Barbaro - Barbaro

Label: Polterchrist
Year: 1999

Let's get that Barbaro dance card punched, with this, their debut album, and the final piece to the discography.
The same descriptors are apt from the previous posts, but for this one, I'll add in Jawbox, and mention there's a bit more of a 90's "alternative rock" kinda thing happening at times.  You know what I mean, those sweeping dynamics and big riffs that come crashing through? Shiner is still a good reference for that type thing. Just don't worry about it, and listen. I rarely know what I'm talking about anyway.

DL

Barbaro - Feeding ep

Label: Hydra Head
Year: 2001

Let's continue in reverse chronological order with Barbaro, yes?
Here's the 2 song 7" that came out on white hot Hydra Head, and most likely opened up the band to those outside of Boston. It's more aggressive than the album that would follow it, and the two songs seem to bring in more of a Keelhaul type sound to their (at this point) semi-melodic post hardcore.
But, let's just take a quick look at the resume of Barbaro main-man Andrew Schnieder for a second, cause it's fucking impressive.
As a performer, he's played in: Barbaro, Slughog, Secondsmile, Throttlerod, 5ive, The Rise Park, New Idea Society, Julie Christmas, and Pigs. And as a producer/engineer, he's worked with: Unsane, Fashion Week, Sofy Major (touring soon with Uncle Touchy), Great Falls, War Amps, Citizens Arrest, Shrinebuilder, Goes Cube, Rosetta, New Idea Society, The Brought Low, Keelhaul, Celan, Made Out Of Babies, Pelican, 5ive, Puny Human, Zozobra, Daughters, Cave In, The Red Chord, Scissorfight, Warhorse, Roadsaw, and maybe most importantly, he managed to get THAT Milligram guitar tone committed to tape. So, as you can see, he's got the bona fides to warrant at least a second look.

DL

Barbaro - Nolte

Label: Dopamine
Year: 2004

Ipecac posted a discography of this band months back, but I guess the link is dead, and it's been requested for resurrection, and since I happen to have the fiery touch of the Lord (also, a possible new band name...Fiery Touch Of The Lord...hands off), I'll repost their records one at a time (cause I have to put them onto my computer first).
This album was Barbaro's final, and seemed to crystallize their musical ideals into a cohesive (yet varied) package. It's essentially the musical heft of late period Shiner meets the lo-fi technicality of Slint, to make a big, muscular, melodic, post hardcore record. Oh, and add in some female vocals. And some unexpected twists and turns.
Boston was firing on all cylinders for a few years in the middle 90s through the early 2000s churning out a lot of bands who unleashed excellent, if mostly unheard, albums that experimented with different versions of "heavy", from La Gritona to Luca Brasi to Converge to Isis to Glazed Baby to Milligram, and on to Barbaro (admittedly far more melodic than any others mentioned here). It's quite a lineage.
Essential listening to post hardcore fans. For reals.

DL

Killdozer - Short Eyes

Label: Amphetamine Reptile

Year: 1990

Two songs from Killdozer, what more do you need? Okay, how about Tom Hazelmyer sitting in on guitar? That's pretty cool, right?

Shit man, if this doesn't do it for you, I'm not real certain I can help you out.

By the way, do you miss me yet?

*originally posted 06-29-10, reposted 09-26-12

DL

Pissed Jeans - Don't Need Smoke To Make Myself Disappear

Label: Sub Pop
Year: 2006

Here's the two song Sub Pop debut 7" for Pissed Jeans, and it's a real, how you say, humdinger. The title track takes a slow, menacing, belligerent approach to pushing you backwards through the wall, whilst the second track speeds things up and volleys a flurry of noisy, raw, blows to your head in order to disorient and confuse you as you lay face up on the floor, a you-shaped hole now in your rumpus room wall. Sub Pop owes you for the new drywall you're going to need to fix that hole.

DL

Horsey - Swarm

Label: Invisible
Year: 1995

This one right here is gonna be right in the sweet spot of this blog, it's loud and heavy and weird, and it's a band that came and went without leaving much of a footprint. They came to my attention via a split 7" they did with Glazed Baby in 1994....so, there's gold star number one. The drummer has played with  Helios Creed (and...Wayne Kramer...hmmm)...so there's gold star number two. And they sound like the unholy offspring of Milkmine, Pachinko, Helios Creed, Dead And Gone, Facepuller, The VSS, Festering Rinyanyons, and a broken clock radio...so there's the third gold star (you can only get three, don't be greedy).

DL

Animal Lover - Animal Lover 7"

Label: Bumpkin Pie
Year: 2011

There's this dude named Tom, who spends a good deal of time posting music to the Shiny Grey Monotone Facebook page, and I'm fine with that, as his batting average is...good (I was going to insert a number there, but then I remembered how much I hate baseball, and how I have no real grasp on batting averages [but I assume the closer to 1000 the better {what's with the statistical minutiae of fucking baseball for christ's sake?!}]). So far he's turned me on to some good shit, so, keep it coming Tom.
The latest thing he shared was this four song 7" from a band called Animal Lover out of, I'm guessing, St. Paul, MN. And if you're anything like me (which you obviously are, cause, here you are), then you'll find something to latch onto in these tracks. Whether that be the Unsane scrapings, the overdriven Barkmarket damage, or the psychosis-laden Jesus Lizard thud. If you like music that requires violent and/or disturbing descriptors, then this one is right up your alley. Your dark, musty, foreboding, drug haven of an alley.
Unless there's more than one Animal Lover, then this band used to live in Fargo and had members of Gumbi and Host (the black metal band)

DL

The Want - 5 'O Clock Orange

Label: Mack Daddy
Year: 1996

I said I'd post this, so I'm posting it. The second album from The Want, and it's more of their verty well performed Diamondhead via Pentagram via Blue Cheer hard rock. It's what the term "stoner rock" described prior to be usurped by the overdriven, down tuned fuzz of the southern California desert.
Really easy to listen to. Good time music. Maybe you and your dad can agree on this one (assuming your dad isn't an Eagles fan...a goddamn fucking Eagles fan) next time you're tossing back a couple cold ones tending to the grill.

