Mescaline Sunrise

clams casino - natural

2012-01-29T22:44:00.001+04:00

keith sweat

2012-01-19T21:42:00.000+04:00

worm ouroboros

2012-01-19T20:38:00.001+04:00

madlib x freddie gibbs

2012-01-17T20:54:00.003+04:00

2012-01-17T02:16:00.002+04:00

Danny Brown

2012-01-17T01:41:00.001+04:00

HTRK

2012-01-14T19:14:00.004+04:00

the body

2012-01-14T03:48:00.004+04:00

RORT - Demo [2009] + GRIDE - Záškuby Chaosu [2011]

2012-01-05T05:15:00.007+04:00

neat little demo from melbourne hardcore band RORT. very enjoyable shit plus it includes a beatbox + freestyle of snoop dogg's "drop it like it's hot".

czech band GRIDE released one of the best grindcore records of 2011. very, very fast (i want to say "pummeling" but that word's been used way too much when describing grind) and bass-y. another thing i noticed were the drums which sound absolutely fucking perfect. DAT SNARE. this album is a must listen. no, really.

click images to d.l.

Umberto + Chelsea Wolfe (double header)

2011-12-26T08:24:00.003+04:00

hi.

umberto is matt hill. he describes his influences as 80s cop movies and italian horror (myspace) so it's no surprise that From the Grave is bass + synth heavy. i mean it, it's like an early 80s movie soundtrack. someone described it as a soundtrack to a john carpenter film and i find that to be quite fitting. the atmosphere he has created with the slowly pounding drums, the creeping bassline and the synth that seems to cut through it all is excellent. this album is a time-machine that has only one setting: 1982.

http://www.mediafire.com/?64s1v2n1f1vrq4q

yeah, i know the cover looks rather "pitchforky" but this album is incredible. chelsea wolfe: think feist and zola jesus and you're getting closer. Ἀποκάλυψις/Apokalypsis is, to me, a very ritualistic and cathartic album. as the album progresses, wolfe opens up at an increasingly alarming rate but you're captivated, you want to see how it ends. the album starts off with "primal//carnal" and it consists of wolfe growling and snarling. it's a good indication of what is stirring beneath the surface, not to mention a damn good opener. reminds me of the atilla bits in sunn o)))'s album, black one, only less nauseating (i mean nauseating in a good way). anyway, the album is good. get it and listen to it.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ct7y6fmyby6zro6

owen hart- self-titled 7"

2011-07-23T00:36:00.002+04:00

I searched long and hard for this shit all over until I got it from their bandcamp fucking mouth-breather that I am. Nevertheless, here we have Owen Hart, seemingly all-over-the-place yet fairly structured grindcore. Is nice, very nice

PSUDOKU - Space Grind

2011-06-20T17:42:00.006+04:00

PSUDOKU, aka GridLink on acid, is a side project of the sole member of (another great grind band) Parlamentarisk Sodomi. Described on their/his bandcamp page as "non-stop warp space grind space space space non-stop rock fusion", I simply could not resist. Simply put, no longer is GridLink's Orphan the most baffling grindcore release of recent times. A mix of fast & relentless grindcore with cool "spacey" effects and blistering technicality and innovation in a genre that usually doesn't warrant either, Space Grind is a great record. I'm assuming that traditional grindcore fans won't be all to pleased with this new Stephen Hawking Grind but to hell with them.

download | bandcamp

edit: yes, I'm back. hadn't posted in a while since I was busy and my hard-drive, which had my entire music library, was stolen along with a bunch of other things. Pretty sure the RIAA orchestrated the whole thing.

The Ciem Show - Lifelike Scenes

2011-02-09T19:38:00.006+04:00

It sure has been a while since I've listened to metal. Aside from the usual death metal/grind peppered into my playlist, I barely listen to any "real" metal. Enter The Ciem Show.

Let's dive into the basics first. The Ciem Show are a progressive/experimental metal band (with hints of doom) based in New Jersey. I met one of the members (Chris) at the Boris/Torche/Russian Circles show in Brooklyn and he was nice enough to hook me up with Lifelike Scenes, The Ciem Show's debut full-length.

Right off the bat, without even listening to the music, you can tell that these guys have put a lot of work into this album. After checking out the extensive (and I mean extensive) artwork that came with the album, I just couldn't wait to put this on my iPod and listen to it. And I'm glad I did.

The album starts off with the sound of a projector. Very fitting, seeing as how the album is called Lifelike Scenes, but that would be taking it too literally. My personal interpretation is that the projector at the start symbolises some kind of...fuck, I'm really trying to avoid the term "dream theater" here but I can't help it, it fits perfectly! The entire album, lyrically at least, seems to me to be based in a "dream world". I checked out the booklet several times because I was so intrigued by the lyrics, which evoked themes of dreams, consciousness, the abstract et al. Very nice.

Musically, this album is solid. There are some excellent riffs in here, and are thankfully not your typical prog/experimental wankery. There are even a couple of excellent solos (the one in "Theme for Lost Children" comes to mind). The drumming does its job, but doesn't detract from the appeal of the album. It's very clear that the drums are not intended to be the focal point of this opus. If I had to pick, I would say the guitars do most of the work here, but it's a joint effort along with the keys. The keys, instead of sounding cheesy, actually create a very gloomy, surreal atmosphere (much like the atmosphere in my dreams). Cool beans. If any of you have keen ears, you will be able to pick out the myriad of other, slightly unconventional instruments on this record.

A guilty pleasure of mine (not really guilty but whatever) is to define a certain band on a scale that consists not of numbers but of other bands. For instance, The Ciem Show's Lifelike Scenes has elements that remind me a LOT of Devin Townsend's side-projects (Ocean Machine and the like) and maybe a little bit of Meshuggah. The Devin Townsend reference leads me on to my final point of this blog-post: the vocals.

Okay, so I'm very, very, VERY picky when it comes to vocals and, unfortunately, the vocals on Lifelike Scenes got a mixed reaction from me. At times they fit the mood perfectly and I was really feeling them, at other times they reminded me of Devin Townsend, which was cool but a lot of the time I just wasn't feeling them. Maybe that's just me but clean vocals in metal is a bit of an issue with me. I usually don't dig them and more often than not, they make or break the record for me. Luckily, in this case, I was so impressed by this seemingly amateur effort that ended up sounding incredibly professional to me, that I didn't really care about the vocals. The music did it for me and, I know I may be contradicting myself here, the lyrics are just too awesome. Can't one enjoy the lyrics without actually enjoying the vocals? I don't know, don't judge!

