The Cramps - Songs The Lord Taught Us

Label: I.R.S.
Released: 1989

The first Cramps album, originally released in 1980, then re-released (for the thousandth time) with extra tracks in 1989. And even the causal fan of music that's "different" will know what this sounds like. But, in an effort to educate "the youth", you can pretty much draw a straight line from The Cramps to Tav Falco's Panther Burns to Flat Duo Jets to The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion to The Chrome Cranks to the Quadrajets to Immortal Lee County Killers and White Stripes, and currently Black Keys.
Basically, fucked up rock-a-billy blues shake. Good timing music. And possibly you're best chance to "relate" to your parents on a musical level (assuming your parents are from the Southern United States of America, and sorta rednecky...or they were ever in a band on Estrus Records).
It's a record you just "should" have in your arsenal, put it that way. Also, bonus points; it was produced by Alex Chilton.

DL

Craw - The Adventures Of Cancer Man

Label: Supermodel

Year: 1996

This is a little curiosity from the Craw discography, a 7"/comic book about, you guessed it, Cancer Man. The record is the same song on each side, the only difference being that one side has the audio cues to turn the pages. You know, the "boop" sound that means it's time to read the next page.

The song itself is total tits, no question about it. But, it's Craw, so...

My copy is autographed by Derek Hess (who did the comic as well a most of Craw's artwork, and a shit ton of concert posters for Cleveland shows), so that's pretty cool.

*Originally posted 03.19.12, reposted 12.29.12

DL

nirvana - in utero: steve albini version

label: dgc
released: 1993

"an unremarkable version of the seattle sound" -steve albini on the band

this is the complete untouched steve albini version on the album

included are some bonus songs recorded during the album's sessions

DL: in utero: steve albini version

V/A - Metal Swim

Label: Adult Swim
Year: 2010

Here's a free compilation that Adult Swim decided you might want a couple of years ago, and, well, do you?
Most of the tracks are released elsewhere, but it's still a nice little mixtape as it where, of heavy music that has some crossover (that's right, D.R.I. reference) with what we would normally post here on Shiny Grey Monotone, so I figured that before this file went quietly into that good night, I would share it here.

The bands:
Death Angel - I have a veeeeeeeery low tolerance for this mind of wankery
Skeletonwitch - And probably any even lower tolerance for this.
Torche - from Songs For Singles, always welcome in my home.
Ludicra - you had me at "ex-Hickey". SFBM.
Kylesa - from Spiral Shadow. A Damad cover would have been appreciated.
Black Tusk - from their split with Fight Amp, and a dandy at that.
Red Fang - from Murder In The Mountains, but you could hear this song once a day and it still rips
Black Cobra - unreleased (I think), and a fucking smoker to boot. This band is an animal!
Saviours - from the Crete'n 12". Party metal that works hard.
Witch Mountain - from Cauldron Of The Wild. The doom is doomy, but the vocals...oh lord.
Isis - from the split with Melvins. Sounds like all their boring shit post-sounding-like-Neurosis
Jesu - from the Heartache and Dethroned ep. Satisfyingly dense.
Pelican - from the split with Young Widows. Sorta ambivilant to this band, not bad, not that exciting
Zoroaster - unreleased (I think). A faster and more aggro version of Zoroaster...fucking hot!
Withered - from Dualitas. Atlanta blackened/crust/grind represent!
Boris - from the split with Torche. Who has time to keep up with this band?!

DL

Cows - Slap Back 7"

Label: Amphetamine Reptile
Year: 1990

This record was posted on this site some time ago, but disappeared in the wake of a morning raid on the New Zealand compound of an ego maniacal slob.
So, now, a slightly less fat, but equally full-of-himself slob is bringing it back.
Its two songs, two really good songs, by Cows. The first one being a bass-driven, noisy little number that sound like it was recorded via AM radio equipment. The second one is an upbeat ditty that mentions making his "asshole pucker" at least once...so, you get it.