DL

Noosebomb - Brain Food For The Braindead

Label: Shifty
Year: 2004

Ex-Grief, ex-Disrupt...what do you think this sounds like? Slow, sludgy, and completely negative? Yep. Crusty, heavy, and hateful? You got it.
But (you've got a big butt), they do manage to do a great job mixing up the tempos and keeping things interesting, so it's not your average Eyehategod worship, you know?
Fridays are a good day to play really loud music really loud, and today's Friday....so...

DL

Sinking Suns - Demo

Label: n/a
Year: 2012

This was posted on the Facebook page of Shiny Grey Monotone by the bassist cum vocalist of this very band, and with his (implied...which is legal enough) blessing, I'm posting it here.
Why?
Because if there was a quintessential noise rock touchstone these dudes don't hit on....well...I'll eat my hat (I've done it before). You like the gruff backwoods lyricism of Killdozer? Got 'em. You like the thudding bass-forward approach of Steel Pole Bath Tub? Got it? You like the needling twitches of Scratch Acid? Got 'em. You like the warped hardcore distortion of Crucifucks? Got it. You like the subtle melodies of Tar wrapped in a filthy towel? Got 'em.
Should I go on? Should I mention Big'N, Sicbay, Distorted Pony? Is that necessary?
For fuck's sake, the band is even from Madison, Wisconsin, I mean, what more do you want?!

DL

On - On

Label: Celebrate Psi Phenomenon
Year: 2006

I don't know much about this, but I think I know this much:
Celebrate Psi Phenomenon is a record label from New Zealand
On is a band from New Zealand (but maybe Australia)
Members were or are in bands She Camel Of God, Meat Market, and Zonds.
The music on this record will separate the wheat from the chaff. It is the n-o-i-s-e in noise rock, blown out to all hell, droning on a sustain of negativity, bumming all out within 50 paces.
Touchstones include Dead C, Bardo Pond, Rusted Shut, Sonic Youth, Royal Trux, Drunkdriver, Harry Pussy, a head cold, standing behind a jet engine, losing your child in a shopping mall. It's conventional, sorta, music, that has been beaten (almost) beyond recognition. Almost.

DL

Liquid Limbs - Dichotomy

Label: Sound Study
Year: 2010

First Dude: You got stoner rock in my noise rock!
Second Dude: You got noise rock in my stoner rock!
Big Business: Um, hello? We're sitting right here and have been this whole time.
(end scene)
Do you like your noise rock played at half time with heaps of low end? Yes? Good, cause here it is.
Only two songs, but chances are you will return to them again and again. Two guys making a really big, full, sound, while successfully sounding like no other two guy band out there (meaning: no Black Keys, no Godheadsilo, no Black Cobra...but...I could have said Big Business had they remained a two piece). Highly recommended.
They have a Bandcamp page, you should say hello and buy something.

DL

Kurt - Schesaplana

Label: X-Mist
Year: 1998

I could have sworn I posted this record awhile back, but I looked, and it's not there (here). Curious.

Well, either way, here it is (again, for the first time), and it fits in nicely behind the Some Soviet Station record, as sonically they share some of the same touchstones. They also both were graduates from the Ebullition School Of Hardcore, so you'll have to excuse the occasional rolling-on-the-floor freakout, it's just in their blood. But fortunately for our sanity, Kurt tend to keep it between the lines, rocketing through a lot of start/stop riffs that end with driving moments of post-harDCore (please note the "DC") swells. The vocals keep it shouty and the band keeps it urgent, so really, what more do you want, you know?
If I were to continue the comparison to Some Soviet Station, I would say that Kurt take their songs down a faster, more raucous path, while Some Soviet Station were leading their tracks somewhere "poppier" and catchy. I'm sure your girlfriend would listen to both albums and say, "what's the difference, they both sound terrible to me? More importantly, did you not even NOTICE that I had my hair colored today?! Maybe if you spent less time fucking around with obscure bands no one will ever hear of, and more time paying attention to the real world..."(and it degenerates from there), but you will notice the difference.

Sorry your girlfriend's such a bitch.

DL

Some Soviet Station - Some Soviet Station

Label: 2000
Year: Moodswing

This record was previous blogged (that never stops sounding queer, does it?) by Thee James Joyce on the Beyond Failure blog here, and his historical back story is worth a read, as usual.
I am posting here for two reasons:
1. If you do not currently, or have not previously lived within the metropolitan Atlanta area, or it's surrounding college town(s), then there is a good chance you have never heard this before.
2. If you have never heard this, you're sorely missing out, as it's not only a gem of the Atlanta post-hardcore scene, but it's a gem of the whole post-hardcore scene.
Some Soviet Station were really good at mixing the shouty Drive Like Jehu bits with the rollicking bits of Garden Variety, and a touch of Don Cabellero styled mathy-ness. You could make a case for some other bands in the mix as well, maybe June of 44, Hoover, The Crownhate Ruin, (Atlanta's own, and predecessors to Some Soviet Station) Hal al Shedad, Kerosene 454, Crain, Giants Chair...you see where this is going?
Point is, if you don't have this, you should fucking have this. Stop not having it.

DL