Music Reviews

Uphill Gardeners - 5-6 (OlFactory/Kill Shaman)

Short-lived trio from the 1995-1997 era of Los Angeles. This time period was between the end of the Jabberjaw and the beginning of the Smell. Jarrett Silberman and Bobb Bruno contributed to many bands in this time period and since, notably Young People, Get Hustle, Liars, Polar Goldie Cats, For Carnation, Goliath Birdeater, and performing as solo artists. Drummer Nigel Ludemo was unfamiliar to me prior to this record, but is listed as a film composer and as a drummer for Godzik Pink, another pivotal early Smell band. This LP is a collection of unreleased material has an improvised sensibility that veers toward dark abstraction, but there's actually a composed structure to most of it. I mean that in the best sense of it feeling live and open ended. There may be references to No Wave embedded in here, it sounds like extended jams experimenting with guitar tones. A lot of this reminds me of the '90s but not in a way that feels dated, it was such an underground sound that didn't get filtered upwards. It's nice to see some retrospective documentation of a scene that only a handful remember, but those that did were passionate enough about it to pass it on to the next generation. (gc)

Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom VII - Plainfield Station, Woodland--May 16, 2009

The KDVS staff have got show-throwing down to a science: after six previous installments of their all-day Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom festival, lucky number VII went down gracefully and on schedule. As expected, ’twas a hot day out at Plainfield Station, the semi-surreal biker bar on Yolo County land near Woodland and Davis where the grassy patio area plays host to a super-assorted gaggle of artsy, alternative sounds, ranging from the life-affirming alternative hip-hop of The Nothing to the freewheeling jazz-scrapes of DMPH.
My personal favorite of the afternoon hours were Meth Teeth from Portland, OR, featuring guitarist Zack Fischmann, whom I remembered from folksy East Bay bands like Shakey Bones and People Eaters. He’s now playing alongside singer Mattey Hunter’s voice and 12-string guitar in this band’s shambling, endearing grit-punk—mildly psychedelic and super cool. Eternal Tapestry, who likewise ventured down from PDX, laid down some considerable jams of starry-eyed, krautrockin’ majesty, tapping in nicely to the feverish weather and beer-induced sleepiness going on all around.
This was my first time seeing Lucky Dragons, here realized by Luke Fischbeck and all those close enough to grab onto the various odds and ends he handed out. Shakers, rocks, and cymbals alike were quietly handed out as Fischbeck sampled, looped, and whooped into a microphone, manipulating the predominantly audience-generated sounds into a hypnotic shape. Definitely dug the trippy, delayed melodies that constituted most of his set, but the danceparty-oriented closing tracks felt a bit hokey to me—hey, the student-age folks seemed to enjoy it, so that’s cool.
Local noise-punk maestros Mayyors were one of the evening’s best, conjuring a mini-pit in front of the wooden stage as vocalist John Pritchard made earnest pleas for more beer and the band bludgeoned noiseniks and teeny-boppers alike into a joyous frenzy. Their guitarist, Chris Woodhouse, featured on drums during Thee Oh Sees’ set right afterwards, which mostly featured the psych-pop tunes from Help and its predecessor, The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In, also throwing in the A-side from their newest single, “Tidal Wave”—rousing, infectious, and fun as usual.
Wooden Shjips finished the night off, and while I remember finding their initial releases thoroughly trip-worthy, the set tonight felt like a straight-ahead set from… the Doors? Neither bad nor offensive—well-played, in fact, and at moments quite striking—but the tunes lacked the raw edge I remember from that Shrinking Moon For You 10-inch way back. The video accompaniment was thoroughly neato, however, showing red, bubbly shapes gliding across a display projected onto the trees above the main stage area, resembling a microscopic view of a bloodstream.
You oughta make the trip out next time O:RMF/“ormph” takes place—it’s one of the best and most cost-effective (12 bands for 8 bucks) art experiences out there. (mh)

I never really got into the Unbroken metalcore straight edge scene, so a lot of this was lost on me. Other than observing more pairs of cargo shorts than I have seen in many years, I really don't have much to say about that portion of show. I was mostly just there to see Swing Kids and Jenny Piccolo, the latter of which apparently had better shit to do because they sure weren’t there. I never saw Swing Kids back when they were around and had always felt a bit bummed on that. I probably should have just kept it that way rather than drive to Pomona and feel unclean at the Glasshouse. If you've never been there, it combines the vibe and aesthetic of a Christian youth center and strip mall to provide a quintessentially Southern California bummer. Watching annoying babies who probably spend their whole day reading blogs and buying records on eBay flail around in this place in some unique 2009 brand of look-at-me bullshit was unbearably depressing. Pretty much the only thing that made this rise above "total waste of time" was seeing Jose on the drums again. Easily one of the best drummers in hardcore ever, and it had been about two years since I had seen him playing in Baader Brains. I also found it encouraging that the heckling of JP was minimal- I was expecting some seriously annoying meme garbage. Glad I saw them play but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed.
By the way, Portraits of the Past are getting into that dead-men-walking the Earth territory. Seeing the reunion at Gilman was inspiring (and what i wish this Swing Kids show was) but I think the consensus is that they should have just left it at that. Now it's a sad joke and I was thoroughly disappointed when I showed up at the show and found out the rumors of them filling in for Jenny Piccolo were true. They played a new song off of an upcoming 7". If that isn't depressing enough, wait till you hear the song. I don't mean to sound negative, but let's move on. The only people really listening to this music at this point have no fucking clue what it was about.
I guess my main take-away from the show was a strong reminder of why I moved away from San Diego.
Oh P.S. the bar next door was pleasantly vacant- a new batch of 16 year olds are staying true to their edge.
(mk)

Evan Miller - Transfigurations On Lap-Steel Guitar (Arbor)

