Dove - Dove

Label: Self Released

Year: 2004

By request from the illustrious Phillip Fay Fock, here is the Dove album. I bet you know what it sounds like, but just in case, here's a quick math equation:

{[(Floor-feedback)/Fu Manchu]+Disfear(.5)}x overt metal references = Dove

Easy.

When Floor decided to go splitsky, Steve Brooks went on to form Torche and illicit the masturbatory praises of every music writer who had never given two shits about Floor. Weird. But Henry Wilson decided to delve deeper into metal and formed Dove. Guess who didn't give a shit? Not so weird. 

Henry played drums in both Floor and Cavity, but plays guitar in Dove. Also, Floor released an album called "Dove". Get it straight.

So in the continuum of heavy Florida bands, Dove fits in right after Scrog, but before Consular, maybe neck and neck with the o.g. Bloodlet. Floor being the best of all by the way.

Also, I posted the Dove demo over at Colostomy Grab-Bag back when that was a viable thing to do, but since you most likely missed it there, it's down below as well.

DL

DL-demo

Truman's Water -Fragments Of An Lucky Break

Label: Emperor Jones

Year: 1998

Changing tact just a bit, but sticking with a San Diego (cum Portland) based band (I'm referencing the Crash Worhip post by the by), let's experience the warped pop of Truman's Water shall we? Yes. If you're a fan of skewed indie rock along the lines of Polvo, Grifters, Thinking Fellers Union, Sebadoh, and maybe even old Beck, then I think you'll be into this band. They seldom play it straight, but somehow manage to coax something catchy out of the mess they create. Lots of the songs sound improvised, but from what has always been said about the band, they practiced all the time and left little to chance. Rarely do they get into a 4/4 beat, and rarely do the instruments sound tuned to the key of "E". Nah'mean?

As you may well know, I have a very low tolerance for jazz, or jazz-related sounds. Sorry, but I find it tedious, and I hate the sound of the trumpet and/or saxophone. Granted, it's not as bad a genre as reggae, which, to quote Morrissey, "is vile music", but you will be hard pressed to hear many brass instruments squawking from my record collection. I don't stand for baloney. So you will understand that I cringe when people say "that's influenced by Captain Beefheart", or whatever. Yes, I know, Captain Beefheart was not a jazz man per se, but he helped to unleash that free jazz approach within the confines of rock music, and for that I hate him. Again, sorry if that's your uncle or something, but a man has to have principles. Well, people say Truman's Water has elements of Captain Beefheart, but I don't hear it. They also toot a trumpet on occasion. Why mention it? Maybe to have the chance to talk a little shit about Beefheart, or call his fans super fucking nerds? I don't really know. Truman's Water is not silly like Beefheart, they are not toying with conventional song structure, but rather playing off-beat indie rock. That's why I don't get the comparison. 

One of the founding members of this group comes and goes to concentrate on Soul-Junk which is a weird christian based experimental hip-hop project I managed to catch a couple times in San Diego. You know my feelings on christian experimental hip hop right? It's right up there with Peter Tosh, King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, and the like. Anyway, that's just a trivial sidebar.

Enjoy your morning.

DL - part 1

DL - part 2

Crust - The One On The Left Is Me

Label: Self Released

Year: 1988(?)

I really don't know much about this release other than it's the first Crust cassette demo. I don't know if that is actually an image from the cover up there. Who knows? I can't tell you the proper running order of the tracks either. Sorry.

I can tell you that it's some pretty sweet Crust though. The quality is slightly murky, but generally fits the mood of the music, so it's hard to tell how "lo-fi" the recording is versus how "lo-fi" the actual instrumentation was. If you like Crust, you should grab this, it's well worth your time. Strange, industrial-tinged, hallucinogen fueled, Texas styled freak rock. They would later go on to put out records on Trance Syndicate and Touch and Go, so you get the idea.

I need to run now, I'm meeting James Joyce for lunch. Yes, THE James Joyce!

DL

Crash Worship - This

Label: Alarma

Year: 1987

Originally released as a cassette, their second, before they moved on to the wonderful world of hi fidelity compact disc and vinyl. Whee!

They were a legendary live band, one I never saw (so honestly, how "legendary" could they have been if they didn't grace my little backwater hometown?). But if rumors are to be believed, they created an all-encompassing debaucheries experience rife with nudity, fire, ritualistic behavior, and trance inducing psychedelic freak-outs. Sounds kinda fun, unless you consider the other Burning Man motherfuckers who you're going to be getting all nude and shit with. I picture lots of dreadlocks, and Beyond Thunderdome wardrobes...sexy.

Also, can I pose the question; how does San Diego continue to defy it's fantastic weather and killer shore breaks with this kind of blackened musical output? What gives?! The burritos at Pokez are great, but are hey laced with some sort of happiness-saltpeter? Yo no se. San Diego is a weird place.

Musically, Crash Worship are percussion based and fall within that "tribal/industrial/neo-folk/noise/drone" family of bands. Usually those bands end up being racist, and I can't vouch either way for Crash Worship, although one member went on to join Blood Axis, and well, they're pretty much racist, so... Other members went on to be in Pure, Minority Of One, Sunburned Hand Of The Man, Motherhead Bug, Physics (who are fucking awesome), and oddly enough Quintron and Miss Pussycat.

Enjoy?

DL

Milkmine - Braille

Label: Choke Inc.

