New Releases 9/11 - 8mm, Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra, ZZ Top

Late due to weekend of anime convention (which is also why there was no Sunday Morning Blues this week, it will return next Sunday).

8MM

Between The Devil And Two Black Hearts

Label: self-released (http://8mmofficial.bandcamp.com/)
Released: 9/13 2012
Genre: Rock, Country

This was a Kickstarter I contributed to without knowing much abut the band. Later I realized half of 8mm was Sean Beavan (of Nine Inch Nails fame) and started to expect something very electronic, or trip-hop.

It is not. It is country rhythms and rock beats and very not electronic music. It is also absolutely fantastic. Easily making it into the top five albums of 2012 for me. I put this on and then it got stuck playing for the entire day. It had me mesmerized. The eight tracks of the standard album are a massively tight collection of tracks that never lose their thread.

This is one seriously amazing collection of music. Sean and Juliette trade vocals back and forth seamlessly, without falling into the rut of sounding like a duet. On some songs it's two contrasting voices, on others one starts and the other finishes (The Weight Of You - easily my favorite song does this) in a way that brings forth two sides of the same story - or two people who have the same experiences.

Just go get this album.

Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra

Theatre Is Evil

Label: 8ft. Records
Released: 9/11 2012
Genre: Punk, Rock

I have been a Dresden Dolls fan, and subsequently an Amanda Palmer fan, for a long time. This is the first album I really followed (and Amanda shares everything) and another Kickstarter (it got famous at that) I contributed to. Amanda has never been afraid to explore musically. The problem is I've never been the biggest fan of Amanda's singing voice - it fit the Dresden Dolls nicely, but her solo work never grabbed me.

On this album something different happens. Her best work to date, and the first time (I think) working with a full, consistent, backing band. Unlike a lot of her previous music which feels like she threw herself at the idea without polishing it, this is completely different.

She pulled out a serious 1980s pop/rock sensibility and many tracks feel like they belong back in 1988. Her voice is more consistent than it's ever been, and stronger. The band feels cohesive, giving some solid consistency to the album. Her best work to date, beyond and doubt, and a damn good album at that. This is good music and worth checking out.

ZZ Top

La Futura

Label: American Records
Released: 9/11 2011
Genre: Blues Rock


ZZ Top haven't released an album since the excellent Mescalaro back in 2003.  Where Mescalaro felt like ZZ Top recapturing their 70s sound - all rumbly guitars and rough blues edges - this feels like it's from the same studio recordings. Nine years with no new releases, and this doesn't quite make the impression it should for that period of time without a studio album.

Which makes it a good album, but also makes it sound like they felt like they needed to put out some new music and just didn't have it in them to go further with the music. I do like this, and I love ZZ Top's signature sound - and that it hasn't changed much over the decades.

If you're a ZZ Top fan you will definitely like this album, there's no bad tracks on here. But there's also nothing that really stands out either. At ten songs it comes in around forty minutes - the perfect rock album length in my opinion, so it doesn't over stay its welcome either. If you're just a casual fan though, I recommend the previous album over this one.

New Releases 9/4 - Bob Mould, Ego Likeness

Ego Likeness

Treacherous Thing

Label: Self-Released (www.egolikeness.com)
Released: 9/4 2012
Genre: Darkwave

The new single from Ego Likeness, from the upcoming album "Know Thine Enemy" due out - sometime in the future. A date hasn't been released yet. The single comes with a single-edit of the title track and six other remixes. A good solid song that shows promise for the next album being maybe a little dark. The song itself is pretty catchy, solid stuff for a club.

The remixes go from OK to solid club-remixes of the track. Good for hardcore fans and DJs (as these things are). Otherwise, no one gets overly creative with the mixes, no real deconstruction goes on. But the songs are still good, especially if you toss one or two of your favorites into a big play list.

Bob Mould

Silver Age

Label: Merge Records
Released: 9/4 2012
Genre: Hard Rock, Punk

As an former member of Hüsker Dü you expect certain things - like an album that's going to rock out. Luckily, Bob Mould has been delivering that for a couple decades now and hasn't stopped here either.

Silver age is an excellent bit of classic Bob Mould music. If you're just discovering him you'll like this album a lot. If you're a long time fan all the familiar elements are here, maybe a little more crunchy, a little more punk-rock than some of his older albums. But not too much so. It's good music and I recommend it for anyone whose a fan of rock music to pick it up and give a listen.

New Releases 8/7 - Turbonegro, Ego Likeness

Turbonegro

Sexual Harassment

Label: Scandinavian Leather Recordings / Volcom Entertainment
Released: 8/7 2012
Genre: Punk, Hardcore

A Norwegian punk-metal band going way back to 1989 (with a brief hiatus). A kind of mix between KISS and Black Flag (with a healthy dose of Alice Cooper, and The Stooges in there). They call it deathpunk, whatever else you can tack onto it, it's pretty good solid punk rock with lots of glam rock stapled on.

Despite knowing of them, and hearing them sporadically throughout the years, I never found an album to buy. Thankfully, the new release was pretty widely available and I've had my first shot at a full album. This is fantastically over the top kind of rock'n'roll. Nothing here takes itself really seriously, except to be serious rock. They gleefully go from Shake Your Shit Machine to TNA (The Nihilistic Army), about as far apart as you can get on the serious meter I think. One's ridiculousness could only fit in a glam-rock set, the next sounds like it could be from the early 80s hardcore scene in lyrical content.

Most of it, though, feels like early KISS glam-rock on this album. Even the most idiotic lyric is sung with a kind of conviction that makes you want to pump your fist in the air and shot the chorus line. I can only imagine these guys are an absolute blast live. If you want just some solid, good, Rock And Roll kind of stuff, this is an album to go get. I will be making a definite effort to find more of their albums in the future.

Ego Likeness

Dragonfly (Re-Issue)

Label: self released (http://www.egolikeness.com)
Released: August 2012
Genre: Darkwave, Gothic Rock, Industrial

This is technically a re-issue of their first album, available as part of a recent Kickstarter project. The original album is still available digitally through iTunes and Amazon, but I think they're getting ready to pull a larger print run on the physical CD (I think). I'm putting it here because the re-issue is new-ish (even if the album is almost ten years old). Definitely a kind of way-back sound to the early 00s Darkwave scene (we're getting on a decade out, in music terms that's practically old school).

A good solid dark-rock, electronic gothic music sound to it. The opening track is a sample from the movie Dead Ringers, and honestly, was kind of cheesy even then and sounds even more so now. After that is rolls into a kind of slow, dark song that's just superb. And keeps going along like that to the finish. A solid entry into the gothic-rock scene of the times, and approaching that Classic Album status so many good records attain. Some of it approaches industrial in composition and execution, giving some of them a more EDM style than Gothic, but not so much as to lose focus.

The re-release comes with two bonus tracks, Drive and Above The Soil (Edward's Version). Both of them are from compilations that are out of print (and a little hard to find), and are a nice inclusion for a re-issue. Hopefully the hardcopy re-issue will surface for general consumption, if not pick up the digital versions of the album - even without the bonus tracks it's good musics.

Week Of 7/24 - Synthpop, Modern Classical, Punk, Metal, Vietnamese Music

This week I add a glaring omission from my library (well, finally update from faded cassette), find some newish Snythpop and preview some cool upcoming music.

New Releases:
Passion Pit
Gossamer
Label: Columbia Records / Frenchkiss Records
Released: 7/24 2012
Genre: Synthpop

I picked this up after hearing a few tracks in the records store, after not really finding anything else I wanted this week. It's a very 'now' take on the cross between pop music and "indie rock". Which doesn't mean it's bad, it's not actually, but it's also a record full of very interchangeable songs. Nothing really pops out at me as a Stand Out, a few tracks could be singles (indeed one is - see Bonus Tracks below). But there's nothing more to it than that. A very non confrontational release, nice rhythms, poppy tunes, a little more synth than rock in it. I like it, I'm sure I'll come around to it with some regularity when I want some relatively harmless background music with little variation or surprises in it.