A few years ago I saw Evan Miller playing finger picking style guitar, i recall him having a special footrest to have one knee up, as he played with no strap. Circa winter 2009 I saw him again on tour with Jeff Witscher's Marble Sky, and it was an altogether other thing. There was still a guitar involved, but it was played lap style, and he ended the set with two tape recorders run through gobs of delay. I picked up this LP that night and it sat unlistened to, like many things I buy, for months. The first track "Schist" gives the sense of gradual melodic build and patient new-ageisms that I've noticed a lot of coming from this crew. It's less shocking than what comes with "Floss" which is more on the tape loop barrage tip, with all the pleasing "oomph" that can be expected from that practice. The B side, or "In Stasis" side also ramps up the tonal drones with abrasive overtones, like a utopian haze teetering on self-implosion. A track that sounds like field recordings of running tap water morph into a digital babbling brook before the closer of "Asphodel." It's ironically here, back to the premise of traditional lap-steel sounds a la Ry Cooder, that Miller's familiarity with the timbre of guitar and traditional musicianship comes off least well. However it's still tasteful and well-executed, if reminiscent of '90s Thrill Jockey jams. (gc)

This was one of the many "secret" Thorns of Life shows that were happening all around the Bay Area this week. I missed the one at the Hemlock and the Thrillhouse one as well. It's easy to get fixated on the strategy of playing underground shows for a band comprised of well-known musicians who could be playing big spots. What is seemingly lost in the hype is the songs themselves. The first sniff of Youtube clips from Brooklyn loft shows had me wondering if it would all be worth it. My favorite Jawbreaker album is 24 Hour Revenge Therapy, and while it's unfair to compare the new band to old, it's inevitable. Aaron's drumming leans towards the straightforward pop punk style, which serves these songs well as they are more pop punk too. Blake's vocals are going through a PA that is made for practices and probably for screaming so they sound blown out, but even without the clarity there's a nostalgic familiarity to the melodies. It's a bit sloppy and sentimental. It's also one of the rare moments, after seeing a million new bands that only hang around for two years tops, to follow a trajectory of musicians in it for the long haul. There's no way to really be objective about this experience, everyone brings a bunch of history to the table. I'm mostly surprised that there are no obvious "L Word" superfans there for Daniela Sea, who plays bass. I have a feeling I would pass on these songs recorded, but subsuming myself in this ritual has as much to do with my own ambivalent connection to the the East Bay punk scene as it does with genuine curiosity about this band. I can only say I felt like time had suspended for about half an hour, and that's rare enough in itself.
(gc)

Tom Neely - Self Indulgent Werewolf (self-released)

So this is a case where this super limited record (only 130 copies) is not even available anymore, but I bought a copy from the creator at APE in San Francisco. APE is the indie comics convention, and Mr. Tom Neely is best known as an illustrator who overlaps into the music world, as in his comic "Your Disease Spread Quick" based on the Melvins lyrics. Having struck up a brief conversation with Mr. Neely about Corrupted, I purchased this (there are gold and silver covers-I got gold) which was a soundtrack for Neely's 2007 art installation at LA's Black Maria Gallery. With little expectation or context other than the sick cover art, it starts off with a repeating banjo line that starts to glitch and morph, seemingly influenced by Steve Reich and the Books. The rest of the first side involves a really spaced out tonal guitar dirge, really Thrones-inspired. Though he calls himself an amateur, it's an assured entry into the recorded sphere when too many would-be jack-of-all-trades have failed. It's too bad this is such a limited release, but you could still get a copy if you dig around. (gc)

Kyle H. Mabson, Nero's Day at Disneyland, Mincemeat or Tenspeed, Pod Blotz, Fun Santa Maria - Sutro Baths Cave--October 12, 2008

This was the second time Ormolycka records has put on a generator-powered noise show in the cave below the Cliff House, near the ruins of what was once the Sutro Baths in San Francisco. The first show was hampered by generator burn-out difficulty, this time around things went much more smoothly.
The first set was Fun Santa Maria, basically just Steve from Chen Santa Maria doing party noise. The deep bass grooves of the woofer amplified throughout the cave. I kept imagining the headline, "assholes destroy cave with noise." Luckily, nothing got destroyed too bad.
Next up was Pod Blotz. Single white female in hooded cape outfit making spooky horror noise, with some really amazing freeform theremin. Probably one of my favorite sets of the night, reminding me of evil 666 satan imagery.
Then Mincemeat or Tenspeed from Philadelphia played. It was pretty amazing. Minimal setup of a bunch guitar pedals and an eq box. It sounded like there was a sample that he was using to make the diverse, at times almost krautrock style noises he was massaging out of his electronics but I could not see anything that would be making it. I think it might have even just been feedback going through a flanger or something. Needless to say, it was truly inspiring the level of creativity going on through such a relatively minimal setup.
For the first few sets random normal people were walking around. This one teenage girl with her totally rad dude friends was like, "do you know what this is" and I shyly replied, "it's a show, three or four bands are playing." Her friends were all like, "man dat's siiick."
By the time Nero's Day at Disneyland played, the tourists walking through the cave with plugged ears had all but left, as the sun was starting to set over the mighty pacific ocean. The start of his set was a little shaky, with the noisy and musical elements competing awkwardly. But by the end of it, confidence was restored as his stacked synthesizers blurted out a convincing hybrid of noise and dance.
Kyle H. Mabson ended the night on a positive note, with his usual mix of mainstream rock and hip hop samples between harsh noise. For some reason, his noise doesn't seem as harsh to me as it used to. Perhaps because of the recent economic downturn, he is trying to appeal to more mainstream tastes; more likely, he's just growin' up. (ng)

Club Sandwich Presents: U.S. Girls, Eternal Tapestry, and Father Murphy - Brianna's Kitchen--September 13, 2008