DL

Cutman - Universal Laws

Label: Underground Communique
Year: 2011

Sorry about the posting drought as of late, but shit's been busy and life and all that, and...well, you don't care about that, nor should you care about my life. It's mine after all, and you have your own to worry about, so let's just leave each other out of each other.
Music. Let's do that instead of worrying about each other.
Here's a band that takes the good (Helmet, Jawbox [mostly good, right?], etc.) and some of the bad (Toadies, Stick, etc.) of middle 90's guitar-centric alternative rock and comes back at you with a reasonable facsimile circa 2011. If you were of a certain age from 1992-1996, then this band will probably strike a certain chord with you, and hopefully not just remind you of the also-rans that threatened to ruin your reputation as a arbiter of good taste ("Dude, you probably like this band Seven Mary Three, right? They totally sound like the stuff you listen to. We should hang out sometime man. And you know, sorry about calling you a "fag" a few months ago...you know...I was just fucking around..it's cool"). The cover art even reeks of 1993 (which I think is awesome actually...if you're going to go for it, fucking go for it), somebody did their research.
If you're feeling nostalgic, this one is a good one to go for.

DL

Last Of The Juanitas - The Jay 7"

Label: Wantage USA
Year: 2000

By request.
Personnel from: Shiny Beast, Red Fang, Facedowninshit, Amazing Grace, Party Time, etc.
Math/Noise/Sludge/Hardcore that runs the gamut of the SST back catalog (the good shit...not the Henry Kaiser shit), then runs the gamut of the Goldenrod back catalog, then moves on to the Touch and Go mid catalog, and hits up portions of the Kill Rock Stars back catalog.
The best band that most people couldn't identify in a police lineup.

DL

jawbox - savory +3

label: atlantic records
released: 1994

you may recall me making references to this band here and there

and you may recall me saying that their FOR YOUR OWN SPECIAL SWEETHEART album is one of the best things in existence

and the song "savory" can be found on said album

also included here are 2 songs not found anywhere else and a big boys cover

so...do it

DL: savory +3

lungfish - feral hymns

label: dischord
released: 2005


plodding
repetitive
minimalistic

this is a snake handling preacher grabbing onto his pulpit and raving

if you're down with anything that has anything to do with the dischord label...this is for you (they're the second longest running band on the label...following fugazi...and if they're good with ian...they should be good with you)

DL: feral hymns

tar - play to win/solution 8

PLAY TO WIN
label: no blow records
released: 1988

SOLUTION 8
label: amphetamine reptile
released: 1991

this band is what is known as an SGM staple

and that means that if you don't already know who they are...you don't need to know

yeah

DL: play to win/solution 8

unwound - corpse pose/everything is weird 7"

label: kill rock stars
released: 1996

it's unwound

you've been coming over here long enough to know about some unwound

and now you're going to get some more unwound

unwound

DL: corpse pose/everything is weird

off the beaten track

you may remember me mentioning a radio show that went by the name OFF THE BEATEN TRACK a few times here and there

i had come across a facebook page for the radio station that broadcast the show and made mention of it

then i was contacted by someone saying that he had some recordings of the show and that he was more than willing to share them with me (though it wasn't from the same time frame as when i'd started listening...i didn't come across the show until 1993)

and now...i'm going to share it with all of you

a playlist was sent along with the discs...but i can't find it at the moment...but you do get to hear some black flag and band of susans and the butthole surfers and front 242 and the violent femmes and they might be giants and the dead kennedys and the meat puppets (just to name a few)

if it weren't for an OTBT....there probably wouldn't be an SGM

so...let's get all nostalgic up in this bitch

 DL: july 1984

DL: august 1984

DL: june 1987 pt.1
DL: june 1987 pt.2

are we electric? - novoc

label: red can records
released: 2004

this was sent to me by a member of the band awhile ago

and you know me....being on top of things...put it in a box that eventually ended up in a friend's garage

and if it weren't for me having to look for a book (THE REDNECK MANIFESTO by jim goad...if'n you're curious)...you wouldn't be reading this right now

what we have here is a band from germany that play a particular brand of music that would appeal to fans of such bands as: shellac (working with bob weston probably had something to do with that)...don caballero...fugazi...

and i'm sure that most (if not all) of you find some kind of enjoyment from the noises those bands make

so let this pleasure your earholes as well

but you should really clean them out first

it's good to practice aural hygiene

DL: novoc

load - lumberjack death luge

label: house o' pain
released: 1994

i remember snagging this up on the scene kids in pain blog back in the day (before it left for mexico for an apparent sex reassignment surgery)

what you get here would've fit in nicely on amphetamine reptile

tad..,uncle touchy...some black flag...

