Four Hour Fogger - Dollars For Red Books

Label: Bakos Amp Works (or maybe I'm wrong)

Year: 1999

More "metal" than the average post here, but I reckon if you listen closely you can decipher why I decided it was worthy of a listen. This here's got the elements of grindcore, hardcore, noise rock, southern sludge, and metal. Sort of like Mama Tick meets Zeni Geva meets Buzzov*en meets someone else I can't think of right now....who was I thinking off? Shit. This is going to really bother me now....

The band is mostly known as "the band Brent and Troy were in before Mastodon" and while I suppose that's fair, I think Four Hour Fogger deserves to be heard on the merits of being simply a hot band, and not "pre-this" or "pre-that".

Unfortunately for me, they formed this band during the tale end of my first residence in the great state of Georgia, and I only managed to catch them live once, at the Little Blue Reggae Hut (rip) opening for Buzzov*en. I got their 7" before I left the state, but alas, that was all of Four Hour Fogger for me. By the time I returned to Georgia for residency number two, they already had Mastodon going in full swing, so I never got the chance to see them again. Not that Mastodon is a bad conciliation prize or anything, they've proved plenty entertaining in their own right, but Four Hour Fogger was a weird amalgamation of styles that really was interesting. I dig it a lot.

DL

so...today mrs. ipecac came home with something she found IN A FUCKING PAWN SHOP

and it cost a grand total of $3.19

pigment vehicle - murder's only foreplay when you're hot for revenge

released 1998

this is what would happen if nomeansno and don caballero were to come together (right now) and record an album

DL: murder's only foreplay when you're hot for revenge

Elvis '77 - Bands Ruin

Label: Unreleased

Year: 1998

Tonight I was out and about on my usual after-dinner-pre-tuck-the-kids-in power walk (yeah, that's right, a power walk...what's up?) through the neighborhood when I almost was stopped in my tracks by the distinct odor of chimney smoke. Now, please realize that I live in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, where yes, it has been 90+ degrees every goddamn day since, oh, April, and where we have had a rapid and pleasant cooling trend the last 48 hours. But, it was still a balmy 71 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of this olfactory assault, hardly the type of weather that would, or should inspire one to cozy up by a fire and warm their stocking feet. Right? Shit, I was wearing shorts and short sleeves (even in an intermittent drizzle mind you).

What kind of animal lights a fire in their home in these conditions?! Had I gone crazy?

No, no I had not. There it was, the ribbon of gray smoke wafting from the brick stacks atop my neighbors' home. These people are out of their goddamn minds having a fire on this day! The temperature drops twenty degrees and all rationale and human sensibilities go out the fucking window?! What topsy-turvy world am I living in?!

Shit just wasn't right, I tell you.

But what was right, was my choice of soundtrack, this record right here. Elvis '77. These NY boys recorded this album to be released on Mans Ruin Records, even had Wharton Tiers master the thing (you know, the dude who did Helmet, Quicksand, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth and shit). Well, wouldn't you know it, Frank Kozik runs Mans Ruin into the ground before Elvis '77 sees the light of day, and the band never really recovers. Unfortunately, this great album lay dormant for many, many years until the inter-web gave it a second life. Enough so, that I think the band is (sorta) giving it a second go.

They sound like a almost 50/50 mix of Unsane and JJ Paradise Players Club, which is a 100 mix of awesome. Enjoy this one next time you need some low impact cardio, strap on your ankle weights, get a good grip on your purple foam-coated barbells, and get to steppin'!

