Solids - Blame Confusion

Label: Fat Possum
Year: 2013

Here comes that World Famous Money Back Guarantee that I occasionally offer up as a way to coax you (gently...and from behind) to try something new. And I know that it's exciting when you see this proclamation, and I know that you have to say to yourself (or possibly the nearest loved one [jk, you fucking hermit]) "how on earth can his guy put it all out on the line like this...I mean, the balls on this dude...unreal. Bet he's a tender lover to boot...just sayin'". I get it, because yes, it's a big fucking deal, but dudes (and that one girl), this record is a BIG FUCKING DEAL!
Truth telling time.
I, like you, do not necessarily "get out much". I'll be frank. I used to. Used to be totally fucking cool (seriously, ask around), used to be out all damn night. Cattin' ALL around town. A legit rascal.
But now, in old age, and with responsibility and priorities and the like, I just can't justify, nor do I even really want to leave the comfort of my home. I struggled with this issue for awhile, but about 9-10 years ago came to terms with the fact that going out is for young people and the homeless, of which I am currently neither. And that's cool. So, a couple weeks ago there was a large music event in my town (which I believe I gave a pre-review for...didn't I?) that was going to lure me out of my Fortress of Solitude. And like any self respecting cave dweller, I decided to capitalize on this opportunity and make the most of the opportunity to stretch the ole "music legs". Squeeze my lemon until my juice run down my leg, as it were. You know, do my due diligence and research the bands I had never heard of in order to make sure I saw what was good and skipped the detritus. What's more rock-n-roll than research?! Answer: not a damn thing. Of the bands I dug into, I could not have dug Solids anymore than I currently dig. They earned a spot at the very top of my "to-do" list (right ahead of "learn Spanish"), and I did what needed to be done in order to be front and center when they played on Sunday afternoon, August 14th (which, as it turns out wasn't all that much, they were sandwiched between Civ and Dinosaur Jr, pretty perfect actually).
Solids did not disappoint (me), although, I bet they were disappointed in having to play under a tiny tent in the cruel southern heat and humidity of mid August smack dab in the middle of a parking lot. Less than ideal circumstances, with minimal attendance and/or reaction. Which sucked, but did not seem to hinder their abilities in the least bit to administer a blistering set of some of the most perfectly crafted rock songs these ears have heard in a dang ole long ass time. Perfect fucking songs. A marriage of everything you (I) loved about early 90s guitar rock (the noisy hooks), only the good parts of mid-90s post punk emo (the Castor stuff), and modern bands like Creepoid who have a mastery of off-kilter poppy angst. It pushes and pulls in all the right ways. It's memorable. You want the songs to keep going. It's seriously what I've been wanting to hear for years.
Solids played great regardless of circumstances. Made me forget about the blazing sun for a minute (which, by the way, sunburn).
They have a new ep that you can find both on my End Of The Year Super Spectacular Best Of List (spoiler alert), or here.
Prior to that new record, you simply must listen to this first. Listen to it loudly and often. Trust me. If you haven't heard it before, you will do that same thing I did and kick yourself for having slept on it. You'll curse the missed years you could have had with this record...the memories denied...the Facebook posts of what could have been.
Money back guaranteed.

DL

volunteer - goner

label: triple eye industries
released: 2014

have you ever found yourself wanting unsane to cover jawbreaker?
well.
this is probably as close as you're going to get unless unsane actually cover jawbreaker.

and first listen i found myself wondering if i'd accidentally put on some unsane.
but no.
it was this.
and that's ok.
it's good to have bands nowadays that aren't unsane sounding like unsane.
and that's just what these fellas from milwaukee,wi do.
and they do it very well.

they also cover the song "i love you so much it's killing us both".
and that's where jawbreaker enter the equation.

and this is the part where you enter the equation.

DL

line drive - the few....

label: new start records
released: 1992

you remember the 90s hardcore and its khaki pants wearing oversized t-shirt picking invisible spare change up off of the floor chugga-chugga ways,yeah?

remember that early victory records sound?
though this would've fit in more with the revelation records kids.