Download link beeeeeloooooow.

Some extra information on The Ciem Show:

They are currently lacking a drummer so if any of you are in the NJ area and know of a drummer who is into stuff like this, you should ask them to contact these guys anywhere on the following pages.

Download|MySpace|Facebook|Bandcamp

Swans- The Great Annihilator

2011-02-02T20:17:00.005+04:00

This record seems to be hated by many and most Swans fans, probably because it pretty much marked the beginning of a gradual replacement, or a "deconstruction" and perhaps a "dilution", according to said fans, of the slow, heavy, at times brutally physical sound that typifies the early Swans sound.

Nevertheless, to me, with my limited knowledge of the Swans catalogue and my untrained ear, it seems that both Jarboe and Gira are more than capable of conveying, at times even evoking, deep, dark, complex and multi-layered emotions as with heavy use of samples and effects and as through the use of a simple, acoustic guitar. The sound may have changed, but the affects are very much still present, if not intensified.

here

Bassnectar - Wildstyle EP [2010]

2011-02-01T01:23:00.004+04:00

Most people who know me know that I don't listen to electronic music much, if at all. This includes house, techno, trance and the rest of the usual club bullshit. If I hear some of it in a club/bar, it's a different story but I never really bought/downloaded any of it so I could play it on my iPod or whatever. As of late, however, my interest has been piqued by "dubstep" and pretty much everything related to it (S/O to all the good people BassFace UAE and some friends who keep me swamped with all the good stuff). As with most trends, I missed the boat on this one and actually started listening to dubstep only in the past 2 months or so. And Bassnectar might not even be considered "dubstep"; I'm that much of a noob.

I copped this EP after listening to a track called "Underwater" which caught my attention and was a pleasant surprise. I found myself playing the song over and over again, unable to get tired of the harmony between the surreal/angelic sounding vocals and the sheer power of the bass, made that much more intense by my Beats headphones (product placement kekek). Needless to say, I was hooked and simply had to get the Wildstyle EP.

The rest of the EP is actually pretty good. Notable songs include "Hot Right Now" (which is actually a remix of an Amp Live song of the same name), "Wildstyle Method", "The 808 Track", "Falling" and "Underwater". I've actually just named 5 of the 7 tracks on this EP so that should tell you something.

Content-wise, Wildstyle is something to be played in your car, at a house party or even at home . The interesting thing is none of these things are mutually exclusive in this case, but with a lot of other music they tend to be. This is very casual listening for the casual electronic/dubstep fan and I'm glad I indulged.

Download

Group Home - Livin' Proof

2011-01-06T01:38:00.005+04:00

2010 was an interesting year, to say the least. Musically, I invested more in records and somehow increased my music IQ by getting rid of the superficial approach and taking more time to absorb albums, artists and even entire genres (or sub-genres). Unfortunately, I missed out on most of the releases of 2010 because I was too busy checking out classic shit such as Group Home. But fear not, there will be plenty of "recent" releases on this blog after this post right here (save for a future MF DOOM post...I can't believe I haven't posted that yet but I just can't think of a write-up that would do it justice). Anyway, I digress. On to tonight's feature presentation...

Group Home are "affiliates" of hip-hop legends Gang Starr. One of the members, Lil' Dap, made his debut on a track on the classic Daily Operation album and Group Home have since then made several appearances on Gang Starr's tracks. And as far as affiliations go, all* of Livin' Proof was produced by DJ Premier, one half of Gang Starr and probably your favourite producer's favourite producer. That is actually the focal point of this record: the production. The rhymes are surprisingly average for a 1995 record (smack-dab in the middle of the Golden Age of Hip Hop) but the production is impeccable. Premo's work on Livin' Proof is timeless and, as Allmusic said, a "rhythmic masterpiece".

All in all, Livin' Proof is a very enjoyable listen. The beats are great to bob your head along to and the lyrics are good but, like I said earlier, the rhymes are average. Don't let that stop you from copping this though because it comes very highly recommended, if only for the production work.

d/l

*Premo produced all but 2 of the 13 tracks, one of which was actually produced by Guru (R.I.P.)

Maladie - S/T

2010-12-05T02:24:00.003+04:00

Hello. First off, apologies for my disappearance (if any of you actually care). Second...well, there really isn't a second part. I guess I'm just sorry for the lack of posts. Anyway, on to today's feature presentation.

Maladie are a screamo/hardcore punk band from Tijuana, Mexico. They released their self-titled LP back in '09. Don't let them being a screamo act turn you off, they're really not like Atreyu or *insert whiny screamo band here*. I like Maladie because they mix all that raw energy and intensity of hardcore punk with melody and let's face it, we all appreciate a little melody every now and then. The downside here is that the songs are all in Spanish and aside from "Hola!" and "Que pasa?", my Spanish sucks. Hell, it's non-existent. Since I'm a sucker for lyrics (especially with hardcore bands), I couldn't appreciate this band as much as I could've but I still enjoyed the hell out of this record. It's energetic from start to finish and doesn't get boring at all. Highly recommended.

download

KRS One- Return Of the Boom Bap

2010-11-24T18:57:00.003+04:00

Aaand we're back, after a brief postless period, with some classic, very much socially and politically aware hip-hop from KRS-One. Shit is dope.

Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Almost Everyone

might as well read and rap along

Head Hits Concrete - Thy Kingdom Come Undone

2010-11-11T18:29:00.005+04:00

Okay, this is awesome. Head Hits Concrete are a political grindcore band from Winnipeg, Canada. As some dude on the intertubes put it, they sound "like early Iron Lung, only out of tune". Just to clarify, out of tune = awesome in this case because holy fucking dissonance is this shit great.

I ended up buying this record from here (digital download only) and in all honesty, you should too. There's a lack of political/conscious grindcore right now and these guys need your support. The only reason I'm putting up a download link is because 1. it's not the whole thing (missing a good 10 or so tracks) and 2. more people need to hear this shit. I don't know about y'all, but I was pretty surprised to see that this band is hardly ever mentioned.

