The Young Leaves Singles review
OK, OK OK. I’ve been absent. There was a tornado of work that has overtaken my soul and a couple months in I am none the wiser but i do no when The Young Leaves are on my car stereo I’m quickly reminded about the influences they wear on their sleeve and proud of it. They have a few recent tracks that just crank unforgivably and the volume goes up and time stops. This is what you want from quality rocknroll from North Dartmouth, Mass; to hell with all that poser hairspray weak electronic crap. This is the real deal. Buy their shit. Check out “Hey Man (Backup Plan)”, “Boot to the Face” and “Life Underneath” that will remind you of Husker Du, Dino Jr, mats, and a more distorted Archers of Loaf all pack in one bombastic set alla sorry ma forgot to take out the trash. Easy as that.
Internet Hits that retred that sound man
As I sit here on this Saturday night drinking beers and it occurred to me how much I sickly like sharing my thoughts on music for the four or five of you who care. There are lots of new bands on the block these days as they seem to replicate faster than the rabbits do in my neighborhood. There are so many one internet hits that surely I’d think you would like to take advantage of since the kids these days all have smart recording devices. If there is good song they really do have the potential to sound good. Magically awesome sounds come right out of their pods and away they go! Here are a few of our picks for this month check them out while they are hot because then they will be gone starting another band trying to re-live the now.
MP3 – “A Brighter Sunday” Farmer Sea‘s Italian ass sounds more like Mathew Sweet, Dave Grohl and the song Solar Sister with some oohs and aaahs that give them a bit of a familiar majestic sound. This track is the lead song from their debut Low Fidelity in Relationships – BUY IT its like that lost strokes album that never followed Is this it. Well sorta.
MP3 – “I Am Blind” by Elephant Stone a little of more of the same as above and chip in with a little British new-wave pop ditty that is as pleasant as a setting sun down the beach. I suppose they have beaches in Canada where they are from but I think they are on lakes. This track is from their debut The Seven Seas. BUY IT.
MP3 – “Pacific Nostalgia” by Fungi Girls from Texas is by far one of my favorite tracks with such a nice roughness to it alla No Age that it will be hard to beat it’s sincerity. Reverb is used like a knife that JAMC used to cut feedback out of their guitars with. You can tell these kids ( 15 – 16 years old) listen to a unreasonable amount of music and take advantage of their youth. They can’t even buy freakin’ cigarettes for Christ’s sake. Check out their id reverberations blog where they post a ton of RAR files (i dunno even how to open). They are not afraid of being uncool and sincerely remind me of my youth. Listening to this track feels like that High-fidelity scene when the John Cusack character discovers the skater’s tape. Anyway… I don’t even know where to send you to buy the Fungi Girls so good luck with that.
MP3 – “Wind Phoenix” – Cymbals Eat Guitars is more than likely on the top of their game. Who knew cool bands could be based out of Staten Island? I kid because I live in Jersey and well there are many. Anyway, this tune has lots of layers and floatty vocal melodies of the Shin’s variety but in this case they are not afraid to flip the volume knob all the way up. Doesn’t hurt either that pitchfork likes them. Lucky for them with so many different things going on in their music and all… CEG is on tour this fall. I will have to check them out live if somebody puts me on the guest list. They mention MMR in their bio which makes one of their band mates around my age. Ha! The good thing is they sound nothing like most of the crap in that old rag. Check out Why there are Mountains now. Buy it.
Other bands with singles in rotation at the homestead: Wolf Gang, The Watermarks, Memory Tapes, Local Natives and Real Estate.
Buzzoven vs Buzzkill
Seven Inch Friday: This little punk rock story is probably one of my favorites although I probably won’t do it justice; it’s funny none the less. It’s the story of how the whole New Brunswick NJ scene got a Buzzov•en t-shirt but first about the music…
This here 7″ has three grunge pot smoking epics that came out in 1992 sometime out on the Santa Rosa CA label Kirbdog Records. The band originated out of North Carolina and was led by Kirk Fisher. He was the guy behind the violence. The instigator of sludge metal. Fans of the melvins/eyehategod know exactly who these guys are. They always used horror film samples in-between songs, real smoke and the slower the rock distortion groove the better. After lots of touring and small releases they made it to Roadrunner records and were later promptly dropped. I had the opportunity to see them several times and witnessed first hand their asinine antics of lighting fireworks and kirk pulling a gg allin drawing blood on himself or throwing bottles of bud across the room; then giggling about it like little girls when the victim could not figure out who it was. I thought it was obvious. One time at the Brighton (photo below) Kirk got upset because Sebastian Bach was asked to leave so he wouldn’t get beat up. Sounds funny but apparently he had the good pot. Kirk had his priorities.