DL

harvey milk - 10.27.06 - drunken unicorn - atlanta,ga

the band's name has been bandied about on this blog...but there hasn't been an actual album

this isn't exactly and album...but it is

this is their SPECIAL WISHES album played in it's entirety live

and if you're not already familiar with the band...think some melvins...some jucifer...some early black sabbath...

and this is the part of the show where you go on ahead and click on the red DL

1 - i got a love
2 - war
3 - crush them all
4 - instrumental
5 - once in awhile
6 - love swing
7 - the end
8 - old glory
9 - mother's day

DL: harvey milk@drunken unicorn

gunna vahm - man hands for rump lust

released 2006

you can listen to this and think of the band fight amp (who they did a split with back in 2005)...which will then make you think of unsane...and then you'll think of dial...and then you'll think of scul hazzards...and then you'll think of the jesus lizard...

so hopefully by reading the words above you'll know what i'm trying to get at

DL: man hands for rump lust

Mayyors - Megan's LOLZ 7"

Label: Self Released

Year: 2008

From the request line, here's some Mayyors, who turn out to be a favorite of mine as well. This band knows how to take an old punk song and smother it in blown-out noise, giving it a whole new life. I hate to use the word "exciting" cause it sounds so innocent, but in this case it fits, Mayyors are an exciting band. Or, they were an exciting, as they are currently just a glimmer in your rearview mirror.

The Megan's LOLZ 7" was limited to 300, soooooo....here you go.

DL

AmRep Revisited: An Oral History of the World’s Premier Noise-Rock Record Label

thomas hazelmyer would like to suggest that you read the article linked below

get hazed

Bric-A-Brac, Whatnot, and This That and The Other

I was reading the comments from the previous post, and one thing was made perfectly clear, Ipecac does in fact have an unhealthy hard-on for The Jesus Lizard. Certainly, this falls under the "whatever floats your boat" category, but it can be alarming to those of us on the outside looking in on the mans life.

We love you Ipecac, and we're here to help you.

The other thing made clear from the previous post is that it's time once again for our quarterly call for ideas from the rabble. Our "what do you want to hear" round table discussion, if you will.

How about, I'll start...

Anybody got any good live recordings from the following:

Hot Snakes

Burning Brides

Unwound

Part Chimp

If you do, please let me know in the comments, and we can make a proper posting of it here on the site.

Ok, that is all. Let the suggestion-hurling begin!

freedom fighters - my scientist friends

released 1997

described as "two guitars and a friendly guy on drums" in the amrep catalog...after listening to this...i'm gonna have to agree

i had seen that this was asked about over in the forum section...i too was curious...so i turned to amazon.com once again...and it landed in my hands the other day

and after listening...i'd have to say it doesn't have all that much in common with the other amrep bands...but yet it does...sounding like some helmet...some cows...some cosmic psychos...some chokebore...

but the band could've just as easily fit in with the dischord and sub pop (well...back then anyway) roster

this was the band's only album

what you get here is some good old fashioned garage punk rock...and you know you can always use some more of that

DL: my scientist friends

the jesus lizard - burns while listening: the remasters bonus compilation

this is a compilation i put together that combines all of the bonus stuff that was thrown onto the jesus lizard remasters of the HEAD/GOAT/LIAR/DOWN albums

1 - chrome*
2 - pop song**
3 - wheelchair epidemic***
4 - killer mchann (live)*
5 - white hole****
6 - boilermaker (IDFUL studios demo)***
7 - deaf as a bat****
8 - seasick (live)**
9 - glamorous****
10 - dancing naked ladies (single version)***
11 - monkey trick (live)**
12 - gladiator (IDFUL studios demo)***
13 - sunday you need love**
14 - lady shoes (live)**
15 - bloody mary (live)*
16 - panic in cicero****

*=HEAD
**=GOAT
***=LIAR
****=DOWN

DL: burns while listening: the remasters bonus compilation

the shiny grey chocolate bicycle monotone experience presents: dope firearms -n- fornicating in the streets...again

an amphetamine reptile records re-retrospective

and now you can make your own bash at home or at the office or anywhere else you feel could use some amrep-ing up

