That's just it. I've closed at the store two nights in a row and I'll be in until ten tonight. It's a pain in the ass. I'm not a good early riser, so's I don't do shit-all before I have to go in to work. I shouldn't complain. Also, I'm dipping out to the Tar Heel state this Thursday. I think I'll bring my computer, so posts between about the 23rd to the 28th are conceivable.
I haven't been listening to much music lately but what I've got something for you.
Acoustic solo project: It's kind of a cliche. After x many years in a band some jerk-off will write some sappy songs that are more or less unplugged versions of what they were doing, only with an assumed air of "folksiness" that is entirely unconvincing. There seems to be this persistent misconception floating around out there that if you've cut your teeth as a musician for long enough, it's practically beneath you to achieve James Taylor-status as a single singer-songwriter. Rarely, do I feel the need to take the position of "shit-slinging naysayer" but I've heard some baaaad shit.
Austin Fucking Lucas is the real deal. That was really the first thing that came to mind when I finally heard him, courtesy of a friend who shot me that very video to my email. I had just known him as that guy who worked with Chuck Ragan.
Briefly, Lucas was born in Indiana and learned to sing and play music at a young age, before discovering punk and hardcore, playing in some crust bands, expatriated, repatriated, and began recording country albums. Or, at least I believe that's the chronology of events. Maybe there was some overlap. Either way, if you've listened to the video above, it's completely obvious that Lucas is a goddamn pro. This isn't a charade, this is the genuine article. This is unapologeticaly rootsy music, bringing in slide guitars, banjos, strings, and Lucas' versatile, keen singing. Forget about pop/rock hooks, only twangly-dangly major pentatonic shit. There's little else I really feel like listening to, as of late.
Lend him your ears.
Official/Dispense Money/Admiration Here
Somebody Loves You [2009]. Sample at your leisure.
-W.F.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Krogans
Fuh fuh fuh. I haven't thought much about music lately. I downloaded the Mass Effect 3 demo yesterday and I'm excited to play the shit out of that. I love science fiction and Bioware (Mass Effect, KOTOR, etc) is absolutely one of my favorite video game companies.
I might see Morne and Tombs in Boston at the end of the month, work permitting. Generally, I'm kind of indifferent-leaning-towards-skeptical of most "post metal" type bands but I think those two are generally pretty good. I also just finally found that most recent Tombs full length. I might give it a spin anticipatorily.
When speaking of Morne, I can't help but unravel all of the previous works of arguably the most well known member, Jeff Hayward (ex-Grief, ex-Disrupt, Noosebomb, et al), who's been a fixture of New England's metal scene for a long time. It seems like a rarity for one to be part of so many great bands. Usually you have to be Rogga Johansson.
So! One such band is Abhorred for whom Jeff Hayward played bass for at least one release. This group was interesting. The easiest description of them would be a very rhythmically tight, thrash-oriented blackened death metal band. Some years ago, I downloaded None Shall Be Spared off their myspace. They have a full length out that I, to this day, have still never listened to, so my impressions come chiefly from the EP, which I will be disseminating the link to. Oh, there I go ending my sentences in prepositions.
None Shall Be Spared is rock solid and another release loaded with good riffs. I especially love the galloping, palm-muted riffs of "Dispossess and Annihilate" and their interplay with the kick drum. I also really love how right at two minutes and about ten seconds, the drum pattern switches up from a thrash beat on top of rolling kick drums to a half-blast. Never-ending headbanging ensues.
This was a really cool band. I encourage you to check them out.
Fuck yeah, man.
-W.F.
I might see Morne and Tombs in Boston at the end of the month, work permitting. Generally, I'm kind of indifferent-leaning-towards-skeptical of most "post metal" type bands but I think those two are generally pretty good. I also just finally found that most recent Tombs full length. I might give it a spin anticipatorily.
When speaking of Morne, I can't help but unravel all of the previous works of arguably the most well known member, Jeff Hayward (ex-Grief, ex-Disrupt, Noosebomb, et al), who's been a fixture of New England's metal scene for a long time. It seems like a rarity for one to be part of so many great bands. Usually you have to be Rogga Johansson.
So! One such band is Abhorred for whom Jeff Hayward played bass for at least one release. This group was interesting. The easiest description of them would be a very rhythmically tight, thrash-oriented blackened death metal band. Some years ago, I downloaded None Shall Be Spared off their myspace. They have a full length out that I, to this day, have still never listened to, so my impressions come chiefly from the EP, which I will be disseminating the link to. Oh, there I go ending my sentences in prepositions.
