V/A - Shiny Grey Monotone Radio - Show 17

Label: n/a
Year: 2016

As with all of my babies (I should buy stock in turkey basters), I am extremely pleased to present their accomplishments to you for your plaudits and praises. It's what makes Mama most proud. They deserve trophies, each and every one of them (my uterus is shot). And not just those pussy-ass participation trophies either...I'm talking about the good ones, the big ones. I raised them right ya'll. Mama's tired, but Mama's proud.
Please enjoy the fruits of Mama's loins...that were stolen from some other baby mama's loins. Solid loins all.
Also, fun fact: see if you can identify the 4.5 bands in this edition that are from my adopted home state of Georgia. First correct answer gets a hug...in a location and administration of my choosing.
The bands:
Jonathan Fire*eater
Grinderman
Action Swinger
Jack-O-Nuts
Pitchblende
Honor Role
Porn Orchard
Rake
Fresh Meat
Rational Animals
White Drugs
Nudibranch
Arabrot
Whores.
Big Jesus
Torche
Wino
Tired From Now On
Trans Am

DL

Kinghorse - Too Far Gone

Label: Slamdek

Year: 1994

Kinghorse doesn't belong on this blog, they belong over on CGB, but ("let's talk about your big but" - Pee Wee Herman), if you take a closer look, a case can be made for their appearance here and now. 

David Pajo, you know him right? He played in a bunch of Louisville (and beyond) bands like, Papa M, Aerial, Tortoise, Matmos, The For Carnation, Royal Trux, Stereolab, Dead Child, Zwan, The Palace Brothers, King Kong, and Slint. Dude belongs here based on that resume right? Okay. Then look way back into the past and see that David Pajo was in a band called Maurice with ex-Squirrel Bait member Britt Walford, ex-Slint member Brian Mcmahan, and two future members of Kinghorse, Sean Garrison (vocals) and Mike Bucayu (bass). So, we're making a connection right? 

Maurice didn't last very long at all, and the members split off into two bands, one of them being Slint, one of them being Kinghorse.

Kinghorse sounds nothing like the bands mentioned earlier in this post. Kinghorse sounds like Danzig, later Corrosion Of Conformity, Saint Vitus, Motorhead, Crawlpappy, you know, shit like that. Rocking shit.

Kinghorse will divide you from your friends. They will form a line in the sand between those who love it and those who hate it (most folks). They are a strange phenomena that occurred during a strange time in a strange place. Some people really respond to that, and others...well...others like Slint a lot. I suppose it depends on your threshold for un-ironic metal. 

So, if you made it this far, I should tell you this record contains demos for an unreleased follow-up to their Caroline Records self titled release in 1992, and demos from their first session in 1988. Pure gold. 

Here's a quote from the Louisville Courier-Journal; "The world of Kinghorse is a dark, frightening place where understanding and compassion seem to be absent, where the individual has been oppressed beyond recognition and forgotten. Until now. Kinghorse represents the rebirth of the individual and the raging struggle necessary to maintain and nourish the soul; they are the musical embodiment of the holy war between illness and health.”

*originally posted 09-21-09, reposted 07-23-16

DL

Iabhorher - Crowskin b/w Splint 7"

                                                     
Label: Slap A Ham
Year: 1994

As far as ugly music goes, this one is in the top half of the top 1%. It's such an abominable blast of pure mania. I wore this record out in 1994, just couldn't get enough of their downtuned damage.
The band had Javier Villegas on bass (Born Against, Cattle Press, Kylesa, Capricorns, Our Gang, The Ladybug Transitor [really?!]), Dave Witte on drums (every band ever), and Joey Capizzi on guitar and vocals (Cattle Press). And shit, they got Clive Barker to draw the cover art. Not bad, right?!
This was their only record (thought they do appear on the Cry Now, Cry Later compilation), and then they morphed into Cattle Press, who we have previously covered in this very blog. You should get covered by them.
This is an all time favorite 7" of mine, I can't overstate that enough. When you need something super heavy, and dirty, and fucked up sounding, then you really can't do much better than this.

*originally posted 03-06-15, reposted 07-23-16

DL

Drop Acid - Making God Smile

Label: Restless

Year: 1991

This one's a wild card, and it goes out to my man White Cory (aka Lumpy) as he and I seemed to have discussed the merits(?) of this very record some time ago. As a result, I dug it out of the mothballs and gave it a spin for old time's sake. 

Still sounds the exact same. Not that it should have morphed over the years into a new record, but I guess it means it hasn't really aged per se. It hasn't aged poorly, or aged well, it's just sorta...the same. Certainly a relic of the early nineties, but it's kinda remained a time capsule.

If you followed 7 Seconds past "Soulforce Revolution" (and I can't blame you if you didn't), this record would (or will) come as no surprise. It's Kevin Seconds expanding on that "Soulforce Revolution" sound and adding some of the de rigeur grunge pop into the mix. Sort of a Seaweed versus later 7 Seconds versus Mudhoney amalgamation. I really liked it when it came out (most likely due to an allegiance to Kevin Seconds more than anything else), and as a nostalgia trip, it's pretty fun.

*Originally posted 11-28-09, reposted 09-25-14, and now reposted for the FINAL time 07-23-16

DL

Thug - Everything Is Beautiful In It's Own Way

Label: Grudge

Year: 2001

First off, let's preface this by saying, this "Thug" is an Australian noise/rock band from the mid to late 80s, not the "Thug" that was associated with Bovine Records in the early 90s. Clear? Nice.