1 - halo of flies - death of a fly
2 - powers that be - the morning after
3 - helmet - your head
4 - melvins - ggiibbyy
5 - vaz - mistake lake
6 - tar - non-alignment pact (1)
7 - unsane - alleged
8 - gay witch abortion - human composting
9 - lollipop - officer forehand
10 - boss hog - stain
11 - u-men - bad little woman
12 - cows - sugar torch
13 - jawbox - low strung
14 - janitor joe - boys in blue
15 - love 666 - you sold me out #2
16 - today is the day - my first knife
17 - tad - kevorkian's holiday
18 - h*o*f w/ gay witch abortion - die you fuk
19 - guzzard - sixed
20 - god bullies - wake up
21 - hammerhead - swallow
22 - s.w.a.t. - we can see for miles (2)
23 - haze xxl w/ shannon selberg - gristle
24 - calvin krime - the look,the know
25 - silver salute - bad monkey
26 - freedom fighters - bad back
27 - party diktator - quiet line
28 - the thrown ups - stoopid doom
29 - mog stunt team - bad car
30 - helios creed - hyperventilation
31 - bailter space - glimmer dot
32 - chokebore - brittle & depressing
33 - jonestown - short time left
34 - gear jammer - two tons of chrome
35 - the crows - capital hillbillies
36 - gnomes of zurich - big teeth,skeletal face
37 - surgery - not going down
38 - white drugs - muscle be'atch

1=pere ubu cover
2=the who cover

DL: pt.1
DL: pt.2

Noxagt - Noxagt

Label: Load

Year: 2006

File this one under Norwegian Math Damage. If you have the space on your shelf that is. I realize Norwegian Math Damage can be a pretty crowded genre.

If you like Oxes, and you like Harvey Milk, then you can probably find the middle ground between those two bands here. This album is their third, but the first one to feature guitar (the previous utilized viola in place of where guitar "should be"), and seemingly the most straight-forward. I would venture to also say it's their best yet, but like I said, there's a shit-ton of Norwegian Math Damage to sift through out there, so the jury might still be out.

DL

Smile - Resin 7"

Label: Headhunter

Year: 1994

Smile was an exciting proposition to 20 year old Gray when they first started, because it was made up of 2/3 of the most excellent hardcore band Headfirst, and 1/3 of the most excellent stoner rock powerhouse Fu Manchu (Scott Reeder). So imagine my surprise when the first song begins sounding like a Hayden outtake (Canadian folk-rock name drop!). I was all, "huh?". And then, I was like, "nuh'uh, what the?". I mean, shit got intense.

Well, stick with it, and you will be rewarded with what sounds like some lost Nirvana tracks from 1989 or something, right down to the vocals. Das is good. Fuzzy grunge style good.

Smile stuck it out for awhile but after this record and two more 7"s I lost interest somewhere. I think you might like this one if you never heard it before.

DL

V/A - Tomorrow Seems So Hopeless

Label: Eyeball

Year: 2002

This particular collection was making its way from my computer's hard drive to an external hard drive (i.e. never to be heard from or seen again), and I figured I might as well toss it up (not "toss it off" mind you) here for you. And you.

It's hardcore bands doing their best Negative Approach impersonations. Not a ton of originality, but some come across better than others, plus the Negative Approach songs are good enough that it makes covering them pretty easy not to fuck up. That was probably one of my least best worded sentences in recent memory.

The highlights are:

The Kill Van Kull

JJ Paradise Players Club

Breakdown

F Minus

Voorhees

Converge

The rest of the bands basically make the songs sound like NYHC circa 1997:

Shai Hulud

Ensign

Kill Your Idols

Indecision

Inhuman

Creep Division

All The Answers

Awkward Thought

No Redeeming Social Value

Felix

25 Ta Life

Agnostic Front

Thursday

DL

melvins - 4.18.99 - tokyo,japan

and to answer your question: yes...godzilla was afraid of the hair

1 - intro
2 - ballad of dwight fry*/eye flys/lovely butterfly
3 - tipping the lion
4 - easy as it was/boris
5 - boris (contd)/the bit
6 - the bloat/night goat/with teeth/youth of america**
7 - sacrifice***

*=alice cooper cover
**=wipers covers
***=flipper cover

DL: pt.1
DL: pt.2

Drunkdriver - Knife Day 7"

Label: Fan Death

Year: 2009

Can't stop listening to this band, especially these two songs as they hearken back to all the things I love about music, and seem to borrow liberally from the genres I dig the most. Between this band and Slices, and Austerity Program, and Hawks, things don't seem so bad do they?

