Kota Ezawa - Beatles Über California (2010)

Artist Kota Ezawa ask the question.. what if The Beatles were The Dead Kennedys?
Ezawa's animation combines footage of the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show with the Dead Kennedys' song "California Über Alles."

DOWNLOAD IT! (.MP4 format)

The Kent III - Coin Of The Realm

Label: Empty

Year: 1993

Here's a little something slightly different from your normal fare here on this spot of the internet. Rather than having to come up with new adjectives for "heavy", or new ways to explain just how "crushing" something is, today I have to find a way to explain how "fun" this is.

If you remember Empty Records at all, then you should have an idea what to expect, fast and loose garage punk. Nothing technical to be found here, so stop looking. No start/stop rhythms or confounding tempo manipulations. No, the changes in these songs start way off on the horizon, easy to spot from a mile away. And sometimes, that's kinda what you need. Especially now that the weather is getting nicer, and you can take out the t-tops on your Iroc Z, to really let that Kentucky Waterfall blow in the breeze. Oh, it's magnificent, it is.

Also, before I leave, let me mention this is only a 7" (their first mind you), and it's four songs breeze by in a scant seven and a half minutes, so if you don't like it, you won't be burdened for long. Enjoy.

DL

Today Is The Day / Metatron - The Descent

Label: This Dark Reign

Year: 2001

Today Is The Day should have been the biggest band in the underground world in the Nineties. They were unreal, both recorded and live. Their DNA spread out across the noise rock, hardcore, and metal underground, but fame proved as elusive to the band as a permanent rhythm section. Of course, that being said, Steve Austin has always surrounded himself with incredible players, maybe they can't put up with his dictatorial style, but they are always surgical in their precision, and the dudes on this recording are no exception. The band throws a kitchen sink of seething riffs and maniacal hatred at it's listeners, and somehow that doesn't seem rude or out of line in the least. In fact, it's a nice gesture coming from Today Is The Day. It's a sort of tip-o-the-hat, or a pleasant nod and wink. Cordial really.

Metatron are produced by Steve Austin, and it certainly bears his penchant for a claustrophobic, attacking, smothering sound. The difference between the bands is that Metatron forgoes the guitar that lends Today Is The Day it's signature sound, and instead opts to go low with the bass and drum duo style. For the most part they keep it slow and sweet, but occasionally ratchet up the tempo and speed up their bludgeoning.

Come for the Today Is The Day, but stay for the Metatron. Good shit all the way around.

DL

V/A - Hello Sir

Label: Hello Sir

Year: 2004

One day Mr. Double Jimmy James Joyce will no doubt give this release a proper write-up over on his Beyond Failure blog, as it features the work of three Athens (kinda Atlanta), Georgia bands who were active in the recent past.

Until that day, you are stuck with this write-up, which could end up containing fart jokes. You never know.

The label Hello Sir has a stranglehold on Athens based math rock/moody indie/angular post-punk of the Aughties, so it should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with these bands that they would be showcased via this label. The bands I am alluding to are, Maserati, Cinemechanica, and We Versus The Shark. You may have never heard of these dudes (and one dude with a vag), or maybe you heard of Maserati in relation to the unfortunate passing of their drummer Jerry Fuchs, but you should have heard of them. If you are a reader of this blog, you should have downloaded the Atlanta "New Noise" compilations that I made and posted awhile back, because two of these bands were on there. But, maybe you missed that, and maybe you need to know what you're potentially getting into here.

Alright, I'll tell you.

Maserati play the most layered and subtle of the three bands. Their songs are big languid droning pretty pieces that float along on shimmering guitars, propelled by a driving rhythm section that keeps shit moving. It's never boring, in fact it's compelling, which is kind of a weird way to describe music. As in, what is it "compelling" me to do? Listen longer? Hmmm, I need to work on my music journalism.

Cinemechanica play more "mathy" math rock. It sounds like it could have been belched out of some Louisville bar circa 1990, and that's a compliment. Start/stops, wiry guitar lines, and off-tempos, you know what I mean, right? There are some shouty vocals thrown in to switch things up.

We Versus The Shark are the heaviest of the three bands, and their music should appeal to most readers of this page. It hits all the right notes, and it's a shame they haven't made more of a stink outside of Athens, because they rule pretty hard at what they do, and what they do rules pretty hard.

So there you have it, a nice little compilation of under-appreciated rock bands. Not too many of those out there huh? I hope you enjoy it.

Oh, and here's that fart joke I promised:

What did the maxi-pad say to the fart?

You are the wind beneath my wings.

Hey-oh!

DL

Shellac - Peel Session - Maida Vale - 12-02-04

Label: Bootleg

Year: 2004

"We are Shellac of North America..." and so begins it. A tour through their discography of wiry guitar twitches and precision rhythms spanning the first 7" up to "Excellent Italian Greyhound" and everything in between. As to be expected, the sound quality is superb, and the performance does not fail to exhilarate.

That's sorta it I guess. What more should I need to say?

