The Ladies - They Mean Us (2006)

The Ladies are a project combining the cephalopodic drumming skills of Zach Hill from Hella and the chameleon songwriting skills of Rob Crow from Pinback and a billion other bands. I have read alot of reviews where people are saying this sounds like a combination between Hellas mathy bursts of prog rock and and Pinbacks mellifluous prog-pop. I can agree on one thing, that "prog" (or progressive, as it were) is a definite touchstone, but I cant really agree that this has any relation to Pinback other than the fact that Rob Crow does all the singing. The music, while remaining propelled by Zachs ridiculous drumming skills, is far more reminiscent of Rob Crows previous output as Heavy Vegetable or his solo work recorded under his name. If you happen to have enjoyed any of Rob Crows albums then you will find much to love here. On the other hand, I am not much a fan of Hella other than a minor interest and the respect I have for the musicians involved, but I am willing to bet fans of Hella will enjoy the album too. Seriously, Zach is incredible and I think hes even better and more unpredictable than Damon Che of Don Caballero. Zachs drums rest at the forefront of much of the album with a few tracks falling into strictly Hella territory but its Robs song writing prowess that keeps all the songs afloat with solid melodies and his great singing voice. The final track "Mandatory Psycho-Freakout" is a great closing and hopefully points the way to more collaborations between these two musicians.

You can find out more about the band on their labels website, Temporary Residence Limited, home to Explosions in the Sky, Eluvium, Grails and Mono

Isis - Essential Albums

I am going to start something over the next few weeks. My attempt is to convert those who need converting to become fans of bands that have been influential and important in my life. Sure thats a whole load of subjectivity for you, but the basic fact is that if you like rock music then these bands will be the bands you must have. So theres my attempt at objectivity. Of course I feel that way to some degree about most of the music I post here, otherwise I wouldnt be posting it. Some of the music admittedly is too much for some, or just not their cup of tea, but these upcoming bands are the cream of the crop, and I will be putting you under the influence of their greatest material.
Generally my idea is to make a mix of the bands recorded material, excerpting less successful songs, and arranging those that I feel best represent each bands modus operdandi. My first installment is the best of the best of the Doom/ Sludge pioneers, ISIS. They are full albums as splitting their work up would disrupt the flow and thus take away from the overall feel. Granted, they dont need much help in converting people into fans, as many of you most likely already like them and own most if not all of their stuff. But for those who may not have heard them I offer these three slabs of Isis's perfection.

Oceanic (2002)

This album truly needs no introduction past the title of the record. This album is Oceanic. If you need more of a description you should go to Pitchfork who gave it an unprecedented 9.1, but trust me, my description is all you need.

Celestial (2001)

I'll spare you a description saying this album is Celestial (though it is) and go one step further and say that this is the sound of all primal universal energy, expanding and contracting and finally, space folding in on itself. This is a beast of an album that defies description. If all youve heard was Panopticon or Oceanic, you are not prepared for this. While lacking some of the post rock inventiveness that Oceanic perfected, it makes up for it with tribal pulsing and crunching. An extremely visceral album.

Mosquito Control (1998)

Their first output (minus the demo that was previously released) is the most primitive of their recorded output but also, in the same nature of their first full length Celestial, it has a way of punching you in the gut and knocking you over the head. This definitely treads into the "extreme" side of their work as there is little post rock/ shoegazer tendencies and Aaron Turner bellows like he has just awoken from an eternal slumber in a volcano. The music fittingly follows suit and will certainly have you gasping for air, and of course reaching for the repeat button. Or if you are like me, you will quickly throw on Celestial and continue the journey.

The Red Sea, Panopticon and the new album In the Absence of Truth are all also worthy of any collection. I chose the three I did as they are the best of their work in my opinion and have gotten the most plays out of all the albums. Panopticon follows closely behind these three and has some amazing tracks. The new album can be found here courtesy of Van Zwam.Make sure you say thanks and if you like what you hear you can support the band by going to their awesome live shows and purchasing albums and cool t-shirts as well as a bunch of other stuff on the bands website, Sgnl>05

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream (1992)