Adding To The Backcatalog:

Biohazard
Mata Leão
Label: Warner Bros.
Released: 1996
Genre: Punk, Hardcore, Metal

 Another Biohazard release, I followed them briefly in the early 1990s (until now I only ever actually bought their second album Urban Discipline). So filling in some holes in a band I didn't dislike but at the time I had little budget for music and picked releases with extreme care (or simply, whatever was cheapest). Going back and finding this, a later release from after I really stopped following the band, was a great addition to my hardcore-metal area. Biohazard are a great band, not quite Heavy Metal (especially in the late 90s when Nu-Metal was taking over), not quite punk, with a dash of rap-style vocals for good measure (an early lead into the rap-metal genre). This album is great thrash, seriously picking up a punk social influence, a very hardcore sound with heavy everything. If you want some metal that isn't the same old same old find some Biohazard.

Mortal Kombat Original Soundtrack
Label: TVT Records
Released: 1995
Genre: Metal, Industrial, House, Ambient

I think I picked this up the instant it came out, I wore out the tape, and by the time I got around to updating my library fully to CD it was way out of print. I kept an eye out for it, hoping to find it without too great an expense, which I finally did. TVT Records was not a typical label to choose for a soundtrack, and it shows on the choices - because no actual "record executive" attached to a movie would think of adding any of these guys: KMFDM, Type O Negative, Gravity Kills, Napalm Death, Fear Factory, Sister Machine Gun, Bile, GZR, Utah Saints, Orbital... - especially not all together. It ranges from death metal to ambient, a couple of tracks from the movie score round it out. Truly more soundtracks need to be put in the hands of small labels. Possibly one of the best soundtracks ever released.

The Rough Guide To The Music Of Vietnam
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2007
Genre: Vietnamese Traditional

The Rough Guide that introduces us to contemporary Vietnamese artists, doing both modern and classical Vietnamese folk music. It's really excellent, the whole album flows like most Rough Guides don't. I think a little more care was put into track order than is normal for these compilations. I have yet to really get into music from Vietnam, the artists are a little harder to find in the US (unlike modern J-Pop and K-Pop). But This is a good start, gives me some names and albums to look for, and I think I may try to see if I can acquire more in the future. One thing that immediately catches my attention is it's very similar to some Chinese music I've picked up in style and rhythm. But it's a little more stripped down, brought to the essentials of the sounds and harmonies, not less complex but certainly less busy, the focus is more on the instrument and individual artist, a little more melodic in execution. Just all around excellent music to have on hand.

Bonus Tracks:

Passion Pit
Take A Walk
Label: Columbia
Released: 7/24 2012
Genre: Synthpop

A 2-Track promotional 7" Single, given away as a promo item when you purchased Gossamer. The title track is also the first track off the Gossamer album released with it. The B-Side is Almost There, a non-album track that isn't bad, but you can tell it's leftover material that didn't make the cut to the full album. If you're a die-hard fan you could probably easily track this record down. Otherwise, there's not much to miss.

Unwoman
The Fires I Started - Album Pre-Order Preview
Label: self released (unwoman.bandcamp.com)
Released: July 2012
Genre: Modern Classical

If you contributed to the Kickstarter, or go Pre-Order the album now you can pick up a nice 5-track Preview of the upcoming new release. And this album, if these five tracks are even a small indication, will kick some serious ass. Unwoman has grown, advanced, and learned over the past ten or so years and this will be her best effort to date. Truly a movement forward in sound and composition, her voice is stronger here, the music more powerful, the whole thing comes together nicely. And that's just five tracks... definitely an album worth getting (either now and get a test to tide you over or upon full release - doesn't matter but definitely one worth adding). And if you're ordering the Digital Album she's practically throwing it at you free if you only pay the minimum asking price ( but you should pay more...)


Next Week:
The first of many Overkill albums as I fill in the holes in my collection (mostly very early stuff that's been hard to find on CD), the new Testament & new Sinsect, some downtempo stuff from the mid 00s, and a collection of Celtic Lullabies, Listen Hard!

Week Of 7/17 - Psychobilly, Reggae, Punk, Metal, Trad. Indian

Keeping it eclectic this week, and with little fanfare:

New Releases:

Jimmy Cliff
Rebirth
Label: Universal Music
Released: 7/17 2012
Genre: Reggae

The first album from this reggae master in seven years. I recently became a fan of Jimmy and I gotta say, this is a great album. His voice is awesome, a bit high pitched, but still amazing. It does contain a few of the tracks from the Record Store Day single, which is good. If you missed that you missed some awesome Clash and Rancid covers. It's quite a few tracks, all of them pretty short. Nothing rambles on, he cuts it short and quick - this is where punk got some of it's timing from. Definitely an album to go get, some great mellow reggae.

Adding To The Backcatalog:

Biohazard
No Holds Barred - Live In Europe
Label: Roadrunner Records
Released: 1997
Genre: Heavy Metal, Hardcore Punk

A straight off the board, unedited, live set from the hardcore-metal-punk band of the 90s. Pure thrash sitting right here, unrelenting. The early 80s attitude cut with a late 90s sensibility. Pulling from every album up to that point, it's a non-stop hour of hardcore. Caveat - it's pretty much just for fans of Biohazard. Some of the sound quality isn't great, no new tracks, or remixes or anything. Just a live show. What a live album should be really.

Dedashish Bhattacharya
O Shakuntala!
Label: Riverboat Records / World Music Network
Released: 2009
Genre: Traditional Indian, Modern Indian

Not content to just play classical music on traditional instruments, Debashish invented three new kinds of lap slide guitar and has mastered them. It shows on this recording, a slide guitar style to make any blues artist a little green with jealousy, playing classical Indian musics as well as some original recordings. This is pretty much a solo effort on his part but it's amazing. It's also very quiet and soft, and good for taking a nice nap to, or meditation. Very relaxing.

HorrorPops
Hell Yea!
Label: Hellcat Records
Released: 2004
Genre: Psychobilly, Rockabilly

Back up the other side of the energy scale. HorrorPops deliver a knock out of an album here. Their first studio effort, it's good in its own right. But once you compare it to the later two albums you hear them not quite together yet. Still putting their sound under them this is a bit of stock-standard psychobilly. And, well, it's good, some real power is emerging here. Definitely a must have for psychobilly fans, or just plain rock and swing fans too. This is straight up enough to fit onto a whole range of dance floors.

Iron Maiden
The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg (10")
Label: EMI Records
Released: 2006
Genre: Heavy Metal

Been sitting on this 10" single since it's release. It varies from the CD Single in that the b-side is two different tracks from the Radio-1 Sessions. The CD contained a massive rendition of Hollowed By Thy Name; this has The Trooper and Run To The Hills. The title track isn't the greatest cut from the album (A Matter Of Life And Death), and kind of drones on. The B-Sides are strictly for die-hard fans only. This is a fan item, I'm a huge fan so... of course I got it. Otherwise, it's just more Iron Maiden.

Hidden Tracks:
Unter Null
I Don't Belong Here
Label: Self-Released (www.Unter-Null.net)
Unter Null is putting out a new album soon, and this was put out to subscribers of her mailing list as a teaser. An instrumental track that goes very dark and rhythmic. A perfect extension of her past her, this one slows things down just a little, and grinds into the air with the same kind of audio-perfection you get from Noise Unit's sound. A fantastic teaser and you should go visit the website and fund the new album. You can also pick up this track by backing her next album on SellABand.

Next Week:
Some music from Vietnam, a long lost soundtrack finds its way back into my collection, some more hardcore from Biohazard, and some brand new Synthpop, plus a few surprises.

Week Of 6/26 - Rock, Moroccan music, New Wave, Industrial, Punk

A bunch of singles and compilations this week, plus a best of from Adam Ant...