U.S. Girls, Eternal Tapestry, and Father Murphy played a very special show in Brianna's Kitchen. I came early for the food and Jenn Su did a really good job on the vegan sloppy joes.
In other news, the show was really good. Susan doesn't like how cramped shows are in the Kitchen because it's uncomfortable. I kind of like it in spite of its uncomfortableness because it makes you feel like you are at a huge show, when really it's just because the 20-30 people there are crammed into the small area of a San Francisco apartment kitchen. San Francisco has lots of small indoor spaces.
Father Murphy played first. They live in Italy, but were in San Francisco as part of their first ever tour of the United States. My friend Matt thought they sounded like Blonde Redhead, and the song structures reminded me of Shapes and Sizes for some reason. I don't really like anything Blonde Redhead made after that album with the little red picture of them in the middle surrounded by a black border. But I might if I listened to them more, or maybe even just came of age during one of their later albums. Father Murphy were maybe almost as good as the really good Blonde Redhead album.
Eternal Tapestry was up next. I kept feeling like I recognized one of the guys from that band. Oh! It's Nick from Hustler White/Alarmist! Mystery solved. They played stoner dude-rock that I didn't think was too special, but Matt was into it. I left to get juice during their set. Isn't it weird that Martinelli's apple juice comes in plastic containers now? Martinelli's apple juice in glass apple shaped containers R.I.P.
U.S. Girls was last, but she Meghan Remy of U.S. Girls could only play like 4 or 5 songs because the show was running late. House rules of the house show state no music after 10 p.m. Bummer. But while it lasted was amazing! As I told Michael over instant messenger a few days later, "yeah i felt like the loudness brought in layers that are not immediate apparent on the record."
All in all this was a good show. If you missed it but have a time machine, then you should totally go back in time to see it. Plus one for Club Sandwich Bay Area!!! (ng)

Devin Hoff - Solo Bass (Devin Hoff Platform)

Self-released upright bass recordings from Good For Cows' Devin Hoff. Known for collaborations with Xiu Xiu and Nels Cline, Hoff's plucking and bowing extends beyond the usual connotations of the instrument in a jazz setting, although there is improvisation at work. The titles come from anarchist newspapers and concepts, but free of the baggage of lyrics. Full of portent and an emotional weight, the physicality of the playing is captured with Jamie Stewart's recording. Bowed tracks like "The Alarm" carry a dramatic attack and pull resonances out of the bass. Pulling what is normally considered a "background" instrument to the forefront, Hoff's recording does the same for bassists. They're more like reliable character actors than flashy celebrity frontmen, but those are the careers that are most interesting to follow. (gc)

The Chap - Mega Breakfast (Ghostly International)

In the Chap's world, pop music is skewed and twisted: no straightforward melody is without a subversive backing vocal or a burbling and clanking in the rhythm section. So it is no coincidence that the image they chose for the cover of their third album, Mega Breakfast, is one of Jeff Koons's metallic balloon animal sculptures. Its skin is all fun-house mirror with a healthy dose of sugar on the nose, and it appears weightless despite its probable heft. The Chap's music wouldn't sound out of place next to tracks by Hot Chip or even LCD Soundsystem. They have wedded their guitars and cellos to electronics fairly evenly and unobtrusively and they share to a certain extent Hot Chip's quirky highbrow sense of humor and whiteboy R&B vocals. But the Chap's songs, while often danceable, are more intellectual in theme and arrangement.
The single, "Fun & Interesting," starts off sounding almost like a Great Escape-era Blur b-side. It is baroque pop and its lyrics are a paean to cloning. The multitracked vocals of the chorus blow the song wide open, sounding like a roomful of people singing in unison (and cheekily matching its subject matter). I imagine this to be something like what Winston Smith might have heard on the radio had music not be suppressed in 1984. On most of the other tracks, lead singer Johannes von Weisztäcker sing-speaks like Jarvis Cocker or his label-mate Matthew Dear. On earlier Chap albums his lyrics seemed to be poorly translated (see earlier single "I Am Oozing Emotion"), and the delivery suited the words quite well. Here, it cloys rather quickly, I think because there is little space in the production. The exception might be "Carlos Walter Wendy Stanley," where the fractured vocals (along with a heavily reverbed guitar line) build excellent tension and anticipation until the chorus which speeds up as if expending the bottled-up energy.
After the brilliant, dark electronic pop of the Chap's first two albums, Mega Breakfast feels a little too shiny and polished. It is a good, but not great, album that lacks some of the immediate appeal of earlier songs (like "Dror Frangi" and "Arts Centre"), while also not quite approaching the strangeness of experiments like "I Got Flattened by a Pig Farmer." If any of this sounds interesting to you, I'd try out Ham first and then work back to The Horse or forward to Mega Breakfast. (wl)

Cadaver In Drag - Raw Child (Animal Disguise)

While tempted to lump Cadaver In Drag in with the trend of noisers playing thrashcore (Deep Jew, Cellblock) there's a plodding sinister groove to this bummer, easier bundled with harsh vibers like Burmese or Bone Awl. Lexington trio (augmented here by Hair Police man Robert Beatty on synth) plod through the heavy side of doomy dirge without the technical flourishes, just crunchy sonics as exemplified on "Walking Through the Gates of Hell", which teeters on the 19 minute mark. Misters Schuler, Lay, and Allen keep bios fairly under wraps, you can quickly ascertain where they're coming from - a commitment to misanthropic world view and brutal screaming amidst a decaying static backdrop. The guitar tone hits a point of convergence, a hurricane of ugliness that feels just right. "Fuck This Place" speeds things up a tad with an edge of '90s AmRep muscular esophagus shredding and bass heavy thrashing. They keep this up for nearly ten minutes as well, explaining this album's three track count. This is vaguely groovy as far as CID goes, a concession to some influences outside the stoner doom mold. "Secession '61" goes in the direction of label head Mammal in terms of sludgy synth plod. A pleasant surprise from the dirtiest south. (gc)

Lumerians - LP (Subterranean Elephants)

Lumerians self-titled 12” opens with some heavy drumming and, soon after, a churning distorted organ pulsing chords out like messages to space, steady and dark. When the vocals come in, they are joined by a bassline that propels as much as it seems circular and directionless. After a few minutes the song opens into synth drones and an organ freakout. The mood is decidedly ominous and the whole record has this kind of a vibe to it. I was reminded most immediately of recent twisted psychedelic experimentalists Clipd Beaks and Psychic Ills, but this music isn't quite as dark, or at least it seems to have some hope to it.
Side two's opener, “Orgon Grinder,” brings demure female vocals and an initial lilting melody that made me think of Butterglory (don't ask why), but the track never really approaches the sunniness all that implies (it doesn't help that she's going on about a “fist inside your throat”). “Olive Alley” could be a Stereolab tribute to the Velvet Underground's sleepier side, but only if the Groop took too many ludes. All in all, this is a decent release, but I'm left feeling ambivalent about it, and I suspect the band is perhaps still finding its footing. Still, I'd be interested to see where they go next; hopefully the freakouts will be freakier and the drones harnessed to some songs that don't just drift in the ether. (wl)