Just a quick breakdown of what I'm giving you here: 48 tracks of pure dissonant, aural assault and album artwork/booklet + liner notes/lyrics (just to put this record into context). Enjoy!

booklet | download

Lack of Interest

2010-11-10T22:36:00.004+04:00

Lack of Interest are playing MDF and I'm fucking depressed because it's another band I've been dying to see at that damned festival. Check out the entire line-up here. Anyway, there's no point crying over this (yes, I cried). On to the music.

Lack of Interest are a powerviolence/fast band from Southern Cali. Stylistically they're very similar to Negative Approach and/or Infest (one of my favourite bands in the genre). That doesn't mean that you don't have to listen to these guys. You simply have to. They, along with Infest, personify every single thing I love about powerviolence. It's not just the music, it's also the vocals. The vocals here remind me of the sound I (or you) would make if someone took a nailgun and shot one of those 9-inch motherfuckers straight through the arm. Very angry, very loud and very grunt-like.

For those of you who skipped everything I just wrote to get to the links, let me break down what I've put here:

Double Whammy (split w/ Spazz)

Trapped Inside

Take Another Step

Split w/ Capitalist Casualties

Deathspell Omega - Paracletus

2010-11-08T17:17:00.005+04:00

The moment has finally arrived. Paracletus is the climax. It is the culmination of 8 (possibly even more) years of hard-work and dedication by the brilliant French avant-garde black metal band Deathspell Omega.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, allow me to shed some light. Paracletus is the final part of the trilogy, the first 2 pieces being Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice and Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeturnum.

I was going to write a lengthy bit on this album (what? I really was!) but there's someone out there who has done a fantastic job already. I strongly advise clicking the link below BEFORE listening to the album in order to fully appreciate what you're listening to.

link

download

low threat profile-s/t 7"

2010-11-07T16:13:00.003+04:00

"this conversation is going nowhere"

old dudes showing us kids how to play powerviolence

here

On a completely unrelated note, I cannot stress how excellent gospel is, do not hesitate to jump on this

Uyama Hiroto-A son of the sun

2010-11-07T16:11:00.000+04:00

Oh glorious, glorious beats
Japanese instrumental hip-hop, very much in the vein of Nujabes.

here

Kegcharge - Sadistic War Glory

2010-11-07T03:42:00.003+04:00

Ok, I'll admit that this post is mainly a "free post" (i.e. to increase the blog's output) but that doesn't mean that Kegcharge are by any means bad. Just not mindblowingly awesome. Having said that, I do enjoy this record quite a bit.

Some info on the band: Kegcharge consists of members from World Burns to Death and Severed Head of State (!) aaaand they play d-beat. Rather good d-beat too. Have fun with this one.

download

No Friends

2010-11-04T00:57:00.002+04:00

No Friends are a hardcore band without all the recent gimmicks: breakdowns, tough guy attitude etc. They play straight up hardcore that harkens back to the style of the "good ol' days". Bands like Gorilla Biscuits come to mind...

Anyway, the vocalist of No Friends also does vocal duties with Municipal Waste and that's one of the reasons why I like this band so much. The old school thrashy vocals with melodic hardcore punk. Check em out.

download

Everybody digs Bill evans

2010-11-03T00:51:00.003+04:00

Not a fan of jazz? You now are.

Infidel?/Castro! - Bioentropic Damage Fractal

2010-11-02T14:39:00.002+04:00

Infidel?/Castro! is an "experimental" band from Philly comprising of George Korein and the incredibly talented Colin Marston (of Krallice, Gorguts, Dysrhythmia and Behold...the Arctopus fame). They've been on hiatus since 2005 which is the year they released Bioentropic Damage Fractal. I'm really upset that I got this album only now because I would really have liked to discuss this avant-garde...creature with Colin when I met him. No point dwelling in the past, let's move on to the album.

B.D.F., simply put, is a sprawling amalgam of noise, idm, glitch and dark ambient. There are probably more genres/sounds thrown into the cauldron that I don't think I have heard...yet. Originally packaged as a double-disc album, us downloaders will have to experience the whole thing as one (unless you tag the 2 sets of track as different albums). I'm not complaining. The songs on this album range from under 2 minutes to over 20 minutes and every single one of them is insanity in audio form. I'm still on my 2nd listen and loving this shit more than ever.

Word of advice: I don't want to alienate my blog readers but it really would help if you are into the noise genre otherwise this album will go unappreciated. This is not easy-listening but rather rewarding once you get into it.

download

Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

2010-10-30T18:58:00.003+04:00

Flying Lotus, a.k.a. FlyLo, is a producer/"laptop" musician from Cali. After his first album 1983, he became known as one of the better hip-hop instrumental producers out there. Even before all that, he used to produce the music for AdultSwim's inter-show segments (not surprising seeing as how AS is obsessed with Dilla/DOOM and eclectic underground hip-hop). Cosmogramma is different because it's not entirely focused on hip-hop, but a myriad of genres. An interesting, experimental mix of ambient, IDM, jazz, trip-hop and more, Cosmogramma is a beautiful album and has immense replay value.

download

ampere- the first five years

2010-10-30T17:24:00.002+04:00

I must say, I'm really settling in nicely with the whole "intelligent" segment of bands within hardcore. First, Dangers, then Orchid, now Ampere. Might seem like it undermines the whole punk mentality, but really, fuck it, I love when one's aesthetic side merges with the intellectual side. Brilliant.

here

Raymond Scott - Manhattan Research, Inc.

2010-10-23T14:48:00.003+04:00

"the music you are listening to is completely electronic and has been created & produced on equipment designed and manufactured by manhattan research, in a vision of raymond scott enterprises, inc."

the name of the game

is lightworks

p.s. the song "lightworks" on cd-1 is where dilla got his samples for lightworks on his album donuts.

Cannonball Adderley

2010-10-22T14:35:00.005+04:00

got sax?

download

My dinner with Andre(1981)

2010-10-20T21:31:00.004+04:00

I'm going to post this just because. Hopefully this might catch on.

Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, apparently playing themselves, share their lives over the course of an evening meal at a restaurant. Gregory, a theater director from New York, is the more talkative of the pair. He relates to Shawn his tales of dropping out, traveling around the world, and experiencing the variety of ways people live, such as a monk who could balance his entire weight on his fingertips. Shawn listens avidly, but questions the value of Gregory's seeming abandonment of the pragmatic aspects of life.

dl while it's still being seeded

J:Ward-More Bears on Berkeley Campus

2010-10-05T14:44:00.006+04:00

From Concord, California (East Bay Area). Since 2009. No genres, No limitations, just jams.

Might seem to some as an amateurish version of the great Gospel.

myspace
link

(I really don't want to engage in semantics here, but methinks the prog-rock tag doesn't really apply here, or at least not in the way it would to Gospel.)

charles mingus- the black saint and the sinner lady

2010-09-23T12:35:00.005+04:00

Time to branch this blog out a bit.

Best example of "collective improvisation" in jazz

listen

kickball-ABCDEFGHIJKickball

2010-09-12T23:06:00.003+04:00

Every single review of this band seems to include the word "awkward" at least half a dozen times. From my perspective ( the non-show goers perspective:( ), this doesn't seem like an altogether just description, again judging by only the album. However, to claim that there is no such element present would be a lie.

Think of this as a cross between Algernon and Minus The Bear.

First track is sooooooo fucking good

Orange Goblin

2010-09-12T22:55:00.002+04:00

Orange Goblin are a stoner/doom metal band from England, formed in '95. I had first heard of them thanks to a promo CD which had a bunch of artists that had the whole southern rock/stoner vibe going on (Alabama Thunderpussy and the like). I liked them immediately, even though I had never heard anything like that, except Black Sabbath.

The music really shouldn't need a description if you're familiar with the whole stoner/doom thing. If you want to compare, I would say it's a mix between Electric Wizard and Fu Manchu.

Time Travelling Blues

Coup De Grace

Damage Digital - Moss

2010-09-12T10:26:00.004+04:00

Damage Digital are a Japanese grind band. As a friend said when I told him: "that's all I need to hear".

LIYL: Discordance Axis/GridLink

download

Craft - Terror Propaganda

2010-09-11T09:04:00.004+04:00

More black metal coming your way. Craft are a Swedish BM band (!) formed in '94 and have been kicking ass ever since. I know you're all secretly rolling your eyes at that picture and most BM bands don't really take the whole BM misanthropic mentality very seriously but Craft really do, especially on their Terror Propaganda album. Don't fuck with these guys.

I dig this cd because, and I know I'm gonna sound like an elitist when I say this, it's true black metal. When I say true, I don't mean trve a la posing in the forest and holding spiked bats etc. True in the sense that there's a distinctly punk attitude pervading the entire album. You can also hear it in their music. There's also a crust influence, as well as some doom (some songs give off a very Amebix-ish vibe). So put this on, run around giving the middle finger to everyone, burn a church, whatever. Just listen to this record.

download

I'm In A Coffin

2010-09-10T00:39:00.004+04:00

I haven't listened to black metal in ages but I recently rekindled my interest in the genre. Let's start with I'm In A Coffin. Now, I know that black metal is the "in" thing with the hipster generation (they have shed the plaid/flannel and have now donned the obligatory Burzum shirt as well) and I thought that this was just another couple of bozos trying to be all trve, kvlt etc. I mean, what else was I supposed to think when their members' names are Sad-Ist and Adorable? I must say, I stand corrected. I'll go so far as to say that I will recommend this band to anyone who is into the DSBM scene (depressive suicidal black metal, for those of you who don't know). The abysmal depression and claustrophobia which I grew to love in black metal are all here.

download

2010-09-07T14:39:00.005+04:00

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be

What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o' the milk of human kindness

Great fucking IDM album by mathmo genius Caribou (previously Manitoba). About care and acompassion for others, obviously.

here

Sunn O))) & Boris - Altar

2010-09-07T01:59:00.003+04:00

I finally get to see drone-doom gods Sunn O))) and Boris perform their collaborative masterpiece Altar tomorrow so this post is all about that. I first got this album 4 years ago and have playing the absolute shit out of it since then. A lot of you who visit this blog probably already have this (I'm assuming this...) but I'm going to put it up anyway. Altar has some beautiful soundscapes, crushing guitars & feedback and topped off with Atsuo's crazy ass drumming.

download

Jesus Cröst

2010-09-06T07:47:00.003+04:00

Yeah, I know I've putting up a lot of grind/fast shit lately but this is my blog so fuck off.

Jesus Cröst are a fucking ace band from BELGIUM of all places. New favourites so you know you want to check them out. I'm putting up 2 albums of theirs: TOT and 010. They're going to be putting out a split with Phobia soon so cop that once it's done.

TOT

010

Wormrot - Abuse

2010-09-01T22:25:00.003+04:00

Wormrot are a fucking amazing grindcore band from Singapore. This post is in honour of their show at Santos tomorrow night (details here). Check out their unrelenting full-length, Abuse (it has a fucking Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover, for fuck's sake!).

download

edit: due to visa issues, they won't be able to play the nyc date tomorrow. sucks but the good news is that they'll still be playing in october. woop!

S:t Erik - From Under The Tarn

2010-08-25T08:53:00.003+04:00

Quick post time. S:t Erik are a Swedish stoner/doom band with some interesting vocals. I like this one.

here

Earth

2010-08-22T07:57:00.003+04:00

(that's me trying to be witty)

The word "monolithic" gets tossed around a lot these days, as do "epic" and "awesome". The number of musical projects that I would describe as monolithic is tiny, among them are Neurosis and Earth. If you have even the slightest interest in drone/doom, you would have heard of Earth. Fun fact: Sunn O))) is so named because of 1. worship of the Sunn O))) equipment and 2. they thought it would be a cute little tribute to Earth (Sun and Earth...get it?). Earth's influence is without a doubt massive and their music amazing. Here are 2 awesome albums of theirs.

The first album is Pentastar: In the Style of Demons. It's sort of mind-boggling due to the facts that it has a predominantly stoner rock influence and that it was released after Earth had established themselves among the pioneers of drone/doom. That aside, this is a beautiful album. Incredibly soothing. On the other end of the see-saw we have...

Earth 2. This, ladies and gentlemen, is an abso-fucking-lutely huge album. Now, I know a lot of you can't stand drone or anything with even a lot of feedback in it (fuck you), but I believe everyone should listen to this album. This, my friends, is monolithic.