New & Recent Releases

Clutch
Pigtown Blues / Motherless Child (Acoustic)
Label: Weathermaker Music
Released: 6/19 2012
Genre: Rock, Blues Rock

This is a 2-track 7 inch picture disc, the first ever 7 inch single from Clutch. The A-Side is a solid piece of Clutch's blues-rock style, lyrics a little surreal, painting a vivid picture. the B-side is an 'acoustic' track from them, which really means slightly less distortion on the guitars mostly. Hopefully the a-side is a sign of more things to come, a solid, if short, entry into Clutch's sizable collection of solid rock.

Sinsect
Broken Heroes Vol. 2
Label: Self-Released ( http://noise.sinsect.com/ )
Released: 6/26 2012
Genre: Industrial, Noise

The second in a summer long series from Sinsect. Even darker than the first volume. This one goes a little deep into the depths, a little harder, a little more drone - but not much. Definitely a good addition to some very deep industrial music, the style itself reminds me of Noise Unit, though a little fuzzier and more distorted. I'm definitely liking the direction Sinsect's music is going. It's only three tracks long, making it end too soon.

Rough Guide To Morocco
w/ Groupe Mazagan
Label: World Music Network
Released: Spring 2012
Genre: Moroccan traditional, modern

Native musicians from Morocco, and not just traditional music either. This Rough Guide does go a beyond what others do, which is good. It's both traditional and contemporary artists. A few Moroccan hip-hop artists make it on, some modern
artists make it on as well as several traditional regional musicians. It's nice to see both a showcase of a regions native music and their contemporary music scene. I hope more Rough Guides take this path.

Groupe Mazagan are a modern group, mixing traditional music with funk, rock, and other elements. A good inclusion to get a full taste of a modern band from Morocco. As a bonus disc this one really brings the region into focus as a modern music platform, not just a source of "world music" that so many US and European labels seem to pull out of Africa.

Up From The Archives:

Adam Ant
Antics In The Forbidden Zone
Label: Epic
Released: 1990
Genre: Pop, Punk, New Wave

This actually collects music from Adam & The Ants and Adam Ants solo career. The biggest difference is that the early stuff, before he went solo, sounds a little more vibrant, and a little weirder. Not that his solo stuff is bad, it's just a little flatter when you put the two eras side by side like this. If you need a best-of collection to capture all the good songs - this one actually does that. If you own everything already the only novelty here is that the two eras together really highlight how much better he was before the solo career. At least in my opinion.

Art Brut
Good Weekend
Label: Fierce Panda
Released: 2005
Genre: Punk

A three track single from this post-punk, or punk, or something, band. Punk without any pretension of trying to be anything but darn good music, as it should be. Art Brut always reminds me a little of early Clash for some reason - they sound nothing alike except in the most abstract of ways: both seem to be here for the music and the party. The single here is three different stories, one good, one bad and one nostalgic. Which pretty nicely sums up a lot of life right there. Good music for a good weekend.

Rebirth 2.0
Label: Metropolis Records
Released: 2009
Genre: Industrial

A label compilation put out in 09 for recent and upcoming release, it also has several exclusive tracks on it for the completionist. It's good, it showcases a lot of talent, but in the end it's a label compilation with very little theme beyond advertising label artists.

Next Week:
Several albums from The Bobs, the Inception score, some metal from Delain, and hip-hop artist Murs does an album based on a graphic novel.

Week OF 6/12 - Punk, A Cappella, Trip Hop, soundtracks

Many soundtracks are hard to classify properly, it can switch genres from song to song. You can do one of two things in a digital playlist, make the genre 'Soundtrack' (the more common option) or properly classify each song (what I do). This week is both Kill Bill soundtracks, along with a modern Torch Songs compilation I found crate digging at a tent-sale, and some other fun items....

New Releases:
Bouncing Souls
Comet
Label: Rise Records / Chunksaah Records
Released: 6/12 2012
Genre: Punk

Bouncing Souls are one of those bands I've always meant to buy an album from, but have never done so... for whatever reasons (or no reason, just is). So I changed that with their latest release. I'm a moderate fan of them, I've been kind of following them since the late 90s or so, enjoying what songs I do come across. Comet is pretty much exactly what I expected from this group, solid east coast punk - plenty of attitude, good melody. While nothing on the album makes me stand up and take notice in a "this is pure awesome" kind of way, I don't want to skip any tracks either. Good, solid, all around punk rock. I think I'll go pick up their back catalog now.

Adding To The Collection:

Pandora Celtica
On Thin Ice
Label: self-released
Released: 2010
Genre: A Cappella, Christmas

Christmas in June! The bonus here is that they don't just do the same 10 songs that are always done for a holiday album. Some strange bits like Santa Claus Got Eaten By The Kraken find their way in. An absolutely awesome cover of Hazy Shade Of Winter is here, turns out the song did need an a cappella version done. Along with some other Christmasy songs, or wintery as the case may be, good album to toss into the holiday pile to keep the mix actually mixed.

Kill Bill
Volume 1
Label: Maverick / A Band Apart
Released: 2004
Genre: soundtrack


Installment one of the movie soundtrack. Opening with Nancy Sinatra's Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) is a good choice I think, for the movie and soundtrack. There are some soundscore pieces here as well as songs from the movie. Along with some parts not in the movie like Ode To Oren Ishii which, well, should have been left off. There's all kinds of great mood pieces on here, as Tarantino really does have an ear for action and understands tension. Good movie, good soundtrack.

Kill Bill
Volume 2
Label: Maverick / A Band Apart
Released: 2004
Genre: soundtrack

Installment two... just as epic as the first. A few more audio bits from the movie, which is a few more than it needed. But it's also got Ennio Morricone on it, which means that track alone is worth the price of entry. Same deal as the first volume, soundscore pieces make the album. Another RZA track - this time hidden at the end of the album - really needed to be left off, especially as it completely ruins the outro beauty of the final song. There isn't as much to the second volume, but it's a perfect compliment to the first, and they should have just come together in one package.

Torch
A Six Degrees Collection Of Modern Torch Songs
Label: Six Degrees
Released: 2003
Genre: Trip Hop, Downtempo

I'm wasn't completely sure what I'd get when I saw the title of this one digging through boxes of used CDs during a local record store tent sale, and for a dollar I was completely willing to take the chance. Sadly, this is now out of print, but it's a good testament to early 2000s trip-hop. They all fall, more or less, into proper torch style, and include some choices I would't have thought would make torch songs. dZihan & Kamien, Snooze, and a remix by Nitin Sawhney. Though the last two are known for their downtempo mixes so that's not a total surprise.  It's a good collection, light, and full of unrequited love. If you run across it I recommend picking it up.

Next Week:
Several downtempo albums, some new Army Of The Universe, and Ayria, and a few other things I've found hiding in my stack of goodies pulled at random.

Sunday Morning Vinyl - Punk and Industrial

This morning I finally finished out the 30th Anniversary Bad Religion Box Set and converted the last two albums to digital - News Maps Of Hell and The Dissent Of Man; and I found an old Front 242 single hanging out in my vinyl crate.

Bad Religion - New Maps Of Hell
Label: Epitaph
Released: 2008
Genre: Punk
New Maps Of Hell was one of those albums I saw come out, but I wasn't really paying attention to Bad Religion at the time, I still hadn't gotten back into them after Process Of Belief. Given the excellence of this album I should have. It's quick, tight, and fast. This is the kind of Bad Religion album I really enjoy, it isn't overly preachy in the message (which is still their standard issue commentary on society). The songs themselves are precise, but not over produced. No one song really sticks out above the others here, though. If I had to pick out a single I don't think I could. Everything is good, just above average in my ear, not an album I'd skip around on. Definitely worth picking up and adding to your punk rock collection. Also, it's catchy, I just bounce right along to the rhythms here.