Heresi - Psalm II (Hydra Head)

Much like Striborg, Leviathan and Xasthur, Heresi, not to be confused with the UK hardcore thrash band of the same name (Slightly different spelling) is a one man lo fi black metal band that is specifically designed to be a recording project. Where Xasthur (Also on Hydra Head) has taken more of an ambient black metal approach, in the same vein as Burzum, Heresi is more in line with the likes of Mayhem and Darkthrone, Darkthrone also being a recording project.
Originally released in Europe on the Swedish label Total Holocaust Records, Psalm 2 has been graciously re-issued by Hydra Head, presumable for the world. Heresi is an awesome band and Psalm 2 is a killer record, this is the way I love my Black Metal, fast as fuck and full of hate. The riffs on Psalm 2 are tight, super heavy and ultra catchy, the drumming is non-stop, it’s full of blast beats and Dave Lombardo type rolls, and it’s totally awesome. Vocally, Heresi is quite similar to Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone, there’s the same kind of raspy low-end growls and drawn out screams. Where so many bands have failed idolizing Darkthrone, one man in a band called Heresi has delivered the goods!
You can’t help but bang your head listening to this album; its old school black metal thrash at it’s finest. Surprisingly some of the riffs on Psalm 2 remind me of Kill Em All era Metallica, this was when Metallica were still good who knew how to write genius thrash anthems. It has an element of classic era Slayer too. From the opening blasts of Liotte to the closing riffs of Infusco Ignis, Heresi know how to destroy, in my mind they’ve successfully produced an album that is undeniable convincing and true to the essence of Black Metal. As noted, Psalm 2 is a lo fi sounding album, as it should be, the quality of the recording hasn’t taken away from the production values, as they’re totally on the mark. There’s plenty of clarity here, you can hear every cord, kick drum and growl. This album is a must for all fans of Black Metal, especially those of you who are into Darkthrone. (rm)

Botch - American Nervoso (Hydra Head)

We all know BOTCH for their ground breaking 2nd album, “We Are the Romans.” Decibel Magazine inducted Romans into their 2005 hall of fame and it’s now been cited as a major influence of contemporary hardcore. And rightly so, it’s a brilliant album. It makes it easy to forget that before the Romans were unleashed, Botch gave birth to another record, their now classic 1998 debut, “American Nervoso.” This was also the first release on Aaron Turner’s Hydra Head, just a bit of trivia for y’all.
Recorded in Stone “Pearl Jam” Gossard’s Litho Studio’s, American Nervoso was totally before its time. Grunge was still valid and pop punk was still in vogue, was America ready for Botch? All that I can say is that American Nervoso is some seriously devastating stuff; no holds barred four on the flour riffery. This is brutal hardcore in a time that still warranted Grunge!
From the opening chords on “Hutton’s Great Heat Engine” to the closing riffs on “Hives,” “American Nervoso” is 9 tracks of technical time signatures and convoluted chord changes. It’s like math rock, but it’s hardcore, it’s like prog rock, but it’s hardcore, it’s like…. Well let’s just say, gone are the days of three chord thrash anthems (Minor Threat I love you) or straight up tough guy messages of solidarity and respect, (I was never a Agnostic Front fan). This is the dawn of a new era, the era of Botch.
This sweet re-release of “American Nervoso” comes with 5 bonus tracks, demo versions of “John Woo,” “Rejection Spoken Softly” and “Hutton’s Great Heat Engine,” an extended version of “Spitting Back” and an unreleased track “Stupid Me.” All in all, this is a must for all Botch fans. This is where it all started, from here they became Minus the Bear and These Arms are Snakes, but that’s another story. (rm)

P.A.F. - Fingerprints, Medicine (Barely Auditable)

Upon first listening, there is an uncomfortable twinge when the vocals of Scott Rosenberg aka Pinkmountain kick in. It's not that necesarily a good or bad comment; it's just excessive, his bellow from the gut and the accompanying twangy song structure. In some other context, the bravado might be considered admirable. Rosenberg is also known as a saxophone improvisor who has played with Braxton among others, so injecting him into this alt country context is bound to mess with some heads. Maybe the lung capacity he's developed on sax bleeds into his singing style, which has grain and volume. The rest of the band works as far as this genre goes, guitar wankery that is just damaged enough, crash and boomy drum sounds from Gene Baker. I almost want a little more production to go with the songs than the raw band sound that is on here, but that would be sort of beside the point. The falsetto on "The Almond Tree" is also a nice change of pace and Rosenberg cuts an epically unhinged guitar solo on this song - but i found myself wishing this disc were 50 minutes of just THAT. The hook that this is a crew of free improvisors playing in a different genre does not necessarily work for me, though it intrigued me enough to spin this. Perhaps I prefer the more orchestral goth flavor of Americana that has been floating out of Denver, but that should not reflect on what works or does not work with P.A.F. They know the material they are cribbing from and play fiercely, but it fails to take off from its shambolic promise. (gc)

Xasthur - Defective Epitaph (Hydra Head)

First up, if you like Norwegian Black Metal, you’re going to love Xasthur. Much like Burzum, Xasthur is essentially a one man low fi black metal “band” that veers between straight up old school black metal and dark wave, ambient symphonic. At first I was totally convinced that Xasthur was Norwegian; it encompasses the same coldness and ambience that has made Norwegian black metal so classic. To my horror, I was shocked to realize that Xasthur wasn’t in fact Norwegian (neither was he Tasmanian) but actually an American, presumable from LA. Aside from the strong Burzum reference, as mentioned above, Xasthur is also reminiscent of Darkthrone and Stryborg, both of which have empowered Black Metal, whilst staying loyal to the strict purist agenda of the old school sound. See Fenriz’s compilation, the best of old school black metal, this comp is brilliant.
Under the pseudonym of Malefic, Scott Conner founded Xasthur in 1995, and on his second full length for Hydra Head, Scott has taken the bleakness of the first album, Subliminal Genocide, to a whole new level of darkness. Defective Epitaph is 12 tracks of some of the most morbid sounding funeral metal I’ve heard in ages, this is some seriously impressive stuff. With more of a focus on the ambience of black metal, as apposed to the intense assault of blast beats and speed picking, Xasthur has created a symphonic sound track of death.
If only Xasthur could pull this off live. Much like Darkthrone and Striborg, Xasthur is simply a studio project. All the instrumentation is produced by Scott, probably recorded too. That fact that Xasthur has and never will play live; it makes it all the more interesting. What does he look like? Under the layers of corpse paint, I’m sure he’s a regular guy; he’s probably a schoolteacher, teacher of thought by day, educator of metal by night!
I guess the thing that differs most from Xasthur and his Norwegian predecessors, is the obvious lacks the overt satanic and blasphemous lyrical content. Xasthur has chosen to take more of a darker American feel, and that being lyrical references to suicide, hate, death and general dark cryptic stuff. With the resurrection of Black Metal that hit us a few years back, so many new bands have come out of the woodworks. Not only that; so many labels have now started embracing black metal. Southern Lord has made a point of doing this, and now Hydra Head have done the same. Both labels are from LA, both labels are friends and both labels have released records for one another’s bands. Coincidence? Maybe. Whatever the case, at least great records like these are finally seeing the light of day. They need to be heard. (rm)

