love for hip-hop, you have to at least appreciate where Tyler the Creator is coming from.

What can I say about Tyler or his group of godless heathens that Pitchfork or STUPIDDOPE hasn't? I have nothing truly original to say so I'll leave it at this (because I'm too tired to give a shit about writing eloquently), Tyler the Creator and Odd Future are most definitely going places and if they can keep a tight grip on who they are and not allow money to blind their creativity, they will go down as gods of the hip-hop game. They're extremely talented young people with a lot of room to grow into extremely talented and respected old people. Good luck to OFWGKTA in their future musical endeavors. Oh and Tyler, kick Kanye's ass like you promised.

Your friend,

DHAGZ

Corey's Decade list 30-20

2011-05-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

30. Isis - In the Absence of Truth

Narrowing down the decades best releases from one of the decades greatest bands may not be easy, but choosing In the Absence of Truth may have come more naturally to me than many would believe. Despite the fact that this was an Isis album that would open them up to a host of new fans that would have been previously unaware of their sludge meets post-rock efforts, it still wasn't held in the highest regard by old school Isis fans. That is because itAoT is a noticeably more melodic and progressive album in general, although when truly judged by its musical merits, its also one of the band's greatest achievements. The enticing buildup of opener "Wrists of Kings" doesn't continually build and slowly gain volume like one of Isis' former songs might have, instead it works its way into a beautiful mid-tempo groove with Aaron Turner singing instead of screaming. Its a bit of a change, but as soon as an actual verse and chorus are demonstrated twice the bottom drops out and the listener is suddenly kicked into the distorted, climactic ending that they've been waiting for. Its moments like these that show that Isis' did some of their finest and most forward-thinking songwriting on this album. The Opening bass riff of "Not in Rivers, but in Drops" is still one of the most hypnotic things I've ever heard in my entire life and the rest of the song is absolutely trance-inducing with its ethereal, yet always clever twists and turns. They drift off into heart-stopping space metal on "Over Root and Thorn" and "1,000 Shards", and tracks like "Garden of Light" are full of power and commanding presence. The band members performances were at some of their best as well, with drummer Aaron Harris' roomy fills and excellent drum tones being one of my favorite components of the album. The comparisons to Tool would not stop of course as a healthy dose of prog into their trademark combination of post-rock and sludge metal certainly did give them somewhat of a resemblance, but I don't think there's any use wasting time on comparisons here. Isis were something all their own on this album, just the way they've always been.

29. Intronaut - Prehistoricisms

LA progressive metal group Intronaut had hinted at great things within the first couple of years of their career but were still yet to truly fall into their own until this full-length masterpiece. Their first release for Century Media and the first to truly showcase the band's progressive muscle that would expand their sound to uncharted territory, Prehistoricisms was an abrasive yet forward-thinking and highly enjoyable musical statement. Sludge, prog, jazz, fusion, and Indian music all seem to meld together so harmoniously that its almost scary, as is Intronaut's ability to make bizarre time meters groove hard on tracks like "The Literal Black Cloud". They also display a knack for taking something from punishing to jaw-droppingly beautiful on song like "Austropalithicus" which shows come pretty adventurous writing, maybe even more so for an extreme metal band. The prehistoric theme of the album is also brought to life through the dual percussion onslaught at the end of "Any Port" and the range of music explored on the mind-bending 17 minute instrumental "The Reptilian Brain" should win some kind of award for one of the greatest unsung psychedelic metal songs (Joe Lester's fretless bass and Middle Eastern melody and rhythm techniques add a truly unique flavor here). Prehistoricisms might not be for everyone but it was just what I needed, and it was also the start of an exciting evolution for this band.

28. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2

New York Wu-affiliated MC Chef Raekwon took his time for the follow up to one of the greatest hip-hop records of the 90s, but once the end result was dropped in 2009 I don't think anyone was complaining. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2 hearkens back to the greatest days of New York hip-hop and still manages to stay relevant at the same time. Its a thorough look at great hip-hop that slays almost anything in the genre thats been released in the past decade. Rae and Ghosts' most unrelenting crime stories yet are brought to life by perfectly fitting production and beats by everyone from Dr. Dre to Dilla, and its the kind of album that has enough staying power and replay value to warrant a place in any hip-hop fan's collection. Rae does some of his best rhyming here and the other Wu-emcees make everyone feel right at home. Cuban Linx Pt. 2 is full of classic songs, whether its "New Wu", "Sonny's Missing", "Ason Jones" (one of the best O.D.B. tributes ever) or any of the other countless memorable tracks from the album, you can't miss. Although the best thing about it is that it truly feels like a record, and its meant to be experienced that way from start to finish.

27. King Geedorah - Take me to your Leader

Only when dealing with an artist like MF Doom and his cohorts is it possible that one of the greatest hip-hop albums of the decade would be released by a short-lived moniker that only did one album. With that being said, King Geedorah's Take me to your Leader stands amidst the enigmatic MC's vast catalogue as some of his greatest work ever. Consisting largely of guest rappers and unique, eclectic samples taken from sources such as Godzilla movies and the anime series Gatchaman, Take Me to your Leader follows its name in the sense that it is truly like alien hip-hop, refreshing and profound. Its the kind of eclectic, creative record that one stumbles upon and listens to non-stop for months on end.

26. Between the Buried and Me - Alaska

While it might not be as open-minded of a musical expression as Colors was, there's no denying that Between the Buried and Me flexed some of their strongest prog-metal muscle on Alaska. Alaska was the album that proved that this NC group wasn't just another fly-by-night metalcore band, but a group of misfits that still oddly fit in almost wherever they went. The opening track "All Bodies" has all the components of a devastatingly good progressive death metal song; its not just the shredding and odd time meters, its the riffs that truly stick with you. The band also began breaking free from their former genre's parameters by introducing some daring elements (for a Victory band anyway) in the form of the chilling dream-rock section in "Backwards Marathon" and the Brazillian acoustic jazz of album-ender "Lazer Speed". True story: did you know that when I first bought this album and took it home to listen to it that the instrumental section at the end of "Selkies: the Endless Obsession" literally left my mouth open and almost brought tears to me eyes? I had to replay it instantly, and I'm sure I did many times after that.

25. Mastodon - Leviathan

Some may consider it heresy that Mastodon's debut Remission did not make it onto my decade list. Well before it comes to fisticuffs know that I agree that its an excellent album, but this Atlanta, GA quartet pulled out all the stops on their sophomore effort. Leviathan is the kind of album that renews the faith of thousands when hope for modern metal was truly waning, an album that marries heavy and smart in a completely non-cliche and non-fashionable way. Leviathan opens with one of the most infectious and mosh-able songs of the decade; "Blood and Thunder" before the growing Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy influence keeps "Seabeast" tough, yet melodic. While Mastodon hadn't fully shifted into prog yet, their dedication to progressing as musicians was already evident as not only was the band's writing stronger and more adventurous, but Bret Hinds' and Troy Sanders' vocals had already come a long way and would continue to grow from here. The record is pure classic from start to finish, but its true shining moment is none other than the 13 minute epic "Hearts Alive". As eight-armed drummer Brann Dailor pounds his way through alien rhythms the song develops the way a true progressive rock song should, and there's even a little Skynyrd tribute in Brent's climactic solo. I'd also like to see anyone argue their way out of tracks like "Iron Tusk" and "I am Ahab" being some of the most punishing that Mastodon has ever done.

24. Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice

Its certainly been argued by me before that depending on what you're in the mood for, three of Minus the Bear's albums: Highly Refined Pirates, Menos el Oso, and Planet of Ice, are all equally excellent in quality. While I've believed this to be true at times, deep down I've always felt as if Planet of Ice truly stood above the rest as Minus the Bear's crowning achievement. While perhaps not as pure as the addictive math-pop of Highly Refined, or as hip as the polished glitch-hop rock of Menos el Oso, Planet of Ice still left me utterly stunned with its addition of shimmering prog into the band's already highly agreeable formula. Planet of Ice shows the band's evolved songwriting pushing the catchiness level to pandemic levels while still adding complexity and depth. The album truly paints a picture with its lush keyboard landscapes and shimmering, ether-worldly guitar tones. Opening song "Burying Luck" improved upon what MtB had already done in previous records, while songs like "Dr. L'ling" and "Lotus" are spacey and enjoyable enough in their prog-pop to make David Gilmour smile. Besides, the sheer joy from "Throwin' Shapes" is like sugar to the ears, yet another reason why Minus the Bear have set a high an extremely high bar for themselves with this one.

23. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

While these Oklahoma acid-rockers were already a well-established cult favorite in the decade prior, it still often feels like The Flaming Lips career is sometimes spoken about in terms of before and after Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. It could be because Yoshimi was not only a huge breakout album, but a complete masterpiece. Picking up where the Soft Bulletin left off with the Lips' new approach that would define mostly electronic alternative pop for the rest of the decade, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is the perfect marriage of modern pop sensibility and brilliant, slight psychedelic genius. Wayne's friendly voice draws you in the instant you hear it on the whimsical melodies of opener "Fight Test", a song so utterly infectious that you've lost all hope of breaking free by the time it reaches the first chorus. Even in the more melancholy moments like "One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21" (which features a truly stunning ending) the Lips still manage to push through to your heart in only a way that a band that writes songs about robots learning to love can. Everything on this album literally comes together perfectly, as evidenced by the fact that "Do You Realize?" has become sort of an anthemic celebration of life amongst alternative music fans (its also Ohio's state song). Yoshimi doesn't miss, every track is gold, and whether or not its your favorite Lips record, its not only a defining moment in this legendary psych-rock band's 20 plus year history, it stands as one of the greatest albums period.

22. Pedro the Lion - Control

David Bazaan's relatability has helped make him one of the greatest musical minds to come along in quite some time. And while the story of a successful business who has an affair and is then murdered by his wife might not be relatable to everyone reading this, his knack for stripping things down to a common language and taking all the flowerie-ness of the common "indie" singer songwriter is what makes him such a relevant and essential artist. Here Bazaan appears as he always does, surprisingly calm and collected through his often dark lyrics and timeless songs. Bazaan steps slightly outside of the minimalistic and mostly acoustic approach of his previous records to deliver for all intents and purposes; a rock album, but its one thats still introspective and thoughtful enough to hit harder than the efforts that most indie rock bands can muster. Bazaan's aching low voice is at its best here and the arrangements are simple yet fully realized to their potential. Despite the many gems in Pedro the Lion's back catalogue, Control will always stand out to me as their finest moment. "Wouldn't it be so wonderful, if everything were meaningless. But everything is so meaningful, and most everything turns to shit. Rejoice." Doesn't exactly sound like the words of someone who wrote such a golden album, but then again he knows what he's talking about. He's one of us.

21. Jesu - Conqueror

Who would have known that grindcore godfathers Napalm Death's first guitarist would go on to make the soundtracks to your life's most emotional moments twenty years later? Indeed, Justin Broadrick has been many things, including industrial/sludge hero in the legendary band Godflesh, but he's also been the new king of shoegaze after channeling some of that aggression into his newest electronic/post-metal project Jesu. Conqueror's dream-rock achieves a hypnotic effect that very little music can, while it doesn't sound like it on paper, the combination of crushing guitars, swirling electronics, and soft, dreamy vocal melodies come together to create something that can make your ears bleed and your eyes watery. For a guy who isn't typically thought of as a post-rock writer, Broadrick knows how to use simplicity to create heart-stopping buildups like few others. The sheer intensity of the anticipation in songs like "Weightless and Horizontal" is enough to create a truly mind-altering voyage even without the drugged-out electronic panning effects. Listening to Conqueror again and again one thing is truly evident; there will never be another band quite like Jesu.

20. Made ouf of Babies - The Ruiner

"If you believe in such things then start praying..." hiss

es/pants Julie Christmas at the beginning of the song "Peew", track 8 on Made out of Babie's third LP The Ruiner. The warning could have come a bit sooner. At this point in the album we've already been trampled by barrages of jarring guitars, distortion coated bass, and of course the vocals of one of music's most refreshing, creative, and terrifying female singers. Brooklyn, NY quartet Made out of Babies struck gold on The Ruiner with a truly innovative, yet simple formula. If I had to describe MooB to anyone who had never heard them I'd say imagine a three-way cross between Neurosis, The Jesus Lizard, and Bjork. Falling somwhere between post-metal and art punk, The Ruiner is truly difficult to compare to anything else I've ever heard. And its not all harshness either. The melodic ending half of "Invisible Ink" is beautiful, smart, and surprisingly simple all at the same time, its a nice contrast to the next track "The Major" which features dark, creeping riffs underneath Christmas' haunting vocals that eventually build to a truly bludgeoning climax. Of course Christmas is the star here, her ability to bring different personalities to life with her shapeshifting voice never ceases to amaze. Unfortunately I have to quote Revolver magazine here, even though I'd rather not it could be the most astute observation they've ever made about anything: "Its called The Ruiner because it makes everything else sound lame." Very true words.

Next time its 19-10, thanks for reading!

Corey

Album reviews March 2011

2011-03-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

Some recent stuff I've been spinning that I thought I would review:

Maserati - Pyramid of the Sun

Depending on who you talk to and which album you are referencing, Athens, GA's Maserati can be described a number of different ways. Most often described as "instrumental post-rock", they're still a good deal different from the reverbed-out, dramatic buildups that lead some bands of that particular genre into elliciting yawns. Pyramid of the Sun is the tribute to Maserati's tragically departed drummer Jerry Fuchs who was lost in an elevator accident in late 2009 and who's drumming can be heard on Pyramid of the Sun.