Also, I can't pretend to know much at all about this band, I had only heard of them in the context of Beasts Of Bourbon, as they share a member in Tex Perkins, who then (apparently) went on to minor fame in Australia as a member of The Cruel Sea. I happened upon a couple Thug releases and thought they might be of interest to you folks as well, this one being a compilation, that was put out on a Universal imprint no less, of their recorded output, which consisted of the Fuck Your Dad 7", Mechanical Ape/Proud Idiots Parade lp, and Electric Wooly Mammoth lp. Supposedly. I'm trusting the internet on this one (the internet doesn't lie).
Musically, it's within the realm of Boredoms, the Residents, Whitehouse, Chrome...maybe Captain Beefheart...maybe some Butthole Surfers. Noise basically. Fucked up, weird, seemingly cut and paste, noise. Sometimes that's more exciting than others, and this record has some hits and some misses, but ultimately it's an interesting listen to say the least. 

Like I said, I'm no authority on this band, nor am I an authority on this style, but I listened to it, and I liked it, so there's a good chance you will too. There's even some fart sounds that occasionally made me laugh. You like farts right?

*originally posted 03-10-09, reposted 07-23-16

DL

Cherubs - Icing

Label: Trance Syndicate

Year: 1992

I shouldn't have to say much about this one, because it seems that, even though Cherubs toiled in obscurity during their lifespan they have become widely popular among noise rock fans posthumously. Their records turn up on the internet to unanimous praise, so apparently, folks are into Cherubs these days. For good reason, they are one of the best at what they do. And they "do" relentless, rolling, thick noise rock with some of the more memorable vocals of that canon. Think of Helmet on cough syrup after a full night listening to Flipper. Are you thinking? Well, so like I said, their albums show up from time to time on these kinds of blogs, but I don't usually see this one, so, since I was listening to it myself, I thought I'd get it up (the record, not my dong mind you). 

They were from Austin, Texas (which I believe we have discussed it's magical early 90s qualities here already) and featured the talents of the bands Ed Hall, Butthole Surfers, Sugar Shack, Fuckemos, and Drain. If perchance you have not had the pleasure of acquainting yourself with this particular band, please remedy that situation post haste. Please.

*originally posted 03-03-09, reposted 07-23-16

DL

Slughog - Grit

Label: Wonderdrug
Released 1995

Noise...Rock. It's noisy and it rocks. Kinda ticks the box firmly in both categories. From the opening bassline you would be forgiven to thinking that you are listening to mid-era Unsane but then when the vocals cut in you are reminded of Tad. Dual mouth on this album which then remind me of Hell No on the later songs. As the pope would say "good shit!"

*originally posted 12-28-09, reposted 07-23-16

DL

Pre - Epic Fits

released 2007


these 4 gentleman and lady come from across the big pond (london)

sound-wise...it's melt banana and devo arguing about their favorite episodes of REN & STIMPY while black flag's DAMAGED gets played at the wrong speed

"what?!"

exactly.

the title of the album is very fitting...you can almost picture a room full of chubby children wearing helmets running around a room and holding their breaths because no one would give them a cookie

they have ex-todd guitarist john webb in their ranks

if you can tolerate aids wolf...no age...anything skin graft records puts out...crank this to I DON'T GIVE A FUCK WHO'S IN THE ROOM

*originally posted 03-23-12, reposted 07-23-16

DL

Seven Foot Spleen - Boredom and Disease 7"

Label: Fuck Inane / Rhodhiss
Year: 1996

In the American Southeast it is currently the summer season (I cannot, nor would I want to vouch for which time of year it is in whatever hell-hole you live), which means it is far too hot, and far too humid for my liking. But, as they say, "them's the breaks", and you just have to crank up the air conditioning and spend as much time poolside with a twelver of the best Mexican beer you can stuff into a coozie. It's just what you do here. Else, you might as well die. Which you no doubt will want to do by about 5:30pm each day.
The other thing that I do, and now WE are doing, is commiserate the worst time of the year with our fellow Southern compatriots, and listen intently and at dangerous volumes to southern fried swinging sludge. Eyehategod, Buzzoven, Kilara, Cavity, Damad...
Seven Foot Spleen do it right. Just the way you want. Tune down, turn up, feedback, head down, and unleash fury. Slow and grooving, or bug eyed and raging...either/or. You get a bit of both.
Not to mention, Seven Foot Spleen are from my beloved North Carolina...so, they're extra special.


DL

Red Expendables - Factory Issued Sealed Packaged Printed and Pressed CD

Label: Grimmwerks

Year: 1997

I had not heard this record until very recently, so my take on it is not based on any historical significance in my own life, merely, it was a curiosity I had heard about but never sought out. I stumbled over it the other day, grabbed it, listened to it, and decided to post it. 

The story goes, at the end of Cop Shoot Cop, the band had spent about $150,000 of Interscope's money recording what would be the follow-up to the album "Release". The band had mixed feelings about the process and the songs, and group founder Tod A decided the music wasn't up to par and split. The rest of the band approached Interscope with the nine songs they had, but the label refused to release the album. That marks the end of Cop Shoot Cop, but the remaining band members polish off those nine songs, and add four more and release the record as Red Expendables. There is a connection to the previously posted Book Of Knots record, but frankly, that's just what I'm told, and I can't confirm or deny anything.

Bottom line is, if you liked Cop Shoot Cop on "Release", the more streamlined version of the band, then you will like this. If it weren't "ex-Cop Shoot Cop", then it probably would have been a well respected album, but in the shadow of one of the great noise rock bands of all time, it's a little flat. See for yourself.

*originally posted 12-01-09, reposted 07-06-16

DL