Various - Technicolor Hell (Malleable Recs / Bad Master)

This is the first document of its kind I have seen from the underground Philadelphia damaged electronics scene. Short of a manifesto, the association of groups presented here speaks to the rest of the noise-o-sphere with a "motherfuckers I'm here!" swagger. The ambassadors of this crew, Mincemeat or Tenspeed, Dave Smolen, and Cars Will Burn, toured the US in Summer 2007 and brought this compilation with them, a super colorful silkscreened booklet with a noise geek centerfold of pedal set ups. Mincemeat or Tenspeed turns in a slightly unusual entry here with "Teamate's and Mankind's Greatest Adventure", closer to a mid tempo distorted pop song then his hectic live sets that fall somewhere between Dan Deacon and gabber, all produced by manipulating pedals. Smolen produces mixer feedback noise in tasteful doses with "Divebombs and Flittermice Screams" and serves as the producer of this comp. His track has a creepy quality reminiscent of "Dread" era Wolf Eyes, to the point that a Dilloway comparison (in sonics and fashion sense) is unavoidable. Breathmint head misanthropist Newton is probably has the elder statesman status of this set, but with good reason; his jam here, "Ode To My Bloody Philadelphia Heart" plays hard and fast with hiccuping aggro sound bursts. Sharks With Wings alternate between whinging electronics noise and a live set of turbulent male vocal expulsions and guitar feedback. Sweet Nothing is slightly more monochromatic than technicolor, but hey, you need that part of the spectrum fileld out as well and his (these are all dudes if you haven't noticed) drone crunch "Deer Sobriety" is thick enough to eat with a fork. Charles Cohen's percussion density on "I'll let the Committee Name It" puts me in mind of a sped up wood block tape experiment. Joe Lentini skirts minimal techno territory with "Haley Prog Ladel" which hits its pop stride about 3 minutes in. "Before and After Peak Oil" is a bold title for Cars Will Burn, but at least its fitting with that name and the rhythmic lope and piercing high end here could be a pendulum swing or countdown to the biblical end. Tweeter's "Four Color Heck" adds live drums from Eli Litwin and guitar by Alex Nagle with improv vet Jesse Kudler, the most trad whilst untrad of this batch, killing the highest hair cells in your ear with manual labors. Tim Albro's "Violence Is Not a Language" rides another high freq drone buzz with radio static and a hint of a melody in the beginning. Drum Machines Like Guns goes the route of a joke band like Gabbertree but for reals. What I like most about this comp is that it reminds me of that exciting exciting period where self-imposed boundaries are crossed around the idea of expertise, which is what makes noise liberating, viewing music as a process rather than a product. (gc)

Le Loup - The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millenium General Assembly (Hardly Art)

How much cooler of a name is "Le Loup" than "Los Lobos"? Washington DC's Le Loup don't have to contend with similarity to the Angeleno crew except maybe in France where their name is "The Wolf". Still, it's a singular rather than plural, an apt way to describe this band which is primarily the recording project of one Sam Simkoff, who added musicians for the live band through Craigslist ads.
Le Loup have an approach is reminiscent of The Books' digital methodology with a mix of banjo, acoustic instruments of varying ethnic origins (toy glockenspiels are cited), and talky vocal samples. There is a playful melodic sense on the opening "Canto I" with the singer looping a line and the song building around this repetition. Simkoff's voice is nasal and thin but he applies it well for the songs, although it's like adopting a faux British or Canadian accent. I prefer the instrumental sections of tracks like the banjo heavy "To The Stars! To The Night!", although the vocals of that track are nice as well. This fits into a singing style that is shared by Frog Eyes and Decembrists, a trend I'm ambivalent about. One could even cite a post-Animal Collective-styled vocal arrangement sneaking through on "Le Loup (Fear Not)". Underground laptop soul-ster Bobby Birdman is also brought to mind.
They love exclamation points, as song titles like "We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!" indicate. Le Loup also has a tendency to bring in these guitar crunch power chord punctuations to the vaguely blippy bloopy jams, the aforementioned rife with handclaps.
They credit their graphic designers and PR as part of the band, and I must confess the packaging did make this one stick out of a pile of promos. The inside gatefold seems to mirror this Dante's Inferno motif, a series of circles in gold on black. Even the backstory indicates a love of outsider art that is echoed in the Constellation-esque handwriting scrawl of the cover. I know this sounds like a hesitant recommendation, but that has more to do with the cultural moment of indie rock this has come up in circa the late '00s. It's totally pleasant and put together if that is your bag. (gc)

Mono - Gone A collection of EP’s 2000 – 2007 CD (Temporary Residence)