The fact that Fuchs has worked with dance-rock group !!! shouldn't come as much of a surprise after hearing PotS, as its instantly noticeable as a harder-grooving album with its strong 80s synth-pad presence and its further deviation from typical post-rock writing. Fuchs and bassist Chris McNeal come together to create tight, danceable rhythms that allow guitarists Coley Dennis and Matt Cherry to let their effected riffs truly flow and intertwine. Delays that create almost ping pong-esque bouncing along with a myriad of other effects let the guitar melodies truly shimmer, and the band layers and builds enticing sounds not unlike what other post-rock bands specialize in. However this is still a much more to-the-point affair compared to other bands of the genre, the album even carries a more fun and experimental vibe than some of Maserati's former work like 2007's epic Inventions for the New Season. If Maserati are indeed creating movie soundtrack music then think less Explosions in the Sky and more as their label Temporary Residence calls it: "A relentless, bloodshot 3 A.M. soundtrack to a car chase beneath city lights." But no matter what your taste, this is some pretty enjoyable and accessible music, proven by the fact that they've shared the stage with acts as different and diverse as jam band Sound Tribe Sector 9 and Japanese chamber-rock heroes Mono.

The only thing wrong with Pyramid of the Sun is that its leaves more to be desired, which is not to take away from the quality of the album. Its to simply say that at 8 tracks it just makes you want more of their music, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Especially if you enjoy pentatonic space-rock riffing you get on tracks like "We Got the System to Fight the System" as much as I do.

rating: 8/10

I'm not sure who I would recommend this for, but like the band sort of alludes to in their bio, this might be right up your alley if you've ever imagined David Gilmour and The Edge collaborating with Daft Punk.

Crippled Black Phoenix - I, Vigilante

Crippled Black Phoenix are a still mostly unheard European post-rock collective that makes some really great music. They've put out a few records already, but for those who still aren't familiar with them the group contains members from bands as diverse as Mogwai and English stoner-metal/doom legends Electric Wizard. An odd coming together indeed, especially when mystery around the band has apparently started rumors that they are actually a Portishead side project (which will make even less sense after you hear them).

Anyway, their latest offering is a full-length LP titled I, Vigilante that sort of picks up where their last album 200 Tons of Bad Luck left off. CBP are another band that really can't be pigeonholed. Any band with a large number of musicians from different backgrounds is bound to stray outside genre parameters, although if I had to describe their music as anything I'd call it: "minimalist folk-prog dirges". The songs tend to go long and build up a good bit, but CBP are still far from a typical post-rock band. The heavy opening riff of aptly titled opener "Troublemaker" leads the song in both a soulful and sinister direction. The second track "We Forgotten Who We Are" is one of CBP's finest yet, the latter half featuring a winding piano run that accentuates the powerfully building climax showing an epicness that this band has really yet to display. Its the perfect mix of post-rock cinematics and classic rock groove, and its something that bands should do right more often. CBP somehow manage to stay both mellow and intense throughout I, Vigilante, and the band throws some curveballs towards the end. The soulful female vocals and weeping minor duel guitars played commandingly over a bed of synth/organ on "Of a Lifetime" would seem like the perfect ender until a) you realize that this is somehow a cover of an old Journey song and its still amazing and b) the album actually ends with a rather whimsical cover of "Burning Bridges" by Mike Curb Congregation from the Clint Eastwood movie Kelly's Heroes. A little strange yes, but Crippled Black Phoenix are a band that no one should overlook, and I, Vigilante is yet another great offering from them.

rating: 8/10

recommended for fans of: Blueneck, A Whisper in the Noise, and early 70's Pink Floyd

Ghostface Killah - Apollo Kids

Ghostface Killah is one of those musical artists that almost releases music too fast for someone like me to keep up with. He seems to have an album per year quota (or at least it seems that way when you combine his releases with his prominent appearances on albums like Only Built 4 Cuban Linx pt. 2 and Wu-Massacre), the astonishing part being that each one never lacks in quality. Whether or not Ghost is your favorite Wu-emcee, the quality of his approach to pure NY hip-hop is hard to argue with.

Ghost's swift flow is given a huge helping hand by the construction of actual songs, much like the way it was on albums like 2006's superb Fishscale. Tracks like "Superstar" and "2getha Baby" contain memorable hooks, beats, and choruses that elevate the raps to "song" status while always retaining the feel of true gritty hip-hop. Its this balance of accessibility that will draw many to this album like much of his former music. And as always, lyrical themes stick closer to girls that some of his gritty, crime-story spitting cohorts. The lyrical and musical highlight of the album comes in the form of "In the Park", Ghosts' ode to the origins of hip-hop and call to modern rappers to remember where they came from.

Apollo Kids is truly great

through and through, but with such an impressive back catalogue its hard to say how it stacks up to some of Ghosts' finer records and whether or not it truly stands out as "essential". Although it is that time of year again, so if you're needing your Ghost fix then you already know that this is essential enough to warrant a trip to the record store.

rating: 8/10

recommended for fans of: Nas, Method Man, Chef Raekwon

sorry to be so repetitive with the ratings but they were all of consistent quality this time around. Who knows, maybe next time you'll get lucky and I'll find something that truly disgusts me.

Thanks for reading!

C McD

Corey's decade list part 1

2011-03-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

I'm about a year late on this, but I didn't really have a place to post it until now. And while its true that Tbots beat me to the punch I still wanted to go through with posting my list of my favorite albums of the past decade. Creating this list was difficult, mostly because opinions do change about certain bands/albums as one crosses from teenage years to adulthood, but also because it was hard to decide on just 50 albums. I could have went on and had a much larger number as there are many albums that aren't on here that still deserve some credit, but I'll try to give notice to as many as I can. For this list I looked for albums that took me back to a certain place and time, something that I know had a huge impact on me at the time I heard it even if the impact has lessened since. I tried to do a fair a job as possible with this so I hope you enjoy.

50. Beloved- Failure On

49. He is Legend - I am Hollywood

48. Zao- the Funeral of God

47. Protest the Hero- Fortress

46. Baroness - Blue Record

45. Torche - Meanderthal

44. Botch - We Are the Romans

43. Coldplay - Rush of Blood to the Head

42. At the Drive In - Relationship of Command

41. Atmosphere - Seven's Travels

40. Jurassic 5 - Quality Control

39. Converge - Axe to Fall

38. Between the Buried and Me - Colors

37. Queens of the Stone Age - R

36. Extol - Undeceived

35. Mastodon - Crack the Skye

34. Pinback - Blue Screen Life

33. Open hand - You and Me

32. The Fall of Troy- Doppleganger

31. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere

Other notable mentions:

Mogwai - Rock Action

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists like Antennas to Heaven

Black Mountain - In the Future

Astra - The Weirding

Norma Jean - Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child,

Enslaved - Runn

Neurosis - Given to the Rising

Ghostface Killah - Fishscale

Isis - Panopticon

Eisley - Room Noises

Starflyer 59 - Old

Joy Electric - The White Songbook

He is Legend - Suck out the Poison

Gospel - Moon is a Dead World

Blindside - About a Burning Fire

David Gilmour - On an Island

Opeth - Ghost Reveries

Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf

Minus the Bear - Highly Refined Pirates

Minus the Bear - Menos El Oso

Pelican - the Fire in our Throats will Beckon the Thaw

MewithoutYou - Catch for us the Foxes

Project 86 - Songs to Burn Your Bridges by

Next time, for 30-20 I'll have write ups on the albums. Until then, cheers

Corey

2010: the year in music

2011-01-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

Best of 2010:

2010 was a weird year for me in the sense that I wasn't really able to keep up with alot of new music that came out, mostly for lack of money. The pickings were a little slim for me to come up with a top ten like I traditionally would, so I'm just going to talk about my favorite albums of the year instead. Granted this list will probably change as there were many releases by bands/artist that I really enjoy whose releases I never even got to listen to all the way through. Bands such as: Mogwai, Tera Melos, Maserati, Nachtmystium, The Ocean, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Enslaved, Julie Christmas, Madlib, and probably some others that I'm forgetting. Those all would have a place on this list for sure, but since I don't really feel as if I can review them for the limited number of songs I've heard this list will have to do. I do still have an album of the year however, which I will point out when I get to it. If this list seems to cater to the "stoner" variety then sorry, it seems strange to me too.

High on Fire - Snakes for the Divine

Few things slay quite like a High on Fire record, they are one of the few extreme metal acts thats managed to appease their hesher fan base and still create a brand of music that is widely accepted by heavy music fans from all different walks. Its hard to wonder why on Snakes for the Divine, an album that continues the band's formula of gut-pounding, drum-circle like percussion, bass guitar that hits so hard its downright concussive,and Matt Pike's awesome riffage bumping up its harry bro-fist with his "Lemmy after a carton of cigarettes and a fifth ofbourbon" vocals. The opening (also title) track is one of the best HoF have ever done, and not only do you get classic stoner thrash pit-starters like "Frost Hammer", but some more down-tempo tracks like "Bastard Samurai" and "How Dark We Pray" harken back to Pike's days in legendary stoner-metal outfit Sleep. High On Fire have some past albums like Blessed Black Wings and Death Is This Communion that are pretty hard to top, but Snakes for the Divine certainly gets close.

Mouth of the Architect - The Violence Beneath

As Pelican have proven, post-metal can work in EP format just as well as in LP in some cases, especially since the genre usually deals with very long, drawn out compositions. Mouth of the Architect's 2006 LP The Ties That Blind was truly stellar display of post-rock and sedated prog-metal, but their 2008 LP Quietly seemed to lack a little inspiration and drift on in areas that should have been cut short. The Violence Beneath cuts right to the chase with the opening track that is probably the most up-tempo song that MotA has ever done. With crushing Neur-Isis style riffs that give way to some nice duel harmony licks, its certainly a less shoegazy affair than before. The second track incorporates more clean-singing with great results, and the ending buildup is carried out well by Intronaut bassist Joe Lester's smooth fretless lines. "Restore" is classic MotA goodness while the last track; the suprisingly beautiful cover of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" fits the band's intense post-metal dirges perfectly. Mouth of the Architect seem to have found a good balance for now, lets just hope they can hold onto it for the next full-length.

Kylesa - Spiral Shadow

Whether it was from a fit of inspiration or perhaps an increased budget (as it takes a nice pedal collection to conjur up this kind of rich, sonic vortex) as a result of their last album, it looks like Kylesa have finally started putting their money where their mouth is with bringing in more diverse influences and ideas. Where they've always been considered a combination of crust punk, sludge metal, and psychedelia, they still always had a sound that was pretty easily indentifiable as sludge. Merely a year and a half after their best release yet Static Tensions, Kylesa have come forward with their most vibrant, psychedelic, and surprising work yet. Of course the heaviness is still there, but this time its accompanied buy enough melody and effect layering to make this band feel like a new animal. Not to mention stronger song writing , even trippier stereo headphone effects, and Philip Cope and Laura Pleasants' strongest and most indentifying vocal performances yet. There are some downright ballsy moments as well. Case and point; the major-key leaning "Don't Look Back" which features a riff poppy enough to pass for the Pixies. And while I can't say the aforementioned track is my favorite, I still respect Kylesa for having the kind of audacity to piss off so many of their heavily-bearded fans. The only down-side to this new experimentation is an occasional lack of focus such as on "Crowded Road". Despite having an awesome middle-easternesque guitar solo halfway through the song, once its over you realize that there is only one repeating riff that bookends the song, and thats it. And hell thats not even that big of a draw-back for me, especially when the title track is probably the best song Kylesa have ever written.

Torche - Songs for Singles

Torche set the bar for themselves extremely high with 2008's full-length album Meanderthal. It was the quintessent look at what makes this band so good, and while Songs for Singles returns to the shorter format the band's accustomed to, it still gives us a shorter, more focused dose of awesome. The opening song "UFO" is yet another prime,fun, stoner-pop singalong that combines Steve Brook's memorable vocal melodies with warm, distortion-coated riffs. Songs like "Lay Low" and "Arrowhead" continue to expound upon the band's Melvins-esque freak rock weirdness that they flexed a little on Meanderthal. The two tracks making this release most worth a purchase in my opinion are the last two: "Face the Wall" features an almost Justin Broadrik style shoegaze quality while "Out Again" is yet another triumphant Torche rock anthem. It might not pack as much bang for your buck as Meanderthal, but short and sweet seems to be how Torche really likes it.

Carolina Chocolate Drops - Genuine Negroe Jig

If there's not really a folk revival going on in North Carolina you now have another reason to believe otherwise. While groups like the Avett Brothers have been busy garnering mass appeal with their style of folk-rock, The Carolina Chocolate Drops have been roughing it playing all styles of old-timey music the only way they know how. Genuine Negroe Jig shows the Durham, NC trio's versatility and ability to channel various emotions through traditional southern music. Some of my favorite moments come in the form of up-tempo bluegrass singalongs like "Trouble In Your Mind" and "Cornbread and Butterbeans", but the trio covers a wide enough range to also include darker ballads such as "Kissin and Cussin" and "Trampled Rose". And I'm not sure if "Reynadine" is a traditional spiritual or not but the Carolina Chocolate Drops are convincing enough to make it all more than pass. There's a genuinity here that is essential to this group's greatness, there is no concern here with hipness or appeal, just real songs presented in earnest fashion. In other words Genuine Negroe Jig might not be your choice if you've spent alot of time growing that beard out for some Austin indie-folk festival, but if you want something good to listen while you sit on your rocking chair out on the porch drinking whiskey, it may be just what you're looking for.

Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart

So unfortunately the 17 minute prog epic "Bright Light" from Black Mountains last LP In the Future was not exactly a sign of things to come as their new album Wilderness Heart features some of the shortest and most to-the-point, accessible rock songs they've done. On the positive side the are proving more and more that they still write timeless songs that are undeniably good. Wilderness Heart starts off with the fun and highly singable hooks of "Hair Song" but also expect some of the heaviest Sabbath worshipping Black Mountain has ever done. "Roller Coaster" features hazy pentatonic grooves while you could probably convince someone that the uptempo riffs of "Let Spirits Ride" were from Iommi himself. But thats far from all you'll get; the beautiful blend of acoustic guitar work and mellotrone/organ/synth domination on tracks like "Buried by the Blues" and "Radiant Hearts" create a vehicle for Stephen McBean and Amber Webb's strongest vocal performances yet. The songs like these are moving and memorable and prove that Black Mountain are truly exceptional at writing easy to love rock songs that are real and without cliche.