Tobacco-Fucked Up Friends

2010-08-19T13:58:00.003+04:00

For those that do not know, Tobacco is the alias of the mastermind behind Black Moth Super Rainbow. Again, for those who do not know, I think I may have posted my favourite BMSR record, Eating Us, sometime ago last year. For those that do know, think of FUF as a more dancey version of BMSR, so more programmed beats and thick bass and less psychedelic synths. All in all, a fantastic album.

shamelessly taken from ongakubaka

Dark Castle - Growing Slow (live video)

2010-08-18T20:51:00.002+04:00

Here's a video I took of Dark Castle playing "Growing Slow" at Webster Hall in NYC.

Mountain - Climbing!

2010-08-18T00:31:00.003+04:00

Mountain are a hard rock/classic rock/blues band from New York. I've been listening to their 1970 album, Climbing!, almost obsessively for a while now. Music you'd like to listen to on a road trip.

download

Dangers

2010-08-13T13:18:00.005+04:00

There once lived an author by the name of Richard Brautigan who wrote a lot of books during the wonderful beat movement. Being a depressive, one day he shot himself in the solitude of his own house, only to be remembered and found 2 months later, where police found a letter saying "Messy, isn't it", next to his disemboweled body.

So, hardcore for the book-reader, this is. Absolutely fantastic lyrics. Here's one such example, title probably inspired by Mitch Hedberg's famous line:

I'm in the red
I've got the blues
I'm token black,
An early greying fool.
I need an orange
I need a lime
I need a last name that don't feel like such a crime.
I feel 16
I feel 60
I feel 9 to 5.
So sick of rent checks
So sick of life vests
So sick of 5 foot 9.
Once was lost but now am drowned.

****
blog

Ceremony @ Death by Audio (video)

2010-08-11T09:34:00.003+04:00

Part of Ceremony's set at Death by Audio in Brooklyn. I had to get my ass out of that crazy crowd and decided to take some videos of it. Insane.

Magrudergrind @ Cake Shop (video)

2010-08-08T09:23:00.003+04:00

Here's a video I took of (part of) Magrudergrind's set @ Cake Shop, Manhattan. They absolutely killed it. Fuck the Facts also played and they're amazing live and even though their singer is pregnant, she has insane amounts of energy. I have a video of FtF but haven't uploaded it to the 'Tube yet.

Boris...LIVE

2010-08-05T23:17:00.008+04:00

So while chilling out and waiting for the Unsane show (which is no doubt going to kick ass) I realized that I'll finally be seeing BORIS live tomorrow (with Torche & Russian Circles). Boris are without a doubt one of my favourite bands ever and I support this with the fact that I have 97% of their musical output (mostly downloads, alright? stfu) and love almost every minute of it. Their live show is supposed to be amazing and "looking forward to it" is a criminal understatement.

In honour of the show tomorrow, here's a little playlist I compiled that reflects what I think their setlist will be (I'd love to think that they'll play Flood/Feedbacker/Amplifier Worship in their entirety but I doubt that's going to happen):

1. Farewell (full version) [Pink]

2. Rainbow [Rainbow with Michio Kurihara]

3. 8 [Japanese Heavy Rock Hits Vol. 1]

4. Luna [Chapter Ahead Being Fake split with Torche]

5. Floor Shaker [Statement 7'' (but I've uploaded the live version from the Wolf Creek show)]

6. Statement [Smile/Statement 7'']

7. Woman On The Screen [Pink]

8. A Bao A Qu [This song has several versions. Of the A Bao A Qu 7'', Mabuta No Ura Film Soundtrack, The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked and the Variations versions, the one on the 7'' is the best but it's also the longest so for the sake of brevity (relative to a Boris playlist, after all), I've put up the Variations version]

9. 16:47:52... [Japanese Heavy Rock Hits Vol. 3]

10. Akirame Flower [Golden Dance Classics split with 9dw]

11. Pink [Pink]

12. Korosu [Heavy Rocks]

13. 1970 [Heavy Rocks]

14. Untitled [This song is on Smile but the live version from the Wolf Creek show is definitely much better so I've put up that one]

download

So that's it. For a complete list of their discography, head over to their page on Metal Archives. If you're in NYC and haven't heard about this show and would like to check it out, it's at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn.

Misanthropic Noise (video)

2010-08-05T12:16:00.005+04:00

I can't sleep so here's a couple of videos I managed to take during Misanthropic Noise's set. Misanthropic Noise are a grindcore band from the fucking woods of Connecticut of all places. They played the show as a 2-piece (bassist couldn't make it).

myspace.

Unsane + Keelhaul

2010-08-05T07:03:00.006+04:00

This post is in honor of this awesome show that I'm going to tomorrow (Unsane playing all of Scattered, Smothered & Covered goddamn!).

The first part of the post is Unsane's classic '95 album Scattered, Smothered & Covered. For those of you who don't know, Unsane are a noise rock/hardcore band formed in '88 and based in New York City.

download | last.fm

The next part of this post is Keelhaul's Subject to Change Without Notice. Again, for those of you who don't know, Keelhaul are a mix of sludge and progressive (I want to say math rock but I haven't listened to much of it to know what it is) with some hardcore/post-hardcore thrown in for good measure.

download | last.fm

p.s. Also playing at the show are Disappearer and Pigs. Haven't listened to much of Disappearer's work so I can't tell you if they're good or not.

p.p.s. if you're in the NYC area and you dig any of these bands (or if you just got into them because of this post lol), do show up at Santos Party House tomorrow for some good times!

Creative Waste - Cruelty Beyond Conception

2010-08-03T09:55:00.006+04:00

Creative Waste are a grindcore band from Saudi Arabia (inb4lolwtf). I just got back watching them play at the Lit Lounge in Manhattan and they killed it. I had heard of these guys back in Dubai, where they were even supposed to play a show but they never got 'round to it due to problems with promoters and such. I bought Cruelty Beyond Conception at the show (and yes, I asked permission before deciding to put it up on for free download) and it slays. It's quite an improvement from their previous effort Colonies. Even though some songs are a bit long for grindcore ("Screamer" is 6 minutes long but I think there's a bonus track in there somewhere, not sure), it's still a very enjoyable listen.

download

The other bands that played were also great. Links below.