None Shall Be Spared is rock solid and another release loaded with good riffs. I especially love the galloping, palm-muted riffs of "Dispossess and Annihilate" and their interplay with the kick drum. I also really love how right at two minutes and about ten seconds, the drum pattern switches up from a thrash beat on top of rolling kick drums to a half-blast. Never-ending headbanging ensues.
This was a really cool band. I encourage you to check them out.
Fuck yeah, man.
-W.F.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Power Electronics, Cute Cat Comics
Well, first, my friend showed me this great online comic called Cat versus Human. I'm not exactly a "cat person," (and I'm allergic) but it's both cute and funny. I like the artist's style of illustration a lot. I don't really have any to segue to the next thing I have in store. Errm.
Here's something from Slays For Days that you might be into.
Disgust - Where Angels Fear to Tread
Disgust is a power electronics group featuring a gentleman named Mack Chami, who is better known for another project, Koufar, which is a Rightist/Lebanese Nationalist/Maronite Christian project, according to Last Fm. All of this is extremely interesting. While I had always suspected there were/are Lebanese groups that followed that political ideology, Koufar is the first I've ever actually seen. However, this post isn't really about Koufar and this is a major digression on my part.
(Wikipedia -- Politics of Lebanon)
Disgust uses some Christian imagery but is from the looks of it wholly distinct from Koufar. Instead, if its intent can be gleaned from its use of soundclips and moments where the lyrics are actually intelligible, Disgust seems to center more around extreme nihilism, hate and disgust, appropriately.
From the sounds of it, they went with the tried and true method of setting up microphones and completely overloading them to the point of clipping with deafening, amplified squalls of sound, and layering these with tortured screams, samples, and who knows what else. Like feeling happy? Where Angels Fear to Tread will completely suck the joy out of your day. I finished listening straight through the album to find my mood had been negatively affected. That could be you. It's one thing to dabble in formless, atonal, horrific noise, as some bands will do. A whole album's worth is just draining and hard to sit through. In other words, if you're not into scary noise in the first place, this may not be the album to start off on but, uhhhh, here you go.
If you're looking for some visceral, stirring music, look no further.
Yikes
Official bloggo
-W.F.
Postscript
Here's something from Slays For Days that you might be into.
Disgust - Where Angels Fear to TreadDisgust is a power electronics group featuring a gentleman named Mack Chami, who is better known for another project, Koufar, which is a Rightist/Lebanese Nationalist/Maronite Christian project, according to Last Fm. All of this is extremely interesting. While I had always suspected there were/are Lebanese groups that followed that political ideology, Koufar is the first I've ever actually seen. However, this post isn't really about Koufar and this is a major digression on my part.
(Wikipedia -- Politics of Lebanon)
Disgust uses some Christian imagery but is from the looks of it wholly distinct from Koufar. Instead, if its intent can be gleaned from its use of soundclips and moments where the lyrics are actually intelligible, Disgust seems to center more around extreme nihilism, hate and disgust, appropriately.
From the sounds of it, they went with the tried and true method of setting up microphones and completely overloading them to the point of clipping with deafening, amplified squalls of sound, and layering these with tortured screams, samples, and who knows what else. Like feeling happy? Where Angels Fear to Tread will completely suck the joy out of your day. I finished listening straight through the album to find my mood had been negatively affected. That could be you. It's one thing to dabble in formless, atonal, horrific noise, as some bands will do. A whole album's worth is just draining and hard to sit through. In other words, if you're not into scary noise in the first place, this may not be the album to start off on but, uhhhh, here you go.
If you're looking for some visceral, stirring music, look no further.
Yikes
Official bloggo
-W.F.
Postscript
Thursday, February 9, 2012
The Fuckless
Jesus. Work was a disaster today. And I got my paycheck and I'm still not making enough money. I've only been able to work about 30 hours a week. I think I need an additional job. Hmm.
Well, at this particular time I feel moved to write about an album I liked.
I don't care for this album art. This is Akeldama from the The Faceless. Like Fallujah, who I covered not too long ago, the Faceless hail from California, as do a multitude of technical/brutal/progressive/noodle bands. I don't care for the bulk of those bands, nor am I exactly gaga over their followup, Planetary Duality, but Akeldama is pretty good.