Titan - Sweet Dreams

Titan were one of my new discoveries for 2010, and easily my favorite new discovery. As it makes sense that many modern hard rock musicians are rediscovering the magic of 70's prog, Brooklyn, NY's Titan turn to the spacey yet active realms of krautrock, and its about time someone did. Titan may be on Relapse but they're not as much metal as they are a reeling head-trip of epic synth-driven prog and psyche. Although opening song and title track "Sweet Dreams" does have a bit of a galloping 80's metal riff, you're more likely to compare the vintage sonic buffet of songs like "Highlands of Orick" to the likes of Van Der Graaf Generator, Hawkwind, and maybe some Pink Floyd, Eloy, and Baroness all thrown together. In other words; total skull-banging, cosmic-vomitting eargasm. And although some may be tempted to cry "hipster!" at some of Sweet Dreams' slightly tongue-in-cheek song titles like "Synthasaurus" and "Maximum Soberdrive", Titan are simply a band making good music for those who may fancy taking a drug-addled voyage to realms beyond. Nice to meet you.

Wu Massacre - Self-Titled

Before any of us even had time to recover from the thoroughly pleasant beating that we all took last year from Chef Raekwons' Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2, Rae and Ghost decided to drop yet another piece of hip-hop gold with Wu affiliate Method Man early this year. Wu Massacre is what we've come to expect from some of the world's most talented emcees, its hip-hop for those that love hip-hop. Criminology 2.5 is a vicious reworking of a Cuban Linx Pt. 1 classic but doesn't overstay its welcome, a common theme on an album thats surprisingly short for a hip-hop LP. Superior sampling combined with the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" rhyme scheme of these three emcees is what makes tracks like "Smooth Sailing Remix" and "Miranda" along with plenty of guest spots of course. The fact that its a short record may leave some fans disappointed but it also leaves one thing for sure: there is absolutely no filler on Wu-Massacre.

Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

Trying to summarize my thoughts on this album quickly after only two weeks of listening to it will be difficult, but I think it deserves to be on here. I think its safe to say two things about American songwriter Sufjan Stevens. A: he's always pretty much just going to do whatever the hell he wants. B: As long as he's doing that we can be assured that its going to be good. Whether that means showing little concern for continuing his beloved states project or making a new album largely based of synthesizers, its really just him. Not that The Age of Adz is the first time that Sufjan has relied on electronics, as the far more abstract Enjoy Your Rabbit would tell you. Although some fans will not relish the thought of a mostly synth Sufjan album, the technology certainly hasn't quelched his creativity. The Age of Adz shows him as inventive as ever, as usual bringing seemingly simple melodies to life with rich arrangements that draw on a variety of instruments and voices. He represents some odd voice fluctuations this time around to compliment the unfamiliarity as well, or at least enough so that it differs from his usual deliveries. Most of the songs on The Age of Adz are not remotely simple; the title track brings forth an orchestra of synths and keyboards as well as stately woodwind flutters and brass reinforcements. The opening song "Futile Devices" is a brief, beautiful glimpse of the more subdued Sufjan that many are used to, and mostly features hushed vocals along with piano and guitar. The contrast being that songs like "Impossible Soul" are among the most ambitious and complex that Sufjan has ever written. Plenty of vocal indulgence can also be found on the ascending and descending lines of "All for Myself", while on one track Sufjan even takes on a little vocoder auto-tune. But in the end this is the artist we know and love, and the Age of Adz might just be the best thing he's put out since Illinois.

Intronaut - Valley of Smoke

Those who are in the know about Intronaut know that to not expect progression from them would be nothing but idiotic. For those of you who aren't in the know, my album of the year pick for 2010; Valley of Smoke is a good place to learn everything you need to know about one of metal's (and progressive music's) most promising bands. Intronaut have continued to expand and build upon their blend of progressive metal, sludge, jazz fusion and middle eastern influences that they brought to a dizzying level on 2008's Prehistoricisms, and if Valley of Smoke boasts the addition of anything, its a larger use of melody. Valley of Smoke augments a unique style of clean vocal from guitarists Sacha Dunable and Dave Timnick that supports this. Although while normally the quickest way for a metal band to sellout is to implement clean vocals, Sacha and Dave present a tough, quasi-melodic style of singing that is unrefined and helps add layers of melody to the already rich compositions. With unpredictable chord progressions that always keep you excited to see where the song heads next, polyrhythmic meters that are incredibly complex yet easy to groove on, and effects pedals that are used more as instruments than for excess, Valley of Smoke defies genre classification altogether. It may be considered prog, but if it is then its for those who prefer their prog deeper, spacier, and less about musical masturbation. And as for the rhythm section? I don't think I can think of a better one in modern heavy music. Danny Walker's drumming combined with the god-like fretless lines of bassist Joe Lester are an unbeatable combination, and just wait until you hear the album's second to last track when Justin Chancelor from Tool joins in on a double percussion and bass onslaught. If you care about this kind of music and thats not incentive enough to buy this album then I can't even imagine what must be wrong with you. Its heavy, beautiful, and smart all at the same time, to me its simply music that penetrates farther into the realms of the mind.

Shows of the year (of the few I saw this year):

Braveyoung at the Milestone in Charlotte, NC

Back when this Greensboro group was Giant, they admirably struggled to find their identity amongst the rising Neur-Isis bands of the time, but as Braveyoung they seem to blossoming into a truly relevant band. Not that I had a problem with their previous post-metal dirges, but Braveyoung's performance at the Milestone this particular February evening had a decidedly more "arty" air about it, despite it being in the dingiest punk venue in town. Braveyoung played a 30 minute set that consisted of two unreleased songs complete with timpani crescendos, acoustic breaks, bows, and other things not typically found in a room full of punks and metalheads. Braveyoung demanded reverence with their moving performance, the crowds devotion to each note played was unwavering even after the raucious performances of hardcore bands Torche Runner and Young and in the Way. As always they balanced dynamics and created building tension the way a good post-rock band should, it was worth the trip.

Eyehategod, Nachtmystium, Joe Buck, and Withered in Spartanburg, SC

Despite the fact that Eyehategod have played Ground Zero numerous times, the turnout at this show suggested that there certainly are some newer fans that understand the band's importance. Decently well-attended for a Ground Zero show, Withered played first due to Graves of Valor's absence. Their blend of doom, death metal, and black metal was just as ear punishing and unrelenting as one would expect from listening to them on record. Withered may not be for everyone, but they certainly don't mess around. Next was the band I was just excited to see as EHG, Nacthmystium. Being a huge fan of Assassins; Black Meddle Pt. 1 I was really looking forward to their performance, although their song choices leaned more towards the band's black metal side and shied away from prog. They still kept things interesting with choices like "Ghost of Grace" and a song off their new record which had just been released. They played a song off of Instinct: Decay and the Doomdsay Derelicts EP before more great cuts from Assassins such as "Your True Enemy". Although I dare say that Ground Zero's downstairs sound didn't complement them like other venues would, the reverb on Blake Judd's vocals still added a nice pinch of psychedelia to the surprisingly metal set. Eyehategod's performance was eagerly anticipated by everyone there, and whether its because they're clean or because they've been doing this for a while, their sound was airtight. After a prolonged feedback drone, with no lead in or count off the band struck one colossal chord that set the mood for the rest of the show; loud, earth-shaking southern sludge by one of the genre's forefathers. The band played until late, with cuts from each album, and since there was indeed some Take As Needed for Pain, I got what I came for. Indeed, many heads had a good reason to bang that night.

Black Mountain and The Black Angels at the Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC

Best show of the year, I already went into detail on this one so I'm not doing it again.

R.I.P.

Isis

The demise of Isis this year was not a normal band breakup. This was not a mere bummer to be shrugged off because of a vacant hole that could easily be filled with imitators. This was the loss of a band whose influence and impact have been felt tremendously since their beginning. A band that more and more people were getting into each year and having their minds greatly expanded because of it. No, this was not a normal breakup because Isis were not a normal band. The music of Isis straddled enough lines to make some very unlikely fans who appreciated very different things, they also served as a gateway to many like myself. I may have only started hearing about the band around 2005 due to the press from Panopticon, but in the few years I've been listening to them they meant more to me than most bands ever have. Sure I had encounters with the likes of Mastodon, Converge, Botch, Neurosis, etc. All bands that challenged my boredom with heavy music and molded me into a different person, but Isis still did it differently than anyone else.

Isis began in 1998 and gained more notoriety each year until they became the go-to band for individuals breaking out into different musical territory. Soon enough metal-heads that usually went for more typical listening were introduced to an entirely new world, while indie/shoegaze types would find one of the few heavier bands they loved. Fans of sludge, prog, post-rock, even ambient electronic music would soon find some common ground, and while many have varying opinions on which years the band put out their best material, I think its all brilliant in its own way. And oh have there been imitators. I'd be lying myself if I said I wasn't one of the many that heard Oceanic for the first time and said "thats exactly what I want to do". But perhaps they were in the right, the band believed that they had milked Isis dry and that anything further from this point would just be repeating what they've already done, so honestly more power to them for having the respect for their fans to stop before their hearts were no longer in it. Now what we all need to do is just reflect on and enjoy their music, I know I myself and making sure to get my hands on all the LPs, CDs, MP3s, or whatever I can find Isis related this year to truly pay tribute. To one of the most influential bands of the past decade: Farewell, you guys had a hell of a run and I can't wait to see what directions you go in next.

In memorium: Ronnie James Dio

Being at the age I am its bitter reminders such as these that let you know that alot of the musicians you look up to might not be around much longer. The passing of Capt. Beefhart this year Pink Floyd's Richard Wright two years ago were such reminders as well of course. Many know Dio as the singer for Rainbow and the second incarnation of Black Sabbath, with him we lost not only an iconic figure that may as well have made one of rock's biggest contributions with his patented horn throw, but an amazing singer and someone who just seemed like he would be a cool guy. And sure I love Ozzy-era Sabbath as much as any self-respecting rock fan, but I still look at Heaven and Hell as being one of Sabbaths finest albums. A sad loss indeed.

Nujabes

A truly profound artist that I wish I would have discovered sooner to say the least. Nujabes was a Japanese hip-hop producer that was most known for having a strong jazz influence in his production/beats. Collaborating with some truly great underground rappers and putting together some really beautiful music, I can truly attest to the work of Nujabes as healing to the soul and I hope that more people continue to discover his music. I've been playing his album "Metaphorical Music" for the past six months and reflecting on how good that it is makes it even sadder that he's no longer with us, due to a traffic accident that took his life in February of last year. One can only hope that somewhere, him and Dilla are working on something amazing.

The Black Angels/Black Mountain at the Grey Eagle, 11/10/10

2010-12-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

Black Angels/Black Mountain show

Unfortunately my camera is broken so I wasn't able to take any pictures or videos of the show, the video of the Black Angels is from the show I attended, although I believe the Black Mountain video is from a former performance at the Grey Eagle.

Asheville NC's Grey Eagle club seems like an especially accomodating place to host a tour such as this. As a matter of fact for the past two and half years that I've been a Black Mountain fan I was really just waiting for them to come to Asheville given the band's sort of mountain hippie-rock nods that would endure them to such a location when the actual Black Mountain itself (one of many I'm sure) is merely 15 miles away. The show was still announced months early, but I did well to buy my tickets in advance as the show did sell out on the day of. Alot of this could of have to do with one factor that I was not hip to: The Black Angels, a really good late 60's style psych-rock band that have started to become quite the hot commodoty here lately, even though I didn't even hear the band's name until a few months ago.

My first impression of the Grey Eagle is that its a fairly nice venue, while the stage area itself may not be as nice as the Orange Peel's the restaurant/bar area is pretty classy. I helped myself to a Pisgah leaf amber and talked to friends while a large crowd amassed in front of the stage as the Black Angels began their set. Seeing clearly was nigh-impossible because of the number of people and lowness of the stage but the thunderous tone from vintage guitars could soon be equally felt everywhere. The band played a hypnotic and blistering set of late 60s style psych rock accentuated by Alex Maas' somewhat nasal yet perfectly fitting vocals. The band was cohesive and quite loud, but even with as enjoyable as songs like "Young Men Dead" were, I still caught myself thinking that alot of the songs were starting to sound the same halfway through the set. It was also during their set that I noticed that this show must have been a pretty anticipated event for many as I recognized next to the table I was sitting: members of Savannah, Georgia sludge metal group Kylesa as well as other apparent southeastern musicians from different walks. Once the Black Angels finished their 40 minute set the human flood went in the direction of the bar giving me a chance to finally get closer...

After a nice, quick soundcheck some surprisingly dramatic entrance music announced Black Mountain's taking of the stage. The band opened with the Sabbathian riffs of new album title track "Wilderness Heart". From the very start the band possessed a tightness and commanding power that I was blown away by. They continued with another of Wilderness Heart's heavier tracks "Let Spirits Ride" before they decided to let the head-nodding commence (especially mine) with "Wucan" from their In the Future LP. Here Stephen and Amber's vocals were crystal clear and perfect, the rhythm section played as a single well oiled machine, Stephen's riffs cracked wonderfully and Jeremy Schmidt's Moog synth/Hammond organ/mellotron dominated. They continued with the epic prog of "Tyrants", a song that took on a new meaning in a live setting, evidenced by the fact that I didn't even realize how hard I was headbanging until the end of the song. How much is to be credited with the venue or the band I don't know, but the sound was perfect for every song.