Henry's Dream is a good place to start a healthy Nick Cave obsession. It rests nicely between his previous albums dark and brooding mood and his more recent albums theatrical and brooding mood. Just kidding, sort of. The older works seem to embrace the darkness surrounding his life whereas on the more recent albums, Nick seems to be searching for a light, or a way out of the darkness, though still remaining bleak and without much hope. The Bad Seeds are in top form here (as always really) and Cave himself propels his narratives with the seething lash of an evangelist bent on converting the world. But there is no proselytizing or soap box shenannigans with Nick Cave. His is nothing but the most brutal and primitive of human want and desire. He is a great orator of our modern age and rarely can a band or a singer fill the mind with such rich and darkly romantic pictures as to almost awaken the dark corners of ones own mind into reacting, to feeling, to tapping your damn feet and pouring yourself a glass of whiskey to drown in his same sorrows. That is my best attempt at describing what can only truly be described by the man himself. The whole album is classic and hummable and will certainly be stuck with you for a long time if you allow the full weight of the songs to penetrate the mind. The album isnt all doom and decay, there are some poignant love songs here and there.

I'd like to take this time to bring awareness to the new project Nick Cave has begun with members of the Bad Seeds - Grinderman. Nick Cave is reported to be playing guitar on the record and the band is described as "Foul-mouthed, noisy, hairy, and damn well old enough to know better." You can find a link at Detectiefvanzwam and I must say that it is going to be quite a treat. A return to form, so to speak, of the trashcan style of the Birthday Party and the other members bands. Full details can be found here. A release is scheduled for early 2007 which means now is the time to keep your eyes peeled for when Grinderman are coming to a town near you. I am positive it will sell out in minutes.

Bill Hicks - (1961 - 1994)

Bill Hicks describes how certain drugs may have been left here by god to speed up and facilitate mankinds evolution.


thanks to mr. A

It seems as if the Sane Man video has been deleted from youtoube due to a violation of terms of service. In other words, "The Man" got to it and said "No, no. We cannot allow you to enjoy the late Bill Hicks's commentary on modern society without crossing our greedy palms with some greenbacks."

Of course. The fat old men of the world, who I am sure Bill Hicks despised and offended on a daily basis, have obviously found ways to profit from his work. And that in no way includes allowing people to watch his work and spread the word. You will have to do yourself the favor of burning a copy from a friend, or just straight up stealing a copy, preferably from a large chain video store such as Cockbuster Video or Shmollywood Videos...

Oh well, it was fun whole it lasted. Keep Bill Hicks alive.

Bill Hick's Website

Sacred Cow Productions

Bill Hicks on IMDb

...and Django Reinhardt, the gypsy jazz guitar virtuoso

These guys are pimps. Django and Stephane got all the ladies back then.

Django on Wikipedia
A good Django Reinhardt article in the New Yorker Magazine

...and this...

Annuals - Be He Me (2006)



"Just when you think indie rock has more than its share of quick-witted, sweet, and ambitious individuals who exclaim their undying earnestness in song, along comes Annuals, a collective from North Carolina that will surely win your heart with their bright folk-pop stylings. Singer/songwriter Adam Baker is the resident wunderkind behind it all, sacrificing convention for unabashed pop loveliness on the band's debut album, Be He Me. Not as rigid as the Arcade Fire and a bit more playful than Sufjan Stevens, Annuals create a fairytale-like place that's as rich in imagery as it is in sound (think Broken Social Scene), and songs such as the vibrant jeers of "Brother" and the silver-tongued choruses of "Complete, or Completing" make Annuals one of the most exciting arrivals of 2006. Baker and company just make it seem so easy and so much fun that one cannot help but fall for the hysterical guitar-driven moments of "Bleary-Eyed" and "Carry Around." Annuals will make you dance without a care in the world, and that is a great feeling. Yet a surly sense of humor also creeps underneath these mini-pop epics, too, particularly on the dawdling "Chase You Off." It's nice to see that Baker, at his youthful 19 years of age, doesn't strive to be anything but the clever, impressionable young man he is. The bright-eyed display of Be He Me couldn't have been done any better, and that in itself is a welcome refresher when it comes to listening to indie rock today."

I didnt write this. I cant remember where I got it either, but one things for sure; who ever wrote it did a damn good job. Oh, and this album is really great.