mp3 Hatebox
mp3 Fade / On Your Knees
The most notable of nights happened when they decided to get in a fight with Buzzkill (NOt the uk band) after playing The Melody in New Brunswick. Now Buzzkill (formerly Butthead ) with just Dan and Bruce are 12 1/2 feet tall combined. The smelly pot smoking hippies did not stand a chance. For all their stupidity and getting pummeled they decided after being kicked-out of the party by force to take their vengeance on one of the party goers cars. In the end Kirk ended up in a orange suite for a few days in the New Brunswick lock-up and they left behind a whole box of T-shirts. Anyway, be sure to update your calender Sat Dec 26th 2009 as Buzzkill are playing The Court Tavern for a reunion show along with Prosolar Mechanics and The Stuntcocks. Bring back the 90’s man.
Bonus:
Mp3 “Rock and Roll Gas Station” from the album UP on A/T
Mp3 “This place sucks” Tooth & Sole
Mp3 “Dirge” from the debut I feel like myself again
If you like this pot music you will dig:
Album Review – ‘Til the living end of punk by Zeke (mp3)
Hot Summer Rock Mix
I’ll be honest. I’m still working on my summer mix of course but one quick gander and sure enough there is some good stuff out there. Heather from Fuel Friends never dissapoints with her take. I’m not quite sure where she finds the freakin’ time but she is the hot one third from the left above. Vinyl district has a few choice tracks to grab. Mars needs guitars also has a good set of summer songs. Anyway here are some to add to your mix not in any particular order, rhyme or reason other than to annoy your friends.
Here’s to summertime, summertime, summer:
Mp3 Summer Here Kids – Grandaddy from Under the Western Freeway
Mp3 Celebrated Summer – Husker Du off of New Day Rising
Mp3 Endless Summer Of The Damned – Bauhaus from Go Away White
Mp3 Summertime Blues – Stones – Made in the Shade 1978
Mp3 Summer of Protest – The Dears – Protest Ep
Mp3 Summer Teeth – Jeff Tweedy Live at the Vic Theater, Chicago, IL, 03-05-2005
Related for summer fun:
Summer Surf and Turf driving mix 2009
End of Summer Playlist 2008
Arizona the glowing bird band
Album Review: Glowing Bird by the band known as Arizona. I had a dumb idea for a comp the other day which would feature 50 bands from 50 states. Probably do-able but you would end up with some crap. Although we’re a little late to the game we are always weary of a band falling through the cracks. The good news is that these guys would be a good opener for said project. No doubt about it.
Studio geeks beware of the state of the band Arizona currently 3/4 parts Asheville North Carolina and 1/4 part of course Brooklyn. One band guy is still holding on apparently. Pretension aside, this band has none, this review is about the art of making an album. Something that is missing these days in 9/10 of the releases out there. More than likely because it’s so easy to make a record on a computer but composing one like this is a whole other level. It’s obvious they worked hard at the knob twiddling to create the ear candy on this shinning release borrowing
some from the reverb playbook with their brand of folk-electronica guitar rock and things that sounds like a melotron and um’ talent? Yes, it’s a damn fine release put out by echo mountain records with so many layers of feel good harmony in the vain of yes the Beatles (on the McCartney side), Sunny Day Real Estate, and contemporaries Okkervil River. A complete pleasure to listen to the two singers trade the lead role seamlessly that they seem as one. At times they get a little proggy and southern rock with their guitar jamming but it’s ok we forgive them for thinking big and letting it rip on the title track. They are best on the last couple simple ditties like “The Fairly Light” and “Whiskey Or Wine” which is mollusk-esque(Ween) but I say just go for it all. You can’t go wrong.