The band then picked up acoustic guitars for two numbers: a beautiful number "Buried by the Blues" which stands as one of my favorites from the new album, and the In the Future acoustic ballad "Stay Free". After that it was a string of favorites from In the Future. "Queens Will Play", "Angels", and "Stormy High" were all highlights for me. They played their new single "Old Fangs" before leaving the stage, but few were convinced that this was the end of the show as an encore brought them back out a few minutes later. They came out with the only two songs from their first self-titled LP that they played all night; the hit single "Druganaut" and fan favorite "Don't Run Our Hearts Around". "Druganaut" was at least ten times better than the album version, with Stephen's myriad of vintage guitar effects ringing clearer and more vibrant than the recording, and the song also ended up carrying an extended instrumental jam that may as well have set the stage on fire. The soulful pentatonic riffing of "Don't Run Our Hearts Around" was a truly great closer to a truly great rock show, one of the best I've seen in a while actually.

Cheers, and until next time!

Corey

Ok then....

2010-11-21T18:58:00.000-08:00

First the Dillinger Escape Plan and now this? I'll leave this to your own discretion, but apparently Mike Huckabee and Fox news are pretty stoked about Florida sludge-pop trio Torche. This is indeed real, but whether or not its genuine or an attempt for Fox news to somehow seem more hip is still up in the air... even to the band most likely. Oh and the new album "Songs For Singles" is indeed really good.

Corey

New contributor

2010-11-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

Hello all, I'm the new guy here on B.E.A.R.D. What I'll be bringing is mostly album reviews, year end lists, show reviews, and general rants that are often times disgusted about music related things. I do believe in focusing on the good music out there rather than the bad though, so I'll only bash something when I really need to. I'll be posting a review of the Black Angels/Black Mountain show in Asheville this past Wednesday soon. Good to be here.

Corey

Tera Melos latest release has arrived

2010-08-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

I've listened to the streaming of 'Patagonian Rats' on http://teramelos.bandcamp.com/album/patagonian-rats

This album is amazing! I haven't had much $$$ but I'm definitely ordering tomorrow and I intend on writing a track by track review where I will absolutely kiss Tera Melos' asses.

-DHAGZ

Between Rock and a Hard Economy

2010-08-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I ran across an informal editorial by Ryan McKenney of Trap Them. Let me preface everything that follows with two caveats:

1. I have never heard anything by Trap Them (at least not consciously).
2. I did not read the editorial than spawned McKenney's response.

Allow me to paraphrase for the sake of catching everyone up. The initial question is whether or not corporate-sponsored festivals are "killing the live concert market." For the most part, this is a valid question for dedicated fans, casual listeners, and (most of all) musicians/artists/bands.

Scion Fest manages to book acts like Cannibal Corpse, Voivod, Boris, Nachtmystium (sort of), and a slew of other amazing acts, all without even sporting ticket prices. Granted, we could spend a whole week debating whether or not the aforementioned acts need any corporate backing to get a show. However, Trap Them is also on the 2010 line-up, as for several other bands whom I have only heard of conversationally. So, yes: corporate-sponsored festivals provide up-and-coming bands with the opportunity to reach large audiences without the need for multi-month-long tours, back-breaking promotion, and a healthy dose of insanity.*

Being a smaller band that is willing to tour relentlessly is both extremely difficult and, truthfully, a pretty stupid idea, but some of us don’t know any better, or have no other route in life to take. This is what they call being “a glutton for punishment.” The average age of my band is 32 years old. None of us have degrees or trades to fall back on when touring finally hits a brick wall. None of us can look more than six months into the futur [sic.]… and we accept that. Most of us have been touring since the 90’s with various failure of endeavors.

Then there are the fans.
Is a band less "true" or "KVLT" because they perform on a corporation's dime? Is a band "selling out" because they took a check from a corporation, rather than ending their tour in debt?

As both a musician and a music junkie, I understand why the notion of "selling out" is so toxic. Anyone seriously devoted to music understands the drive, compulsion, need to create. As much as I DESPISE Lady Gaga, I honestly believe that she is a performer because she loves to perform. to her credit, she was in an honest-to-god band before her marketed image was created (and created it was). The problem is when you come across music so bland, unimaginative, heart-less, and yet commercially polished; music that screams "IN IT FOR THE BENJAMINS."

Here lies the crux of the problem: if a band makes a profit (heaven forbid), are they less legitimate? Without even examining quality of content, is Bone Awl a better band than U2, simply because they earn less? Was Crass better than The Clash** simply because they lived in squats and shat outdoors?

The rest of us come home to roll burritos, work at record stores, flip burgers and walk dogs for “a living”… the rest of us eat shit at home as well as on tour. You know what makes that shit taste a little better? Someone you don’t know, giving you money to help you do what you want to do. If this makes me a bastard, then give me that fucking crown and put a spotlight on me… I’ll take it all day, week, month, year, decade and century. As long as no one is telling me how to write lyrics and songs and present myself or my band in a live setting, I simply do not care who helps me continue to do this.

I can not fault an artist or band that has an opportunity to survive a little more comfortably without having to compromise their vision. For god's sake, no one is talking about the Free Credit Score bands. They are the reason people are skeptical of corporate sponsorship; they are the reason bands are wary of being linked with a household name.

This is where the fans become the problem.

A five band show. In Europe, this is called a fest. In America, we call this a nightly occurance. I’m sort of joking… sort of not. Anyways, a five band show: two bands on tour, three locals. The two bands drove seven hours to get there. After the show, they have another seven hour drive to the next city/town/whatever. Fourteen hours of driving in any of our sardine buckets on wheels equals to about $300 or more. Just think about that number… also think about TWO bands on tour together. That’s $600 in gas alone for two bands to play a show on tour.

A five band show, and I’d bet my next paycheck (sorry so little… I don’t have much to work with) that you’d hear endless whining if that show was anything over $12. This goes for any show of any genre. The bitching and moaning doesn’t stop… it never, ever will.
Guess what? You want the bottome [sic.] line? Depending on the show, anything less than $25 is a deal.

I know I am guilty beyond reproach. There have been shows that I would have loved to have gone to, and even though I could afford to, I chose not to because the tickets were "too much." Granted, when I went to What The Heck Fest in 2005 and 2006, the unlimited festival pass was only $50 for three days and about forty acts. Spoiled? You bet I am.

Different example: I will not shell out $75 (plus fees) to see Matmos and Emeralds at Moog Fest. Is $7_ excessive? Well, when you consider that the shows are all over town, in different venues, with 10+ bands per day, not entirely. Booking multiple venues for multiple bands from all over the world sounds expensive, and probably is. Is $7_ excessive? Since I only want to see two bands, yes.

Therein is the problem: the whims of the fan vs. economic reality.

I am going out on the road in a little under a month. Fortunately, I am using frequent flyer miles and the kindness of friends to skip a lot of issues like gasoline and food. Is flying to Alaska from South Carolina for a nine-day tour insane? Yes, but no more insane than driving around the lower 48 for two months, working 20-hour days, and coming home worse than broke. If anything, I think my Alaskan tour has a better chance at success than my previous US/Ontario tour. Why? Geographically isolated area with low occurrences of tour stops and concentrated population centers.

There is little harder than trying to get people out to a show. "I can see them next time." "I have seen them before." "I went to a show last night." My hope is that Alaskans are a bit more appreciative than "outsiders" when considering live music.

That being said, the majority of the shows I have played have yielded no money at the end of the night. Turnout is too low, so the venue "can't afford" to pay. The venue is run by assholes who promise money but pocket the door "because we have to pay rent and utilities." The venue does not like you (or you somehow offend them), and refuses to pay. Even worse, when a multi-band ticket has to split less than $100; touring band gets the goods in my opinion, but you might be surprised how many people will fight you for their $16 in earnings. All of these things have happened and will continue to happen.

All finger-pointing at poor venue management aside, what really exacerbates the problem is that people do not want to pay a "fair" price to see a show.

Local punk or hardcore or metal shows with bands on tour are too expensive, but you’ll drop $150 for two tickets in the balcony of a Lady Gaga show because your girlfriend wants to go… you’ll drop $300 for tickets for Opening Day because your boyfriend has gone every year. Comedians charge $75-$150 to have you sit down and laugh for an hour[.]

I have heard that very excuse from people. "Man, I don't want to pay $5 to go to _________." Maybe the venue has no a/c. Maybe the venue is non-smoking/alcohol free. Maybe the venue is in a "bad part of town." Maybe, maybe, maybe, and the only definite is that you are not going to get paid at the end of the night, and more than likely, the bands playing are never going to come back to your town.

So, here is my question:
Is corporate-sponsorship saving the live music market from the fans, or are both sides of this equation killing music? In an economy like today's, where jobs are scarce and two dollars is worth one, is a corporate festival doing more for music than the (arguably already cheap) audience?

------------------------------------------

*By no means am I implying that some out-of-the-woodwork band is going to get a spot on a corporate festival. I believe (or at least, hope) that all the bands on any festival have paid their dues, one way or another. That being said, who will get better exposure: a band that plays rock clubs across the US for a year, or a band that plays one big festival with multiple established acts?

**YES.

The Future is Patagonian Rats Update

2010-07-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

Tera Melos has a new song/video from their upcoming album 'Patagonian Rats'.

KINIT HER

2010-07-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry for being even less active than D-Hags' been on here but, things have been "busy." By "busy," I mean that hurried sort of existence where you have lots of time which ends up being spent preparing for other tasks. Watering the gardens, feeding dogs at 3am, doing laundry. The actual act does not take very long, but there is a lot of time before and after that somehow gets gobbled up.

This sense of losing time is partly why B.E.A.R.D is highlighting Kinit Her today.

I first found Kinit Her in 2007, via their myspace page. Since then, they've improved upon their sound, as well as gone from a trio to a duo. For the sake of brevity, here's a write-up from the 2009 Equinox Festival catalog.

"The members of this trio from Wisconsin draw heavily on the symbols of a vast array of mythical and mystical ideologies. Similarly their music finds its currents in a number of interweaving forms including folk, improvised music, psychedelic, metal. [...] With backgrounds in esoteric, anthropological, and religious studies each member brings to the table a unique voice, both metaphoric and literal." (sic.)

This is all very, very true. Perhaps it is the neofolk element that almost instantly made me think of their music as ceremonial. Of course, with titles like "Lycaon of Arcadia," "The Fifth Refract," "Topaz of The Dead Giant," and "Hierophant Pentadrome," there's an implication of something older, historical, magickal.

Divine Names (2010, Brave Mysteries)

Their mixture of folk music, electronics, and metal works for the surrealist nightmare that Kinit Her very often portrays (think Comte de Lautréamont's Maldoror). The only problem that comes up, initially, is the vocal delivery.

Most of the vocals are delivered in a trembling, falsetto sort of caretaker speech. The only sort of simile I can come up with to pitch this to you in a positive light is CocoRosie, and that only works if you can tolerate their nonsense*. Having said that, their new album, Divine Names, showcases a far broader presentation of vocals. The falsetto mewling is widely absent, replaced instead by moans, chants, snarls, and generally badass vocals. Instead of visiting the hermit at the top of the mountain, you're being initiated as a neophyte in a dark ritual in a room with high, granite walls.

The first track off Divine Names, "Gratitudes," is also the longest track at 14:32, taking up the entire "A" side of the cassette. In the world of cassettes, this is not an unheard of practice. There's something intimate and divisive about tapes, where everything is contained but partitioned, that lets these divisions work. Opening a CD with a fifteen minute track is a ballsy and, I would wager, foolish move for 98% of everyone making music in the world.

"Gratitudes" opens with a pulsing beam of (down-tuned electric guitar? electronics? synth?), suspended over a churning, grinding blackness. Out of the black, horns emerge, followed by processional percussion. Then low voices begin to intone. Granted, I have nary a clue as to what is being intoned here, which might be why I find this track to be derivative (though awesome). Pussygutt's Gathering Strengths album, pieces like "Maldoror est Mort" by Current 93, "Big Church [Megszentségteleníthetetlenségeskedéseitekért]" by Sunn O))), and "Skymningen" by Ättestupa all present themselves in similar forms**. What I find perhaps the most stunning about "Gratitudes," is how close to Attila Csihar's vocals Kinit Her comes. In other words, totally badass.

The track continues until finally the intoning, the tape loops, the percussion all collapses in a torrent of (what I can only call) black metal guitars. The reverb'd distortion fades into a somber phrase for brass and electric guitar (no distortion). I'm reminded of the procession of flagellants in Bergman's Det sjunde inseglet. The violins enter, mournful cries heaven-bound, until a snarling, mangled voice speaks of topics indecipherable. The entire piece is ushered back into the distance by insect chirps and the screeches of owls.

If these guys aren't Bergman fans, I'll eat my shoe.

Side "B" brings the heavy back, though in a more song-oriented form. I would like to avoid going too much into the "B" side because of both the nature of the music, and the format. Kinit Her is not the band you put on because you're driving to the grocery store. Kinit Her is not music you put on because you have to type a ten page paper on campaign donation reform. This is music that requires time to digest, time to understand and appreciate. Additionally, the cassette form, like vinyl, does not suffer the impatient listener. If you want to skip around, go buy an iPod. Even if you try to fast-forward through a cassette, there's a very real chance you'll go too far (or stop short).

All of that being said, Kinit Her is much like the esoterica that influences their music. There's a lot of time and effort that goes into understanding their message, but if you're willing to give them your time, you'll be rewarded.