yeah

DL: lumberjack death luge

melvins - lizzy

label: atlantic records
released: 1994

it's the melvins

what more do you need?

you get a song from the HOUDINI album...an mc5 cover...a germs cover...and a live version of a song from the BULLHEAD album

DL: lizzy

celan - halo

label: exile on mainstream
released: 2009

this is another branch on the unsane family tree

unsane vocalist/guitarist chris spencer teamed up with einsturzende nebauten member ari meyers and oxbow guitarist nikko wenner and two members from a band called flu.ID on drums and bass

and what you get is something that would appeal to the fans of the members other bands (obviously)...but you also get some band called neurosis....some band called coalesce....

so with all of that being said....

DL: halo

heemeyer - self-titled

label: self-released
released: 2012

this will be a lesson in brevity....

coalesce
deadguy
eyehategod
kiss it goodbye
heemeyer

ya dig?

DL: heeymeyer

30,000 monkies - womb eater wife beater

label: self-released
released: 2011

what you need to do here is grab a handful of (the) melvins...and then a handful of some old school clutch...and a handful of some harvey milk...and then a handful of some butthole surfers.....

and then throw that mess against the nearest wall

and the puddle that forms on the floor is 30,000 monkies

now go wash your hands

DL: womb eater wife beater

unsane/slug split 7"

label: pcp
released: 1992

you've been coming around here long enough to know who these bands are

unsane covers slug ("breathththing out")

slug covers unsane ("streetsweeper")

DL: unsane/slug split

white drugs - gold magic

label: amphetamine reptile
released: 2010

as soon as the name of the label that released this entered your ocular cavities...you should've already know what this is going to be all about

though...i will say that this is a little more straightforward than most of the above mentioned labels roster

some good ol' rawk and roll in the vein of the mc5 and some mcclusky and some les savy favand some melvins

DL: gold magic

joy division - unreleased

this was something i came across recently as i was perusing the crap i have on my computer

and i figure that some of you are joy division fans

and you may or may not already have this stuff it's made up of some "previously unreleased" demos

nothing more needs to be said here

1 - ceremony
2 - dead souls
3 - walked in line
4 - something must break

DL: unreleased

i hate our freedom - seriously

label: mightier than sword records
released: 2010

this is one of those "featuring ex-members of..." bands

and those bands would be:

thursday
texas is the reason
garrison

so...i'm thinking that if'n you like any of those bands...you're going to like this as well

and yes...i'll be doing all of the thinking for you from now on

no...you're not going to do that

see how that works?

DL: seriously

the catalyst - marianas trench +9

label: the perpetual motion machine
released: 2008

this is a collection of previous recorded materials culled from an ep and various splits they'd contributed to

this could have definitely made a home for itself on amphetamine reptile had it have been released back in the early 90's

they bring together at the drive-in...black flag...the jesus lizard...pg.99...nirvana...and the melvins (just to name a few)

DL: marianas trench + 9

future of the left - last night i saved her from vampires

label: 4ad
released: 2009

it's the band doing what they do in front of a crowd of people

1 - the best laid plans
2 - wrigley scott
3 - plague of onces
4 - fingers become thumbs
5 - drink nike
6 - distant jabs at a soul
7 - manchasm
8 - v.d.f.a.
9 - dancing etiquette
10 - fuck the countryside alliance
11 - olympic ideals
12 - small bones small bodies
13 - the lord hates a coward
14 - london shoes
15 - my gymnastic past
16 - encores explained
17 - adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood
18 - auf wiedersehen goodbye
19 - cloak the dagger

DL: last night i saved her from vampires

Survival Knife - Live - Eagles Hall Bar - 03-29-12

Label: Bootleg
Year: 2012

When your band played their first ever show, I bet it was a pretty unceremonious event, huh? Like, people didn't drive from out of town to see you play, right? No one immediately started posting audio and video of the performance to the internet because the excitement level was so high, I bet.

Or, maybe your band features Justin Trosper and Brandt Sandeno of some old band, that probably nobody ever heard of. Or still constantly talks about how amazing they were, and how their music synthesized everything great about post-hardcore. If that's the case, well, maybe you could scrawl in big letters "ex-Unwound" on the bottom of the flyer for the show and see what happens. That might grab a few folks in from off the street, you know?

