Stop Scheduling Me So Damn Late

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.

2011 Favorites: Non-Metal

A recurring joke between a friend and myself concerns "muggle music." Basically, the idea is that it's music you keep around or happen to like that isn't so overtly aggressive or abrasive so as to confuse or intimidate squares. There are plenty of people who aren't "squares" at all who don't "get" aggressive music, too, of course. They are often my friends. Not everything on this list is muggle-friendly but here are some of my favorite releases of the year that I'd be more likely to throw on at a party attended by meek, hipsterish 20-somethings.


My introduction to Title Fight came sometime late in high school. My friend's Lifetime/early Saves the Day-esque pop-punk band had played with or was in contact with(?) the aforementioned group, and they, too, were very Lifetime-like. The timing was perfect, I loved Lifetime, so I thought Title Fight was the shit.

With that out of the way, while I've changed this past few years, so has Title Fight. Shed, in addition to being my undisputed MVP Summer Album, is probably the single release from this year, of any type, that I've listened to most. I guess they decided they couldn't play sped-up pop punk forever -- Title Fight circa 2011 has some slower songs, a tiny bit of alt-rock, more overt emo influence (real emo, goddamn you), but still keeps their hooks and creative, nuanced songwriting. I wish I could write any type of song as well as "You Can't Say Kingston Doesn't Love You," was written. Fuck. For a band that attracts the attention of bazillions of tweensters, you'd think they wouldn't be anywhere as good. There it is.
"Where Am I?"

I would never have heard of Cities Aviv were it not for a good friend. Digital Lows is a brisk, hypnotic journey throw a skeezy party on codeine. Prime example of an album that transports you somewhere else, only to leave to suddenly, in a state of withdrawal. Chill hip-hop. Drug music. Slick lyrical flow.
Bandcamp


Rapper Big Pooh, best known as one third of the dissolved Little Brother, brings a Biggie flow and a keen sense of world-wise story telling reminiscent of Ghostface Killah over huge samples, barn-burner beats and huge hooks in Dirty Pretty Things. Listen to "5.13.11" and wait for your expectations of the power-dynamics of a relationship to be subverted. This was my introduction to Pooh as a solo artist.

Andrew Jackson Jihad, one of my favorite bands, mercifully, pumps out music pretty regularly. This year they released a full length, Knife Man. Similar to Can't Maintain, they're pursing more of a "full band" sound, which in this case means more electric guitars, drums, different types of instrumentation and studio doodling. This, I'm alright with. I kind of wish they would revert to just acoustic instruments again for a minute. There are some songs I hate, which isn't a first for me and this band. What's more important is the songs that I love still break my heart and speak to the saddest, smallest parts of my soul.

First Aid Kit joined the list of bands from Stockholm I listen to this year and they definitely are the first of whom that don't play death metal as they are in fact two doe-eyed folk musicians with completely arresting voices and an unbelievable sense of harmony. They didn't really release anything this year to my knowledge (Uhhhh, maybe they shouldn't be on here) but they did do a Hear Ya session in March. In my mind, the live-in-the-studio songs of these are the definitive versions. Especially on "Ghost Town," with the extraneous instrumentation on the album out of the picture and with just their voices carrying the weight of the emotion in that song, I get goosebumps. Oh baby...
First Aid Kit, Hear Ya 2011 (oh my god Vimeo suuuuuuuuuckkkkks don't fucking use Vimeo, you idiots)


I finally caught Watch the Throne during its descent. Having Kanye West and Jay-Z collaborate on an album created an insane level of hype in anticipation. When it finally dropped a lot of people were disappointed and they let it be known. When I got around to listening to it, I had lowered expectations and was blown away. While it may not be as good as it could have been and it's definitely not as good as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Watch the Throne is a fucking monster with unbelievable production, which sometimes honestly overshadows Yeezy and Hov's own lyrical contributions. While Disma probably has the "heaviest" album of the year in a traditional sense, Watch the Throne is the soundtrack to getting crushed.
"Why I love you (ft. Mr. Hudson)"
"That's My Bitch"