Bad Religion - The Dissent Of Man
Label: Epitaph
Released: 2010
Genre: Punk
This came out at the same time as the 30th Anniversary Box Set, and is exactly when I decided to jump back into picking up Bad Religion albums off the strength of the track Wrong Way Kids. It's an excellent song, but is the best cut on the album. It's not quite the same over-produced mess as Process Of Belief (can you tell, I wasn't particularly thrilled with that album?), but it's also not quite the quick, masterful speed of New Maps Of Hell. They backed off the accelerator just a little, but still produced one good album. The B-Side wasn't nearly as good as the A-Side though, all the really good stuff is on the front half of the album. A good solid release, here's to hoping we get more like this in the future.

Front 242 - Headhunter
Label: Wax Trax!
Released: 1988
Genre: Industrial/EBM
Front 242 are the original EBM group (they even invented the term). And when Headhunter hit American clubs in the late 80s it dropped like a fucking bomb. Everyone, even people who really weren't into the Indutrial scene, loved it. And not some watered down DJ Mix, the original F242 mixes. This single contained the seminal song, plus the B-Side of "Welcome To Paradise" which contained clips from preacher Farrell Griswold, set to a moderately harsh percussion background. Not quite fully danceable as Headhunter, still, a popular track. This one is old school EBM and Industrial from before they introduced guitars into the scene. Both tracks are on Front By Front, as the single here is long out of print, form WaxTrax! before TVT had to step in and buy them up.


Next Sunday is Christmas, though I'll probably be here listening to some records from my collection and getting out a post before family takes over the day. Probably find a few short records to digitize.

Sunday Vinyl - Punk, Gothic Rock

Sunday morning, let's get some of the vinyl in my collection into iTunes. This morning two more albums from the Bad Religion Box Set - we're into the period where I really go into them, so it skips over some releases as I go through this. And a Gothic Rock single I found crate digging one weekend. Punk and Gothic Rock share a history, so it's content appropriate.

Fields Of The Nephilim - For Her Light Two
Label: Beggars Banquet
Released: 1990
Genre: Gothic Rock
This is the second part of a 2-part single on 12", the CD had all four tracks. Fields is classic old school Gothic Rock. Lasting from the mid 80s to the early 90s, a short run but no uncommon in the goth-rock scene. High guitars, deeper vocals, rock rhythms. Fields incorporated some psychedelic rock elements as well, which was unusual. This little two track single is pretty standard. A Side is exactly what you expect. The B-Side is an instrumental, very dark, ambient almost. The bass guitar carries the tune through with some percussion, a few other elements behind it, and some spoken word under it. The B-Side is definitely the more interesting the two tracks, the A-Side is a classic though.

Bad Religion - No Substance
Label: Epitaph Records
Released: 1998
Genre: Punk
The follow up album to The Gray Race, one of their best albums I think. This album wasn't as well received, but they continued to play around with their formula here, not just hashing out the same basic idea over and over. This one moves away from anti-government sentiment more prevalent earlier, and more onto the social themes always there. For that, the only three tracks that stand out on Side A are the title track, The Hippy Killers (about the post-hippy generation having to inherit what's left), Raise Your Voice! which is as much a call to arms for free thinking as any anthem can be. Side B opens with a volley of anti-religious sentiment. But moves onto the general social commentary of needing to not settle for less, and thinking for yourself. It's a good album, and should have done better than it did. Unfortunately it didn't produce any real "radio hits" for people to latch onto.

After this album is New America, which is rough and angry, but also not a great hit for them. New America would be their last release on Atlantic and end their association with "big record companies" through the 90s. After that was The Process Of Belief, which did produce more radio hits, and is an ok album, but it's anger seems buried in over production and I lost interest in them for a while, until very recently with the release of The Dissent Of Man, so I'll pick up again on vinyl with their 2000s releases going forward.

Bad Religion - The Empire Strikes First
Label: Epitaph
Released: 2004
Genre: Punk
This album picks up a lot from the previous one, faster, leaner, cleaner. Less production and more raw music to it. Like a lot of punk from the early 80s, this one is anti- almost everything even near the military-industrial complex. Side A is short and sweet, everything is fast, the songs range around the two-minute mark, only the last three are particularly long reaching three minutes. This is exactly the kind of album that needed to come out after Process Of Belief to bring them back down to a much more raw sound. Side B is longer songs, some of them sound like they're trying for a certain level of radio-friendliness but don't quite make it. Still good, still the faster, angrier, Bad Religion that feels like the 80s might be happening again in Punk Rock. Much better than the previous album, getting back to that sweet spot of really good music, angry riffs, and solid lyrical delivery.

Next Week - finally finishing off the Bad Religion box set with their latest two releases, and maybe find another record in my collection to add in.

Sunday Vinyl - Punk & Dubstep

Sunday morning, spent digitizing some records - another album out of the Bad Religion Box Set and a Dubstep 12" I picked up a while back.

Bad Religion - Stranger Than Fiction
Label: Epitaph Records
Released: 1994
Genre: Punk
Side A - This side is hit and miss, it feels very generic Bad Religion. But there are some tracks on here that get stuck in the head, the title track, and The Handshake both are excellent songs.  Incomplete and Infected can both be left on the table, they just don't excite me much. Side B, now this side is much better I think, faster, a little more punch. Television opens the side up and reminds me immediately of the early 80s Hard Core scene. Marked and Slumber are both great tracks, and you can hear an evolution in the sound of Bad Religion here, they're moving away from the formula a little, expanding the riffs. And the last track 21st Century Digital Boy is awesome, really, could easily fit into a Bad Religion album another half a decade down the line without skipping a beat.

The album is a definite bridge between the 80s and 90s here, as punk rock takes back off in the 90s the next album from these guys is The Grey Race, one of my all time favorite albums out there.  They're finally letting the guitars go further out from the basic riffs and rhythms they've been using for a decade or so.  Late 90s Bad Religion is one of my preferred eras of listening to that.

Downlink - Biohazard / Vasik - Zombie Apocalypse
Label: Rottun Recordings
Released: 2011
Genre: Dubstep
This split 12" is a 2-track single. Biohazard is a fuzzy, dirty track. Good on the dancefloor, not quite a heavy pounder on the bassline, still it delivers with the drops and grinding bits. At over seven minutes, the opening is a little slow, it doesn't really get started until about a minute fifteen seconds in. Slow, methodical rhythms with synth breaks keep the song from becoming repetitive at least. It also exits slowly with synths repeating the outro until it just stops, not fades. The AA side is Zombie Apocalypse, which opens with the speech from Night Of The Living Dead, then some piano, then a slow dubstep fuzzy beat. This one plods along nicely, just like a zombie apocalypse, chasing you down until you just run out of energy and can't run anymore... scattered with zombie grunts and noises as well, which it could probably do without, but aren't completely out of place. These two are heavy bangers meant to keep a dancefloor at high energy, but they aren't so slow you lose energy, just enough in here to keep the floor going without wearing it out too quickly.

Next week I continue to go through the Bad Religion box set...

Week Of 11/22 - Punk, Rock, Industrial

There's a lot of music out there, so much that it's actually really difficult to get even a small portion of it. In my pursuit of listening I mostly like moving forward with new music, and I occasionally forget to go back and pick up some classics and other things I "should" own. Like Iggy Pop. So, sometimes I go back and correct an oversight - like this week.

New Releases:
Caustic - White Knuckle Head Fuck
Label: Metropolis Records
Released: 11/23 2011
Genre: Industrial
The latest EP from Caustic, a digital only release, so you can find in on your favorite digital release store. Mostly remixes of the title track, some of which are good, some of which are, well - remixes. All told there are five remixes of WKHF, of those the Boole Mix is by far the most creative, making the track an throwback to 80s/90s EBM with pop-synths, almost a New Wave feel. If not for the lyrical content you could slot this right into a Wedding DJ list, actually... given the lytical content it probably should be. There's also a remix of Hiroshima Burn. But the real gem is the new track "Oontz Oontz Oontz Blarrrrrrrgh (Vomiting At 3AM Mix)" - quite the dancefloor bouncer (with some Douglas McCarthy influence), with lyrics that let us know just what it feels like to be around after the club shuts down but the floor still won't stand still.... If you're a Caustic fan this is pretty much a definite buy. If you're a Wedding DJ you'll want it for track 6, play it at the end of the night when everyone's too drunk to keep up with the beat changes.