Has anyone else been waiting with baited breath to hear new music from Justin Trosper like I have? Can Survival Knife be the Hot Snakes to Unwound's Drive Like Jehu?

DL

The Purkinje Shift - Executive Contours

Label: self released
Year: 2012

This band came and went and has come again (come again?), from the fringes of the Atlanta post-hardcore-post-rock scene. Out of generally loud and nasty bands, they somehow morphed into this clean cut, suit wearing, insanely tight, instrumental math rock force. One that could easily rip through an hour's worth of complex and densely dynamic music without ever stopping or looking at each other for cues. Motherfuckers can play.
So, like every other band, one guy moves away, and they disintegrate, the members popping back up in various other projects over the years, some hearkening back to this sound, or building on it, and others content to spiral into the further reaches of inner space. It's what happens to bands that play for crowds of 35 people for a couple of years. After they're gone somebody says, "Hey remember so-and-so's old band, the one that played at so-and-so? Fuck man, they were really good weren't they? Where are all the bands like that nowadays? Now all we got is this so-and-so bullshit...where's a real band when you need one? So-and-so should reform that old band and play, man. They would fucking kill it!". That conversation is happening at every shit bar in every shit town right this moment.
But. The Purkinje Shift did decide to get back together. First for a benefit show as a one-off set, and then, as a semi-functioning band, playing around Atlanta every quarter or so. And then...THEN, they decided to go ahead and make a baby. A six song baby that they recorded at The Living Room studio in Atlanta (Mastodon, Black Lips, Deerhunter, Zoroaster, Those Darlin's, All The Saints, Jacuzzi Boys, The Tough Shits, etc.) that galvanizes their precision approach to rocking that body. It's truly an essential item to add to your collection...maybe filed between Maserati, The June of 44, Slint, Kinski, Don Cabellero, Do Make Say Think, and Turing Machine. Somewhere in there. You got room?

DL

bbaatbifffs - drink fight drive

label: self-released
released: 2012

you like godheadsilo

we like godheadsilo

they probably like godheadsilo

DL: drink fight drive

turbou - turbou

label: self-released
released: 2012

who here likes the fugazi album RED MEDICINE?

who here likes the sonic youth album GOO?

this two-piece from russia combines all of the awesomeness that is those albums together...sans vocals



what do you mean you've never heard of those albums?

come on...who keeps letting that guy in here?

DL: turbou

quartier rouge - les années lumières

label: throatruiner records
records released: 2010

if you dig on some later-era daughters (ie HELL SONGS )....and some jesus lizard...and some dazzling killmen...and some....

actually...those 3 are all you need

DL: les années lumières

nonagon - no sun ep

label: self-released
released: 2009

excuse me....

i don't mean to bother you...but i was walking on the sidewalk across the street....and i looked over...and...now i know this may be a bit presumptuous of me...but...you like like the kinda person that owns at least one drive like jehu album...

yes...yes...i know you're in a hurry

and you also probably own a few fugazi albums too,yeah?...i agree...guy picciotto is the better frontman


and what about shellac?...it's not just a protective coating for paintings anymore....

yes...that was an attempt at humor

ok....one more thing....slint's SPIDERLAND is just about one of the best things ever,no?

you've never heard of it?


you know....why did you even call me over here?

i have places i need to be

some people

DL: no sun ep


 

the swine - born in the usa

label: self-released
released: 2012

bruce springsteen's pissed jeans

'nuff said

DL: born in the usa

the united sons of toil - forces of production: usot remixed

label: force publique
released: 2012

after 3 full lengths...a split...this here business...a tour of the midwest...and a tour of europe...the band has decided to throw in the towel

as you know...SGM and TUSOT go back a little ways

and not to pat my own back (mostly because i can't)...i was the one that talked them into their first ever tour with promises of pajama parties and GOLDEN GIRLS marathons

but...they did as much as they could possibly do

not to worry though...TUSOT vocalist/guitarist russell hall and drummer jason jensen have a new project called tyranny is tyranny...and they have an album coming up soon

as for bassist bill borowski...he went onto join the chili cook-off circuit...and we wish him the best of luck

now...for this...awhile back the band put out a call for people to remix their songs

and that's just what this is

pretty self-exclamatory

if you like the united sons of toil...you'll like this

it sounds like their music....but different...which is the definition of "remix" (yeah....i just dropped some science on you)

 get out your glow sticks and chomsky 

DL: forces of production: usot remixed

she ripped - canis lupus familiaris

label: self-released
released: 2012

you may recall seeing the band pink city here awhile back in the form of their DESIGNING WOMEN album

now what you may not know about pink city is that it the band is made up of only 2 people...and they reside on  2 different continents (europe and america)