Mono formed in Tokyo around 1999 and have been on the road ever since, at least that’s what it feels like. Every time I go to the US or Europe they seem to be touring there.
“Gone” is a 10 track collection of now out of print, long lost MONO tracks, including their debut EP “Hey You”, their contribution to the Pelican split and the Cameron Crowe commissioned EP “Memorie dal Futuroa.”
As a huge fan of My Bloody Valentine fan, Black Sabbath, and especially Japanese noise, Mono’s references to all three opened my ears.
Live the band is like a slow moving earthquake, an incredible sense of energy that keeps you transfixed in a hypnotic state. The recordings do the much the same. Sadly, this releases doesn’t come close to that kind of energy. Even though these recordings have been re-mastered for this release, they still seem rather flat and lifeless. I guess that’s the downfall of bringing together a career spanning collection of songs, the quality varies so much.
There’s probably a good reason these tracks were used for limited releases like these, as opposed to using them for an album. They’re good, but they’re no great. They seem rather straight and too generic, you can really get a sense of where Mono are coming from on these recordings, as apposed to where they’re hearing. With that said, I’m sure a lot of Mono fans will really enjoy this release, it has a lot of hard to find, now re-mastered, tracks. (rm)

Jesu - Lifeline CD (Hydrahead)

With a career spanning back to 1985 with grind metal legends, Napalm Death, Justin Broadrick has now become the David Bowie of the modern age. I know this sounds crazy but much like Bowie, Justin Broadrick remarkably reinvents himself with each passing decade and he’s managed to set a standard in music that most artists could only dream of reaching.
Weather this is playing in Napalm Death (1980’s), Godflesh (1990’s), JESU (2000’s ) or setting new standards in his solo project Final, we all have to agree here, Justin is a visionary, and this new JESU EP is the proof in the pudding.
Starting off where SILVER left off, “Lifeline” is very subdued; it sees JESU exploring further sounds in the realm of My Bloody Valentine and Codeine. Slow, drone-based songs create a textural dream-like state. The production values on this release are incredible; this is some seriously hypnotic stuff. Though somewhat reminiscent of previous releases, “Lifeline” has made a substantial departure, mainly due to the guest appearance of ex-SWANS vocalist Jarboe (Neurosis did a similar thing a few years back on their brilliant EP, appropriately titled, Neurosis and Jarboe), and the use of electronics and drum machines fit rather well. I guess that’s the thing I like about JESU most of all, with every release, things seemed to be taken one-step further. You never really know what you’re going to get. (rm)

Whitehorse - Whitehorse 2CD (20 Buck Spin)

Since its inception in 2004, the Melbourne power lords of Whitehorse have been making the kind of crushing down tempo doom that would put the shivers down anyone’s spine.
If you like Corrupted and His Hero is Gone, you’re going to love this band! Each release has documented their ever-changing line up. Pete Hyde has always maintained vocal duties and Grover’s always been Pete’s sidekick on electronics, but as for guitarists, let’s just say that Whitehorse has seen more members than Anthrax has had hits, and the same goes with drummers. The current line up features Robert Mayson of Grey Daturas on drums. For their first US release, 20-Buck Spin have brought together all of Whitehorse’s now out of print releases and presented them as a deluxe 2-disc discography. The packaging is awesome, it’s presented in a matte finish black on black cardboard gatefold, both the packaging and the artwork are very simple but amazing. This two disc set compiles their first release, “West Of The Sun / Ocean Turns To Black” (Recorded only weeks after they formed), a Japanese tour EP, “Caverns,” the live in Japan release, “Live at Sinkagura,” and the super limited Conspiracy Records 12” LP, “Fire To Light The Way / Everything Ablaze.” This release is a must have for all doom enthusiast; Australia is the future and Whitehorse is the answer. (rm)

In Disgust / Sidetracked - West Coast Hate 2007 7" (Unholy Thrash)

Tacoma, WA's Sidetracked pummel through nine songs of speedy thrashcore on their side of this 33 rpm 7". A quick youtube search indicates that this young group normally does more of the singalong/clapalong fist-in-the-air style of hardcore, but here it's all haiku or shorter, effective ADD blastbeat churn. In Disgust's side let's the mosh ire build up before the screaming heavy assault begins. Aggro grind thrash for a new generation, its particularly hopeful coming from these San Jose/Santa Cruz kids. Not hopeful in content - it's all dark and angry and massive for its agility. Growly and fun. (gc)

Rahdunes - LP (Emperor Jones)

The primary project of one Aaron Coyes (EOH, Hisseaters, Spacecobra) and Nate Archer, Rahdunes takes minimal synth bubbles and repetitive bass riffs and processes it into a slow cooked psychedelic stew. Hints of language emerge in garbled delay, kraut rock gone super lo fi is the order of the day. "Crystal Swords" is slightly reminiscent of "Frankie Teardrop" sans the vocal urgency before wafting into space scapes. Indra Dunis from Numbers provides a tom heavy beat on "Rivers in Egypt Sail." For my money, the dobro jam out on "Basilisk" takes the cake. Too bad they don't go there live. Artwork is a stencil with the Rastafarian color scheme, an allusion to what substances might enhance this listening experience. Limited to 400. (gc)

Hive Mind - Death Tone (Hanson)

I appreciate the thought, and it’s the thought that counts (or at least that tempts you into most troubles), but this product simply did not fulfill my needs. It’s not that it’s defective—just redundant. My home environment is already full of subtly rumbling oscillations (appliances), high pitched drones (tinnitus), squeaky peaks (crickets), and lonesome valleys (highway), and I do befriend and appreciate them. Putting this one-track product into my sound system and letting it play through (46 minutes, was it?) only made me reminisce for the less adulterated immediate past. I certainly understand making this product, as homage to well-winded ear and belly, yet I cannot fully fathom it serving any daily function, such as “putting on a cd.” There’s nothing here that’s not already there. Death Tone reads you a wired story you’ve written yourself, in subtly rumbling oscillations, high pitched drones, squeaky peaks, and lonesome valleys. Drone electronics noise drone slowly electronicingly droning man alone in a room making this night after Detroit night noise droningly electronic electronics, and the cake they’re baked in. (jm)

Smegma - Rumblings (Hanson)