Misanthropic Noise (excellent grind from Connecticut)

Psytoxia (goregrind/grindcore from upstate NY)

Pyrrhon (progressive/tech death from New York that's very reminiscent of Death, Gorguts and the like)

EDIT: pics from the show are here.

324 - 冒涜の太陽

2010-08-03T00:58:00.006+04:00

324 are a grindcore band from Japan. There's not much else you need to know, other than the facts that they've put out a bunch of splits with the likes of Venomous Concept, Discordance Axis & Corrupted and that they rule. This is their first album (pronounced "boutoku no taiyo").

download

toe - the book about my idle plot on a vague anxiety

2010-08-02T09:02:00.007+04:00

This has quickly become my favourite toe album and one of my favourite albums of all time. There was a toe post here not too long ago (For Long Tomorrow) but I'm posting this band up here again. This is instrumental post-rock at its best, imo. Not to mention their drummer is bloody insane. You should get this, you'll love it, no matter what kind of music you're into.

Tracklist:

5. all I understand is that I don't understand

6. c

7. past and language

8. music for you

9. I do still wrong

10. メトロノーム

11. everything means nothing

download

buy (the cheapest you'll find online)

p.s. 孤独の発明 is just beautiful.

Mescaline Sunrise @ Facebook

2010-08-02T08:23:00.002+04:00

The Facebook page for this blog is now online! If you're on Facebook and frequent this blog, please be sure to click "like". I will update the page every time I post here so if you're on Facebook at the time, you'll be kept in the loop. I'm also hoping to get more exposure that way.

Buzzov•en - Sore

2010-07-31T00:30:00.005+04:00

Buzzov•en (not nearly as annoying to google as this guy) are a sludge band from North Carolina who sing about all the usual sludge stuff like hate, depression and struggles of life. They're without a doubt one of my favourite bands in the genre along with Eyehategod & Weedeater but they never seemed to attract the same amount of attention those guys seemed to get. Their album Sore comes at you screaming and thrashing, interspersed with feedback and movie samples. You can really feel where they're coming from when you read the liner notes of the album which shed light on their heroin/crack habits, the several periods of homelessness and their slight insanity. All in all, this is some good shit. Cop it and try to get the cd if you can.

download

p.s. this is the correct spelling so if you're anal about how your music should be sorted, tag them like "Buzzov•en".

p.p.s. these fuckers are BACK! they're going to be playing 5 dates in the USA so if you're there, check them out! tour poster.

Funktastic

2010-07-25T07:40:00.003+04:00

I don't have access to my hdd right now so no cool album/split today. I do, however, have an amazing funk mix that a dude on slsk gave to me. I'll have the download links up by tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy the fine tunage.

here

download part 1

download part 2

john frusciante-niandra ladies and usually just a t-shirt

2010-07-15T13:18:00.003+04:00

Debut solo album by John Frusciante, of RHCP fame. A two-parter actually, the first being niandra lades, completed a few years before the latter part. Massive difference between the two, as is to be expected from a 2-part record. First is more acoustic-based with whiny vocals and probably sets the foundation for the remainder of the album, much less tuneful and more experimental lo-fi shizz. Still, not to be ignored, and is probably a more exhilarating listen than any RHCP album.

All untitled tracks belong in "Usually Just A T-shirt"
****

Lewd Acts (r.i.p.) - Black Eye Blues

2010-07-14T03:01:00.002+04:00

I was supposed to see these guys play with Mammoth Grinder in Brooklyn on the 15th but they called it quits some time ago. Very sad, especially since they've quickly become one of my favourite hardcore [punk] bands.

Download

Buy (it's only $5 so don't be cheap)

(Beautiful) Merch

Faiz Ali Faiz & Titi Robin - Jaadu [Magic]

2010-07-11T06:26:00.003+04:00

I'm taking some time off from the daily goings on of living in New York to post something that means a lot to me, both in terms of music and culture. Faiz Ali Faiz is a Qawwali singer from Pakistan and Thierry "Titi" Robin is a French musician who is known to experiment with gypsy music, flamenco and Arabic music on different occasions. They are collectively known as Jaadu ("Magic" in Urdu). For those of you who aren't familiar with Qawwali, it's a type of Sufi devotional music performed mainly in shrines in North India and Pakistan.

Even though I'm an atheist, Qawwali has always held a special place in my heart, mainly because I've seen so much of it during my childhood and the emotions behind it are so genuinely heart-felt that it would be difficult not to be moved by it. Of course, speaking the language is greatly advantageous but I wouldn't let that stop me if I were you.

I first heard of these guys at the WOMAD festival in Abu Dhabi, UAE and it was a fantastic experience. Fusion at its best. Get this if you're a fan of world music (or music in general).

Download

Why?-Oaklandazulasylum

2010-06-30T17:50:00.003+04:00

Ever since discovering a little gem in the form of Hymie's basement some time ago, and instantly falling in love with it, I began to deig a little deeper into anticon, the genre-defining record label. Established in 98' by a few art-school rejects, the label started to slowly carve a niche out for itself in the hip-hop world, ultimately creating a new genre, more commonly known as "anticon".

Excellent record from the band of one of the shareholders of this wonderful label , Yoni Wolf.

here

Double post: The Roots (Dilla Joints) + Bastard (No Hope In Here)

2010-06-24T23:30:00.004+04:00

This is going to be a quick double feature since I'm leaving for New York in a couple of days and have a bunch of things to take care of. Let's get started.

First off, we have one of my favourite hip-hop acts covering songs by one of my favourite producers in the same genre. ?uestlove and co. have been covering the late J. Dilla's tracks for a while now and this right here is a compilation of the best ones. Absolutely sublime and very relaxing.

Download

P.S. If you like this, you should definitely buy the new Roots album. Real hip-hop is hard to come by in 2010 so it's really quite special.

On the other end of the spectrum we have BASTARD (so good it has to be written in block capitals), a Japanese hardcore band. I don't know if hardcore fans out there are familiar with the awesome power of Japanese hardcore but if you're not, BASTARD will be happy to provide a great introduction. Aggressive hardcore/crust for the most part, at times morphing into thrash and sometimes even catchy (le gasp). Cop this, you know you want to.