----------------------------------------------------------
Kinit Her performing "Colour Ride" at Cafe OTO, London, ENG (16JUN09)

DISCOGRAPHY
Divine Names c30 (2010, Brave Mysteries' Cassette Cabal)
Glyms Or Beame Of Radicall Truthes CD (2009, Hinterzimmer Records)
Glyms Or Beame Of Radicall Truthes cass (2009, Living Tapes)
As Magi c28 (2008, Living Tapes)
Menial As Archivists & Bone Marrow Artifacts c47 (2007, Blossom Rust Tapes)
Bone Marrow Artifacts CDr (2007, Self-Released)
Menial As Archivists CDr (2006, Self-Released)

----------------------------------------------------------

RESOURCES:

LAST.FM
DISCOGS
MYSPACE
FACEBOOK
BRAVE MYSTERIES
ARCHIVE.ORG (free download of Bone Marrow Artifacts)

----------------------------------------------------------

*not that I "hate" CocoRosie so much as I think their albums have too much filler and, Kinit Her is better.
**Arguably, Crowley and LaVey did more for music than the Beatles.

The Future is Patagonian Rats

2010-06-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

The future, as far as I am concerned, is the upcoming release by Sacramento(I think)band Tera Melos entitled Patagonian Rats. As of now, the only song that any of us (except for Tera Melos of course)has heard is Frozen Zoo. I've heard some mixed reviews from people but, personally, I love Frozen Zoo. Accompanying the release of Frozen Zoo came two very strange videos which I just recently watched for the first time. and
I have a feeling that I am in for a huge surprise with this new album and to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm sure a lot of people will say stuff like, "I liked Melodies but they sold out with Patagonian Rats." It's inevitable that things like that be said. So, as I patiently wait for September and the new album...I will continue to be an unsavory character and diligently search the interwebs for a leak of any part of this album. Impatience is my bag.

On the subject of Tera Melos and more specifically, Nick Reinhart. Have you heard Bygones?
Bygones is a heavenly mixture of Tera Melos' Nick Reinhart and Hella's Zach Hill and if you haven't heard it...well...what, are you living under a rock? I can't say that I absolutely LOVE every song but the track Dirt Weed is hands down one of the most "punk" songs to have come out in the last two decades. Long story short, I HIGHLY recommend you go dig on Bygones.

TOP TEN of ALL TIME!!!!

2010-06-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, not "ALL TIME" as in forever. As of right now, I have decided that my top ten favorite albums thus far are as follows:
10. Fugees - 'The Score'
9. Steely Dan - 'Aja'
8. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - 'Jacksonville City Nights'
7. Wu-Tang Clan - 'Wu-Tang Forever'
6. Baroness - 'Red Album'
5. Ryan Adams - 'Heartbreaker'
4. Thin Lizzy - 'Jailbreak'
3. Steely Dan - 'Can't Buy a Thrill'
2. Tera Melos - 'Melodies'
1. Charles Mingus - 'The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady'

What are your top ten favorite albums?

DHAGZ

A Wide Array of Everything

2010-06-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

If you read the last entry, you are aware that I didn't hold up to my promise of "at least two new posts" on that given week. Well, I had to make a trip to California and that fuzzed things up a bit but honestly, I slammed a wall. I wanted something to write about and I feverishly combed the internet but found nothing that really peaked my interest. Not enough to write an entire piece on. I've found that that this generation and I are plagued with the a.d.d. and a.d.h.d. and there really is no way of holding anyone's attention for any substantial length of time. Plus, I read this article: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127370598&sc=fb&cc=fp
Which TBOTZ posted on Facebook. That is when I realized that it isn't that people are becoming stupid as much as instant gratification has hit it's climax. We're ejaculating information and it is terribly difficult for anyone to sit still without writhing about in fits of anguish. Which is why I intend on continuing the theme of covering several bands in a very short manner. Also, to aid your brain, there will be pictures/videos/etc to accompany your reading experience. After you leave here, scoot on over to that NPR article.

TORO Y MOI
Here is the video for "Talamak":

There has been a lot of buzz about Toro y Moi as of late, especially in the South. Being from South Carolina and only a short hour or so drive from Columbia it's terribly difficult to ignore such an act. In fact, a band from my neck of the woods has begun representing Columbia instead of Spartanburg after befriending this fellow from Toro y Moi, or so I've noticed on their myspace. I will refrain from naming this band as they are already embarrassing themselves enough but, before I escape this point, I would like to say that this 'local' band reminds me of ICP when they were claiming Detroit and as Eminem said, "Y'all live twenty miles away." But I digress...
Toro Y Moi is a band that, by name alone, disinterests me. I have to admit that it seemed ill-contrived and pretentious, and the whole deal may very well be. However, upon listening intently to only two songs, I found that I can actually relate to Toro Y Moi a great deal and, although he is not my favorite artist nor is he part of any genre that I enjoy very much, I actually dig the two songs that I have analyzed thus far. "Talamak" and "Blessa" are genuinely great songs, especially the latter. At risk of giving you, the reader, the wrong impression of Toro y Moi, I feel it very important to point out that the song "Blessa" has an almost '90's hip-hop feel which is really what hooked me. Of course, there is no rapping. Nevertheless, I believe that there is potential for rap/hip-hop artists to sample these tunes and drop one hell of a beat on them. In fact, there is an astounding amount material to be 'remixed' with Toro y Moi and that alone sells me. The songs are classy, friendly and would most definitely provide a great soundtrack to a movie about youth and summer or something. Carpark Records has without a doubt found themselves a very promising act in Toro y Moi and to them and the artist I say kudos.
If you're interested in listening to Toro y Moi please proceed to;
http://www.myspace.com/toroymoi
http://toroymoi.blogspot.com/

The Emotron

It's amazing how many people hate the Emotron. Contradictory to that, it's truly amazing how much of a following that the Emotron has gathered, and rightfully so on both sides. I personally can not quite fathom how anyone could hate The Emotron as I have spent many wonderful nights at Emotron shows. I suppose that one looking at the Emotron from the perspective of a musician analyzing musical talent could possibly see him as talentless and tasteless but, they would be very wrong in such an analysis. The Emotron's songs play out like a fond memory of 1986 turned sour with drugs and bizarre humor. In a way the music, instrumentally, mirrors some very odd children's shows of the early '90's that I used to watch. Standing tall above the strange and pulsing notes lies the two most important parts of the Emotron to me, personally. First of all, his lyrics are hilarious, deviously poignant and
almost obnoxiously eccentric. I mean obnoxious in a good way, of course. Speaking of obnoxious, I have heard people refer to music such as the Emotron as "absurdist". Whatever that means.
The Emotron, though I doubt that "they" would admit it, bare strong similarities to acts such as Dan Deacon, Liam Lynch and Atom and His Package. However, I would venture to say that three aforementioned artists couldn't quite hold a candle to the Emotron on any front because they are all so different in their own little ways and most of all, the latter is supremely talented in making the viewer both uncomfortable and euphoric at the same time. The bands compared to the Emotron merely sound similar. Not to insult those other artists but I doubt that their live shows can live up to the expectations that an Emotron show provides. Which is a mixture of sexually driven awkwardness entwined with masochism, severe sarcasm, cultural stereotypes (especially of the South) and props galore (so many unique props in fact, that Carrot Top, were he dead, would be spinning in his ginger grave).
The last time that I saw the Emotron, which was about a week ago now, he "flipped the script" as some may say and took his performance in a very different direction. Many of his shows start out with him in some sort of cowboy attire bouncing around (at one point in time he had the top of his head shaved to give the appearance of male pattern hair loss) and singing lyrics such as;
"I want a hurricane to have a black girls name
I want a hurricane a hurricane

Lets play a drinkin' game lets get drunk and sang
About how these god dern gas prices are lame

I want my middle name to be my middle name
I don't want my middle name to be my first one

What is your username please don't be ashamed
That you had that sucker since nineteen ninety seven

You had that sucker since 1997
You had that sucker since 1997
Since 1997"
But this particular show that I witnessed was quite different. The night began with the Emotron dressed as a Cowboy in all black with a hunch on his back. He set up several TVs and a VHS player, an animals food or water bowl, chicken wire separating him from the audience, several bags of paper shavings in that designated area and finally, he crawled under the stage at Ground Zero for a little while. When he came out he was almost nearly naked and covered in a mixture of body paint, mud (maybe it was mud..or poop...or just paint as well I suppose), strange bits of panty hose ripped and strewn from his shoulders to his groin and peculiar nylon sacks here and there. He crawled, legs dragging behind him, in front of the TVs that were now playing these odd clips of bugs mating, rubbing their legs together and so forth. He had what appeared to be turkey calls in his mouth and he was making a noise that to the everyday square would have surely been disturbing. In fact, many people seemed very disturbed. He proceeded to sing songs that I couldn't recall from his previous shows or the one CD of his that I own. Between lines he drank a strange brown liquid from the pet food/water bowl and howled loudly with the neon green turkey calls in his mouth. I watched as people shook their heads, shuddered in disbelief and a few even turned around and walked away.

A good friend of mine arrived to the show late, in the middle of the Emotron's set and as he walked down the stairs of Ground Zero, to where this glorious act of comedy and mocked avant-garde was well underway, he said that he felt as if he were entering the ranks of a clandestine meeting of some fucked up cult. This friend then rushed over to me, grabbed my shoulder and whipped me around saying, "What the fuck is going on here?". I felt as if my father had caught me masturbating to Hentai or something. For a moment I almost felt ashamed and then I remembered that this friend is from California and as far as I know, nothing like the Emotron has ever happened in that state. As the evening progressed and the Emotron's performance came to an end the majority of the audience still in attendance were seated on the stage or sat cross-legged in the floor (which only added to the cult-like feeling in the air). I heard people complaining that the Emotron, "...didn't set his dick on fire!". Some even proclaimed that, "It wasn't his best show by any means." A little later, I caught the Emotron upstairs of Ground Zero talking with the owner and he said, "Some kids in the parking lot shot me with a paintball gun and said, 'You didn't show your dick!'". Which made for the perfect end to hands down the best Emotron show that I've ever seen. Everything was well in perspective and for once, I didn't so much see the Emotron as this disgusting schizophrenic episode interpreted into live art as much as a very clever individual doing precisely what he pleases.
If you're interested in learning more about the Emotron and ways that you can help please check out;
http://www.myspace.com/theemotron
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emotron

I apologize for any grammatical errors in this piece. I had little time to edit, as I am already late for a kegger at some frat kids fag party. GP forever!

Your friend forever and always,
DHAGZ

WELCOME BACK BLOGGER

2010-05-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

I can't tell if there is a great deal of traffic to this blog but I greatly enjoy writing my often offensive opinions about music here so, readers or not, I, *ahem* I mean we, are back. I know that TBOTZ has been very busy with his final semester of college for the last few months and a big congratulations goes out to him for graduating with a BA in Political Science! I had almost forgotten about this little endeavor and then one day I was stricken with an urge to write about some tunes that I had been peeping lately and there it was, in all of it's glory, the Big Ears Analysis Report Daily.
I have been diligently trying to write a poignant and tasteful article about this and that but have yet to really get the hang of this "positive" lifestyle. I'm still the same old cynical DHAGZ with a lot of terrible things to say but I realized thanks to a post by someone named 'Melanie' that I could probably obtain more honey if I didn't kick over the bee's nest. I can't quite give Melanie all of the credit. Actually, I had decided to attempt being a little less abrasive a couple months ago and then I read her comment and that was the final straw on the camel's back. Still, I feel it necessary to elaborate on exactly what will be going down here in the near future. I WILL continue to be honest, if I listen to your band and I don't like it, I will tell you what I don't like about it because the world doesn't need ANYMORE mediocrity. We're full up. If your band is good and going places I will be lavish with my praise. We've all got opinions Melanie and you care about mine far less than I care about yours, I'm sure. I may call some people fat and cause them to kill themselves or I may cause them to go to the gym. A little constructive criticism never hurt anyone. However, I realize that I may have been more critical than constructive and therein lies the need for change.
Furthermore, I have to say that the comment from miss Melanie got me slightly on the defensive about my knowledge of music. She seems to think I know nothing about the game or the players when I am as well a very relentless player myself. For the record Mel, I am a musician, I can recognize talent when I hear it and doll, I promise you that I AM IN THE KNOW when it comes to righteous tunes. "I'm the Osiris of this shit!" To quote the great Wu-Tang Clan. So, we will let bygones be bygones and sally forth to the future of this nearly forsaken blog. Consider this a welcome back post and expect at least two updates in the next week.

Your friend and confidant,
DHAGZ

Myspace band friend request frenzy!!!!

2010-01-17T18:15:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed doing this last time so, I figured I would throw down on the bands that added me since my last installment. Before I jump into the filthy pool, I really feel it is necessary that I discuss Pandora radio. If you have never used Pandora radio, I suggest that you do. It's cool for finding new music. However, if you type in Pink Floyd, they play Led Zepplin. Yuck. If you type in Modest Mouse, they play the Postal Service. Damn, that doesn't even make sense. If you type in Mount Eerie, they play a lot of really weird hippy shit. That's just depressing, right? Right. Still, I suggest giving Pandora a try it's definitely not the worst website on Earth. www.pandora.com
Okay, let's begin...