Smegma have been holding this bag in whatever shape and form, paper, plastic, and burlap, for decades. This is quite an impressive mix of sounds, tastefully chosen and woven into an album-length compact disc. Beautiful field recordings of mighty trains and scratchy radios meet surf tunes, Fender Twins, and well-played trumpets (or flugel, perhaps?) fighting for air, but kept held down underneath. After all this time aboard this raft, Smegma can’t sound inept at anything they do, no matter what they try. Taste buds have grown and they won’t disappear. It’s kind of like when they try to put gorgeous actresses into “down and out” roles, and you just can’t fucking buy it (think Penelope Cruz in Blow). However, there is a crack in the foundation, and that is the addition of Richard Meltzer on vocal recitations on a number of tracks—he keeps seeming surprised to hear his own voice. I am too, as it seems so out of place amongst the sweet ruckus. Alas, these recordings are primarily from 2003, back before anyone knew that cameos led to testicular problems. And you were perplexed when Cameo wore codpieces! On this enhanced cd, there is found a short train-themed video based on Smegma’s song, “Rails,” which is fun-loving and silly. (jm)

Eluvium - Talk Amongst the Trees (Temporary Residence)

Definitively file under “atmospheric,” yet then again, this holds blood, sex, and bone. Earthy, finding raw, and also soft. Nicely paced stretches of tonal sinew with rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic intellect (maintaining all three is a feat within “ambience,” of course). Slow-moving, but moving, with percolating keys and the occasional discernable guitar, which gets “nice,” and “dirty” at once. I can see this appealing to a broad spectrum of biotics. The cover art of dark grey figures traversing a light grey fog is also nicely done, as are the bright photos included in the accompanying booklet. This music (which is very much music, as we say) is somewhere in between these two ends, mysterious and tangible. I’m curious to hear Eluvium’s (one man: Matthew Cooper) acoustic-based compositions, which I gather are featured on other releases (?). I’m more than just a little bit prejudiced against looping and delay (delaydelay), but Talk pulled me through this forest admirably, like a good ranger neighbor. Highlight: “Taken” (track six), due to its exertion and pumping. Who agrees that music needs more pumping? Every last temporary living thing pumps.. (jm)

Tyvek - Fast Metabolism (self-released)

Joyous and trashy naif punk from the place that does it best, Michigan. One of the guitarists pulls double duty in Little Claw, but the primary charm in the band is the singer's Jonathan Richman-like nasal tone and all the agitated adolescent energy that implies. The Velvets and Modern Lovers are signposts on this highway, although they've been lumped in with more misanthropic garage genre. The hectic, sloppy party vibe these guys produce in a live setting is best replicated on this here recording, a tour CDR. They sound like they don't know what they're doing which is usually a good thing. "Honda" is the hit here, but my money is on "Air Conditioner." Some of these songs resurface on the Whats Your Rupture? double 7". (gc)

Soiled Mattress and the Springs - Springtime! (Teardrops)

A band that has become fairly popular amongst a certain underground subset recently is Soiled Mattress and the Springs, an unabashedly "straight-ahead" jazz trio from Brooklyn featuring the sax talents of cartoonist Matthew Thurber, as well as the distinctly non-jazz drumming of Avi Cohen and the skillful keyboards of Matthew Schuette. Seemingly conceived as a reaction against typical half-hearted indie rock appreciations of free jazz that feature the freaking out without the complexity and thought of classic artists like Ornette, late Coltrane, Ayler, Marion Brown, etc., the music featured on this six-song debut slab of vinyl is incredibly melodic. It definitely recalls Dave Brubeck and other such white-jazz humans, but the distinct 70's-ish keyboard squirts, and garage rock drumming turn this record into something entirely else. Moreover, these songs are catchy as all get-out, especially the stand-out track "Tidal Wave" which could stand to be THE jam of summer 2007. (ng)

Silver Daggers - New High and Ord (Load)

Coming from Los Angeles, Silver Daggers is one of those bands that I have seen live more times than I can remember. Once they were even going to play at my house, but the cops came so they played on my girlfriend's lawn instead. When I become really used to seeing a band live, it can often be weird to hear what comes out when it's on that debut record, since the sound is all fucked up, either with more sheen than is expected or with such terrible production that you wish you were seeing them live instead listening to a sub-par document. New High and Ord, the debut Silver Daggers full-length, surpasses expectations by providing a sonic diagram of the group that is both fully representative and yet still interesting enough to listen to for someone like me, who has heard these songs countless times before in the heat of live performance. (ng)

Death of a Party - The Rise and Fall of Scarlet City (Double Negative)

This is the sort of band that is really difficult for me to take seriously. It seems like there was a rash of bands on the West Coast, mostly influenced by the San Diego/31G axis that took on the superficial characteristics of the Birthday Party. It's arguable that there is not much else one can take from the Birthday Party, but a sense of actual danger or fucked-up-ness that is hard to quantify is most of what I find appealing about that particular band. The heroin-fashion aspect and angular dance rock sound could be grafted from any other number of sources, and I don't want to harp on this one reference and explain how it's been milked so dry that Death of a Party got to the party (there we go with "party" references again) way too late. That would only make them victims of timing and generational displacement. The music itself is competent and serviceable as such. I find myself wondering about the applicability of the vocals to this music, and that is an awkward position to be in when this type of music hinges substantially on the singer carrying some sort of charisma or compelling character. Gareth Philip Nicholas delivers something of a character, but it seems more like a Britpop caricature with a thin voice that leans more toward talky-screaming than singing. When he does veer toward singing, it is with the sort of affected sneer that makes even Adam Ant seem earnest. With that caveat, this record has some recommendable features - "Scarlet City Millionaire's Club" has a catchy mandolin part and "doot doot" vocal backups. I've already expended more energy trying to present this constructively than I really need to, but I can leave it at this - there is a good chance that this record and this band will go over like gangbusters to an audience too young to know exactly whom Death of a Party is referencing, which is not a new phenomenon in itself, but it hardly seems fair. (gc)

Various - 10 + 2:12 American Sound Text Pieces (Other Minds)

Though this reissue came out in 2003 and it is a repackaged version of a release from 1975, it packs the same sort of timeless punch that Steve Reich's tape loop stuff does -human non-singing voices manipulated, edited, tinkered with, sound pried apart from and rejoined with meaning. There is a dark edge to some of this, as on John Giorno's "Give it to me Baby", an explicit sexual narrative chillingly relayed by a fourteen-year-old narrator. The majority of it is playful experimentation with technology, as Charles Amirkhanian's "Heavy Aspirations" cuts up a speech by Nicolas Slonimsky discussing Amirkhanian's opening salvo, "Just". Charles Dodge's vocal synth experment from 1973 holds up rather well and the excellent liner notes, which are not updated, provide context which cannot be attained through mere downloads. You might want this for John Cage's "62 Mesotics Re: Merce Cunningham" or an audio sampling of the late Brion Gysin. As far as obscure reissues go, this one might have a limited audience, but it's an extraordinary document and inspired and bristling with potential for a new generation to take hold of. (gc)