Fare Thee Well

Wine Women Song has come to end. mr. A has been a fabulous purveyor of fine music and fine artwork. He is very kind and very personable and I am sure many will miss his great blog and fine taste.

Tomorrow will be his last day. He is shutting the site down this Saturday the 18th of November.

For all of you who havent had the opportunity, please go take a look, there are still a few good posts left up and this is your last chance, unless of course he makes a comback next year. (hint hint ^_^)

Good luck in your pursuits A!

click on the banner for the link

ShavedNeck.com

SHAVED NECK

My friend Michael showed me this website a few weeks ago and I kept meaning to post about it. The site features posters from punk rocks shows in and around Tuscon, AZ from '82-'84. There are lots of Raymond Pettibon/ Black Flag flyers and a bunch of flyers for local bands. If you dont know Raymond Pettibon, he is responsible for a lot of Black Flag cover art and also other SST bands like the Minutemen. It seems as if the website was made by a guy who actually has all these posters saved somewhere and was at most of the shows and each poster has a blurb about the show or scene at that moment. It all lends a feeling of authenticity and also enjoyment to know that these guys were actually there and are still into it over 20 years later. An added bonus is the live audio MP3's from a selection of shows and the awesome photos of Ed Arnaud. There is plenty here to keep you busy while pretending to work or when your bored at home on the weekends.... www.shavedneck.com

I'd love to hear what your favorites were so leave a message. Mine are below.


Art by Raymond Pettibon c. 1983


Photography by Ed Arnaud c. 1983






Photography by Ed Arnaud c. 1983

The Joggers - With a Cape and a Cane (2005)

The Joggers have jangly, spikey, eastern tinged rock down. With a Cape and a Cane is a frantic, danceable, post punk tour through all that is missing from most rock these days. Three part harmonies, scathing lead guitars, inventive rhythms, and some funky driving bass lines. Okay maybe not the newest stuff to be done, but its always the execution that counts, and the Joggers pull it of with panache. The first song, Ziggurat Traffic, is the most eastern tinged song and also the least interesting, which at first made me regret buying the album. (After all, I only bought it based on the interesting review from Pitchfork, knowing nothing of the band) Not to fear though, the second song through the rest of the album is really quite amazing, recalling the complexity and drive of such disparate bands as Pavement, Fugazi and early Red Hot Chili Peppers. I swear, the guitarist barely plays a single chord the whole entire album. He just zings through crazy complex guitar work, similar in fashion to some of Les Savy Favs burners. All in all some of my favorite songs in 2005, and even 2006, have come from this album. Highlights are "Wicked Light Sleeper", "Yawning Brahmins", "White Madam", "Night of the Horsepills" and pretty much the whole second half of the album as most songs start of kind of spare and eventually break into these amazing crescendos with all sort of wailing and guitar trickery. As a bonus I added one of the best songs from their catalogue, "The Devil Wears Earplugs" from their first self titled album.

Iceburn - Hephaestus (1994)

With Hephaestus (named after the Greek blacksmith god) Iceburn sent the whole hardcore world on its side. The density and scope of this album is huge. Broken into four parts, Iron, Brick, Flyswatter and Blacksmith and then broken down again into segments, or movements, the album plays as one long 78 minute track. It is hard to describe the thunderous sounds layed forth, but the song titles are a good description of some of the sounds you will come across. Heavy and complicated, the trio winds its way through crunching hardcore heaviness and avant-garde sound experiments and throws in a bunch of jazz like passages and atonal, off-meter rhythmic complexity. It all adds up to being a very ambitious idea. One which plays out perfectly and one which the band has tried to top on consecutive releases. I personally feel that this release is their magnum opus and combines their earlier hardcore leanings with their experimental tendencies.