Mp3 Heath – BUY SOME
Mp3 The Fairly Light
Joe Strummer Love Kills
So did Farrah Fawcett get trumped or what? When one large icon dies it’s always a good time to remember some of the others who were nothing but good souls. Joe Strummer (1952–2002) was always true to his roots and the origin of rockn’roll. Thus his 50’s look I would say. Part of legacy brings the Strummerville Foundation which strives to enable folks the opportunity to create music who may not have the chance.
“Love Kills” was the title track for Sid & Nancy movie soundtrack. Being as I totally missed 7″ Friday yesterday I’m giving you a 12″ LP on Sunday. Here’s the dub mix promo of said song which I found in the bins at the Princeton record exchange. If you want some nostalgia check out this Out of Control T-Shirt from the good folks at worn free. I have a red one and so should you if they are still available. They have some cool stuff.
MP3 Love Kills Dub version [buy some]
BONUS:
MP3Silver & Gold with the Mescaleros
MP3Straight to Hell Cover by Lily Allen who Joe was a godfather too. Strangeness.
7 Inch Friday: Baxter vs Unsane
Seven Inch Friday: Noise pollution sometimes can be seen as good thing. The east coast was fortunate to have plenty of bands stricken with the need to play fast and loud with the vocals and melody playing a backseat. Enter the Toms River New Jersey band Baxter and Unsane from NYC.
Although they were around for short blip in time the punk rock continuum they put out one hell of 7 inch on their own make-shift label Velocipede. Mark (vocals/Guitar) and Daneal(drums -later to play in Aviso’Hara) were the Jersey shore’s king and queen of indie. This blistering inferno of a band was known to play 4-5 sets tops and then cut the chord. Mark would later go on to form The Trans Megetti and put out a couple releases on Art Monk Construction and full length on Southern Records. Photo by your’s truly.
Baxter an accident waiting to happen Velocipede 7″
mp3 car twenty seven – Side 1
mp3 simba – Side 2
mp3 superstar
BONUS: The Trans Megetti (pictured above) mp3 – “Opposite of Techno” (Courtesy of Southern)
Now onto one of the most morose record covers I own by a band that made a interesting turn post-hardcore.
mp3 – Concrete bed A side
mp3 – El Mundo – B Side
This is probably a little tasteless considering the Cobain reference below but then again I feel this is the premise. The music of the UNSANE should scare you out of your gore. Chris Spencer(Guitar.vox) and team were big time into horror flicks and the german Glitterhouse(GR0090) label were more than willing to accommodate. Now for some this straight forward display of rock was everything the new york noise scene stood for and umbrella’d like Foetus, the Swans, Sick of it all, etc. I saw them open for Crash Worship once (more on them sometime) and the unsane just made such a awesome wall of sound. Delivered with a scalpel precision which was only to be washed out by a literal flood and fire by CW. Amazing show. I remember Allen Ginsberg’s boy punk rock lover David Greenberg cowling over them one time. I didn’t get it at first but then I was like this rocks to holy hell. Damn. Don’t expect a melody to catch you. Just let the molten guitar power grab ya which is akin to electrifying a vacuum cleaner sucking the air right out of you right to the end.
Unsane @ Wetlands NYC – More fanzeen rock scene photos up on the facebook
Past 7 Inch Fridays:
Jesus and Mary Chain vs North Elementary and Pistolero
Superconductor vs Mudhoney and George Clinton
Monster Magnet Glitterhouse seven inch
Day of the dead Kristen Pfaff RIP Janitor Joe
Kristen Pfaff RIP 1967-1994: There were few bass players in the Alternative scene in the early 90’s who used distortion and in particular chick bass players who were as killer as Ms. Pfaff. Enter Kristen who died of a heroin overdose some 14 years ago in a bathtub today. Safe to say grunge got the best of her and with that an era of great music. The exact details are not known but one thing is for certain it’s fairly obvious who introduced her to the black tar of death after joining Hole. The One being a Courtney Love for whom Kristen had played with for a brief while and played bass on Live Through This. Ironic huh? A few months prior Kurt Cobain had met his demise with a shotgun and according to her obituary on myspace(no removed 4/3/14) she was hit hard by this loss and trying to get out of dodge before it got her. Sadly, this was not the case.