1. All's Quiet
Don't know where they're from.
Don't know their "genre"
Pressing play...

Oh fuck. "Southern hardcore" is the label I would toss on these dastard bastards. Think Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and wish you didn't know who they are. The bass drum sounds like a slowed taser. There is absolutely no depth to the kick drum it sounds like automated bullshit. Worse, there's a little break in the song "Directionary" with uber-gay singing. This is absolutely terrible. OH A BREAKDOWN!!!! I didn't see that coming... I didn't have much before but, I now have NO faith in humanity. I hope there is some validity to this whole 2012 thing. I have to turn this off now before my freshly shaven testicles fall off.
If you care to hear this nonsense, please visit www.myspace.com/allsquiet

2. Truth About Vegas
West Palm Beach, FL
Pop Punk/Rock

Fitting opening guitar riff and rhythm for their genre. Very pop punk and the next five seconds will make or break them...These guys are V neck wearing pussies. Moving along.
www.myspace.com/truthaboutvegas

3. Jojo Taterhead Revival
Greenville, SC
Ska/Reggae/Roots Music

Judging by their name and genre, I assume that I am going to hate this. I'm a 'judge a book by it's cover' type of guy. At any rate, first song: Pirate Anthem. Jesus. Definitely ska, really slow ska. They call that reggae, I think. " I want to a pirate. Heyyyyyy!" Give me a fucking break. I could be playing Modern Warfare 2 right now...In fact I'm going to go ahead and skip these guys and their pseudo-political lyrics.
www.myspace.com/jojotaterheadrevival

4. At Sixes and Sevens
Pelion, Wherever the hell that is
Metal/Hardcore/Progressive
www.myspace.com/thevoiceofsanity

I officially think that the words "hardcore" and "progressive" have no place next to each other. First guitar sounds like As I Lay Dying has been listening to a little too much death metal. The kick drum sounds too much like a fucking taser, what's the deal with that shit?!? No vocals, that's a plus. Avenged Sevenfold had gay sex with I Killed the Prom Queen and this was the result. It's like AIDS but without the "catchy" factor. Boring, boring, boring music. There isn't an ounce of "progressive" to this. They obviously used a drum machine...from 1984. I hate to sound all Simon what's his face from American Idol but this is hideous music.

5. Pound for Pound
Springfield, IL
Hardcore/Metal/Punk

I miss the days when metal kids hated punk kids. I miss their cute little fights at shows. I miss the genres doing their best not to mix. Still, I must give this a chance because, I have a feeling no one else will. "Depression" Black Flag cover. This is the only shot you guys have. If this sucks, you're fucked. Okay, the lead singer sounds like the cookie monster. This is bad. Real bad. Fuck Pound for Pound.
www.myspace.com/poundforpound217

6. TURNOVER
Virginia Beach, VA
Pop Punk

A lot of pop punk bands try to add me. Either pop punk is coming back with the fierceness or I just attract this kind of shit. "Sleepless Nights" I am hooked thus far...waiting on the vocals and the verse. Holy shit! I wouldn't really call this pop punk but I love it! Kind of has a Saves the Day feel mixed with Hot Water Music. Though it's not the most amazing music I have ever heard, in comparison to the other bands above...this is heaven. I don't want to ruin this with a long, pointless review. If "pop punk" is your thing and you like a little class in your music...these are the guys to see. Listen to TURNOVER!
www.myspace.com/turnoverva

Wow, I can't believe that was all! I'm already contemplating my next entry and let's put it this way, if you like conspiracy theories and things of that nature...you're going to dig it.

Your friend,
DHAGZ

Myspace Band add-me assault

2009-12-30T23:48:00.000-08:00

If you're one of the many (humans) that have a myspace then, you know very well that if you don't block band friend requests you will be barraged daily. I, being someone that is not a complete douche and still loves music created and promoted by diligent young ones, decided to keep myself open to these friend requests. Instead of just fishing through them and keeping the keepers and kicking the shitters, I've decided to briefly review these bands. Sweet right? Nice little plug. Butt plug.

1. Counting Planes Oxnard, California "Pop punk, Hardcore, Trip-hop"
"Gary Wayne's Starship Enterprise" I used to like this type of music. For some God awful reason this makes Counting Planes terribly mediocre music relatively nostalgic. There are a few okay guitar riffs and the drums aren't horrible but, I'm already over this song.
"Dick Roshendo" Cute little guitar solo. Boring.
"Drinkability" I don't know why but, I love gang vocals. And then...kaput!
That's actually all that I could handle. I appreciate the quality of the recordings but as for musical creativity and lyrical talent are concerned...you fellas are up shit creek. I guess that will teach you to go mass adding people won't it? Remember, there's no such thing as 'bad publicity'. Good luck. Oh and another cutesy guitar solo at the end of "drinkability". Unimpressive, boring, mass molded music.
www.myspace.com/countingplanes

2. Darkest of Days Spartanburg, SC "Rock, Metal, Alternative"
Judging by the profile default picture, I'm going to hate this.
"Fuck You" Clever title. Too much cheap distortion pedal output. Vocals sound like an ugly mix between Lemmy and Special Ed. This is absolutely the most obnoxious shit... omg you actually recorded that guitar solo? "You got your mind all tied and bound." Well. Next band please.
http://www.myspace.com/darkestofdaysofficial
Wait, darkestofdaysofficial? As if there are unofficial pages on myspace? As if there ever will be? Oh my.

3. Hollows Spartanburg, SC "Experimental, Psychadelic, Metal"
Just an overall view here but, I absolutely love it. NM the conflict of interest or mysterious connections lol. Sleepy time music.
http://www.myspace.com/dirgesc

4. Joe Grizzley Durham, North Carolina "Pop Punk, Hardcore"
"Joe Bros Vs. the Failing Economy" First of all, excellent song title. Despite these type of tunes having been done before...first impression, not bad. Well, that is, until the chorus came along and destroyed it for me. Let's try another track because there's a fucking break down.
"Save Tonight" I love Eagle Eye Cherry. Well, I love this song. I could do without the metalcore growl. Other than that, so far so good. Singer of second verse, stop singing. Screaming, cut that shit out. Quick crash or cheap china, also stop. Come tomorrow, I'll be wishing I hadn't listened to this cover because it will forever fuck up this song for me. Alright, decent gang vocals...a bit of a redeemer. Holding out, "Saaaaaaaaaaaaaavve toooniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!!!!!" not a good decision. I like the drums a great deal. Not too bad.
http://www.myspace.com/joegrizzleync

5. Rotten Bark Wlodawa, Lubelskie Poland "Pop Punk, Rock, Alternative"
I must give off that 'I'm totally into pop punk and pop punk only vibe', huh? Well although I can't pronounce the name of your hometown, at least this is truly what I consider pop punk to be. Thank you for appropriately labeling yourself. I'm always one to appreciate 3 part harmonies. However, this is really goofy music and Sum 41 did it a decade ago. Blink 182 did it much better before that and I'm sure a million others before them. Thank you for making mediocre music.
http://www.myspace.com/rottenbark

6. Ixtlan. Noisetrack Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil "Melodramatic Popular Song, Indie, Black Metal"
I'm afraid to even listen to this judging by the name of the band, their place of origin and the genres that they have placed themselves in. What the fuck is melodramatic popular song anyway? That shits not on my XM stations, I don't think.
"The Waiting Song" Sad and depressing guitar riff that would make the joker cry. Tremolo effect and here comes the drums. Holy shit, I kind of like this. Spacey sounds dancing around a nice driving rhythm and distantish vocals about this guy and how he won't be around. Abrupt ending. Take me on to song #2 I'm intrigued.
"Ao Longo Da Estrada Pt.2" I'm not sure if multi-part songs are like ...to be continued sitcoms or sagas and such but I feel like I should have listened to Pt.1 first. Should I have? Very short song, uninteresting. Thanks anyway.
"Terra Baixa" Judging from the first 15 seconds of the song, I'll be hitting the old dusty trail now.
http://www.myspace.com/ixtlannoisetrack

7. Nightlights Orlando, Florida "Punk, Rock, House"
"Ghost Town" This sounds like the years where I would skateboard around town. I love it. Short and sweet like "punk" should be.
"Buzz Your Girlfriend...Woof!" As for the title, I happen to love Home Alone. I don't really feel like I have very much to say. This type of music has definitely been played and played out long ago but, I can't quite let go. This is fantastic. Gang vocals, "I have no where, I have no where, no where else to turn!" Awesome, next song.
"Ghost Town (Acoustic)" I really wish you hadn't done this. It's definitely a good song but, please no acoustic damn you!!!!
http://www.myspace.com/nightlightsfl

Wow! That's all of them. I know these aren't fancy or in depth reviews by any means but, it's 3:43 am and honestly, I could give a shit less. Good night 2009.
-DHAGZ

THE DECADE IN MUSIC

2009-12-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

As the first decade of the aughts draws to a close, I figured I would do a quick write-up on my personal 100 best releases from 2000-2009, which is in fact a decade if you count out the years from 00 to 09. These are ordered as best as I could, but try not to get too upset if you think no.50 should have been no.47 or something, okay?
crossposted at RIGOR MORTIS SHUFFLE

100. Kala by M.I.A. (XL, 2007)
99. 13 or So People Who Need Chances by Vollmar (Bluesanct, 2004)
98. The Letting Go by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (Drag City, 2006)
97. Island Diamonds by Pocahaunted (Arbor/Not Not Fun, 2008)
96. The Greatest by Cat Power (Matador, 2006)
95. Turn on the Bright Lights by Interpol (Matador, 2002)
94. Vespertine by Björk (Elektra, 2001)
93. Accumulation: None by (Smog) (Drag City, 2002)
92. Getty Address by The Dirty Projectors (Western Vinyl, 2005)
91. Advisory Committee by Mirah (K, 2002)
90. Has A Good Home by Final Fantasy (◘◘◘◘◘◘ Recording Club, 2005)
89. Stories For Owls by Badgerlore (Free Porcupine Society, 2005)
88. Nukkuu by Lau Nau (Locust, 2008)
87. Wind's Poem by Mount Eerie (P.W. Elverum & Sun ltd., 2009)
86. All Reflections Drained by Xasthur (Hydra Head, 2009)
85. Crosses/Spenking by Viking Moses!/Spencer Kingman (Marriage, 2005)
84. And Their Refinement Of The Decline by Stars of the Lid (Kranky, 2007)
83. Holy Holy by Lightning Paw (Now Hereness, 2007)
82. On Vacation by The Robot Ate Me (Swim Slowly/5 Rue Christine, 2004/2005)
81. At All Ends by Yellow Swans (Weird Forest/Load, 2007)
80. Cask Strength Black Metal by Dead Raven Choir (Weird Forest/Supernal, 2007)
79. the Pissmop LP by Yellow Tears (Hospital Productions, 2008)
78. Descension Yellow Swans by Descension Yellow Swans (Acuarela, 2007)
77. At Rear House by Woods (Woodsist/Troubleman Unlimited, 2007)
76. Tout Seul Dans La Forêt En Plein Jour, Avez-Vous Peur? by Woelv (K, 2007)
75. Medúlla by Björk (Elektra, 2004)
74. Fantastic Illusions Worth Dying For by Assacre (Awthum, 2005)
73. Swimming Back To Shore Without Me by Bunkbed (Turn, 2002)
72. Guitar Trio Is My Life! by Rhys Chatham, et al (Radium, 2008)
71. The Observer by Mecca Normal (Kill Rock Stars, 2006)
70. Pamplemoussi by Geneviève Castrée (L'Oie De Cravan, 2004)
69. He Poos Clouds by Final Fantasy (Tomlab, 2006)
68. Embittered Darkness / Isle De Morts by Striborg (Displeased/Southern Lord, 2006)
67. Shrine To The Possessor by Robedoor (Music Fellowship, 2008)
66. Sleep Has His House by Current 93 (Durtro, 2000)
65. Plays the Book of Revelations by NVH/Chasny (Yik Yak/Zum, 2005)
64. The Music From Matthew Barney's Drawing Restraint 9 by Björk (One Little Indian US, 2005)
63. Defixiones - Will And Testament by Diamanda Galás (Mute, 2003)
62. Five Electrical Walks by Christina Kubisch (Important, 2007)
61. Yahweh Or The Highway by Arab on Radar (Skin Graft, 2001)
60. Devil If You Can Hear Me by Heather Leigh Murray (Not Not Fun, 2007)
59. Black Blues (violent) by Keji Hanio (Les Disques Du Soleil Et De L'Acier, 2004)
58. A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors by Xasthur (Hydra Head, 2007)
57. Beasts Will Have You by Law of the Rope (Not Not Fun, 2008)
56. ( ) by Sigur Rós (FatCat, 2002)
55. Wide by Grouper (Free Porcupine Society, 2006)
54. Way Their Crept by Grouper (Free Porcupine Society, 2005)
53. Helder by Annelies Monseré (Bluesanct, 2005)
52. The Tired Sounds Of... by Stars of the Lid (Kranky, 2001)
51. Black Blues (soft) by Keji Hanio (Les Disques Du Soleil Et De L'Acier, 2004)
50. Horses in the Sky by Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra + Tra-La-La Band (Constellation, 2005)
49. The Glow, pt. 2 by The Microphones (K, 2001)
48. Nefaria / A Tragic Journey Towards The Light by Striborg (Displeased/Southern Lord, 2006/2007)
47. Macy's Day Bird / Black With Green Leaves by Diane Cluck (Important, 2006)
46. Creepshow by Xiu Xiu vs. Grouper (States Rights/Slender Means Society, 2006)
45. Recurring Dream And Apocalypse Of Darkness by Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. (Important, 2008)
44. Shalabi Effect by Shalabi Effect (Alien8 Recordings, 2000)
43. Sings Reign Rebuilder by Set Fire To Flames (Alien8, 2001)
42. Slaves' Graves & Ballads by the Dirty Projectors (Western Vinyl, 2004)
41. Wonderful Rainbow by Lightning Bolt (Load, 2003)
40. Always Wrong by Wolf Eyes (Hospital Productions, 2009)
39. End of Autumn by Sutcliffe Jügend / Prurient (Troubleman Unlimited, 2008)
38. Amlux by Merzbow (Important Records, 2002)
37. Black Ships Ate The Sky by Current 93 (Durtro, 2006)
36. Thanksgiving by Thanksgiving (P.W. Elverum & Sun ltd., 2005)
35. Good World by The Robot Ate Me (5 Rue Christine, 2006)
34. Bleak 1999 by Tomas Jirku (No Type, 2003)
33. He Has Left Us Alone but Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corner of Our Rooms… by A Silver Mt. Zion (Constellation, 2000)
32. III by Darkspace (Avantgarde Music, 2008)
31. Reveal'd To None As Yet - An Expedience To Utterly Vanquish Consciousness While Still Alive by Keiji Haino (aRCHIVE/Important, 2006)
30. The Golden Chamber by Prurient (Hospital Productions, 2007))
29. Rose Pillar by Prurient (Heartworm Press, 2009)
28. Dømkirke by Sunn O))) (Southern Lord, 2008)
27. Rotting Nepal by Aaron Dilloway (Hanson Records/Blossoming Noise, 2005/2006)
26. An Evil Heat by Oxbow (Neurot, 2002)
25. Merzzow by Merzbow (Opposite Records, 2002)
24. Nobody's Ugly by Consumer Electronics (No Fun Productions, 2007)
23. Worthless Recluse by Jandek (Corwood Industries, 2001)
22. The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast by Matmos (Matador, 2007)
21. Didn't It Rain by Songs: Ohia (Secretly Canadian, 2002)
20. Fabulous Muscles by Xiu Xiu (5 Rue Christine, 2004)
19. Desert Doughnuts by Metallic Falcons (Voodoo Eros, 2006)
18. Mi and L'au by Mi and L'au (Young God, 2005)
17. Bird Seed by Whitehouse (Susan Lawly, 2003)
16. Operation Hummingbird by Death In June (Ner/Tesco, 2000)
15. No Flashlight by Mount Eerie (P.W. Elverum & Sun ltd., 2006)
14. Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós (FatCat, 2000)
13. Birth Canal Blues by Current 93 (Jnana/Durtro/Coptic Cat, 2008)
12. Children of the Black Sun by Non (Mute, 2002)
11. Cruise by Whitehouse (Susan Lawly, 2001)
10. Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven by Godspeed You Black Emperor! (Constellation, 2000)
09. Welcome Nowhere by Thanksgiving (P.W. Elverum & Sun ltd., 2004)
08. Black One by Sunn O))) (Southern Lord, 205)
07. Manhattan Tuesday by Jandek (Corwood Industries, 2007)
06. Black Vase by Prurient (Load, 2005)
05. Human Animal by Wolf Eyes (Sub Pop, 2006)
04. Mount Eerie by The Microphones (K, 2003)
03. A Promise by Xiu Xiu (5 Rue Christine, 2003)
02. Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill by Grouper (Type, 2008)
01. The Drift by Scott Walker (4AD, 2006)

