V/A - Enlightenment 10"

Label: Soledad
Year: 1997

Four bands, each represented by one track. The common thread is written in the insert; "Tried to climb to new heights, but couldn't hold it together".
Thrones go first, and come out of he gate like a molasses covered lightening bolt. I assure you that the speed is correct, even though you will fight me about it for at least the first 30 seconds of this song. It's uglier than anything else you will encounter today (and knowing your mom, that's really saying something...ouch! Zinger!). Recorded by Justin Trosper of Unwound for extra points.
Spaceboy go second, and do a pretty convincing job of out-weirding Thrones. They go for a Breadwinner-after-a-hard-night-of-drinking sound that goes from here to there to back over there to out to the moon and then back under your thumbnail. All the metal in the world combined into all this metal.
Lice go third, and show no interest in making your day brighter or your whites whiter. They go wretched, they go gnarly, and I'm pretty sure they could give a shit if you go with them.
Toadliquor go fourth, and wrap this thing up with a slow motion bang. Psych resin that plods forth from within a collapsing star. Super fucked.

It's all super fucked.

DL

Victory Hands - Anderson 10"

Label: Headphone Treats
Year: 2016

In the long lineage of bands creating storylines, or wearing costumes, or adopting false identities or whatever, I'm not sure a more strangely esoteric concept for a band has been hatched that can top Victory Hands.
They are a band based on the presidency of Richard Nixon. Which is fair, I'm sure you agree?
Their lyrics are lifted verbatim from the White House tapes and Nixon's own speeches. Seem about right?
The plan for record releases is that each one (this being the first) will be centered on a reporter whom Nixon had "beef". Super normal? I'm just surprised that nobody has thought of this approach prior to these guys!

Luckily for you (us), this heady concept is being steered away from ridiculousness in the capable hands of some of Atlanta's most bestest musicians. Alumni from a long line of noisy, mathy, post-most everything bands. So what could be a mess of political in-jokes and nerdy fodder, is actually a concise and compelling two songs worth of premium rock music. It cuts through on the back of a Tar-like propellant pushing and pulling with an economy of movement. Nothing wasted here.

This is a brand new release, so step to! And if you're in Atlanta, they are playing at Wax N Facts record store in conjunction with Record Store Day this Saturday (April 16th...that's tomorrow) at 6:00pm. Get there.

DL

Spore - Giant

Label: Taang!
Year: 1994

Hey, look who's here!
Let's jump back into our old ways, alright? I'll write rambling non sequiturs about music, or my life, or what you could be doing for me, then I'll post a link to a record that I find enjoyable, and then you'll slink through the internets to download that album, and our business will be complete. No hugs.

And, what better way to get back on the horse, than to time travel back to Boston circa that city's high water mark of brutish, lumbering noise rock; 1994. Awash in ugly feedback, and fuzzed out low end stomp, Boston had a confederation of bands that were grinding alternative rock under their bootheels. Slughog, Pinto, Thrall, Black Helicopter, Green Magnet School, La Gritona, Luca Brasi, Bull-Roarer, Glazed Baby, Quintane Americana, Non Compos Mentis, and Tree. Tons of bands lurking in the shadows of that town.  Well, Spore were front and center, plying their trade of volume and mass, deafening rooms one show at a time. And while they certainly fit within the Boston scene from whence they were birthed, Spore had two elements that set them apart from their peers (almost said "Beantown peers"...but changed my mind); they incorporated a hint of Midwestern noise rock into their sound, and they had the bonus of both make and female vocals trading off (it's a noise rock X!). Both are pleasant additions if you asked me...and I imagine you did. Don't you always?

DL