Blow your speakers with rocknroll...then kill your boss, boost the register, and make your way south of the border to freedom!

DL

Throat - Good Times

Label: self released

Year: 2009

This little gem comes hot off the Shiny Grey Monotone message board (is that what it's called?) from a guy going by the name "slugpace", who's mother must be so proud right now, and whom I would assume to be a member of said band. He described the music as being influenced by Godflesh, Tad, 16, Unsane, Fudge Tunnel, Sweet Tooth, and Distorted Pony among others, so I was (bi)curious enough to take a listen, and lo and behold, it actual does sound like those bands.

In fact, the first song reeks of Godflesh.

The second song has a distinct 16 vibe.

The third song is more or less Unsane worship, which then morphs into a crushing Grief-ish molten meltdown with Tad styled vocals sprinkled on top.

The fourth song seems like Tad playing a Helmet cover.

And the final jam gets back into 16 territory, all crunchy riffs, misanthropic bellows, and E strings pulled to within an inch (centimeter for my new Finnish brethren) of their lives.

They have a new record coming out on Kult Nihilow later this year, they deliver on their promises to play dirty, heavy, gnarled music, the likes of which are always appreciated around here (gesturing a circle about my own head), so I command thee to check out this tape, and then buy their new 7" when it comes out. If you liked the kind of metal-y noise rock that seemed to come out of New York City circa 1992, I'm looking at you Loudspeaker, Crawlpappy, Die 116, Helmet, and your nefarious pals, then you will like this. Fair? Fair.

Thank you to Mr. Slugpace for sharing.

*link fixed

DL

divorce - self-titled 10"

released 2009

this is what would possibly happen if flipper and pissed jeans ever decided to be in the same room together...

but from glasgow,scotland and fronted by a woman

do it

DL: divorce

allister lob

who is this allister lob?

and why does he look like dave grohl?

well...that's because it is dave grohl

these are some instrumental tracks that were recorded back in 1992 that has him on drums...his sister lisa on bass...and fitz of depression vocalist/guitarist on..well...you can probably figure that out for yourself

so of course...there's a definite nirvana-like feel about it...but you can also hear some melvins...and a little foo fighters

DL: allister lob

the fitt - when the fitt hit the shan

released 2010

isn't the cover just screaming out to be painted on the side of a van?

after i'd posted their HAWK EYES EP the band was nice enough to send me a copy of their new 12"

in the review of the above mentioned ep...i'd made references to the melvins...helmet...and keelhaul...

there's a lot more of that business to be found here

and you should've already started downloading this as soon as you saw the letters m-e-l-v-i-n-s

sadly...this will more than likely be the band's last release...which is shitty because the world needs more bands like this in it

so what you need to do now is head over here and give the band some of that green paper you have

and in return...you too can own your very own copy of that sweet kick ass album cover (and of course...the actual album as well)

so get to gettin'!

DL: when the fitt hit the shan

melvins is for lovers

you know what...they really are

so go on...put on your buzzo wig (i know you have one)...slip into your buzzo brand snuggie...and make your (in)significant other feel all warm and awkward (just make sure the door is locked...don't want a repeat of last time...yeah?)

1 - honey bucket
2 - scared
3 - candy o (1)
4 - black bock
5 - civilized worm
6 - in the rain
7 - leeech (2)
8 - amazon (pts. 1-2)
9 - the bit
10 - instant larry
11 - blockbuster (3)
12 - oven
13 - rocket reducer #62 (4)
14 - let god be your gardener
15 - way of the world (5)
16 - roman bird dog
17 - up the dumper
18 - night goat (7" version)
19 - if you get bored
20 - the bloated pope (w/lustmord)
21 - dog island
22 - ramblin' man (6)
23 - cottonmouth
24 - blessing the operation
25 - mombius hibachi
26 - the green manalishi (with the two-prong crown) (7)
27 - hooch
28 - june bug
29 - white punks on dope (8)
30 - lexicon devil (9)
31 - bar-x the rocking m
32 - creepy smell
33 - electric flower
34 - joan of arc
35 - boris (live)