Download|Buy

King Geedorah - Take Me To Your Leader

2010-06-23T16:07:00.002+04:00

Take Me To Your Leader by King Geedorah is an incredible example of hip-hop. King Geedorah is one of the many alter-egos of Daniel Dumile a.k.a. MF DOOM. Regarding the album, Dumile says:

"You should listen to the album for what it is and not expect it to be like the average "rap" stuff you’re probably used to. Geedorah is a space monster. He's not from the Earth. I made it different on purpose. A blend of ill lyrics and instrumentals. To me its way iller than any of the wack shit out now... This whole album is Geedorah's alien perspective on humans. This is done intentionally to show the listener a mirror image of his/herself and the way we see each other. On the album we cover different subjects ranging from race issues to the neglect of children. Some might find the word "Nigger" offensive, or the line about the young girl not being able to read maybe considered a "bad taste" joke. All these insecurities are within us."

Download

Lipslide - Look On The Bright Side

2010-06-19T16:18:00.002+04:00

Let me take this opportunity to promote one of my favourite bands from the Dubai scene. Lipslide are a bunch 4 hard-working, fun loving guys who make some good ol' hardcore for people to throw down and kick ass to. The link below contains their unfortunately short, 3 track EP entitled Look On The Bright Side and it's just great to listen to.

Download | Myspace | Facebook page

And check out other bands on their label here

Queen Elephantine - Yatra

2010-06-19T15:57:00.005+04:00

Queen Elephantine is a predominantly doom/psychedelic band formed in Hong Kong, which is where I first heard of them and watched them perform, and are now operating out of New York. Their music is incredibly layered and almost trance inducing throughout, consisting of stoner/sludge riffs, parts with classical Indian music (one would've thought that the inclusion of the sitar in psychedelic music was an obvious choice but we don't see that very often, do we?), amazing atmosphere, somewhat creepy spoken word passages and more. You'd think a mix of all this would come across as messy but it isn't in the least. Yatra has 2 songs, both of generous length and very enjoyable. Just play and enjoy.

Download | Official Website

P.S. I was going to include their split with Sons of Otis (a very good split, btw) but the MF uploader is taking a while so it'll have to wait. Watch this space.

Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein

2010-06-17T01:54:00.004+04:00

I'm posting in [relatively] quick succession because I'm listening to Cannibal Ox again after a long time and was overcome by the sudden urge to share my experience. Cannibal Ox is about as gritty a hip-hop act as you can get, in terms of lyrical content. This shit is depressing. You have the regular "street" themes going on but the imagery is just incredibly creative and abstract throughout most of the record and the flow(s) is/are just magical. This is all topped off by El-P's production (a talented MC in his own right) whose grinding, just-the-right-amount-of-repetitive beats capture the atmosphere created by the lyrics perfectly. Symbiosis, is what I would call this.

In conclusion, it doesn't matter if you are or aren't a hip-hop fan, I would recommend this album to anyone who can appreciate creativity of lyrical content.

download

buy & support

Infanticide - Sonic Punishment EP

2010-06-16T21:22:00.002+04:00

Being on a hardcore/fastcore/punk kick almost always, without fail, leads me back to grindcore.

Scandinavian grindcore caught everyone by surprise (well, maybe not everyone but it definitely got me) with bands like Nasum, Afgrund, Rotten Sound and the like. It's about time we add Infanticide on the list of the S.A.G. (Scandinavian Ambassadors for Grindcore) because they're, simply put, fucking awesome. Relentless, ferocious and fast, I find the EP to be aptly titled (in a good way).

Mediafire

Buy it

Punch - S/T LP

2010-06-15T23:50:00.005+04:00

The term "female fronted genre X band" has become somewhat of a trend these days, what with the predominantly male metal/hardcore scene suddenly finding itself welcoming bands whose harsh, shouty vocals are being performed by a female. I'm starting to resent that term because in many cases, the fact that the band is female fronted doesn't make even the slightest difference (unless it's clean vocals we're talking about). Case in point: Punch, a straight edge hardcore/powerviolence band from San Francisco (not surprisingly) who also happen to be vegan (fun fact). Their aptly named LP, released in 2009, delivers pretty much everything a hardcore/powerviolence/thrashcore fan looks for (not that there's a very long checklist or anything). It's fast, it's pissed off, it's vegan and the vocalist is just too damn cute. Check these guys out. Oh, did I mention I'm seeing them this summer? =D

Mediafire

Buy & Support

Dessa (taster)

2010-06-07T15:28:00.002+04:00

Dessa (some of you may recognize that name from Doomtree) is, in a nutshell, unique underground hip-hop. Mixing some great rhymes as an emcee with expressive harmonies as a singer, the result is, as bipolar as it may seem, wonderful. Full album link coming soon. Meanwhile, here's a taster:

Electric Wire Hustle - Every Waking Hour

2010-06-07T03:40:00.005+04:00

Some excellent neo-soul (?) from...New Zealand of all places! I can't get over how good this is, especially the track "Perception".

smooth like melted chocolate

buy & support

dj danger mouse- grey

2010-06-04T22:05:00.004+04:00

I was going to write a nice little review here, I really was, but now I find that I have neither the time nor the inclination (not that there's much to review here). Jay-Z's Black Album and the Beatles The Beatles LP, also known as the White Album, all cleverly mashed-up. do enjoy

The First Year - What Happens Next?

2010-06-02T20:05:00.002+04:00

What Happens Next? is a quintessential thrashcore/hardcore band from the Frisco Bay Area.

LIYL: Scholastic Deth, Betercore

Mediafire

Before the Dawn Heals Us - M83

2010-05-18T01:06:00.003+04:00

I made an M83 post a couple of months ago. I realise now that I should've posted this album then instead. Not to belittle that post in anyway, but Before The Dawn Heals Us is far more magical than Saturdays = Youth. It's almost Floydian and some songs remind me of scenes in a Lynch movie. In short, get this album if you're a fan of artists such as Slowdive and the like.

Mediafire

The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation

2010-05-04T15:55:00.003+04:00

If you liked Bohren & Der Club of Gore or ambient/noise/drone/jazz, you will enjoy this album.

Mediafire

Piece By Piece - We've Lost It All

2010-04-30T01:32:00.003+04:00

Do you like aggressive, pissed off and FAST hardcore with beatdown breakdowns and gang shouts? Well then you'll love this. I recently bought this cd and do not regret it. Piece By Piece is an overlooked hardcore band featuring members of Terror, Internal Affairs and more.

enjoy you fucks

BRO, SUPPORT!