"Defined: Iceburn - perhaps the most amazing band in the universe. In a sentence: Iceburn is the most punk band who doesn't play anything resembling punk music. Iceburn." Aiding and Abetting Fanzine

Blood On The Wall - Awesomer (2005)

I picked NYC's Blood on the Wall up based on the Pitchfork Media review. Yes, I do that from time to time. Even though Pitchfork is sometimes contrived and elitist (similar to my beloved city), I owe a great deal to Pitchfork for all the music they have turned me on to and they can be pretty clever at times. They are knowledgable about their bands and are always good at throwing in the proper reference points. Like the review for the album Awesomer (whiched recieved an 8.1 rating out of 10), the reviewer compared it to Pavement, Pixies and Sonic Youth and even said, "I readily admit these fuckers bite all your favorite bands...". And I dont see the problem with that. When I went to buy this I was listening to a lot of Sonic Youth, specifically Goo and Daydream Nation, and Pavement and the Pixies are two of my all time favorite bands. So this seemed like a no-brainer to me, "Just go buy it!" (I bought the Joggers album "A Cape and a Cane" too). Damn, am I happy I did. So, while not being all original and expanding the envelope of modern rock music, Blood on the Wall serve up some tasty treats of dissonat stoner inspired indie rock. The band is helmed by the Brother/ Sister duo of Brad and Courtney Shanks and they both share the vocal duties, Courtney coming off with a very druggy Kim Gorden impression and Brad delivering his best voice cracking rendition of and early Stephen Malkmus meets Black Francis minus the rhetoric. The music is well played and raw, something all the aformention bands eventually lost as they polished their sound. Blood on the Wall is a great reminder what made all their predescessors so great in the first place. That unbridled and unpolished rock and roll that has been making teenagers horny and want to party and making older people relive their youth when they feel that modern music has left them bored.

The Social Registry (Record Label)

Boris - Flood (2000)

Flood is a great album and is Boris' most ambient release. 4 songs that flow directly from one to the next, each clocking in at around 15-20 minutes...The first track begins with a picked guitar line that repeats infinitely until layered with the same guitar line starting at a different measure. (think "row row row your boat" from elementary school) this creates a nice polyrythmic guitar interplay which has the effect of being very hypnotic and soothing while also feeling slightly dangerous, like the prelude to a storm. As the track nears the middle there is this incredibly huge wollop of reverbed kick drum that thuds in from time to time, eventually swallowing the whole track, leading one to believe that something terrifying might happen soon, which, after one more thud, drops us into track 2. Track 2 is downright pretty. its a very quiet melancholy affair with a pretty guitar line that has a little bit of a classic rock feel and some sparse simple drumming, but way more in line with the pace and tonality of a Mogwai song, this meanders for a while without getting boring before ascending to a sort of solo leaving us on track 3. This begins with some washes of leftover sound from the previous track minus the drumming and slowly cathartically adds some electric guitar to create a nice wall of noise before slowing to a stop and then turning into a noise sludge riff that sounds like some kind of triuphant collapsing of the heavens (almost like a metal power ballad in ultra drop D tuning), which then cresecendos into a formless and destructive tidal wave of noise. the noise and intensity are almost to the breaking point and its almost advisable to plug your ears and close your eyes because it sounds like the world is about to end as the track comes to a close (except in this case you should do your best to keep listening). Track 4 begins after the squall of noise has subsided and leaves us with an extremely ambient drone of various noises and tones. mostly some light feedback and fragments of previous melodies. as if everything that was played previous to track three has been destroyed by the end of track 3 and track 4 is what has been left in the disasterous wake.

the album should be listened to as a whole, as many will find delight in the cacaphony that is built from such pretty ambient textures and then completely annihilated. This album stands as a monument to time, a prelude, the onset, the event, and the aftermath. Rock music rarely captures natural themes so succinctly and Flood is the perfect recording of its namesake.

Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst (1996)

"Channels and handles Automator's on the panels/ turnin knobs you slobs suckers like Baskin Robs/ carvel don't tell your whole crew is ice cream fudge/ rappers that budge makin moves step in grooves/ and ride the pace like at thirty-three dark shades/ now you seein me/ rap moves on to the year three thousand"

Kool Keith is from the future and he is completely crazy. After dropping out of the Ultramagnetic MC's he spent time in a mental hospital, and returned with the persona of Dr. Octagon - a demented, acid drenched, spaced out MC from the X dimension. Beats are manned mostly by Dan the Automator, but DJ Q-Bert and DJ Shadow guest and together they mine the dark edges of the hip-hop realm. Dr. Octo's lyrics are the selling point here though. Stream of consciousness, abstract, and completely insane, there are numerous times where Kool Keith will say some rhyme and leave your head spinning and your hand reaching for the rewind button to hear what it was he said exactly. "I'm Doctor Octo curlin waste tourin' rhinos/ Liftin horses, throwin cows at your fake forces/ You know my gold style/ rabbit fur coat style". And yes, your right, he did say what you thought and it makes no more sense on consecutive listenings. The beats are also a strong point as Dan the Automator, Q-Bert and Shadow all have ridiculous skill in the beat making world. There is a heady, dark, sinister, trip-hop vibe to all of this album only heightened by strange lyrics like, "I'm strictly monster / with turtle necks like frankenstein". You cant help but think, that while it all sounds crazy there is a point and an underlying genius to it all. Definitely one of the most unique and bizarre hip-hop albums of all time.