Bon Iver released a self-titled album this year and, well, the proof is in the pudding. There are plenty of "in" artists and bands right now that I think are over-exposed, puddle-deep garbage but this album proved to me that Bon Iver is the real fucking deal. With a few exceptions, he never really clicked with me but I'll be damned if there aren't some amazing songs on here. Choruses of Justin Vernons, synths, melanges of strings, and crackly, overdriven guitars meet in compositions that leave thousands of neck-bearded urbanites scratching their heads as to how exactly they're going to cover these songs at the next open-mic at their local coffee shop. One caveat: the last few songs bore me to tears. That one soft-rock song is a fucking snoozefest. Just thinking about it is making me yawn. Let that not detract you! All that boring shit happens at the end of the album, the first 4/5ths are solid gold. This also goes into the category of albums with songs that are so good they make me angry.
"Towers"
"Perth [Live]"

Grouper, is a one-person drone project I love. She released a double album, comprising of the two pieces Alien Observer and Dream Loss. One music journalist from NBC described this as "post-rock," which completely misses the mark: there is nothing "rock" here, just soothing, minimalistic, sleep-like drone with hauntingly beautiful vocals. Grouper, aka, the soundtrack to your dreams. To be enjoyed alone and as removed from the rest of humanity as possible. If you like either of these, do yourself a favor and listen to 2008's Dragging a Dead Dear Up a Hill, which is your new favorite album.
Dream Loss - "I Saw a Ray"
Alien Observer - "She Loves Me That Way"


Honorable Mentions

David's Town is a "compilation" of numerous "bands" from "Byrdesdale Spa," that runs a gamut of musical styles from post-punk, to oi!, to early Alt-Rock. I never actually got around to listening to the new Fucked Up album that came out this year...not that those things are related in any way. This rules. I recommend it. To you.
Redstockings -- "Unrequited Love"
Hateful Coil -- "Bull Thunder"

Punch dropped the Nothing Lasts EP this year and they count among the few hardcore bands active today I can think of worth giving a shit about. (Side note: I don't know anything about current hardcore bands right now. I could be missing out.) Impossibly heavy, outrageously fast, with POLITICALLY/SOCIALLY-CONSCIOUS LYRICS for all you apathetic dipshits who are dangerously out of touch with reality. I resist labeling bands based on the gender of their lead vocalists, but if it does interest you to know, Punch is fronted by a female person with amazingly vicious pipes.
"The Chase"


Other stuff came out this year that I've not yet listened to enough or haven't even heard of. You know how it goes. You'll spend your entire life catching up. I'm leaving for Providence for a few days on Monday. I don't think I'll finish my metal list before then. I'll do it when I get back, or, whenever I feel like it.

Long Line at the Gore Buffet, Pt. 2

Disclaimer: At a certain point I realized how I can and will continue to do non-metal posts if I feel like it, hence one million posts with me talking about pro-football and uninteresting personal bullshit. So is my way.

So, on the bus a few minutes ago, I reconfirmed that Situationist Comedy is by far my favorite Dillinger Four album.


Pop-punk is a dirty business these days. I don't think I need to remind anyone what the early 2000s were like. Dillinger Four have always kept it real as motherfuckers. Did I just say that? I'm just going to go ahead with that statement. Don't let them being on Fat Wreck Chords fool you, if you're unfamiliar -- they're nothing like NOFX...you know, deplorable and annoying.

At first glance, there aren't a lot of defining features that set D4 apart (Is this the central theme of this blog? "At first glance, there might not be much to differentiate x...."), it's gruffy, gritty, spunky, catchy, powerchord punk. It's something in the lyrics, the vocals, the deft songwriting, and the signature bass tone (yes) that draws in diehard fans/suckers who will eat up anything the Dillinger Four puts out. I'm a part of that group. Situationist Comedy is them doing what they do best. Honestly, just about all of their albums have pretty similar characteristics to a degree. I could dissect this album more ("Wait, isn't that the point of this post?") but I've gotten really hungry all of a sudden.