Pop Will Eat Itself - Chaos & Mayhem
Label: Metropolis Records
Released: 11/23 2011
Genre: Industrial
The first single off the new album, a digital only 3-track release. The album version of the title track, and two remixes. This wasn't the most exciting song on the album, it's a pretty generic "rock and roll" kind of song, not bad, but not really A-Side material for a single in my opinion. The two remixes here are alright. A female vocalist, Snovonne, was brought in to rerecord the lyrics. It does improve the song a little, but the remix is low key, takes a lot of the rock-punch out of it, losing the guitars for synthesizers only was a mistake. The other remix isn't very exciting either, again losing the guitars in favor of more synth just takes all the rock out of the song. For a couple bucks it's not a bad buy, but it's not really that great either.

Adding To The Collection:
Iggy And The Stooges - Raw Power
Label: Columbia Records / Legacy Records
Released: 1973
Genre: Puck, Rock
Punk may have exploded with violent execution in 1976, but a little before that it was slowly forming itself, crawling up out of the speakers. The Stooges were one of those bands that may have come off as Rock And Roll, but were definitely foreshadowing Punk. Raw Power is just that, raw and powerful. The mix is loud, the songs are louder. The opening track Search And Destroy sets the tone, and the album just keeps accelerating. It's a short record too, buy you can practically feel Punk looming over the music scene just waiting to kick it in the teeth. Almost fittingly, this was the last Stooges album (and the first credited as "Iggy And The Stooges" at that.

Iggy Pop - The Idiot
Label: Virgin Records
Released: 1977
Genre: Punk, Rock
Iggy's first full solo album, less raw, more rock, but still very punk in feel. The first two tracks 'Sister Midnight' and 'Nightclubbing' are practically anthems of the night scene. And while the later re-recording of China Girl by David Bowie is famous, the original here feels more alive. Given the whole album is a Bowie-Pop collaboration, it also fits better in this album than Bowie's later retake without Iggy. It's not a very hard or heavy album, almost early gothic rock in feel. Defnitely one to put on after dark, throw in some old Bauhaus and Banshees albums with it for a good ambience.

Iggy Pop - American Caesar
Label: Virgin Records
Released: 1993
Genre: Punk, Rock
Deep into Iggy's career, right at the resurgance of punk-rock in the US music scene, riding high on the previous albums success. American Caesar is a little louder, little more musically controlled, and sadly dumped in the "alt rock" bin.Wild America is by far the most famous track here, and with good reason - it rocks out. Though I like Plastic And Concrete just as much. And ther are a couple of weird tracks here: Jealousy is kind of rambling. His cover of Louie Louie is both hilarious with politcal jabs, and not really a cover so much as a complete re-write. The long rambling speach at the end with Caesar is also kind of weird, kind of interesting. Of all the Iggy albums, I'm not sure this one counts as essential, but it's certainly a really good rock album.

Next Week:
Jimmy Cliff does some covers, including a really sweet take on Ruby Soho; Sarah Brightman, Chris Isaak, Unwoman, and a DJ Mix from Dave Clarke. Modern Classical, Reggae, Rockabilly, Industrial, Electro-House... I love diversity.

Listen Hard!

Sunday Vinyl - Punk Rock

Going to try an experiment, I still buy vinyl, new and old. Sunday mornings is usually a good time to try and convert it to digital for my library, as I almost always have plenty of time to myself.

So - Issue 1: Bad Religion;
Some time ago I picked up the Limited Edition Vinyl Box Set containing all 15 Bad Religion studio albums through "The Dissent Of Man" on red vinyl. It's pretty epic. Slowly I've been taking the albums I don't own on CD and digitizing them. So for the next few Sundays I'll be converting those and taking a listen here - as the process of Vinyl -> Digital is done in real time.

Generator

Label: Epitaph
Released: 1992
Genre: Punk
Out about the time of the early 90s punk revival/explosion deal. Business as usual for Bad Religion though. Side One is a pretty standard mix of social and political commentary, nothing here really stands out as a Great Song, just good solid writing of an expected nature. Side Two is pretty much the same, with the exception of Atomic Garden which stands out a little from the crowd in style and execution. I won't call this a boring album, it's just another face in the masses of punk rock honestly. There are better Bad Religion albums both before and after this one.

What's really missing from this album is the anger, indignation, and sense of injustice. It's there in the lyrics, but not in the execution. It's like they couldn't quite muster up enough energy to really get across the message in the lyrics without sounding detached from it.

Recipe For Hate
Label: Epitaph (on vinyl - Atlantic for CD/Cassette)
Released: 1993
Genre: Punk
Right off the bat this album has more energy than their last. You can tell they haven't quite stopped from the previous effort, building up steam and volume. Side One contains the single track American Jesus, which really does seethe. It's not shouting-angry kind of rage. This is a under-the-skin kind of anger that seeps through. The first four tracks, in fact, are excellent and feel both frustrated, and angry. Side Two, the first track is the other single from this album, slower, still carrying that quiet anger with it. Modern Day Catastrophists is probably my favorite track on this one, faster and leaner.

Overall, good album, This is about the point where Bad Religion really started to get my attention again after some hit or miss releases. They never were shouting-at-the-mic angry in their songs, Greg just isn't that kind of singer, but they do create a feeling of animosity towards things if you stop and listen. Recipe For Hate is the start of the era of Bad Religion I that I really think sees them climb to the top.

Next Weeks Vinyl - more Bad Religion and a Dubstep single I picked up a few months back. Listen Hard.

Week Of 11/8 Heavy Metal, Country, Punk, Industrial

Late again, Tuesday's are just becoming far too busy for my own good. I think from now on I'll move the blog posts to the Day After New Release Day. That way I can even give a First Impression of the weeks new release... also, I got last weeks date wrong, go figure.

This week: I'm just all over the board - let's have some fun.

New Release:
Pop Will Eat Itself - New Noise Designed By A Sadist
Label: Metropolis Records
Released: 11/8 2011
Genre: Industrial
New PWEI album after about six years or so I think. PWEI has always been one those bands I'm a fan of, without actually bothering to get albums, oddly. So, new release and I fixed that - picking this one up digitally from the Metropolis online store (High Quality MP3s). It's an excellent album, an almost poppy-EBM Industrial album. Full of catchy hooks and extremely danceable rhythms. Top form, like they never went away, just kind of hid until they packed in some heavier beats to unleash on the masses. If you're a PWEI fan you'll want this, it feels old school without actually being tired or old. New dance/industrial/EBM fans will want it because it's just a good album over all.

Adding To The Collection:
Judas Priest - British Steel (30th Anniversary Remaster)
Label: Sony Music
Released: 2010
Genre: Heavy Metal
Judas Priest pretty much defined Heavy Metal in the early 1980s, and this is really the album that hailed in that era of pure metal. The two tracks everyone knows are Breaking The Law and Living After Midnight. However, and this partly why I waited so long to add the CD to my collection, I know pretty much every anthem on here by heart. I wore out my cassette sometime around 1992 and always said "I should get that again" - the 30th Anniversary comes with a cool bonus DVD of live footage. But it's the album, loud guitars and Rob Halferd standing out in front of this big metal sound giving us fist-in-the-air anthem after anthem. This remaster also comes with bonus tracks Red White & Blue and a live cut of Grinder. Just massive, don't wait as long as I did to put this back in your collection.