"but victory was the 90s hardcore label,bruh."

let's see here....

sure.
they had deadguy.
they had earth crisis.
they had snapcase.
they had bloodlet.

but revelation records didn't have tony brummel.
and that's for the win,kid.

moving on.

these folks were one of those 90s type hardcore bands.
which is pretty evident with this being released in 1992 and all.
they were from north carolina.
they also happen to have a member of the SGM family's involvement.
but i'm not going to say whom.
that person will just have to come out with it themselves.
i'll give you a clue: it isn't me.

and then once you give this a listen you may find yourself thinking "now where have i heard that arrangement before? is it "be all,end all" by anthrax?" while listening to the track "struggle". and it's ok because the same thing happened to me. and it's also ok because the album that song is from is decent.

DL

v/a - spectrum ale: micro-brewed musical artistry

label: relapse records
released: 1996

back in the day the relapse records mail order catalog and i were the bestest of friends.
i'm pretty sure that there were a few times that folks working in the relapse records mail room were all like "hey. it's that guy again."

and then there were times where you'd open up your package and along with your human remains USING SICKNESS AS A HERO and your the dillinger escape plan's UNDER THE RUNNING BOARD albums there'd be the added bonus of a relapse records sampler cd.

like this one right here.

also: some of the old school relapse samplers are kind of hard to come by. and if you happen to have one and would like to share it leave a message in the comments section of this here posting. it would be greatly appreciated. you can pick whatever you'd like out of the refrigerator in the SGM break room.

1 - amorphis - unborn
2 - amorphis - my kantele (acoustic)
3 - neurosis - locust star
4 - neurosis - eye
5 - pan-thy-monium - the battle of geeheeb (excerpt)
6 - mindrot - anguish (edit)
7 - blood duster - kill,kill,kill
8 - blood duster - intro/chunky bit
9 - blood duster - motherfuckin'
10 - mortician - driller killer
11 - mortician - barbaric cruelties
12 - doomed - broken
13 - embalmer - necro-philing cabinet
14 - exit-13 - gout d'belgium
15 - exit-13 - if you're a viper
16 - hybryds - alchemy
17 - tribes of neurot - fires of purification
18 - malformed earthborn - suicide lair
19 - brighter death now - little baby
20 - namanax - cascading waves of electronic turbulence (edit)
21 - merzbow - woodpecker no.2
22 - massona - inner mind mystique 4

DL

dinosaur jr - i don't wanna go there

label: jagjaguwar
released: 2009

you know dinosaur jr.
you love dinosaur jr.

you get a song from the FARM album.
you get a song from the YOU'RE LIVING ALL OVER ME album.
they were both recorded live during a session for pitchfork tv.

and for all of you nerds out there....
this was a bonus 7" that was included with the limited edition double FARM lp.
wipe your mouth.
nerd.

DL

show business giants/the squirrels - blobs vol.2

label: way out! records
released: 1991

i'd never heard of the band show business giants before hearing this.
but from what i can gather they're a canadian punk band.
and they have ties nomeansno.
and that's something,yes?

the real gem here are the squirrels and their cover of both "seasons in the sun" and "the hustle".
and the magic of it is is the fact that they combine the both into one song.
i'd first heard it on the radio via OFF THE BEATEN TRACK.
you've heard me talk about that show a time or a dozen.

and in case you're wondering about the squirrels....
they're a punk band from that seattle place.
remember all that?

and now i'm sharing it with you.
yes.
you.