DL

Cows - Plowed

Label: Amphetamine Reptile

Year: 1992

My favorite Cows song, "Plowed", on my favorite format...the maxi-single! Now you get two extra songs not on the original 7"! What a deal!

During the dawn of the maxi-single, the format was used to promote the "single" from an album, then it had a b-side, and usually two dance or remixes for the single. Easy enough to understand. But, now imagine if Amphetamine Reptile decided to utilize the maxi-single in the same way, you would be privy to the Rotterdam House Mix of Cows' jam "In The Mouth". Talk about "getting the party started"!

It's a real disappointment that never existed.

DL

The Dead Weather and Devo Coachella 2010 (Videos)

The Dead Weather set really blew me away. I have the album and I really liked it, but this band live is a whole other story. I thought it was cool that they decided to shoot their set in B&W. I think that adds just another level to their perfomance.
DL - The Dead Weather, Coachella 2010

DEVO -  they still fucking rock. Nuff said.
DL - Devo, Coachella 2010

McLusky - Demo

Label: was it ever released?

Year: good question

I present this artifact to you, the general public (or representative sub-section thereof who frequent the sketchier neighborhoods of the internet) for two distinct reasons:

a) I really love the band McLusky, and think that if you have stuck around this blog long enough, there's a good chance you love them too.

b) I have no information about this particular piece of McLusky lore. I came across it, all alone, scared, and without any form of identification. Just a rough and tumble little ole demo that needed a bath and a saucer of warm milk. Now she's all cleaned up, fed, and laying across my lap purring. What a sweetpea.

Problem is, I don't know anything about her, where she came from, who she belongs to...nothing. Is anyone out there missing a cute little demo? Can you help me find out any information about her?

I can't offer any reward, but I would certainly appreciate some background. Thanks in advance.

DL

FAITH NO MORE - LIVE @ COACHELLA (Video)

Download Here

This is for Ipecac, enjoy.
Great sound and video.

Slug - The 3 Man Themes

After seeing the recent post of Slug singles I noticed that there wasn't much else Slug material posted on this blog. Since I can't stand by and let this atrocity happen, here's their album "The 3 Man Themes". It's a shame that Slug is kind of an overlooked band from their era as they've released a lot of insane material. This album is really experimental and interesting and offers up a pretty good groove as it plows along, and overall I have to say that this is just some greasy, dirty noise rock the way Satan intended it to be.... messy and un-apologetically loud!

DL: "The 3 Man Themes"

GUAPO - TOWERS OPEN FIRE

Released 1997
Label - Power Tool Records

One for the noisemongers amongst you. Like Vaz I thought they had wound up there operation but I'm even more wrong in this case. Pretty dense compositions with some heavy doses of electronics mixed in. Needless to say there are a couple of experimental tracks on the album but on the whole you have a dark, festering and brooding album for their initial release.

DL

AMREP 25th ANNIVERSARY BASH

dear god, get a load of this lineup! This will also include an art show of AmRep related works.

....so who's up for a little trip back in time?

Hey Colossus - Project Death

Label: Shifty / Jonson Family / Under Hill / Rimbaud

Year: 2007

More Hey Colossus, more deafening sludge noise, more mammoth riffing, more, more, more. Not to mention the meat cleaver on the cover, that's got to be good for something, right? You can't have a meat cleaver drenched in blood on your record if you don't mean business can you? Unless your actual "business" is butchery. Hmmm. That throws a real wrinkle into my perception of this album. Could Hey Colossus actually be garde manger chefs, responsible for the charcuterie of their respective kitchens? Is this music intended to emulsify their venison with fat, rendering it a smooth, spiced forcemeat?

That would explain a lot.

DL

4 DAYS OF NIRVANA - Day Four (Music Source Studios January 1, 1991)

Recorded on New Years 1991, the recording features demo takes of a few songs that either went unreleased (but re-recorded during the nevermind sessions and released on WTLO), or later re-recorded and released on In Utero two years later. Most of these feature scratch vocals, but in the very least they offer an embryonic glimpse at a couple IU tracks.

Music Source Studios; January 1st, 1991

Tracklisting:

Oh The Guilt
Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
On A Plain
All Apologies
Token Eastern Song

--fred

V/A - Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be

Label: Reptilian

Year: 1999

Don't know about where you live, but in Atlanta, Georgia, the weather's doing alright. The pollen could certainly fuck off, but otherwise we're balls deep into Spring, and I'm feeling pretty good about that. There are precious few weeks in this part of the world that the air temperature is in the 70's, the humidity is non-existent, and shit's a-okay. We're a-okay right now.

To celebrate, how's about some brain dead rock and roll? Something to have in the car at a substantial volume whilst we cruise for tail and frosty bottles of beer? Sound good? Sounds like AC/DC to me. You should have all the AC/DC you can handle right? I mean, seriously, you should. But, what you may need on a day like today, is AC/DC with an updated "umph". Cause, AC/DC is so good, and so simple, you can't really fuck up their songs, and as much as I generally loathe the "all covers compilation", this one is just dumb enough to work. How could it not? Just play the riffs and sorta sing on top of it. Easy.