A few classic quotes:

"With yellow eyes my green face/ my pink and white afro/ I'm no toy kid/ your style is made by Hasbro"

"Gerbils for rectums/ I break you off like Richard Gere"

"First turn rainbow/ close my eyes/ watch my brain glow/ people got scared and ran away/ they think im weird/ I was born this way/ Half Shark Alligator"

Boris - Heavy Rocks (2002)

This is The Boris Album To Have...Well, actually, if you are sort of obsessed with them like I am then you should have everything you can get your hands on. Except maybe the Merzbow collaboration 49094309840 (whatever the hell the numbers are...)

Im getting off track. Boris are chameleons of metal and doom and psychedelia and and and...they seem to have the heavy rock world locked down. Whether it is the opressive Doom of Absolutego and Amplifier Worship, or the heady atmospherics of Flood or the straight ahead Motorhead meets The Stooges in a fist fight rock and roll of Akuma no Uta and Pink, they seem to have a firm grasp on the mechanics of crushing ones head and shaking up bowels. They are a trio and they make more noise than an airport next to a demolition site during an earthquake. And the guitarist is a pretty little Japanese girl that stands about 5' tall. So to continue, Heavy Rocks is the must have "Rock" album of the group. Pink, their second to most current release is a swashbuckling battle through some high octane punk and sludge metal, but Heavy Rocks, released a few years earlier is a better representation of that sound. Super low end, dirty sludgy rock and amped up, fume-huffing fun. The song "Death Valley" is amazing with a sick hypnotic groove wedged in the middle of some seriously awesome riffs.

I know these are opinions, and opinions are like assholes, everyones got one and no one wants to see anyone elses, so enough proselityzing, the only way you will know if its for you is if you give it a try. Go on, just a little listen, you'll come back for more, I promise... No, I guarantee. ^_^

This is a Japanese release only.



Boris's Website
Southern Lord Records
Alternate Link

Buried At Sea

What a hellacious piece of doom this is! Buried at Sea, like all other doom metal bands, are slow, dirge-like and heavy as balls. But they bringe other sonic colors to the palette. Buried at Sea is to doom metal as Godspeed You! Black Emperor is to instrumental post-rock. Now dont get carried away or all excited thinking this is going to be some artsy form of doom. No way, Jose, this is still doom. Doom trolled from the bottom of the ocean floor, lying in blackness for eons and only now being drudged out of murky depths and put to tape for you sonic displeasure. The riffs are drowned in devastating distortion and bass fuzz and the vocal sound like they come from a mouth that has been clogged with seaweed and sand forever. This is doom with extremely harsh vocals. The bit they add to the mix that makes them unique are the slow unwinding passages that echo their name. In between crushing your skull under leagues of aquatic pressure they visit the sounds of drowning and drifting, occasionally using samples like the sound of the buoy in the untitled Track Two. It keeps the album from being too ovewhelming and fits very well within the theme of the band. Three tracks play together as one whole and you couldnt have it any other way in the sea of doom.



If your doom fix wasnt slaked with Migration, then move right along to She Lived For Others But Died For Us, a two song "EP" featuring one new track, named after the title and a dirty blackened cover of Eyehategod's "White Nigger". The title track is more of the same lurching doom with ambient passages that is found on the full length. The cover is actually pretty good, maintaining the sludge sound of their forefathers and actually producing an even denser version of the aformentioned track.