BEST RELEASES OF 2009

2009-11-18T09:51:00.000-08:00

Originally I was going to wait until mid-December to post this list, but D-Hags gave me free-rein to go ahead and share my wisdom'd opinions with the world. Citing that I've had nothing substantial to do with my day, and the only major up-coming record I'm psyched about (Xiu Xiu's Dear God, I Hate Myself) doesn't drop until 23 February 2010, well ... here you go.

Rose Pillar by Prurient (11" + Hardback Book, Heartworm Press)
The question isn't really where on this list Prurient should go, but which 2009 release should be on the list. Hands down, Rose Pillar earned its place as the year's best release. First of all, multimedia releases tend to get me wet, so when Heartworm Press announced that the new Prurient LP would actually be part of a book, needless to say I got pretty excited. 500 copies, no less!
This entire work is a dedication to a recently-deceased uncle, drawing on text from a memoir written by his Mother about "Stephen Feraca, the brilliant but troubled older brother, an anthropologist who was adopted into a Sioux tribe" (Heartworm Press). Text appears in stark white on black, accompanied by dreary photos of plants, insects, decaying machinery, collapsing buildings.
Visually, this project conveys the sort of dark loss and helplessness that so many other musical
projects try to convey by screaming about being lonely. "Feraca’s text is juxtaposed with Fernow’s collages of fallen empires, plant-life and industrial decline. The imagery presented is both stoic yet strangely profound and revealing as an analogy of death." (Heartworm Press) Prurient makes you feel lonely, without ever having to tell you he is.
Then comes the record: easily some of the strongest material as yet recoded. Similar in tone / feel to 2007's The Golden Chamber cassette, which vanished in a limited run of 44 copies. Dark symphonic loops and sounds of upturned earth, rusted plows, cracking mortar surround, attempt to bury, Fernow's own howling from the edge of human endurance. If "Spins The Worlds Wheel Again" isn't the track of the year, then I'm obviously far more gone than even I fear. The line "what does one do in paradise" has become a mantra to my year; whispered, pleading to the universe for direction; shouted, begging for a hand-out, hand-up, hand-me-down, anything to crack the void. I won't lie: I probably listen to this record far more than is healthy.

Always Wrong by Wolf Eyes (CD/LP, Hospital Productions)
Do I even listen to conventional music anymore? Sometimes, but what really stands out is more interesting to listen to. "Is that a drum? Broken synthesizer? Tape loop?" "Cymbal? Rusted metal? Guillotine?"
Wolf Eyes is up there with Prurient in the obscene-amount-of-releases category. So far in 2009, they've got 15 tapes, CDrs, lathe cuts, LPs, 7"s, CDs to their name, and that's only the stuff I can track down. 20 is probably a safe bet. That being said, Always Wrong is probably the closest thing to an "album" that they've released. Between live recordings, untitled single-sided lathe cuts, splits, and ongoing sound projects, Always Wrong feel like an album, though true to form, the Wolf boys use a limited palate of sounds for the recording.
Honestly, this falls somewhere between the electronic schizophrenia of 2004's Burned Mind (Sub Pop) and the disgusting open-grave of 2006's Human Animal (Sub Pop). Where Burned Mind came across as time spent in the studio goofing around, huffing Dust-Off and doing speed, Human Animal felt like a project, a singular idea fleshed out across eight tracks. Always Wrong is the marriage of the two, and yet individually neither; bastard whelp, perhaps, huddling on a dark stoop at the edge of Apocalypseville.
Percussion fills in for tapes and synth. The highs seem sharper. The lows seem deeper. The beat goes on. Mike Connelly's presence is palpable, but at the same time, Dilloway's absence is noticeable. Not that this is a weaker album because of it; FUCK NO. Always Wrong is a solid-jam, and I'm proud to say I've puked on the side of the road while "Broken Order" and "Always Wrong" pulsed in my car.

Wind's Poem by Mount Eerie (CD/2xLP, P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd.)
Have I mentioned that Phil Elverum is going to single-handedly save songwriting? I haven't? Oh, well Phil Elverum is going to single-handedly save the age-old art of songwriting. He is.
Remember "Samurai Sword" off of The Glow, pt. 2 (K Records) from way back in 2001? I love that track. The beat eluded me for months on end, and the guitars are less tonal than textural. That being said, you can tell that Phil's time in Norway a few years ago, and his interest in black metal, à la acts like Xasthur and Malkuth, is paying off. BUT: do not misunderstand. This is a Mount Eerie record. A "metal" Mount Eerie record is still a Mount Eerie record. Phil donned no corpse paint, shredded no vocal chords. He still sings about the night, and the dark, and the wind, and MOUNTAIN, and the sort of Zen introspection that convinced a lot of us at What-The-Heck Fest 2006 (when No Flashlight was unveiled) that Mr. Phil Elverum was the savior of lyrical-meditation, finally wrenching the title away from that hack, John Updike.
Also, he quotes Angelo Badalamenti's Twin Peaks compositions on "Between Two Mysteries," which pretty much makes me a bigger geek than you might think I am, but also cements a slightly sonically-uneven track when considering the album as a whole. Stuck between tracks of atmospheric whisp and amp rumble, "Between Two Mysteries" seems out of place with its marimba (?) line and synth brass. However, if you ever watched Twin Peaks, then the citation of Badalamenti's compositional work almost INSTANTLY keeps the post-paranoia mood that wafts between the trees of Wind's Poem.

Dead Times by Dead Times (cass, Aum War)
I found Dead Times by pure accident. Since I have no sort of solid spiritual / mystical beliefs, I can't thank fate or GOD or anything. I just have to say "oh, neat," which is great because this tape proudly declares that "Dead Times supports the war against the self and the other. Death to false."
Anyway, I have a cassette fetish, I do. When I see that a good band has a 250 limited run of hand-numbered cassettes with hand-screened inserts, I basically wet myself; better than sex, I swear.
This tape opens with a tentatively plucked minor-key progression on acoustic guitar. Enter the
weeping, then the slowly multiplying voice, repeating "I'm so devastated / I get nothing out of life / I can't see anything in the future / I wish that they had just killed me too that day."
From there on, Dead Times turns into some sort of weird offspring from Law of the Rope, whom would have been on this list, but released nothing at all in 2009. BUMMED? Not really. Dead Times make up for LotR's (ha ha) inactivity.
Dead Times is part tape-loop, part power electronics, part plundercore (at least from
Bergman's Det sjunde inseglet, as far as I can tell), weirdo black metal, evil dance music. Guitars cover a chanting funeral procession in plague-swept Medieval Sweden, ceremonial death-drums keep the march, and Belial splits a skull and offers some shriek-soaked advice about something. I really can not get over how good this tape is. I have high hopes for Dead Times and I sincerely hope there's more in the future.

Sefirah Gevurah by Malkuth (CD/LP, Hospital Productions)
When you mention American Black Metal, you run into the same sort of drama that follows scene-kids, the world of gay-dating, and high school. Don't believe me? Allow me to take a very small cue from Pitchfork Media (I know, I'm sorry) and show you this. As a musician, I don't really give a shit about what country or continent you're from when it coms to being TRÜE. If you're good, I'll listen to you; if you suck ass (in the bad way), then you suck ass (in the bad way).
That being said, Malkuth do not suck ass in the bad way. They suck huge cock, which I would consider a positive attribute, and fairly pleasurable to most parties involved. Who doesn't like a good blowjob? Well, me, but that's not the point. Enough sexual word-play.
Sefirah Gevurah consists of six tracks of blistering black metal in the vein of Darkthrone, if Darkthrone had better equipment when they started and turned down the high-end on their amps. At first, I found it really weird that these guys are from NYC, but when I stop to consider how I feel about visiting / living in NYC, I realize that black metal is a pretty good expression of my feelings. Sure, living in a cabin and singing about how much you hate everything works; you're working out of (self-imposed) exile, talking from experience. But what if you're surround by millions of people? That makes you some sort of masochistic warrior, right?
That being said, there are no lyrics posted anywhere (that I've found), so maybe they're doing the whole Wolves In The Throne Room thing. Probably not. Hard to tell. I feel pretty safe assuming that they have misanthropic lyrics because, goddamnit, they're a black metal band. HAIL.

Imperial Horizon by Kevin Drumm (CD, Hospital Productions)
By now I realize that I basically should have just posted the 2009 Hospital Productions catalog and been done with it, right? Look, don't blame me because Dominick Fernow runs one of the best damn labels / stores in the country.
Kevin Drumm: maybe you know him from Gastr del Sol and Brice-Glace, or even his more recent, 2007 collaboration with Prurient, All Are Guests In The House Of The Lord.
If you don't know of him, what you need to know is that he's straddling, sometimes strangling, the borders between Art Installation, Musician, and Scientist. Lately he's been working with suspended tonality, digging into a few notes / frequencies as possible and then seeing how far they'll reach.
Imperial Horizon is such an experiment. Consisting of one track, "Just Lay Down and Forget It," Drumm explores a very warm chord for one hour, four minutes, fifty-three seconds. Frequencies get boosted, reduced, doppler waves build, pulse, vibrate your body. This is what I imagine sensory deprivation must be like. The label description echoes my sentiments: "Imperial Horizon by Kevin Drumm is a further examination into sustained tone ... stretching out minimalism to unreached heights of serene ambient.lulling electronic drones slowly transform over the course of the hour plus piece in constant flux,echoing both an existential terror and Zen calm. mutations grow so quietly only the body opens to identify this change while the mind closes. the ephemeral and seeming lightness of the tones hang with taut balance in contrast to the method in which they are overlapped and rotated with deadly weight. How wildly divergent emotions rise, hover, and fall using so little is a mystery that only Kevin Drumm can provide. While you may not find an answer, you can certainly get lost in the question." (Hospital Productions)

Blizzard by Robert Turman + Aaron Dilloway (CD, Hanson Records)
I was skeptical at first. The Turman/Dilloway cassplit from 2008 is fairly perfect, all things
considered, so when the duo put out a CDr collaboration, I got a little worried. I like tapes; the hiss is always there, due to the physical act of the tape running across the stereo head. Aaron Dilloway works with tape loops. They are dirty, grimy, and they rumble with purpose. My concern was either A., this would be a rumbly CD that only hoped to sound like a tape, or B., this would be a far too polished affair.
Actually, it's a little bit of B., but un/fortunately, since I live in South Carolina, I never got to be anywhere close to where Turman/Dilloway toured, meaning I never heard any of this initially tour-only material.
Synthesizers and tapes are all that go into this CD, which I find confusing to a degree; I swear there's more going on. Granted, Turman's tape work is a little more precise than Dilloway's, and with Aaron manning the synths, that jumbled tape-decay I was expecting is absent.
So: what do I think? Blizzard is appropriately named. This release is cold and dark. I wish this release had existed when I was living in Fairbanks, AK. What sounds like Shakuhachi drifts over slowly pulsing synth drone. Short tape-loops flutter in bursts through delay FX. In all honesty, this is what it sounded like walking to B.C.'s cabin in -40°F weather. The pulsing crunch of legs moving through snow. Doppler waves of cars / trains passing in the distance. Static crackle in the air created by snow and ice. Too cold to stop, too cold to really want to keep walking, so you go on auto-pilot and keep. fucking. walking. The promise of beer, cigarettes, and sex is enough to get any college student through thigh-deep snow, I suppose.