1=the cars cover
2=green river cover
3=the jesus lizard cover w/david yow on vocals
4=mc5 cover
5=flipper cover
6=hank williams cover w/hank III on vocals
7=fleetwood mac cover
8=the tubes cover
9=germs cover

DL: melvins is for lovers

Daisy Cutter - Shithammer Deluxe

Label: Rockville

Year: 1992

The precursor to the previously posted "Truck Fist" lp, this ep sounds a lot like there was still some Monster Magnet residue on these jams. And while "Truck Fist" would be considered essential, this one is more like, "give it a shot". I like it, but it's not as heavy, or thick sounding as the band ended up. Don't worry though, it still reeks of early 90's noise rock, and hits on a lot of the same touchstones that made bands like Tar, Arsenal, and Crust work.

Again, it's a lost gem that maybe you heard, maybe you missed, and now with the wonders of the internet, you get to discover it again, for the first time.

That didn't make much sense.

DL

alice in chains for beginners

carrying on with the FOR BEGINNERS series...

i couldn't just post the FACELIFT album and not provide you all with one of these

well...i could've...but it was keeping me up at night...and i can't be doing that if i need to look pretty for all of you...who wants a baggy eyed trainwreck? (if you really want that...go and google courtney love circa 1993...HEY YO)

so with that...

1 - we die young
2 - rotten apple
3 - hate to feel
4 - brother
5 - god am
6 - a little bitter
7 - love,hate,love
8 - what the hell have i
9 - shame in you
10 - love song

DL: alice in chains for beginners

let's go to hell

Harvey Milk + Hawks = Wednesday Night

Get your fat fucking ass out to 529 in Atlanta next Wednesday for this show....Gray! Or anyone else who may be listening...and who is otherwise real, real lazy.

Thrall - Hung Like God

Label: Reptilian

Year: 2001

If you were to see this in a record store, this cover should be retarded enough to scare you away.

If you were to get past the messianic collage, the title of the album should be retarded enough to scare you away.

If you were able to process the cover, and come to terms with the title, then a few seconds of Thrall's dunder-headed take on Killdozer rock should be retarded enough to scare you away.

But you don't scare easy do you? Nah, you don't, and as well you shouldn't. There's nothing to be scared of here, just more Thrall music to binge drink to and later black out on your cousin's couch from.

DL

pugs - bite the red knee

released 1997

you folks may recall me asking about this album awhile back over in the forum

and again...i took it upon myself to lay down the $4 over at amazon.com

and then i'd forgotten that i'd bought the cd

as i was digging around on a shelf i came across it...and was all like "awwwman!"...and then immediately got to uploading it

i'd seen these fellas (and lady) at the tinley park,il stop of lollapalooza back in 1997 (sigh...remember when lollapalooza was awesome?)...and as soon as they were done...i promptly bought a cd (which then somehow made it's way out of my apartment about a week later)

i'm not gonna go into my usual spouting off about the album...but if you like melt banana (though not as spastic)...some early b52s...

actually...that's all you need to know


DL: pt.1
DL: pt.2

alice in chains - facelift

released 1990

it's september

it's a little chilly

it's raining

perfect alice in chains weather

i don't remember how it was i had talked my step-mother into buying this on cassette for me at a value city (come on now...we've all shopped there)...but i remember walking out into the parking lot on the way to the car and my sister took a look at it and was all like "alice in chains? facelift?" while giving me an are-you-serious? look...and dammit...i was serious...i had gotten seriously hooked by the video for "man in the box" that i had seen on HEADBANGER'S BALL a few days prior

and boy was i shocked to find out that he had in fact been buried in his shit...and not spit...and the dog that gets beat had his nose shoved in shit...not spit