“You fuck my guitar player, constantly make eyes at my husband and now you’re telling me how to sing. Just don’t fuck with me because you’ll regret it forever.”
– Courtney to Kristen
RELATED: justiceforkurt.com/kristen_pfaff
As the back story goes. Mysteriously, El Duce from The Mentors also died under questionable circumstances per the documentary Courtney Killed Kurt by British documentary director Nick Broomfield. He had claimed he was offered to rid Mr. Cobain for $50,000 so she could get his money allegedly because Kurt was planning on divorcing the crazy lady. He claims he did not take her up on the offer and then 10 days later poof or so the story goes and then later El Doce ran into a train. It would seem she got somebody to do her dirty work huh?. Maybe Hoffa knows. Anyway, I love a good conspiracy and this has never been proven so who knows if time will tell the truth. Like who cares about heroin addicts right? Looking in the future to today Ms. Love is still twisted and forever (i hope) paying a penance for the evil she spreads and we hope Francis Bean gets to be normal. Her crazy train looks like something real sexy-scary these days straight out of the movie Brazil and one of her most famous song lines was one of Kristen’s. See the Janitor Joe track called “Limited edition” who’s lyrics go -“You’ve made your bed you’ll lie in it, You’ve made your bed you’ll cry in it…” Sound familiar rock fans? Her bass playing was awesome showing no mercy and was a true talent not like the blond poser killer. Enjoy the few Janitor Joe tracks posted here.
Kristen Pfaff Hole Years w/ Eric and Patty
Bass tasters by Janitor Joe:
mp3 “Limited Edition” from Big Metal Bird lp
OXO Records 7″
mp3 “H’Mong Today, Hung Tomorrow” Side 1
mp3 Prone – Side 2
mp3 Big Nose Side 2
Jesus and Marychain vs North Elementary and Pistolero
On this rainy seven inch Friday we have “What is the sound of somebody scraping the underbelly of a jumbo jet” which is how Ethan Stein(RIP) from Captn’ Video, WRSU’s Overnight Sensations and his New Brunswick NJ band Leather Studded Diaphram(LSD) once described The Jesus and Mary Chain to me and I’ve been quoting him ever since because he was so damn right. More on him later but he was always good for long music chats till his unfortunate self destruction. This one goes out to you my friend.
This is, from I can tell, the first jesus and marychain release that came out in oh god 1981? I need to get a loop out to actually read the 7″ label but I’m going with it till somebody corrects me. This was later to be followed up with the must have PSYHCOCANDY full length debut by JAMC. I discovered them in highschool before going to college and it was one of those life changing bands that basically broke a lot of sonic rules and were a perfect companion to Day Dream Nation and New Day Rising as those type of get-up and go or go to bed and smoke pot records(either way worked). Anyway, this has got all the killer feedback that can make you want to stick a fork in your ears in order to scratch inside the part of your skull. You eventually get used to it when chorus parts kick-in. Enjoy.
A Side: Upside Down – BUY JAMC
b Side: Vegetable Man(Sid Barret cover)
Before school lets out we bring you North Elementary a hook filled indie rock band from Chapel Hill NC who has a new full length out called Not For Everyone, Just For You on Eskimo Kiss records. NE remind me of grandaddy meets the big rock of Blue Tip in a can filled with dreamy lyrics and reverb. As a limited edition promotion you can get a split 7″ with their friends Pistolero from Atlanta which reminds me of the warmers/cloud cult mixed with something hooky and smartly mod. Dig it. If you don’t have a record player just go to their site as they are giving you the tracks (oh hell linked below for your convenience) for free of course. I love the split tradition. I wish more bands did this more often but it totally helps if the songs are good and herein is the case. Thanks. Keep them coming!
EndlessSummer (NE covers Pistolero) – Great song. Dig the big oasis type bass groove, which then picks up in to this awesome live lou reed jam circa rockn’roll animal machine.
Fuzzy TV Delay (pistolero covers NE) Big drum beat and keys layered in a hand clapping pastiche of what is a minimalist nation of Ulysses style all their own.
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