Monoliths & Dimensions by SUNN O))) (CD/2xLP, Southern Lord)
Sunn O))) is a project that, by all accounts, should have run its course by now. In the hands of less musicians, men of infinitely more limited vision, 2005's Black One would have been the first release and, more than likely, the last of any interest from a one-trick-pony.
Fortunately, Stephen O'Malley et al are fiends of purpose, men (and women) of vision! Sure, working to sustain guitar rumble is central to the project, but the way in which they wield this tool is what manages to keep Sunn O))) at the forefront of modern, avant-garde composition.
Monoliths & Dimensions hands over the opaque blackness of the grave in exchange for the strangely vacant blackness of medieval mass in a barely-lit cathedral. You hear the crushing chime of the bells, the voice of the deacon calling you to rise, but all around you the rats scurry under pews, nails dig at slate walls, and from somewhere behind you a ragged breath creeps across your neck. Attila Csihar's vocals are not only welcome, but as much a staple of Sunn O))) as O'Malley + Anderson's SUNN brand amps now. That raspy cry from beyond, that deep growling, near-raptuous glossolalia. When the End of Days arrives, Sunn O))) will echo the Archangels' horns.

All Reflections Drained by Xasthur (CD/2xLP/cass, Hydra Head)
Really quickly: Xasthur is a black metal band. Most of what is released by Xasthur is done by one man, Malefic, a.k.a. Scott Conner. So: Malefic is Xasthur. Sort of like The Representative from Corwood plays at Jandek concerts. Okay?
What makes Xasthur so impressive is that the metal made by Malefic isn't of the same ilk as post-1988 Bathory, or Mayhem, or Gorgoroth. Overt violence towards others becomes violence towards the self. Aggression and strength are alchemically transmuted into depression and weakness. Misanthropy is the name of the game, and instead of an axe, Malefic wields his own isolated persona. What sets All Reflections Drained apart from other Xasthur releases is that the drums are real, which didn't start happening until 2007. Also, there are way more keyboards and synths on this album than on pretty much any other Xasthur release (which is a lot, considering).
This release is pretty draining--physically, mentally, emotionally. Xasthur is known for long, meandering tracks, but the overabundance of synth reverb makes me feel less like moshing, more like I'm being suffocated in a stuffy room, attending the wake of some distant relative. The Stranger anyone?

Passage by Pocahaunted with Bobb Bruno and Cameron Stallones (LP, Troubleman Unlimited)
This is not my favorite Pocahaunted release by far. However, this is one of their most focused
releases and, sadly, their last full-on, honest-to-god full-length releases. R.I.P. Pocahaunted,
I'mma gunna miss you.
Anyway. Passages is basically what people expect from Pocahaunted. Reverb-drenched vocal wailing hidden behind simplistic guitar patterns and some percussion. Very trance inducing, neo-tribal, psychedelic-fueled spirt quest sort of stuff that seems drenched up for the secret parts of the 1960s. This isn't Haight-Ashbury, this is a sweat lodge in the Lakota nation. This is Quetzalcoatl rising out of you peyote soup and buring an axe of pure light in your chakra.
Fortunately, this release brings good production values to the table, as well as some pretty
interesting guitar / keyboard / percussion flourishes that you won't find on other Pocahaunted
releases. Also, this is one of their slowest burning releases. When I was ripping this vinyl onto my computer, I didn't realize the record was playing at half-speed until I was about halfway through the first-track. Even then, this is what I imagine it must be like to have your chakras cleaned thoroughly.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
The Lucifer Rising Suite by Bobby Beausoleil (4xLP, The Ajna Offensive)
This incredible box only gets honorable mention because all the music was recorded in 1976 (in
prison) and has slowly been releases, re-released, and bootlegged over the years. Worth having (and damnit, one day I will), but the presentation is what's new.

Michigan by Various Artists (6xLP, Hanson Records + RRRecords + Chrondritic Sound)
Partially, I feel like this would have been cheating. 6 LPs, one artist per side, which makes this a relatively evil box set of music from Michigan's best noisemakers (literally). Besides, I already put Dilloway and Wolf Eyes on the list. Is that fair to give them double slots?
A. Princess Dragon-Mom
B. Raven Strain
C. Redrot
D. Aaron Dilloway
E. Tovah D-Day
F. Charlie Draheim
G. Hive Mind
H. Mammal
I. Evenings
J. Cotton Museum
K. Sick Llama
L. Wolf Eyes

The Blueprint 3

2009-11-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

As my fellow music reviewer, Thomas, here at the B.E.A.R.D, said in the car to me on the way to a bar, "I think this is the appropriate time for a white boy to say, Keeping it real." Indeed, and as always, Jay-Z is keeping it real. Really real. I first heard 'Death Of Auto-tune' in my S-10, on my way to work. Immediately I was spellbound by the idea that anyone had the balls to annihilate the new industry standard for hip-hop and R 'n' B that is auto-tune. To make this slap in the face to T-Pain, Lil' Wayne and the rest of the goof troop even better is Jay-Z being the hero that has come, yet again, to save rap.
I could have chosen to just destroy Lil' Wayne's "No Ceilings" but that was just far too easy. Instead, I figured I would allow H to the izzO V to the izzA to handle that. Rap, for the most part, is obnoxious and incessant rambling about hos, guns and money also, rap, which I thought came from poetry which is supposed to be a way of expressing...deep things or something, has now become a way of making lots of money by doing absolutely nothing but being a billboard for...everything really...
Basically, if you haven't heard "Empire State of Mind", go bash your own skull in because if a promising rap song was every written, this is it. Seriously, it's got everything.
A. Great beat. Sweet instrumental.
B. Solid verses.
C. Viciously addictive chorus.
It seems that everyone that frequents the genre is just looking for a simple 4/4 "dee da deet da dee" and some lyrics about shit that they'll never afford and lifestyles they'll never understand. Even better if they can shake their booty and cease synapse fire. Well, too bad heartless androids, Jay-Z, yet again, is, has and will continue to keep it real.
To make this song, this album and this artist even better, Jay-Z is suggeting (very bluntly) that he is the new Sinatra and pushing to make this song the new anthem for New York. You're right Paris, that's hot.
So, if you're not bothered by the "serious business" that is Jay-Z's alledged connection with Satan and the occult...please, go buy this album or steal it off some sweet torrent site. Trust me, you'll be doing yourself a favor.

Susej redrum redrum and stuff.

"This might need a verse from Jeezy, I might send this to the mixtape weezy,
Get somebody from BMF to talk on this, give this to a blood let a crip walk on it,
50 thou to style on this, I just don’t need nobody to smile on this,
You rappers singing too much, get back to rap you t-paining too much."

COLD CAVE

2009-11-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

Based on D.'s introduction regarding Owl City, I felt the urge to repost this review / critique from Rigor Mortis Shuffle, which is a wacky, disturbing blog. Appropriately enough we've both decided to look at Electronic music, albeit a narrower sense of the oft-bandied term.
Electronic music, distinct from electronica and noise and techno, is somehow coming back around, even though I remember concept being pretty popular in, say, 1970s Berlin, and the 1980s, and oh yeah, in the early double-aughts when bands like The Postal Service and DNTEL started to make noise, similar to The Human League and the Pet Shop Boys before them.
Now, here we are, not even done with the decade, and somehow this trend is making a resurgence. Brooklyn / Philadelphia's Cold Cave has broken onto the "scene," and suddenly everywhere I turn are white kids playing KORG and MOOG synths, again.

I'm baffled that Cold Cave has managed to snag a deal with Matador Records.
Don't get me wrong. I like Cold Cave, I do. I have a copy of their Cremations compilation from Hospital Productions, as well as Love Comes Close on Heartworm Press, which is now out of print (SCORE).
I suppose I'm just bothered that a "super group" featuring Max G. Morton, Caralee McElroy (Xiu Xiu), Wesley Eisold, and Dominick Fernow (Prurient) would get signed to a major label after only 18 months (most of which was just Morton and Eisold).
It's not that I'm bitter or jealous, but that this whole sythn-pop cum darkwave noise hybrid seems a little tired on my end of the spectrum. Spartanburg, SC has Backseat Dreamer (Stickfigure Records), and 27 miles away there's Culture Prophet who, while less dark / more dance, has managed to carve out enough of a following to continually book paying gigs as well as tour Europe.
I played a show in Asheville, NC, Saturday night. Aside from the facts:
1. Incompetent "promoter" switched the venue less than a week prior.
2. No one got paid.
3. Two-plus hours of laptop techno-glitch-pop are too much.
4. The '90s rave scene is dead. Anarchist coffee shops are not appropriate venues to attempt a resurrection.
Two of the bands on the line-up were doing roughly the same sound. One of them had basically discovered 1984 and stuck with the sound. The other was a little darker, more inventive, but still basically a synth-rock duo.
I know people like to dance in public (for some reason), but what is it about this genre that won't seem to go away? I don't mean to nitpick. Most of the artists or bands I've seen attempting this do it well-enough, but in my eyes, not enough to stand out from one another. Head Trip Conception is good, but not any better than Backseat Dreamer who I sort of like better than Cold Cave (if only because I knew Sean years before Cold Cave even existed).

New Order did this decades ago. It's still a genuinely enjoyable sound (when done with some depth and thought), but is it really something that deserves a major label debut? Anymore, who even needs a major label? Sure, K, Kill Rock Stars, and even to a degree Sub Pop are still alive and kicking, but what good is a major label anymore? Aside from the potential tour support, distribution, and lightening the burden of album production, labels don't need to grab someone for them to "make it" anymore. Wolf Eyes were a pretty big deal before they signed to Sub Pop for Burned Mind, y'dig?
I won't lie. I'd love to be on a semi-major label if only to get a second national tour booked. I'd love to have someone else help foot the bill for endless amount of blank cassettes and norelco boxes. The digital age has greatly reduced the need for studio time. Sure, a good studio with competent engineers never hurts, but it isn't the end all be all anymore. Johnny Cash couldn't hook up a condenser mic to his laptop and go for it. The studio was his only hope. Now is not then, however.
Case in point: Cold Cave.
18 months of obscure cassette, vinyl, and CD releases were more than enough to get this band national attention. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have famous friends, does it?
Is this sudden explosion of interest really due to them being in the right place at the right time? (e.g. Brooklyn + Philly / RIGHT NOW) Can I just blame Pitchfork Media and be done with it?

Introduction

2009-11-13T21:18:00.000-08:00

Music, in it's present state, is grim overall. That being said, it is a difficult task trying to write an appropriate intro and a review in one swift swoop. Especially, if one were attempting to not appear conceited and dreadfully sardonic. It's probably no coincidence that those words are applicable to this endeavor that, if not terribly contrived, is biased and highly unfair. My name is Daniel and I am a music snob. Let's begin.

The honor of first post reviews goes to the malevolent entity that is responsible for the hideous pulses that are Owl City. Upon researching this band after hearing about them on that dick of a channel MTVU, I did read the www.somethingawful.com review. I am aware that, much like the music of Owl City, which is an obvious and embarrassing rip-off of the Postal Service, I am inches away from copy and pasting from someone else as well. But, as a concerned citizen of the world that just so happens to listen to music and frequently critique said music, also, I owe it to the 4 people that I tell about this blog to actively search out the jewels and ghouls of modern music. Owl City is by far the easiest and most important "band" or "artist" or, "lack thereof" to review.

The perpetrator of the atrocity that is Owl City is a youthful Christian fellow by the name of Adam Young. While tugging on Ben's Gibbard he seems to have found a comfy niche in the forgetful ears of mentally handicapped hipsters and small children with no direction or decent parents. Somehow, the musically blasphemous anthem for soulless teens is the single 'Fireflies' which, out of all of this bag's "songs", sounds the most (identical) like the Postal Service. In interviews he does in fact cite Death Cab for Cutie as an influence while being all cutesy and joking about how he's "never heard of the Postal Service". HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Now, I'm well aware, as a musician, that people typically have terrible tastes in tunes. Furthermore, I recognize that most musicians are either neurotic, stupid, unoriginal or all of the above. I read somewhere in a review of Owl City that some elite group of people are really excited that pop electronica is coming back. I find it difficult to believe that anyone is excited about the return of electronic music and I find it even more difficult to believe that anyone listens and are excited about this asshole who I have no titled 'Bowel Shitty'.
In this picture;

you can see this half-hidden smirk attacking his face and possibly ratting out his true inner feelings. I think one of two things are happening here;
A. He's so impressed with his own music that he just can't contain himself and his mere inches from having a coronary or,
B. He realizes that he has deceived a great deal of extremely dumb people and, like Bernie Madoff, knows he's going to make far more money off of this bull shit than should be legal. Unlike Bernie Madoff, this is legal. Sadly.

And finally, this is a video for 'Fireflies'. The "official video" has, by request, had embedding disabled because the butt plug doesn't want people like me posting his stupid faggot video and assault vigorously. Please have a friend or family member hide shoe laces, ropes, guns, knives and other sharp and dangerous objects from your direct reach before viewing.

B.E.A.R.D.

Corey's year in music 2011

Happy New Year!

Hey!

(young) American Landscape

Rites of Initiation

Why aren't you listening to Ocoai right now?

Listen to

You should listen to

West coast, dead?

Listen to This

Corey's decade list 19-10

Playlists

DELAYS FROM ALASKA

Early Mornings Call for Smooth Tunes

SHOWS

Chocolate Pressings

I'm forgetful and Lazy

Corey's Decade list 30-20

Album reviews March 2011

Corey's decade list part 1

2010: the year in music

The Black Angels/Black Mountain at the Grey Eagle, 11/10/10

Ok then....

New contributor

Tera Melos latest release has arrived

Between Rock and a Hard Economy

The Future is Patagonian Rats *Update*

KINIT HER

The Future is Patagonian Rats

TOP TEN of ALL TIME!!!!

A Wide Array of Everything

WELCOME BACK BLOGGER

Myspace band friend request frenzy!!!!

Myspace Band add-me assault

THE DECADE IN MUSIC

BEST RELEASES OF 2009

The Blueprint 3

COLD CAVE

Introduction

The Future is Patagonian Rats Update