Neko Case & Her Boyfriends - Furnace Room Lullaby
Label: Bloodshot Records
Released: 2000
Genre: Country
Her second album, I found this little gem used in a tiny shop in Providence, Neko is an early look at country surviving the 1990s and become something decent again. Her voice is powerful, the music feels very raw. Slightly more polished than her first album, but still feeling like it should be listened to in a barn, or bar with straw on the floor. Sorrowful ballads and other offerings that don't feel like the same old same old radio country track. The only thing Country about Neko is her sound, everything else feels like punk rock.

Shonen Knife - Osaka Ramonse
Label: Good Charamel Records
Released: 11/1 2011
Genre: Punk
Shonen Knife formed in 1981, for their 30th anniversary they put together a full album of Ramones covers. Fitting since Naoko founded the band because of The Ramones, and they continued to be a heavy influence on SKs particular brand of pop-punk DIY throughout their career. There is no better fit for a Ramones cover album than Shonen Knife, there's no way this is a bad album. It's just pure delivery, no attempts to reinvent the songs. Shonen Knife picks and plays like you expect to hear a Ramones album: straight through, no filler, pure punk ethic. The songs, some of them, become even more absurd with a Japanese accent, and they all still rock. Absolutely everyone needs to own this album, punk fans doubly so.

Bonus Track
Kidneythieves - Lick U Clean (KMFDM Remix)
Label: none
Kidneythieves did an interview for Vampire Freaks online whatever, with it they released a free remix of Lick U Clean by KMFDM - along with the original - off the Trypt0fanatic album. The KMFDM remix is good, but not particularly mind bending, or overly interesting. KMFDM and/or Kidneythieves completists might want it, otherwise not all that worth hunting down (the full Trypt0fanatic album is however).

Next weeks new release actually goes back to the start of the month and I take a listen to the latest Megadeth album....

Week Of 10/25 - Punk, Rock, Traditional

This week is actually mostly compilations of traditional musics from around the globe, and some punk rock. Only the weeks new release is a regular album.

New Releases:
Tom Waits - Bad As Me
Label: Anti-
Released: 10/25 2011
Genre: Rock, Blues
Tom Waits constantly manages to both deliver exactly to expectations and something completely new. He veers recklessly between rock and blues for the most part, and this is no exception. Bad As Me is mostly a toned down rock/folk style album, with Tom's unique twist on it all. I picked up the deluxe Limited Edition version with comes in a tall form book, and a second disc of bonus material. The extra three tracks do not feel like tacked on b-sides either, but like a-sides that had to be left off for whatever reason. Good stuff all the way through, bouncing, and melancholy and all that in between. Tom hasn't missed a beat with this one, absolutely go find this and add it to your collection.

Adding To The Collection:
Give 'Em The Boot 5
Label: Hellcat Records
Released: 2006
Genre: Punk
The Give 'Em The Boot compilations are generally about twenty tracks of great punk-rock for five bucks. Mixing in all the flavors, from ska to psychobilly - and none of it slowing down and getting near emo. It's excellent stuff. This one is 18 tracks, with cuts from the Necromantix, Horrorpops, Dropkick Murphys, Aggrolites, Rancid, and a bunch of others. I love this compilations, partly because they're dirt cheap to pick up, and partly because sometimes you just don't know what to listen to and these always seem to fit the bill. Sadly, I think vol5 was the last in the series.

Think Global - Celebrate Africa!
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2009
Genre: Traditional
The Think Global series is put out by World Music Network as a way to raise funds for various charities, and is similar to their Rough Guide Series in that they focus on specific regions. Celebrate Africa! is from all over the continent and benfits Oxfam Activities. Fifteen tracks of some really gorgeous music whose only common link is that they all come from various parts of Africa. Unlike some of the Rough Guides that are more tightly focused, this one literally goes across the board in styles and traditional genres. A good way to get some variety of music, and a good way to help out a little bit.

The Rough Guide To The Best Music You've Never Heard
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2011
Genre: Traditional
This is the 2011 label compilation for WMN, and is the first year they've done a download only. I believe only subscribers actually got a printed case with a cardboard disc that has the download code, ordering directly from the website gets you only the files.  Thirty tracks from mostly the Rough Guides they've put out in 2011, but a few tracks go back a little bit further if I remember right. If you're unsure of exactly which Rough Guide you want, the label compilations are an awesome way to get a little bit from each and then go from there. This music is from all over the world, and encompasses everything from ancient traditional musics to modern evolutions, and modern takes on older styles.

Bonus Tracks:
KMFDM - A Drug Against Wallstreet
Label: none
Released: October 2011
Genre: Industrial
This one is simply KMFDMs 'A Drug Against War' with new lyrics supporting the Occupy Wallstreet movement. It's a little inventive, kind of interesting, even more politically charged that KMFDM are normally. And it's free from their website.

KMFDM - Rebels In Kontrol (Occupy Wallstreet Mix)
Exactly the same as the previous track, a remix of Rebels In Kontrol for the Occupy Wallstreet movement. The lyrics are the same as the original song, but it's been remixed - slowed down a little. Otherwise, even for a free track, it's a little unspectacular and you can tell it was put together pretty quickly.

Next week! Pyschobilly, House, Rock, and music from Mali!

Weeks of 9/27 and 10/4 - country, sufi, punk, metal, industrial, blues-rock, dubstep

Two weeks worth of music crammed in here due to vacation - also due to vacation is a lack of New Releases. I'm loading up three weeks worth of those for next review before getting back into the regular swing. This week though - 10 albums from all across the board.

Adding To The Collection:

Neko Case & Her Boyfriends - The Virginian
Label: Blood Shot Records
Released: 1999
Genre: Country
This is Neko Case's first full album, and it's not very typical country. Coming right at the start of the 00's alt-country explosion, it's laced with heavy doses of rockabilly and other throw-backs to 1950s country that got close to rock'n'roll and hadn't migrated too far from the blues. The sound isn't as completely polished as later albums, but for a first effort this little number is excellent.

ZZ Top - Recycler
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Released: 1990
Genre: Blues-Rock
Moving onto a similar genre, blues rock trio ZZ Top put this out in 1990 and is last part of the Eliminator-Afterburner-Recycler triology that summed up their 1980s sound. It was a move away from some of the more straight forward blues they built themselves up with in the 70s and by this album had refined itself into an almost straight alt-rock with blues mixed in sound. Nothing particularly fast, or slow. In fact, unless you're more than a casual ZZ Top fan there's not a lot here. It does contain the massive hit My Head's In Mississippi, but the production mix isn't as good as some later remasters, I don't think.

Skream - Skream!
Label: Tempa
Released: 2006
Genre: Dubstep
Not quite early dubstep, but definitely near the front of the pack, and it's not nearly as distortion heavy on the breaks. Low key, kind of down tempo, but still hits the dance floor nice and hard. It could do with a few more really heavy beats and breaks tossed in somewhere in the middle. Still, a nice shift in the dubstep from heavy to mellow.

Overkill - Bloodletting
Label: Metal-Is
Released: 2000
Genre: Thrash Metal
The last album from Overkill's less than stellar 1990s era. They managed to get stuck in a more slowed down metal sound, less thrash and more groove, and this is them stepping back up, but not completely, into a much heavier pure thrash metal sound. Hard to find these days, but still worth it for the die-hard fans that either want to fill in the holes after skipping many albums (like me), or for new fans looking for older material that isn't as pure speed as the stuff released since.

Army Of The Universe - Army Of The Universe
Label: self-released
Released: 2011
Genre: Industrial
Army Of The Universe (AoU) are an Italian industrial-rock act. As much glam as industrial, they put out this mostly remix mini-album on their own. It's a good showcase of how well they remix in talented hands. They sound like they're having a lot of fun, and it's a nice stripped down almost under-produced set of sequences. Can't wait to hear more from these guys going down the road a few years. The bonus is it comes with a video for Lovedead.

Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole EP
Label: TVT Recrods
Released: 1990
Genre: Industrial
Head Like A Hole is one of their really big early on songs that started to get NIN mainstream attention. And just about everybody has had a crack at remixing it as well. And this... is a really generic set of remixes for the title track, Terrible Lie, and Down In It. I picked it up cheap and used and am glad for the fact, the remixes have seriously dated themselves at this point 20 years later, and the whole single comes off as what it is: one of the many (hundreds) of singles put out with too many remixes and not enough substance. Diehard NIN fans will want it, and probably already have it.

Human Factors Lab - Pap3r
Label: self-released
Released: 2008
Genre: Industrial
This is another remix album, and it's from a band that hadn't at the time put out a full album yet to really remix from. There's a lot of remixes on here from a lot of bands (some famous, some not so much). And it shows off that HFL can be remixed into something really good (or in some cases just danceable) the band itself doesn't quite impress me with this release. It needed a few more un-remixed band originals to really make it good. Otherwise, it's just run of the mill industrial dance stuff.

Dropkick Murphy's - The Meanest Of Times
Label: Born & Bred Records
Released: 2007
Genre: Punk
I'm a huge DKM fan, and they're a band that consistently puts out the same sound without putting out the same album. The overall tone of this one is pretty negative, there's a lot of the downside of life here, as opposed to some other releases that emphasize the upside or fighting back. Title appropriate, as it really does take the listener through the meanest of times and situations. And comes out sounding like a great punk-rock record. This is bare-knuckle punk here, and while they don't have as much bagpipes as normal, it doesn't need it. Great album to keep around.

Rough Guide To Sufi Music w/ bonus Sufi Fakirs Of Bengal
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2011
Genre: Sufi
There's something about religious music, done well, that both soothes the soul and energizes the mind and body. And the Sufi music represented here does just that. I don't understand the words, but I understand the ideas they represent, the sounds are familiar and at once, completely different. This is great music just to listen to even if you don't take away the messages being presented. And a double CD of it at that, which is why I really like the Rough Guides. They always deliver and sometimes they deliver above and beyond expectations.

And that's that - all the new additions I listened to over the past two weeks. With that I almost depleted my backlog of albums to load up - not to fear, I reloaded the stack (a good chunk of it with Iggy Pop, I may just do an all Iggy week). Next week I review all the new releases I didn't get to over my vacation. Listen Hard!

Week Of 6/28 - Punk, Russian Gypsies, Shamisen, Pop-Techno

Thievery Corporation's latest is yet another conglomeration of styles from all over the place, a little bit of hip-hop, some reggae, but mostly a downtempo trip-hop. A Yoshida Brothers album finds its way into the collection, the Deadly Sins are a punk rock outfit, and a compilation of Russian Gypsy music, most of which is guitar work. I love guitars.

New Additions:
Thievery Corporation - Culture Of Fear
Label: Eighteenth Street Lounge Music
Released: 6/28 2011
Genre: pop-techno (mixing in many styles)
The latest release from Thievery Corporation is as world-traveled as previous releases, pulling styles and genres from around the globe into a single cohesive whole of an album. The opening track is fairly downtempo, but the next track picks up with a solid hip-hop beat and rhyme from Mr. Lif. The trip-hop vibe carries the album in a kind of low key downtempo style through most of the rest of the album. A little bit of dub-reggae sneaks in towards the end. Despite continually coming back to a theme of modern world invasion of privacy it's not an album that feels like it has a political statement.

Adding To The Collection
Deadly Sins - Selling Our Weaknesses
Label: Durty Mick Records
Released: Sept 2008
Genre: Punk
There's actually nothing stand out or particularly spectacular about this album. Which makes it a really great punk rock record in my opinion. The whole thing is just a solid delivery, sans attempts at rock-anthems or even ballads. From front to start everything about the Deadly Sins first album is pure punk-rock trucking along without pausing. Female lead vocalist Stephanie Dougherty neither screams nor does she sound like a classically trained pop-singer dropped into a mix of guitars. She's solid, straight forward, and sounds like the vocalist of a punk rock act, sometimes rough, sometimes smooth, always listenable. Really, this a fucking great record.

Yoshida Brothers - II
Label: Domo Records
Released: 2004
Genre: Shamisen, Classical
The Yoshida Brothers are famous for making the traditional Japanese Shamisen a modern instrument, by fusing the old world with the new. The second album has a lot of classical instrumentation here, with a little modern jazz as well. They let their Shamisen's do most of the work, however, and never let the old world get buried under the new. It's almost acoustic rock'n'roll.

Rough Guide To Russian Gypsies (w/ Bonus Album 'Kolpakov Duo')
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2010
Genre: Gypsy Guitar
Russian Gypsy music is much more guitar focused than any other Gypsy music I've heard. Even when vocals are included they become just another instrument with which to backup the guitar work. And some of the guitar work is fantastic. All of it acoustic. Sometimes a violin or similar sneaks in a lead performance, but most songs concentrate around some amazing string work.

The bonus CD hilights this even more, as the Kupalov Duo are two guitarists, and the whole album is The Art Of Russian Guitar, so they use even less of the other instruments than the compilation does. All of it is good uptempo music to dance to as well, very little slow music is here, all of it feels like they're trying to throw a party around each song. One of the better World Music Rough Guides I own.

Bonus Track:
Anthrax - Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't
Label: Megaforce, Nuclear Blast
Released: 6/24 2011
Genre: Thrash Metal
Anthrax finally put out some new music, not since 2004's "We've Come For You All" have the fans been able to hear anything really New. And this single track they released for free with the new-old lineup with Joey on vocals again is killer. It's all the true aggression of the 90s John Bush era, plus the amazing vocals of Joey belting out a thrash metal track that's sure to become a standard. It's fucking awesome, and available as a free download from the band or their labels websites.

[Next Weeks Audio-Bomb will be late because I'll be out of town, hopefully it'll go up late Sunday night, otherwise early Monday morning.]

Week Of 6/7 - Blues Rock, Punk, Electroswing, Industrial, Shamisen

I have a huge pile of music to work through since The Wife gifted me a bunch for our anniversary. On top of the few I had already ordered. This months new selection is also a new band - Tedeschi Trucks Band. The musicians aren't new, but the ensemble is and their debut is some good slow Blues Rock. The first of the Electro Swing compilations as well, plus some other fun stuff.

New Releases:
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator
Label: Masterworks
Release: 6/7 2011
Genre: Blues Rock
Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi have been around a while, in 2010 they got together, pulled in an 11 piece ensemble and set to work. The result is a very low-key, Blues Rock sound, with Susan's smooth voice in the lead. Her vocals don't get the usual guttural sound a long of female blues singers have, and they aren't the poppy-soaring vocals of most acts either. Just in the middle, good singing. The band itself, despite being a large ensemble, doesn't step all over itself, they manage to not sound like they're an overwhelming force. The horns are subtle, only coming out when they work best, and stepping back to the rhythm after that. Overall, it's a great first effort from the group, hopefully this isn't a short lived project.

Adding To The Collection:
Agatsuma - En
Label: Domo Records (Japan)
Released: 2007
Genre: Shamisen (traditional Japanese), Jazz
Agatsuma is another modern Tsugaru Shamisen player - a form of Shamisen from the northern most island of Japan - mixing traditional Japanese with modern styles. This album has a heavy jazz influence, a few tracks are outright jazz pieces with a Shamisen in them. All of it is excellent music, light without being lowkey or downtempo. Worth a listen if you're a jazz fan looking for something fresh injected into it.

Dropkick Murphys - The Singles 1996-1997
Label: Hellcat Records
Released: 2000
Genre: Punk
This collects all of the B-Sides, Live tracks, demos, and other assorted bits from the first two years of DKMs life, all with original singer Mike McCoglen. It was released in answer to a European release of similar nature since the early 7"s and Singles were way out of print by the time DKM gained following there, it omitted some bits, and added some other bits. The early demos and b-sides are nice, but really the gems are the live tracks, DKM always puts on a good show, and it's evident here they've done so right from the start. Good if you're a new DKM fan, or are missing some of the really early stuff if, like me, you just managed to never pick it up.