Year: 1994

Sentenced to obscurity by the untimely demise of their label Choke Inc. (also home to Craw, Morsel, and Jaks), Milkmine is a hidden gem of chaotic, noisy, Midwestern nastiness. They employed the 'ole two bassists, one drummer set-up, and if I had a nickel for every time I've seen that chestnut of a trick...I'd probably owe you a couple dollars somehow.

Not only are you in for a considerably auditory beat-down via this album, but you're also about to be blessed with the sweetest "boy comes out to his father" tale in the song "Split Tail". 

Sample lyrics:

Fag...split tail (don't dare tell my wife I'm a)

Fag...split tail (don't dare tell my wife you're a)

Fag...can't believe you looked at me with wanting eyes

Fag

I mean, it tears at the heartstrings does it not?

So go ahead and listen already, especially if you gravitate towards things that come unhinged easily, or Godheadsilo's "crazier" moments. This band should have been huge, but whatever, history is a cruel mistress.

DL 

 

Surgery - Nationwide

Label: Amphetamine Reptile

Year: 1991

By request, here is Surgery's Nationwide lp, a real humdinger of a record. I believe we've already covered what this band sounds like, so I can forgo the formalities of saying things like, "dirty", "bluesy", "noisy", or "gruff" right? Thanks. I needed a break.

I would tell you a story or something, but honestly, I'm not really feeling particularly funny or interesting, so we'll skip that stuff too.

Hmmm. Turns out when you don't talk about the music or yourself, this blogging shit is real easy. 

DL

U-Men - Freezebomb 7"

Label: Amphetamine Reptile

Year: 1988

The band that some say is responsible for breaking open the Seattle music scene. What do I know though, I've never even been to Seattle. I hear it's nice, kind of a mix between San Francisco and Vancouver, real hilly, nice people, good beer, wet weather, and hippies. 

U-Men may or may not have ever lived on a hill, I can't vouch for their pleasantries, they certainly sound like they enjoy a cool one here and there, I imagine they stay indoors during rainstorms, and they most definitely are not hippies. That I do know.

Like a lot of the old Amphetamine Reptile stuff, U-Men took their punk from out of the garage you know? Kind of wild-eyed, twangy, good time punk. The guitarist went on to play in Gas Huffer, and that's the style I was alluding to. They all went on to play in other bands, Crows, Love Battery, and Cat Butt as well. You know Tom Hazelmyer even spent some time in this band, so put that in your pipe and smoke it.

DL

Steel Pole Bathtub - We Own Drrrills

Label: Self-released

Year: 1987

The first "proper" Steel Pole Bathtub record, this ep sets the groundwork for what would be the band's signature sound. A looping bass line that repeats ad infinitum, random movie/t.v. samples, guitar scraping and chugging in and out of the song, and noisy, messy drums banging out either in tribal cadence, or rolling all over the song. While mostly slicing a cacophonous gorge through the land, a closer listen reveals the pop music undertones, and the ubiquitous funk leanings of the late 80's. Minutemen + Big Black + Saccharine Trust = Steel Pole Bathtub.

In my opinion the band got better and peaked towards the middle of their career, but this first ep is still a nice little time capsule of what music sounded like in this era. It's oddly catchy, but scratchy enough to keep you satisfied.

DL

Firewater - Get Off The Cross...We Need The Wood For Fire

Label: Jetset

Year: 1996

Here's the first post-Cop Shoot Cop release from Tod A., and while it still sounds like Tod A., it don't sound like Cop Shoot Cop too much. He described the band as, "a wedding band gone wrong", but I'm not so sure that's the steez I'm picking up. Your marriage would be off to a rocky start at best if this was the soundtrack to your reception...I smell a murder-suicide pact in your future.

The similarities to Cop Shoot Cop show up from time to time as the start/stop song structures, but beyond that the instrumentation is wildly different, there are lots of strings, horns, and piano...not a double bass assault in site. You get a folksier, gentler approach to the dark world of Tod A. Maybe some klezmer? Sure, why not. Interested in a raga? Don't mind if you do. Have you thought of adding some Middle Eastern nomadic gypsy nuances? As a matter of fact, yes.

The first incarnation of this band had Duane Denison (Jesus Lizard, Pigface, Tomahawk, Cargo Cult, USSA), Hahn Roew (Foetus), Jim Kimball (Denison Kimball Trio, Jesus Lizard, Laughing Hyenas, US Maple, Mule), and a dude from Soul Coughing (is that a good thing?), so it was pretty stacked, and it might give you a feel of the depth of influence.

DL

Johnboy - Pistolswing

Label: Trance Syndicate

Year: 1993

Earlier I posted Johnboy's second (and final) album, but before I forget I wanted to get their first album up here as well. 

How this band flew under the radar is a mystery to me. I only heard about them after the fact, long after they had broken up, and I feel like I'm sorta cool you know? Like, I should at least be aware of the right? My kids think I'm cool...and they're pretty hip themselves, so that should prove my point. Open and shut case your honor, I am cool.

Oh, you were here for the music? Sorry about that last bit.

Johnboy could hold their own with any of the Touch and Go/Amphetamine Reptile/Skin Graft/Homestead bands of that era. They new when to play slow and heavy, and when to get a little mathy. They kept the vocals in he background, and let the music propel the songs along at a quick clip. This record is slightly more unpolished than the second lp, but no less exciting or rewarding. It's got elements of Shellac, Fiddlehead, Bastro, and Glazed Baby all up in this piece. 

Like I said, it's weird that Johnboy has not been canonized like so many of their brethren of that early 90s scene, because they are easily as good. Don't sleep on this one, I know you'll like it.

DL