it was a revelation

i've always held alice in chains a little close to me (and not just because of the chains...waaa waaaa)...this album was my first foray into that whole grunge thing...the first time i'd heard nirvana...i didn't really find them all that special...then there was soundgarden...and honestly...at first...wasn't really a fan of their earlier stuff...but there was just something about alice in chains...they were darker...they were broodier...they're singer didn't need to sound like an aggravated child or a power rock god (though there was a bit of a sleaze factor on this album as most of the members had been part of some glam rock bands before coming together...seek out any of their demos from the late 1980's and wonder what happened)...and they had done the unplugged thing before the mtv deemed it hip and cool

and after this album...they just seemed to get better...SAP took you out of the basement and sat you on the couch with the shades closed...DIRT took you back into the basement and shoved you into a smaller room with only a single light bulb...JAR OF FLIES opened the door and allowed to go back upstairs and open the blinds just a little...and SELF-TITLED made you realize that you're probably just better off in the basement with some candles

then layne staley died...and you're just stuck down there (in a hole)

as for this new fangled "alice in chains"...all i have to say about that is: no

so now that i've rambled on enough...

DL: facelift

Crooked Fingers - Live - Casbah - 11-05-04

Label: Bootleg

Year: 2004

Isn't there a line of advertising that says, "the softer side of Sears"? There is, right? Yeah, well, consider this one, "the softer side of Gray".

Not that I should need to apologize for advocating Crooked Fingers, but I do realize it is out of character for this blog, and possibly for me as a character of this blog (...but if you only really new how tender I was...). You can handle this though...WE can handle this...TOGETHER. Take my hand, we'll make it I swear (where have I heard that before?).

Any-crap. This week is "Country Week" on NPR's Fresh Air show (big ups to Terry Gross!), and on my drive home from my son's soccer practice (not only am I Father-Of-The-Year, I'm also the assistant coach...I make winners!), we had to stop and get some food before heading to the house, point being, it was a long commute. During that time Fresh Air was replaying a Willie Nelson interview from a few years back, and a Waylon Jennings (rip) interview from 2002. As Waylon was talking and they were playing some of his old jams, it dawned on me how similar Crooked Fingers can be to the late 60's/early 70's "Outlaw Country" dudes. Yes, I realize it's not an exact duplication, but the spirit is the same. A distinct and rugged voice tells cautionary narratives about losers, fuck-ups, or bad times over rich guitar chords. Same shit. Take a listen and think about those country greats while you do, then get back to me and let me know if I'm crazy.

The first time I ever saw Crooked Fingers was at the Casbah there in San Diego when it was just Eric Bachmann with the backing band of Empire State Games, and he slayed all over that place. It was almost a year to the date after Archers of Loaf had laid waste to the Casbah on their farewell victory lap tour, and while Crooked Fingers is a different trip, as an Eric Bachmann fan, I was floored.

The sound quality is muy excellante!

DL

butthole surfers: a collection of great venereal diseases

this is a mix that i put together for a show over on the KAOS site called THIS IS OUR MUSIC which plays only texass-bred musics

so of course i had to throw together a butthole surfers mix (alternately titled THIS IS OUR BUTTHOLE'S MUSIC)

get wiped

1 - sweat loaf
2 - dust devil
3 - creep in the cellar
4 - the lord is a monkey
5 - i saw an x-ray of a girl passing gas
6 - the colored fbi guy
7 - p.s.y.
8 - hurdy gurdy man (1)
9 - the shah sleeps in lee harvey's grave
10 - the one i love (live) (2)
11 - ricky
12 - pepper
13 - intelligent guy (original version)
14 - something (1991 version)
15 - who was in my room last night?
16 - dum dum
17 - wnyu interview
18 - moving to florida
19 - just a boy
20 - the wooden song
21 - jingle of a dog's collar
22 - underdog (3)
23 - hey
24 - american woman (4)
25 - fast
26 - pittsburgh to lebanon
27 - cherub
28 - one hundred million people dead
29 - the shame of life

1=donovan cover
2=rem cover
3=theme song cover
4=the guess who cover

DL: pt.1
DL: pt.2