Rival Schools - United In New York - Live 04-04-01

Label: bootleg
Year: 2001

Haven't been on a Walter Schreifels jag in a minute or two, but as I was digging out Christmas decorations in the attic I looked in a storage bin I haven't looked into in awhile, and lo and behold....I saw this recording in a spindle of burned CDs. And now we're here. Christmas decorations will just have to wait.
This show is from the early days of the first incarnation of the band, prior to the release of their first album, and split ep with Onelinedrawing. The songs played are from that first lp, with a few "unknowns" thrown in (one of which, the first one, I recognize, but cannot put my finger on the name, and the last one is called 'Accept The Compliment'). Sound quality is a B-, a little murky, but if you know then you know, and that's cool. Or, cool-ish.
For my money (which is currently up to about $217 if anyone asks) Rival Schools are just as good as Quicksand. Which I realize is heresy in certain circles, but what kind of squares operate in those circles anyway? Certainly Rival Schools wasn't the immediate visceral thrill that Quicksand was, but goddamn, these songs have aged every bit as well, and Wally Biscuits' penchant for an earworm melody is such a gift. So, whatever, but I'd be just as excited to see these dudes back at it as much as I was about Quicksand. But, what do I know?

Onward to Xmas.

DL

Dead Soft - New Emotion

Label: Arts & Crafts
Year: 2018

I really like this five song ep for it's straight ahead power pop honesty. No pretending to be whatever else, no stepping on a Rat Pedal to launch into some bottom heavy gut punch, just earnest good time, upbeat, catchy goodness.
You too cool for earnest, good time, upbeat, catchy goodness?
Sucks to be you. Have fun getting the smell of goat cum out of your denim vest after the next Watain show then.

DL

We Are The Asteroid - Smoke On The Wata

Label: self released
Year: 2018

Another release that tickles the fancy, and get the fancy going, if not just shy of a fancy happy ending.
Which is gross, and I apologize. Sorry.
We Are The Asteroid are self-described 'Tres Bad Hombres' from Austin who seem happy to carry forth the sunbaked, tie-dyed, refried bean stained, flag of that specific brand of Texas styled acid rock informed noise rock weirdness that we all know and love. Bits of Butthole Surfers, Drain, Cherubs, Crust, Crunt, Pain Teens, Honky, Daddy Longhead, and maybe just a bit of that "little ole band from Texas' themselves, ZZ Top. And some bonus Helios Creed, who has collaborated with enough Austinites to earn himself honorary deputization as a Texas Ranger of The Bizarre.
The fun part about this record is that it never coasts on any one sound or idea. It picks up inspiration from every dirt devil and last swig of tequila it comes across, and that makes for an engaging time.
Members of Pain Teens, Walking Timebombs, Season To Risk, Ed Hall, Pong, Moist Fist, and Butthole Surfers. No slouches.

DL

Steel Pole Bath Tub - Your Choice Live Series

Label: Your Choice
Year: 1993

I only saw Steel Pole Bath Tub play once, but it was not at Alte Turnhalle in Berlin on September 7th, 1992. So, I did not witness the particular show chronicled on this release, here. I probably saw them in 1993, and definitely in Athens, Georgia at The Shoebox. But my memory is awful...so it could have been somewhere else, or another year, or simply a figment of my imagination.
You should not let my fugue impede your ability to make new memories though. You should listen to this pristine live recording of one of noise rock's premiere dance troupes and commit it to your own anamnesis. Hell, if you concentrate hard enough you could begin to believe that you were THERE. And wouldn't that be fun?!
Steel Pole Bath Tub had members from and for: Tumor Circus, Milk Cult, Duh, Atomic 61, and Mr. Epp and The Calculations. In case you're collecting the action figures.

DL

Milhouse - Obscenity In Milk

Label: Wreck-Age
Year: 1997

NY(post)HC from the school of Die 116, Mind Over Matter, and the 1.6 Band. Kinda noisy off-kilter, but still very much rooted in an ABC No Rio matinee show. Dirty hardcore that has the Quicksand DNA buried deep in its messy genes (jeans?). Highly enjoyable.
Members of: Indecision, Celebrity Murders, Kill Your Idols, Loyal To None, Time Alone, Greensleep, Sleepasaurus, Radio 4, Livid, Most Precious Blood, Judas Factor, Mind Over Matter, Errortype:11, and certainly a million more...

DL

Sinking Suns - Bad Vibes

Label: Reptilian
Year: 2018

Drawing from the ghosts of Madison, Wisconsin noise rock past, and adding in a murky, stomping, tent revival mass shooting sorta vibe, Sinking Suns do what they do. And well. And it's what you want them to do. That voodoo, that you do...and all that.
So, you may catch as much Barkmarket as you do Killdozer (and I realize Barkmarket never [to my limited knowledge] had their mail sent to Madison), but that shouldn't bother you.
There are bigger problems in the world to worry about than this. Pull your head out of your ass, you're being selfish.

DL

Arabrot - Who Do You Love

Label: Pelagic
Year: 2018

Still sorting through 2018 releases that caught my eye...my one milky, blurry, wandering eye.
Arabrot are one of those bands that I'll always give the benefit of the doubt to, as they have produced a consistently odd and challenging catalog of weirdo rock that, I guess, has a Scandinavian bent. Like, a months of darkness on end, kind of Scandinavian bent. The older releases relied far more heavily on a ripping noise rock caterwaul, that careened from speaker to ear to brain with maximum collateral damage. Since their last album though, they are throttling back and letting their listeners settle into a more straight forward, yet satisfyingly "off", rock sound. More of a "grower" than a visceral headstomp.
Not sure if every song on here is growing or I'm growing less patient with some of them. The highlights are high, but...am I becoming musically regressive in my old age? Or is the material unbalanced in some way?
Try it.

DL