Husker Du - Eight Miles High

 

Label: SST

Year: 1984

It's a warm, sunny Friday afternoon where I am currently (cannot vouch for whatever bizarro time zone and/or climatic influences you may be under), and I would like to celebrate that fact with one of those "perfect songs", in this case "Eight Miles High" by Husker Du. And I apologize in advance for not being able to harness the umlauts...I just don't have a German language keyboard I guess. 

The era of Husker Du represented on this single is pretty unbeatable, as it represents the transition time from the speedy hardcore into the more melodic college rock band they would end up as, and it still has one foot in either world. Like I said, it's a perfect song. 

The flip side of this single is a live version of Zen Arcade banger "Masochism World", and it's pretty gnarly. Which is what the kids would say in the 1980s when something was cool, yet also a little dangerous or gross. I maintain a pretty strict 1980's dialect.

Go enjoy the rest of this day and your weekend!

DL

Clouds - We Are Above You

 

Label: Hydra Head

Year: 2008

Here's the second full length rock-n-roll record from the Boston based collective, Clouds. This time around they have switched bass duties from Jay Cannava over to Johnny Northrup, who has spent time in The Cancer Conspiracy, Pet Genius, and Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum (among others), but otherwise it's Adam McGrath (Cave In, 27, Kid Kilowatt, Zozobra), Jim Carroll (American Nightmare, Hope Conspiracy, Suicide File), and Michael "Q" Quartulli (The A-Team, Doomriders). 

Altogether, they produce a riff-forward rawk (and I don't use that term lightly, because I hate intentional misspellings [mostly on account of the fact that I cannot spell, and I feel I am being mocked]) record that relishes in the joys of big, loud, fun music. There are moments that could have been pulled out of the gutter of the Sunset Strip circa 1985, moments that belong to be on tour with Rush, moments that pound with a Motorhead-esque punk ferocity, and moments that just let a meaty riff do the talking. 

Best listened to loudly and without prejudice.

DL

Melts - 667 b/w Crusser

 

Label: 227

Year: 1993

Guess we will chalk up the last month as a hiatus? Did all 12 of you who frequent this blog notice? Anyone concerned at all? There's no need to be in case you were...everything is fine, just been busy.

Not too busy though to return (triumphantly I might add) with the two song ass-kicking that is the Melts "227 b/w Crusser" 7". I can make time for that!

This Atlanta band came from the crusty, unsavory Cabbagetown neighborhood of the early 1990's (currently Cabbagetown has far less white trash, drugs, and crime, but far more homes pushing the $800,000 price point) to deliver a very Melvins-esque version of sludge damage that was not afraid to challenge audiences and push inside jokes, or otherwise make you feel uncomfortable. In a nice way. Of course.

The mysterious 'Salicountinsaw' album was one of the first things I ever posted here on this blog, and maybe one day I'll post it again, as it's a long lost classic of the genre, but I had not ever posted this two song 7". Until now. So, live in the now.

DL