Buried At Sea's website

Hyatari - The Light Carriers

If Sunn O))) and Godflesh had children, not only would they be ugly deformed little bastards, but they would probably sound like Hyatari. Slow, dirge like waves of distended and distorted sound of tectonic scale lurch and grind over each other becoming at once formless yet monolithic. At times the album reminds me of the ebb and tides of the cold, cold universe in all its ugly, unpolished glory. The whole record plays as one song and flows quite nicely together. Most of the guitar tones would make any fan of Sunn O))) an instant devotee, but the clincher here is the addition of the drum machine and the use of actual riffs. This is also where the Godflesh comparisons are wrought. Akin to something like Godflesh on horse tranqulizers, this album is a sonic beast to be administered daily throughout the week.


Hyatari's Website
Hyatari's Myspace

Fugazi - Waiting Room, Wilson Center, DC 1988

This video courtesy of Hyalf. He has a great blog kicking out there and you should all make a point to drive on by there and give some shout outs and check out some of the other great videos and bands he has featured over there...

As for this video, it speaks for itself. Waiting Room is single handedly the most important song in my life, if not for turning me onto Fugazi then for completely ovehauling the way I think about music in general. But enough of that crap...follow these guidelines:

1. Listen with good speakers or wear headphones or something, cuz the recording isnt that bad, but you cant hear shit on regular computer speakers.

2. Notice the guy at the back of the stage wearing a skirt and dancing his ass off.

3. Check out Ian with a full head of hair. ^_~

4. Count how many Who-isms Guy pulls off in the song. By "Who-isms" I mean pulling out some Roger Daltrey mic swings and some Pete Townsend windmills...Great stuff. Guy is always so animated.

5. While your watching, think about why shows arent like this anymore. What happened to the magic?

Okay, I just officially treaded into "Bitter Old Man" territory. Enjoy!

Bad Brains!!!

BAD BRAINS FUCKING RULE!!!!!!!

Really, there is no band like them. True, they began to suck. But even truer, is the fact that you wouldnt be here looking for punk and hardcore if it werent for the Bad Brains....I want you all to take a moment and thank god (or Jah, as is the case) for bringing us Bad Brains....

I am not sure if you should thank god (or Jah) just yet for the supposed reunion that is going to happen. Thats right, a reunion. The original line-up of classic Bad Brains is reforming after playing three closeout shows for the old and tired CBGB. Apparently they had a lot of fun and now they want to record and album, which is to be produced by...DUN DUN DUNN!!!!!! Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys...Better known as MCA...

You can read all about it right here, and just so you can remember what made the Bad Brains so freaking good, there is a retrospective in the form of a compilation included in the link. Enjoy and keep your fingers crossed that HR doesnt go crazy and the band doesnt try to sell the public another Rise.

And watch this kick ass video of HR cuttin a rug. ^_~

Bread and Circuits

If you liked Please Inform the Captain This is a Hijack, then you will like Bread and Circuits even more. If you didnt like Please Inform the Captain This is a Hijack, then you will definitely like Bread and Circuits more. Helmed by the same guy, Mike Kirsch, DIY political punk dude, and thats exactly what you'll find here. Frantic, blazing politico punk on WAX!...or on some coded mp3 format, but whatever, its all the same when its in your ears. Let the revolution start....wait its already over. RE-LIVE THE REVOLUTION!!!

Be a good consumer and drop by the ebullition website where you can learn more about how many bands Mike Kirsch has and place bets on how long his newest band will last.
HA! I make funny.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

f#a# (infinity) - 1997 (Origin of the record title - The final track [on vinyl version] is a locked groove. The album's title is technically F Sharp, A Sharp, Infinity, a reference to the keys in which each side begins and to the endless loop at the end.)


Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada - 1999 (Origin of record title - The front of the album contains Hebrew characters, in transliterated form, "tohu va vohu". This phrase is used in Genesis 1:1-2, and means loosely "without form, and void." It refers to the shape of the universe before it was given form and order. The dots and dashes above the letters are called trope. They dictate the tune and intonation and are found in the Torah as well as the rest of the Hebrew bible. The back of the album contains a diagram with instructions in Italian on how to make a molotov cocktail.)


Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven - 2000 (Also known as: Levez Vos Skinny Fists Comme Antennas to Heaven)

There is nothing I can say to do justice to this incredible band. You must take the time to digest each album on its own time. Godspeed You! Black Emperor are some of the most evocative musicians in recent times. They use a combination of rock, classical and prog along with field recordings of poets and secutiry warnings and many others to create sweeping landscapes of post-apocalyptic instrumental rock. Their music is definitely some of the most relevant music to come out in our extremely messed up political times. I wish I could say or do more to describe this band, but you will have to do the legwork (earwork?) yourself on this one and have a listen. Each album is a full continuous idea, broken up into sections, or movements, as it were, like a classical music piece, which they often resemble. You will be taken up to the sky, you will be taken down into the depths, you will see what you dont want to and you will be given glimmers of hope in between. You will not be the same again. Music like this is beyond words, it enters the realm of the mystical and the spiritual.



"Godspeed You! Black Emperor (formerly punctuated Godspeed You Black Emperor!) is a Canadian post-rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. Formed in 1994, the ensemble have been quite influential in its respective genre, with bands from as far as Hong Kong citing them as influences in their musical work. Working on a near orchestral scale, the nine-piece group has been known to create wide dynamic ranges, unique use of instrumentation and sounds, large songs that are composed almost classically with multiple movements within itself, and engrossing use of art and visuals in both their album packaging and live performances." - from Wikipedia

The bands website has the most information you will find on the group. They have alot of live show images and some good artwork and various other eccentricites.

Please Inform the Captain, This is a Hijack

"Featuring Mike Kirsch of Bread and Circuits, Fuel, Torches To Rome, Sawhorse, and John Henry West along with Jake, Max and Alex from Former Members of Alfonsin and Q Factor, Rich from Dirty Dirt and The Dirts, Felix from Life's Halt, and Josh Peach on slide projector and sound effects. Please Inform The Captain This Is A Hijack is a theatrical combination of music and politics, with a sound that is a rough and rumble synthesis of Former Members of Alfonsin, and Bread and Circuits."



S/T release

The Lapse - Betrayal!

The Lapse is one of many Chris Leo projects. Lets trace the trajectory: He started out in the "emo" hardcore band Native Nod, with jangly guitars and spoken/ screamed lyrics. The lyrics were a high point as was the innovative albeit lo-fi music. After Native Nods demise Chris Leo started the Van Pelt. Taking the same spoken word quality of Native Nod but without the blasting hardcore element, Chris Leo found a quirky yet poppy way to continue his amazing lyrical explorations. Along comes Toko Yasuda, previously from post-punkers Blonde Redhead, and the Van Pelt breakup (there ar not meant to be any Yoko Ono-nisms is that statement) and Chris Leo and his now girlfriend Toko Yasuda begin The Lapse in the late 90's. The Lapse uses the same format of the previous bands, leading one to think Chris Leo either cant sing, or doesnt wish to sing. But there is something endearing and quirky about his voice. The songs tend toward the more upbeat but also have great slower songs, one of which is co-written by underground hip hop act Dalek (also one of the best songs on the album.) The lyrics continue the same reflective thought patterns on Chris Leos previous output but they have matured with time. The lyrics on a song like "The Threat" have the ability to almost make me cry, in their recollection of growing up and innocence and transcendence. Toko also shares some of the vocal duties giving a good balance to the vocals as she sings quite a bit more, though she does so in her best Blonde Redhead japanese waifish montone voice.

Black Cobra - Bestial

I have been so busy lately...but doing good things...more on that later...the Black Cobra has been helping me through it. Black Cobra, besides having one of the coolest record covers in recorded history (yeah, I have a slight obsession with Octopus, Squid and other color changing cephalopods...) Black Cobra have managed a great crossover of hardcore, punk and doom. DOOOOOOOMMM!!!. The songs are not your typical doom opuses as many bands of the genre seem to favour, but the songs dont suffer as a result. Little pockets of scathing micro Doom. The arrangement of the tracks are tight and to the point and everything is coated with a super low end fuzzed out doom sound, even when they speed it up. Yep, thats right, they actually play fast. Some songs actually have an oldschool hardcore sound ala Minor Threat, yet all played at a super detuned level with a foggy haze around it. Biting and harsh and definitely fun, Black Cobra is sure to please fans of a few different genres. While nothing new, and at times blantantly ripping off Boris and Mastodon, and coming off sounding like an updated Groundwork, I still find much to enjoy here and would look forward to the band leaning more on the doom side of things in the future.