DL

vcr - self-titled

label: pop faction
released: 2003

ok.
i'll be the first to admit that maybe this isn't your usual SGM business.
but there are times that you just need to let some new stuff in.

and this is the part of the show where you'd probably think that i'd be going into some zany rant about letting new stuff in and whatnot.

but not tonight.

there's nothing wrong with letting new things in. or out. like that smell in your room. would it hurt to crack the window open or something? sure. you may think that the smell of tacos and cole slaw is something that some folks would enjoy. perhaps some sort of musk to put behind one's ear. but you'd be wrong.

but i digress.
sorry.
i just couldn't let it go.
like that time i let that one thing go.
things have just never been the same since.

dammit.

vcr.
they're a band from out of virginia that play a sort of synthy-punky sort of thing.
it's not all bad.
they once played an entire show of nothing but misfits covers.

the one musical comparison i'll make is that if you like stuff like beat happening.
and there's a song on here that has a total old school depeche mode vibe going on.
it's called "king and queen of winter".
i just couldn't keep you in suspense on that one.
you would've been all like "you mention old school depeche mode and then nothing? what kind of a bastard are you?"

DL

v/a - gummo: movie soundtrack

label: domino
released: 1998

"why is this here? what are these bands? i only recognize the ones that i recognize."

why is this here?
simply put: GUMMO is the shiny grey monotone-iest movie of all time.
enough said.

1 - absu - the gold torques of ulaid
2 - eyehategod - serving time in the middle of nowhere
3 - electric hellfire club - d.w.s.o.b.
4 - spazz - gummo love theme
5 - bethlehem - schuld uns'res knoch'rigen faltpferd
6 - burzum - rundgang um die transzendentale saule der singularitat
7 - bathory - equimanthorn
8 - dark noerd - smokin' husks
9 - sleep - dragonaut
10 - brujeria - matando gueros '97
11 - namanax - the medicined man
12 - nephilim - hellish blasphemy
13 - mortician - skin peeler
14 - mystifier - give the human devil his due
15 - destroy all monsters - mom's and dad's pussy
16 - bethlehem - verschleierte irrelgiositat
17 - mischa maisky - suit no. 2 for solo cello in d minor-prelude
18 - sleep - some grass
19 - rose shepherd and ellen m. smith - jesus loves me

DL

v/a - kids: original motion picture soundtrack

label: london records
released: 1995

"you know what,man. you say that daniel johnston and the folk implosion were on some soundtrack to some movie together but i don't believe you. i don't. you say a lot of things. like that time you tried to convince me that black flag were on tour opening for some band called blink 182. or like the time you tried to convince me that rodney dangerfield and jeff goldblum were the same person."

well be prepared to have egg on your face because BAM!

if you're confused by any of this go here.

but i'm not here to gloat.
i'm here to provide you with a soundtrack.
a soundtrack to that party you'll have when your parents are out of town and the morning after.
because that's what kids do,yeah?
yeah.
a soundtrack to jumping the fence at the pool because it's too hot.
a soundtrack to things we can't really discuss here.
because daddy never understood that you were up to no good.
buttahscotch,yo.

1 - daniel johnston - casper
2 - deluxx folk implosion - daddy never understood
3 - folk implosion - nothing gonna stop
4 - folk implosion - jenny's theme
5 - folk implosion - simean groove
6 - daniel johnston - casper the friendly ghost
7 - folk implosion - natural one
8 - sebadoh - spoiled
9 - folk implosion - crash
10 - folk implosion - wet stuff
11 - lo-down - mad fright night
12 - folk implosion - raise the bells
13 - slint - good morning,captain

DL

the folk implosion - walk through this world with the folk implosion

label: drunken fish records
released: 1994

right off the bat you may find yourself thinking "why does the album cover remind me of daniel johnston?"
well.
i found myself thinking that as well.
and it's probably because it kinda sorta resembles his "hi,how are you" drawing.
at least that's what it was for me.
the daniel johnston thing was around first though.

also: both the folk implosion and daniel johnston were both on the soundtrack to the movie KIDS.

with all of that being said....
if you like the one you'll probably like this as it has that lo-fi "we just recorded this in a bedroom" thing going on.

and if'n you're already aware of who this band is then you're already aware that dinosaur jr/sebadoh member lou barlow was a member.

and if you're not....
yeah.
dinosaur jr/sebadoh member lou barlow was a member of this band.

and there are nirvana and tom petty covers to be found here as well.

DL