Dub Inc. - Diversité

2010-04-20T01:40:00.002+04:00

Here's a quickie. Some good reggae/dub from France.

jah bless!

BL2DERUNNER

2010-04-13T00:23:00.003+04:00

Here's a little something I found. A little prerequisites for you to enjoy this: must've seen Blade Runner and must be a huge fan. Also should've listened to the original soundtrack by Vangelis in its entirety. Having said that, you can still sort of enjoy this piece of work. Remixed Blade Runner soundtrack (possibly for an imaginary sequel) with great shades of techno, electronica and industrial.

i've...seen things

Discordance Axis

2010-04-03T13:21:00.004+04:00

Here's a band I've been listening to for quite some time now and therefore decided to share. Some great grindcore with great lyrics.

"Duplicitous chastity preserved for rape

As my vicious circle comes around again

Pirouetting like a fan dancer

Choreographed into the desire for rebirth

Or just a wish for death

The river of Sai inseminated

By Kafka's sulfurous and potent intention

A subtle but more penetrating violation

Barring divine intervention

I count wire guided sheep

Each one an exploding bob

Inhabitat peopled by the inalienable dreamless"

The Inalienable Dreamless

Kayo Dot-Choirs of the Eye

2010-04-02T12:49:00.002+04:00

Sometimes, bands like Kayo Dot are the reason why I listen to music every day of my life.

click

Life...the Best Game in Town

2010-04-01T20:20:00.002+04:00

Georgia sure churns out some class sludge bands. In this case it's Harvey Milk.

ohh yeahhh

hymie's basement-s/t

2010-03-28T17:23:00.004+04:00

What the fuck is anticon? I've no idea, but it seems to label this record so I'm all for it. 2 guys rapping over awesome indie-ish beats. As expected, lyrical content on this one is on the intellectual side. Do enjoy, this might be the last post for some time, exams coming up.

****

Double post: Abominable Putridity + At The Drive-In

2010-03-25T20:02:00.006+04:00

Mediafire

I won't be posting again for a while so here's my way of compensating. The first is a brutal/slam death metal record I've been listening to obsessively for the past week and the 2nd is probably one of the greatest post-hardcore albums ever recorded. Enjoy people!

Vomit The Soul

2010-03-22T21:42:00.005+04:00

Here's an excellent Italian B.D.M. band I've very recently started listening to. Great technical riffs and some fantastic groovy slams (none of that wigger bullshit here). Here's the album Apostles of Inexpression.

Mediafire

Venomous Concept/324 Split EP

2010-03-20T19:17:00.001+04:00

Here's a quick fix for y'all.

Mediafire

daughters-daughters

2010-03-20T12:26:00.003+04:00

I've yet to listen to this new release due to school-work, will probably post up a proper review upon playing it through later on this week. In the meantime, enjoy

Human Harvest

2010-03-16T13:45:00.002+04:00

I'm back to my usual rotation of sick, twisted music so allow me to share. I love this band.

Mediafire

R.I.P. Biggie

2010-03-11T17:43:00.002+04:00

Biggie Smalls is probably the greatest MC of all time and this is widely considered to be his magnum opus.

DL here

ancestors-

2010-03-07T22:08:00.002+04:00

What a lazzzzyyy evening. And what better music to compliment it with than this?

here

The Chasm

2010-03-07T19:51:00.002+04:00

The Chasm is one of the death metal gems that one wishes they had heard of earlier. I haven't listened to some good DM in quite some time but I'm happy to say that this band reignited my interest in the genre. This is some good Mexican DM. Enjoy.

Metal Archives

Procession to the Infraworld

the clientele-the violet hour

2010-03-05T19:47:00.002+04:00

"The Clientele are an exercise in exquisitely crafted soporific nostalgia. For the last five years this London-based three-piece have been etching hazily melodic slices of guitar-pop in 60s-tinted hues, releasing an armful of singles and EPs, some of which were collated on 2001’s Suburban Light, before climaxing with last year’s five-song Lost Weekend EP. Such are The Clientele’s gifts that its hard to
believe The Violet Hour is only their debut album; few bands with more impressive vintages and prolific back-catalogues have managed to make records as touching, cohesive and deeply seeped in their own character as The Clientele have here."

Hijacked from the awesome glowing raw

mogwai

2010-02-28T14:08:00.002+04:00

This is all I listened to last year. Literally.
young team
come on die young

joanna newsom- have one on me

2010-02-27T21:03:00.002+04:00

Some nice folk music with very, very sweet vocals. Sometimes, just sometimes, music like this is absolutely essential.

this one's big

Agathocles/Unholy Grave Split

2010-02-21T20:51:00.003+04:00

Sick split in which Agathocles covers Unholy Grave songs and vice versa.

Mediafire

Built To Spill

2010-02-19T01:57:00.002+04:00

Gonna skip through a thorough description this time around. Here's some good indie music.

LIYL: Pavement, Treepeople

Mediafire

some kind of cadwallader

2010-02-17T17:54:00.003+04:00

this band certainly is a guilty pleasure of mine. Emo(more like emo in the vein of cap'n jazz then anything) band from philly. Some nice indieish melodies combined with annoying wails.

****

Colour Haze

2010-02-16T21:44:00.003+04:00

A friend introduced me to this band very recently and I must say I'm incredibly impressed. German psychedelic/stoner rock done right.

"Initially, the band seemed to be strongly influenced by the sounds of Black Sabbath - perhaps most notably in their 1999 album, titled Periscope. This style later evolved into an unmistakably dry, bass-laden soundscape. Characteristic of this phase is Kogleks’ continual guitar playing between trance-like bass rhythms. The albums Ewige Blumenkraft and Los Sounds De Krauts allowed the band to further develop this style with longer, more complex song structures, and increasingly strong jam and jazz elements."

Mediafire

*edit: Album linked is All.

9dw

2010-02-16T01:21:00.002+04:00

I first heard of these guys on a split with Boris (those guys never cease to amaze me) and I thought they were pretty neat. Here's their full-length and it's some really chilled out downtempo stuff with a bit of jazz in the mix. Incredibly relaxing.

Mediafire