The bands are:

Chapstik

Upper Crust

Electric Frankenstein (remember when they were EVERYWHERE?)

REO Speedealer

Ironboss

Zeke

Dwarves

Chrome Cranks

Honky

Supersuckers

Lollipop

Voltage

Fuckemos

DL

SLUG - HAMBONE CITY / KING OF GHOSTS

Label - STFRI
Released - 1993

For a while now I've been meaning to post my Slug singles here. Thanks to a post on the forum I've finally been given a nudge. I've not seen Hambone City on any other release other than this single though you'll find a noisier version of King of Ghosts on the Out Sound LP/CD. Do you need a description for Slug? I do hope not...

DL

THERAPY? - PLEASURE DEATH

Label - Wiiija Records
Released 1992

Well after the positive feedback after the posting of their first EP it gives me, er, great pleasure in posting their 2nd. More quality stuff ensuring that you'll be bopping around your bedroom by the end of the record (note to self...main audience probably not teenagers anymore). Even so, at least you'll be chanting "James Joyce is fucking my sister!"

DL

4 DAYS OF NIRVANA - Day Three (BMG Ariola LTDA Studios, January 19-21, 1993)

This session, recorded a month before the Pachyderm Studios Recording with Albini (IU recording session), was done in Rio de Janeiro between the two "Hollywood Rock Festival" shows played on the 16th and 23rd. It was meant as a demo session to gather more song ideas for their next Geffen release and a majority of the songs laid to tape made it onto In Utero. The majority of this session was released on WTLO in 2004 (Heart-Shaped Box, Milk It, Moist Vagina, IHMAWTD, Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol, The Other Improv...), however a few tracks from the session were omitted; those four tracks are included in this post.

BMG Ariola LTDA Studios Session, January 19-21, 1993

Tracklisting:

Scentless Apprentice
Onward Into Countless Battles (Unleashed Cover); Instrumentals by D. Grohl
Very Ape
Seasons in the Sun (Released on DVD portion of WTLO)

--fred

Floor - Still stoked on that show, so here's a video

While I'm still perturbed there were at least two Shiny Grey Monotone readers in town to see Floor and neither one bought me a drink, I am still riding pretty high on Floor (pun, as bad as it is, intended). That show was one for the books, probably better than anything I've seen in quite some time, and certainly "better" than Floor circa 1994, or whenever the last time I saw them was. And I can't even fathom how Anthony Vialon concocted that guitar tone, even though I was posted up mere feet from his rig and tried studying it to no end.

So, to celebrate, here's a really great quality video posted by someone calling themselves "Whatfuckingever444".

4 DAYS OF NIRVANA - DAY TWO (Smart Studios Session, April 2-6, 1990)

These tracks were originally put to tape with the intention of being released as the band's follow-up (Album/EP) to Bleach on Sub-pop. Shortly after dubbing tapes of the master, they used the recording as a demo with which they shopped around for a new label capable of meeting their "distribution needs". You've probably heard a couple of these tracks on WTLO, with In Bloom's Music Video appearing on the DVD and Pay to Play on the 2nd compact disc of the Box Set.

Smart Studios Session - April 2-6, 1990 (w/Chad on Drums)

Tracklisting:
Dive
Here She Comes Now
Immodium (Breed)
In Bloom
Lithium
Pay To Play (Stay Away)
Polly
Sappy

--fred

4 Days of NIRVANA - Day One (1989 BBC Radio Session)

16 Years. Something like anniversary of the death of a popular musician isn't something I've really reflected on since I was a lot younger and had more free-time on my hands, but I figured since I rarely post here...

I'll post one (officially) unreleased recording session for each day from April 5th-April 8th starting with...


BBC Session (10/26/89)

Tracklisting:
Love Buzz
About A Girl
Polly
Spank Thru

--fred

Floor - Tonight, live in the flesh!

If you live in or around Atlanta, and care not whether your eardrums be exploded and blown as dust out the back of your head, then head out to the EARL tonight (or tomorrow I suppose) to be obliterated by Floor.

Yes, the Floor. The one who hasn't played in Atlanta since BLT's or something. That one.

And please leave the Torche worship at the door, because this band is far more sinister, far more debilitating, and dare I say...far more better than Torche ever has been (which is saying something).

I will be there tonight (Saturday) rocking the fuck out drinking tall Red Stripes...feel free to buy me one.

VAZ - DEMONSTRATIONS IN MICRONESIA

Released - 2001
Label - Load

After the demise of Hammerhead come out of the ashes Vaz. Vaz contained both drummer and bassist of former group. For their first outing (and probably the strongest) the sound isn't quite as heavy but a bit more rhythmic than their last incarnation. Released 3 albums in total with the last now back in 2005. I'm guessing they've gone off to do other things now.

DL