So, to clarify my position on a few things: I don't really have that much against deathcore itself, rather most deathcore bands I've heard are completely disposable/interchangeable, as far as I'm concerned. With that out of the way, though, Akeldama has less to do with deathcore at all. Some have painted it as though around 2006, the Faceless were a precocious deathcore band trying to make a "real death metal" album. If anything, in 2006 the Faceless were a "real" death metal band which retained some vestigial deathcore tendencies because, to their credit, they know how to write songs that aren't built around enormous breakdowns and instead rely on dynamic, technical riffs as a means to bring about highly satisfying movements in their songs. Also, if two to three devastating breakdowns are enough to ruin a whole album for you, maybe you should lighten up a little. The highlight of this album clearly is the riffs, which are extremely catchy and bounce nicely between consonance and dissonance, as well as constantly maintaining a high level of activity without falling into the trap of being aimlessly technical sounding, like Necrophagist or, arguably, newer Decrepit Birth.
Akeldama has a sort of spontaneous creative flair to it. This manifests itself in a number of ways such as in the memorable keyboard lines or the clean vocals section on "Pestilence" or the quirky riffs. On this album it feels a lot more honest than their followup, which to me feels a little too telegraphed and conscious in its inclusion of "odd" parts. I still listen to it every now and then, which is more than I can say for Planetary Duality.
I'm le sleepy. I think I would have written more content or better content otherwise but fuck it. I think by virtue of me taking the time to write this, you will know I'm sincere in my recommendation of this album.
Buy their shi(r)t. Are the rest of the bands on Sumerian Records doodie? Possibly.
Akeldama
-W.F.
Well, at this particular time I feel moved to write about an album I liked.
I don't care for this album art. This is Akeldama from the The Faceless. Like Fallujah, who I covered not too long ago, the Faceless hail from California, as do a multitude of technical/brutal/progressive/noodle bands. I don't care for the bulk of those bands, nor am I exactly gaga over their followup, Planetary Duality, but Akeldama is pretty good.So, to clarify my position on a few things: I don't really have that much against deathcore itself, rather most deathcore bands I've heard are completely disposable/interchangeable, as far as I'm concerned. With that out of the way, though, Akeldama has less to do with deathcore at all. Some have painted it as though around 2006, the Faceless were a precocious deathcore band trying to make a "real death metal" album. If anything, in 2006 the Faceless were a "real" death metal band which retained some vestigial deathcore tendencies because, to their credit, they know how to write songs that aren't built around enormous breakdowns and instead rely on dynamic, technical riffs as a means to bring about highly satisfying movements in their songs. Also, if two to three devastating breakdowns are enough to ruin a whole album for you, maybe you should lighten up a little. The highlight of this album clearly is the riffs, which are extremely catchy and bounce nicely between consonance and dissonance, as well as constantly maintaining a high level of activity without falling into the trap of being aimlessly technical sounding, like Necrophagist or, arguably, newer Decrepit Birth.
Akeldama has a sort of spontaneous creative flair to it. This manifests itself in a number of ways such as in the memorable keyboard lines or the clean vocals section on "Pestilence" or the quirky riffs. On this album it feels a lot more honest than their followup, which to me feels a little too telegraphed and conscious in its inclusion of "odd" parts. I still listen to it every now and then, which is more than I can say for Planetary Duality.
I'm le sleepy. I think I would have written more content or better content otherwise but fuck it. I think by virtue of me taking the time to write this, you will know I'm sincere in my recommendation of this album.
Buy their shi(r)t. Are the rest of the bands on Sumerian Records doodie? Possibly.
Akeldama
-W.F.
Monday, February 6, 2012
My Professional Sports Team Did Not Win Their Championship or "Fuck the Universe II"
I mean, yeah, it's silly but I'm sincerely very pissed off and disappointed about the Super Bowl. Also there will be no NFL for months, which also makes me sad. Whatever.
You know what else annoys me? All of the great Megaupload links that are just flat-out gone forever. Thanks, again, assholes. I'm just going to find more ways to "steal" independently produced music. Try and stop me.
Here's something you may like
Absvrdist hail from San Antonio and sort of remind me of Spazz. Their release Illusory is three songs clocking in at maybe around five and a half minutes. It's good.
Yes.
-W.F.
You know what else annoys me? All of the great Megaupload links that are just flat-out gone forever. Thanks, again, assholes. I'm just going to find more ways to "steal" independently produced music. Try and stop me.
Here's something you may like
Absvrdist hail from San Antonio and sort of remind me of Spazz. Their release Illusory is three songs clocking in at maybe around five and a half minutes. It's good.
Yes.
-W.F.
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