Just for kicks, I read two Pitchfork reviews of different D4 albums. Don't read those. If you give them a chance, this band will help you feel feelings. How's that sound?

"You're going to fuuuck them after allll!!"

POST SCRIPT
I listened to Corrupted on the way in. Maybe I could have talked about their newest album....

Fucking Hero

All it takes is a little prodding and BOOM, I'm back on another screamo bender. City of Caterpillar, who were part of the unbelievably incestuous confederation of Virginia-DC screamo bands (pg. 99, Majority Rule, et al) and who I was completely unaware of (because at this time I was a little baby) when they were actually active, were the shit.

As with a lot of music I like, my appreciation of City of Caterpillar is more of a feeling than something I can clinically dissect, so, I would say that their full-length makes me feel unsatisfied and fed up with the world, which is similar to the feel I get from Welcome the Plague Year. So, jam on this shit and maybe unearth some angst. They didn't have a ton of music recorded, but here's the full length. Good spot to start.

City

Willard Flemming out.

Holy Goddamn

This just crossed my path. Systems is a NC band from Chapel Hill. I remember the first time I saw them maybe two or three years ago, I arrived late at the show space, came in through the pouring rain and was just floored. Ol' Systems, who were previously known as Chiaroscuro, started by sounding a lot like Circle Takes the Square and subsequently got wayy more metal. I'm not sure where this new release fits in or how many they've had up to this point but a few songs in and I can already tell that Ghost Medicine is definitely a winner.

At first glance, it would seem to be nestled into that vague quote unquote "Post Metal" (or atmospheric sludge/post-hardcore, maybe?) sound of the mid-oughties popularized by Mouth of the Architect et al but but but after the emphasis on atmosphere and the oppressive heaviness, that's where the similarities end. Systems brings a huge repertoire to the table with hypnotic riffs, more tempos than "slow", constant changes, while introducing inventive, unpredictable movements in each individual song .

I can probably reduce a big part of my acute appreciation of this record down to two points. First, is that this band doesn't halfheartedly embrace that they are a metal band. So many adherents to this, errr, crossover style seem to almost contemptuously eschew, for example, real riffs, double bass parts, etc and strike a fairly minimalist tone because it's not "punk" to actually play heavy metal, or some bullshit like that -- I know I'm speaking rather generally but this is a phenomenon I've seen firsthand. To say this is just heavy, atmospheric hardcore would totally miss the point. Secondly, bands like this usually end up with this hodgepodge sound where you'll be listening to them and think "Okay, here comes the black metal part....here comes the Stoner part..." and on and on (like how The Atlas Moth sounded to me last time I heard them) but honestly, this is the first time in recent memory that I've heard a band that is definitely metal that doesn't neatly fit into any of the major subgenres. The seams don't show. Systems convincingly utilizes an enormous pallet of textures and styles and never once did I find myself thinking "Oh man, they totally stuck a death metal part right there."

This ruled. Please check out their bandcamp.

Systems - Ghost Medicine

Curse You All Malware!

I picked up something streaming a game...that is, when I downloaded a plugin. That was dumb. I'm still working to resolve that. This ain't my computer nor have I accessed my music therein for a good while, which has forced me to retreat into records and CDs in lieu of browsing Mediafire Records Inc.

I'm redoubling my efforts to reclaim my Free Music/Blogging Machine, in the mean time, here's what I'm listening to. Perhaps you'll find something you like. Also, remember the time when you listened to music exclusively in physical formats? Fascinating how things change

Insane To NOT Repost

I found this on Skull Fucked. It originally went up in 2009. Scapegoat is a Boston PV band who I learned about by virtue of sharing the Brutal Supremacy split with Iron Lung, Hatred Surge, and Mind Eraser. They good!

That can be found in vinyl form via Painkiller. Get it while it lasts.

Here is some madness





You know what to do.

Real posts coming soon! Starting in a new position at work tomorrow! Minimal customer interaction!

-W.F.

....meanwhile, in the World of Punk

-W.F.