Various - No Fun Fest 2004/2005 DVD (Load)

America's doing something so wrong for this to feel so right. Every noise "artist" on here is either really fucked up or they're trying to come across as fucked up which is kind of fucked up in its own way. Do you like it when single emotions are hyper-condensed? This is a true who's who of who F'ing cares if there ever was one. Do you think that is their sex face? Can you tell who is faking the orgasm? Are they faking it for you or for themselves? Woah, I guess people really get off to THAT. That's what the student loans were for? I wonder how many times the zone can be entered in the same show space in such a short time. Apparently it can happen heaps. Good video and audio quality abound though the montage style appears one too many times. This is definitely not your typical second generation cassette packaged inside a broken telephone. Highly recommended as a prep course in turn of the century American noisemongers. (Mr. Begha)

Jesu - Conqueror (Hydrahead)

Being a newbie to the world of Justin Broadrick, the first two Jesu albums (I guess Silver is an EP, but it's pretty long) were a revelation. It made me go back to delve into Godflesh, who I was surprised to find were similar. Both havea sort of digital sludge and grandiosity to them, but Jesu is unabashed in its embrace of melodic indie rock. Broadrick pretty much owns this sound now, their goth tendencies sounding less like NIN than The Cure, the guitar chug more Mogwai than Sunn0))). I found myself a little disappointed with the sound over the length of an album, finding the formula of extended riff mastery too monolithic. The familiarity of tracks like "Medicine" are comfortable like a warm blanket, an early '90s blanket with a corner sucked raw. This should be a breath of fresh air if you are tired of being beaten to a pulp by your music. Jesu is more like a deep tissue massage for the soul. (gc)

Everlovely Lightning Heart - Cusp (Hydrahead)

This is a spectacular piece of ambience and creepy crawly drone churning. Knowing nothing about this LA-based collective other than this 40 minute single track, their live show for the two minute glimpse of it contained a collander filled with milk, organs, bass, drums, hammered dulcimer, an ascot (un-ironic?), and a girl taking Polaroids from the stage. Somewhere in the realm of the Constellation Records aesthetic and newer collectives that hedge towards the darker side of out-folk (like Glacial Ghost/Dust Era or even Sun City Girls), Everlovely Lightningheart has the potential to be overly precious with their art school shenanigans, but are saved from dilletantism by sheer force of musicality. Opening with a piano line that harkens to new romantic stylings, the minimalist guitar melodies are abraded by the clatter of percussive items and a whirlwind begins to build. They manage to keep the balance of quiet and loud to heighten the ominous feelings embedded within what might be considered New Age if divorced from its noise elements. It is a brave jab for Hydrahead into untested waters, but the group makes sense in that context, the way its frigid soundscapes could be as much a soundtrack for Japanese horror as the darkest of metal fiends. Their one-sheet emphasizes the installation art aspects of the group and emphasizes the collective mystery, but this music functions without the bells and whistles, a sound collage filled with jarring seams and moments of epic beauty. (gc)

Adrian Klumpes - Be Still (Leaf)

Primarily piano pieces played by Mr. Klumpes, with hissing backdrops of electronics, distortion, what have you, but overall a peaceful and beautifully meditative recording. I don't want to imply that this is a drifting off into the New Age realm, it's filled with trills and percussive swoops that make me think of Charlemagne Palestine or the Mark Burden record that we put out, but more emphasis on the pleasant and uplifting major notes rather than Burden's claustrophobic clusters. It's almost too busy in sections to claim the minimalist tag that Klumpes seems stuck with, but there's no better affiliation I can think of. Being unfamiliar with his work in the Sydney-based Triosk, I can gladly take an unbiased view of Be Still and i'm more than pleasantly surprised. This rightly soars. (GC)

Vampire Can't - Keycutter (Load)

The output on this recorded collaboration is very much like what you might expect a collision between Vampire Belt (Chris Corsano / Bill Nace) and Can't (Jessica Rylan) to sound like. Rylan's electronics sometimes sound like a drugged-out opera vocalist dominating over a chant; at other times like whispered secrets told in a field full if cicadas. Nace's guitar work alternates between a crying baby and a painfully rebellious child throwing a tantrum. Corsano's percussion sounds like a crazy street person letting it all out on whatever objects are nearby; like a white collar criminal getting busted and breaking down. Amongst the chaos are moments of serenity. It's like a cycle of getting beaten with socks full of pennies, being allowed a deep breath, having a cool glass of water, and then continuing the assault. The vocals are buried deeply throughout, bubbling up to the surface on occasion (like on "No Strings"). Upon first listen to Vampire Can't, I had a similar reaction as the first time I listened to that Black Dice 10" that dropped back in the day on Troubleman. Dark squint-your-eyes style artwork by Brinkman. (Mr. Begha)

David Copperfuck - Live at KZSU (True Panther)

I saw David Copperfuck live at The Smell. It was the sort of show where I go specifically to see one band and then go home. I went to see the group Maria from Oxnard, California, but their set was preceded by David Copperfuck. Rather than wait outside until it was Maria's turn, I took a chance on these San Francisco rockers and was struck by their energy and intensity. It caused me to dance-shake like a monster infected with the boogie woogie. Maybe a few weeks after the experience I went to the web to find out if they had records. Luckily for cheap folks like me, they have a release available from their label's blog (http://www.truepanther.com/2006_04_01_archive.html). Although the fidelity is very much that of a radio session—it lacks the thought and preciseness that a studio recording might offer—the feeling and energy of the band is present in this recording. It feels good, so do it. This band came to me like a shot of army into the nose of a giant with its slinky bass lines, crunchy guitar licks, and shouty vocals. Poppy without being clean, grungy without being mean; catchy and loud are the two words that can best describe your new favorite basement rockers. (ng)

Last updated January 17, 2010. [ edit this page ]

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