"what does this have to do with anything?"

well,guy...this here...the band you're going to be checking out...is a side project of the fella from europe (the guitar and bass side of things in pink city)

you ever find yourself wondering "hmmmm...i wonder what killing joke and joy division would sound like if they had chris connelly as a vocalist"? (and in case you didn't already know...chris connelly is a member of such bands as the revolting cocks...the damage manual...as well as having a solo career)

now you don't have to worry about that anymore...fill your head with other thoughts...like...cat/dog...where does the poo go?...that must be like some kinda living hell...

DL: canis lupus familiaris

pigs - you ruin everything

label: solar flare records
released: 2012


it's the consensus around SGMsville that unsane are a pretty kick-ass band

am i right in that assumption?

"bro,you compare everything to unsane....why don't you just makeout with them already"

well...there's a restraining order with my name on it that prevents that sort of thing

the unsane reference is legit this time around....as they share a member in the form of bassist dave curran (who plays guitar and provides some vocals here)

as for the rest of the band...he's joined by former jj paradise players club member jim paradise on drums...and former slughog member andrew schneider

this was a little something that got put together during the great unsane drought of 2000-2003

so...if you like the lighter aspects of unsane (think the song "alleged")...some shellac...some jj paradise players club...some melvins (like you didn't see that one coming)...some cutthroats 9...

DL: you ruin everything

shit happiness - hard light ep

label: self-released
released: 2012

 you may remember seeing the band's other albums posted here awhile back

and i'd said that they playing something akin to fudge tunnel and unsane and helmet (but this time around...it's sans vocals)

ok...you saw the names up there

get to gettin'

DL: hard light epp

godstopper - what matters

label: self-released
released: 2012

hmmmmmmm....

let's see....how to describe this....

some today is the day

some neurosis

some early melvins

some dinosaur jr.

some helmet

yeah....that seems about right

DL: what matters

the swine - in the meantime

label: self-released
released: 2012

this is what happens when godflesh and unsane have sex while listening to helmet


DL: in the meantime

songs for snakes - charcoal heather

label: timid crusher
released: 2012

how do you feel about the band pegboy?

how do you feel about the band husker du?

how do you feel about the band jawbreaker?

how do you feel about some early foo fighters?

how do you feel about songs for snakes?

let's find out

DL: charcoal heather

steve albini & nirvana vs evan dando

this is why no one will babysit that albini kid from down the street

DL: steve albini & nirvana vs evan dando

having fun on stage with fugazi

ian mackaye likes to say "fuck" a lot

DL: having fun on stage with fugazi

the fucking hotlights - the fucking hotlights

label: drug party records
released: 2012

in a previous review (of their HIGH SOCIETY TORTURE PARTY)...i'd said the band sounded like drive like jehu and a little like later-era black flag and hawks

and i'm gonna stick to those words

DL: the fucking hotlights

egyptr - egyptr

label: self-released
released: 2012

i spent most of the day going through the clusterfuck that is the SGM email...and i apologize to those of you that sent in material and have probably been checking back here on the daily to see if it's been put up...everything was meant to get done in a timely fashion...but you know how it is around here...field trips (aka "group trips to the free clinic")...daily chili cook offs...butthole surfer wrestling....

as i'm going through all the crap...i'm slowly unearthing things that have been sent to us

and i promise to get to all of you as soon as i can...unless there's a last minute yow's balls off...and those happen more often than you think

so...what we have here is a band from arkansas that play something that may or may not appeal to fans of such bands like: the jesus lizard...the jon spencer blues explosion...haymarket riot...and sweep the leg johnny

and you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't snag this up...i mean...haven't you missed out on enough...you know...missed opportunities add up...and then next thing you know...you're on the news for walking down the middle of the road in your underpants and covered with bbq sauce...i've seen it happen

DL: egyptr