Heavier than Your Favorite Band

Special thanks to Crustcake for hosting this here image (which could very possibly be from an Insect Warfare show, for all I know).

Considering how long I've had this puppy going, it's downright shocking I've never posted about Hatred Surge, who I just love. Starting as a one-man (I don't know if that's actually true, I just heard that) powerviolence project helmed by Alex Hughes (above, bass, ex-Insect Warfare (?)), 'Surge pumped out a load of splits and eps, a stunning full-length and is currently riding on the recent release of a split with another Texas group I enjoy and admire, Mammoth Grinder.



During this time there have been line-up changes, notably with vocalists. Currently, Rahi, the former vocalist of the now defunct (you guessed it) Insect Warfare is on board, which has introduced a whole new level of throat-scraping lows and sent the band somewhere into the neighborhood of unabashed death grind.



That being said, as much as I love the current incarnation of the band, I do miss their prior vocalist, too.




Considering how much this band has changed since it began, it's great how no matter what release you pick up, you will still probably want to punch a wall when you're listening. Pick this shit up and support these amazing, independent musicians. KILL!

Mammoth Grinder Split 12" from Cyclopean Records
Mammoth Grinder Split 12" BANDCAMP - preview
EP 2005 download (thanks to Fugitive Equilibrium)
Hatred Surge myspace

-W.F.

Check out this fucking band

I'm in the middle of fine-tuning a longer post, so for now, here's something else.

ILSA is from the DC area and sound like some kind of unholy alliance of Bolt Thrower's post-grind menace, the raw hatred of Canada's Cursed (RIP), and the sheer filth one finds in Sunlight Studio.

The first time I heard the full-length, I thought the production might have been a little too unpolished, I had wished that the guitars were pushed a little closer to the front, and, most importantly, I wished everything got reverbed a least a little bit. I still feel that way but it's definitely grown on me since. At the end of the day, this is still a very enjoyable slab of unrelenting, raw, punkish, doom-like death metal.

They've got a split coming up soon with Hooded Menace, which is plenty exciting.

If you enjoy the full length, cough up some dough for them if you see them on tour, or perhaps pick up the split.

All the Colors of the Dark [Link]

In other news...

I figured out a mounting solution (that's what she said??) for my smaller rack tom on my drum kit and it's working GREAT. It's the first time in a while I've been able to figure out a way to have all three rack toms up in places where they "work."

I found a refurbished Xbox 360 and I bought it. This is such a fucking mistake. I'm just going to play Fallout 3 for the rest of my life.

I'm confused by the Cavalier's draft pick. Williams, to me at least, seemed like a sounder choice than Kyrie Irving. No one seems to agree with me on this, maybe there is something I'm missing.

I'm hungry.

-W.F.

Post-Rapture

Talk about deserving a re-posting. Kudos to whomever was creative enough to photoshop this.

How was my day of judgement, you ask? Great, actually, besides finding a used 100-watt tube head for under $400 (fuck YES) I saw a band near and dear to me. Close to my heart.

Last night at the Biz, Strike Anywhere played. It was an amazing time. I'm so pleased everything worked out.

Change Is A Sound is one of my all-time favorite albums and was totally life changing to a sixteen year-old me. Besides being one of the early albums that I learned to play guitar to, it was, from a lyrical and thematic angle, just so significant. Every song had a life or death seriousness to it that completely resonated with me. Last night, years and years after the fact, even though I haven't listened to that band in ages, it all came flooding back. Sincere songs about holding strong against the outrages of society. About smashing through the boundaries that are superimposed over the human race: nationalism, capitalism, patriarchy, etc, for the sake of a world based on mutual respect, dignity, and reciprocity. Fuck yeah. Yeah, that shit ruled.

If you've never checked that album out, consider it. Buy it or go out and see them if you're into it. It's no Malevolent Creation but it's a completely essential album, as far as I'm concerned. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for songs about murder.


Yeah we're ungrateful for
Holy books, religious men
Values of beauty, original sin
And all this time we unwind it
I won't give up, I'm not afraid