Iszoloscope - beyond within and so on
Label: Ant-Zen
Released: 9/7 2010
Genre: Industrial, Experimental, Noise
Iszoloscope is a very experimental industrial act, heavy and noisy sounds. Very unclub without being completely outside the dance zone. Some of the tracks on this release verge into ambient soundscapes that remind me a great deal of Controlled Bleeding, without being derivative of it. It's also a free release through either Amazon or Bandcamp - making it a cheap way to introduce yourself to modern electronic industrial. The album is nice and crunchy and grindy - and the best part is a short track 'unplugged' that is literally a recording of the artist hitting the buttons on the machines.

Electro Swing - compilation
Label: Wagram Records (France)
Released: 2009
Genre: Electroswing
The French took American Swing from the 20s to the 40s, plus London House/Big Beat and mashed 'em together in a wonderful up-swing sound of dance music. Seriously, this stuff is cool, upbeat, really kickin' on the dance floor. And this one-disc compilation is the perfect place to start. It has a smattering of all the little bits Electroswing has added in, scratch&wobble (turn tables scratched), hip hop MC over the swing, heavy bass lines, and even remixes and refits of old stuff - Fred Astaire gets a work over on his Puttin' On The Ritz classic. Twenty tracks of dancing goodness.

Next Week - since I have a lot of musics, I can plan ahead. Bella Morte's new release (already in hand, it's great Gothic Rock), more Shamisen, 1950s Cambodia gets an indie rock makeover, and some Industrial Rock plus a random surprise.

New Musics - punk, dubstep, North African journey

This week is several flavors of punk rock, another take on dubstep, and a compilation covering North Africa. Finally completed my Avril Lavigne discgraphy (the studio releases at least), and filling out some Dropkick Murphys.

New Releases:
Art Brut - Brilliant! Tragic!
Label: Cooking Vinyl Records
Released: 5/24/11
Genre: Punk
Art Brut sometimes gets lumped into the UK Indie Rock scene, over here in the US I consider them firmly in the Punk Rock genre, and this album especially. The whole thing reminds me of early clash - stripped down, good guitar riffs, and songs about life and people. The album actually feels like it might be from two sides of a single relationship, which puts half the songs from the girls perspective. An excellent example of punk rock that isn't all noise and bluster.

Filling Out The Collection:
Bassnectar - Underground Communication
Label: Om Records
Released: 2007
Genre: dubstep
Bassnectar is one of the 'big names' in the dubstep genre, spilling out across multiple genres actually. Here sees the inclusion of a lot of hip-hop elements, especially the MC, on top of the dubstep beats that drive the music. The lyrics come with a social message involving the increasing lack of media integrity. The beats, themselves, are top notch.

Dropkick Murphys - Blackout
Label: Hellcat Records
Released: 2003
Genre: punk
DKM has long been a favorite of mine, though I lost track of picking up releases in the early 2000s so I've got some back catalogue to fill. Blackout has a lot of now standards on it, and sounds as good as they ever have. Songs about life, drinking, working, fighting, and getting on with it. This is the album with 'Fields Of Anthenry' which is one of the best DKM versions of a Traditional out there. And the track 'The Dirty Glass' is awesome in that it's not just about a bar, but they got guest vocalist Stephanie Dougherty to sing from the point of view of the bar. Punk Rock Drinking Songs.

Avril Lavigne - Goodbye Lullaby
Label: RCA Records
Released: 2011
Genre: punk (pop punk)
The latest release from pop-punk queen Avril. It sounds more like Under My Skin, but more refined, cleaner. She's still focused on the good and bad of boys, which isn't a bad thing but one wonders how many more albums she can make on the topic. One thing missing with the more experienced sound is the grit of her first two albums, which was part of her charm. For pop-punk rock, though, this album is really good and one of the better pop- albums out there.

Rough Guide To North African Cafe
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2007
Genre: (many)
This regional compilation crosses over many genres, from blues to pop and rock. The languages also cover the entire region. Morocco, Egypt, Tunisian and Algerian artists dominate the fourteen tracks. Very little English is here, some French, but mostly native languages and instruments. Not all the artists here are from North African, or based there anymore, but all the sounds are influenced heavily by that region. Like all Rough Guides, it's a place to start to get interesting new artists.

The Vinyl Files

With a newly acquired USB Record Player I can now take my records and put them on iTunes. The first part of this endeavor is my Bad Religion discography, I was gifted their Box Set last fall, which contains all 15 Studio Albums on Vinyl, even the ones that have been (and remain) out of print in any other format.

Since ripping Vinyl is done in real time - you can't just him "Import" and walk away for two minutes, I'll only be importing 1-2 records a week from my collection.

Starting with Bad Religion, going from their opening salvo to their latest endeavor (skipping, naturally, the ones I do own on CD and have already added).

How Could Hell Be Any Worse?
Released: 1982
Short, sweet, to the point - right out of the gates Bad Religion joins the ranks of the established American Hardcore scene, and shoots to the top. SoCal punk rock was no holds barred music. Bad Religion came out with smart lyrics, Greg Graffin is also an outstanding vocalist. Everything here is good, and is still available on CD.

With that release, how could hell be any worse indeed?

Into The Unknown
Released: 1983
Well, for starters Bad Religion could immediately abandon hardcore and come out with what is the absolute worst punk rock record ever made. It's not even punk rock. It's an entire album of Flock Of Seagulls B-Sides and Rejected Tracks, that's what it is. Prog-Rock disaster.

Mercifully out of print for 25 years, only available either when you run across one of the original pressings (some 10,000 were made, some of those may even still exist) or through their 30 Years Vinyl Box Set - which is how I ended up with it. The lyrics are Bad Religion smart all the way, cutting and well sung. It's the synthesizer that kills me, really and truly. Just fucking awful.

Luckily, they put out an EP "Back To The Known" soon after going back to punk, and promptly broke up. Until a few more years had passed and they all got back together and put out the album "Suffer" in 1988 - which tore off the listeners face and shoved broken glass into the establishment's eye.

Skindred - Shark Bites And Dog Fights

Released: Fall 2009
Availability: readily both digitally and physically
Label: Bieler Bros. (independant label)

Skindred formed in the late 1990s out of a barely known band called Dub War. Originally signed with a major label, they thankfully wound up on Bieler Bros. A combo of rock, dub, reggae, metal and punk; they call it Ragga Metal, I'll go with that.

Over the course of the three albums they've released as Skindred they've refined the sound down to a well oiled machine, singer Benji Webbe brings a thankfully fresh new voice to the standard growling shout common in metal.

Stand For Something - A solid opening, Skindred's strong ties to Reggae places a lot of emphasis on social issues, and how we affect the world around us.

You Can't Stop It - Continuing on with the theme, more of a revolutionary rock anthem.

Electric Avenue - This is, beyond any doubt, the best cover of this track I have ever heard. The hard guitar edge adds a whole new dimension to this track, making it the punk song it always wanted to be.

Calling All Stations - Benji's voice goes from low rumble to melodic here. A sound that first attracted me to this group back when they were Dub War. The kind of track you want to hear let loose on the dance floor.

Corrupted - More reggae influenced than other tracks, still maintaining a dance floor stomping beat.

Who Are You? - Slowing down a bit, this track asks the ever important question; who are you to tell me I can't succeed? Interestingly the song fades out near the end and then comes right back in answering the question.

Days Like These - Picking back up again, this song occilates between slow and fast, without sounding forced.

Invicible - A solid ending to the album, another positive message song that also does well on the dance floor.

The album is short and sweet, coming in at just over 30 minutes with 8 tracks. Personally I find this a nice change compared to todays standards of packing sixteen plus mediocre tracks into an hour or dealing with solos dragging out the middle of a song.

It's good to see a group just get down the basics of delivering a solid album of hits.