Orgone Accumulators EPs on Grindcore Karaoke

This is the best piece of music ever produced. Better than anything else in the world ever. Download immediately.

Shameless sock puppetry aside, give it a listen.

Also, check out the other stuff on Grindcore Karaoke. It's a net label that J Randall of Agoraphobic Nosebleed runs. Tons of releases available and all for free. Oh, and all available in FLAC. Definitely an interesting use of bandcamp.

Listening Center - Example One

The fantastic GHOST BOX records put a new blog post up about some new releases they're doing - http://jimjupp.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/listening-centre.html

One of them is going to be a 7" by Listening Centre (including a remix by Pye Corner Audio!.

Never heard of them before but have given this album of theirs a few listens today and they fit right in with the whole Ghost Box thing (even though they are from New York).

Just look at this picture from their facebook page:-

Says everything! If you don't quite get it yet here's their bio:-

Researching imaginary pasts and lost utopias.

Listening Center is the alias of drummer and electronic musician, David Mason. Drawing primarily from influences such as the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, lost film/TV soundtracks, and Kosmische Musik, Listening Center presents a patchwork of imagined pasts/futures, in which the listener can make his or her way through an undergrowth of dream-like melodies and electronic sound palettes which have the effect of being now reassuring, now unsettling. Having grown up in Ireland in the 1980s, David evidently internalized similar effects of synth-based incidental music from sci-fi and schools programs which found their way from the BBC to the TV set in his parents' living room. His formal musical education began at the Cologne Music Conservatory in 1995, and he completed his studies at the New School in New York in 2000. During this time he studied jazz drumming with highly-esteemed players such as Keith Copeland, Billy Hart and Joe Chambers, and thereafter embarked on a career accompanying artists as diverse as Art Farmer, James Hunter, and Natalie Walker. Since then, he has also collaborated with the novelist/musician Michael Idov and filmmaker Miranda July, and since 2010 has held the electronic drum chair in multi-instrumentalist Mikkel Hess's project, Hess is More.

Abul Mogard - s/t

This is some pretty interesting stuff. It's kind of experimental noise/synth stuff. However, it's all done by a retired Serbian factory worker with synths he's made himself.

The Outer Church have an interview with him here - http://theoriginalouterchurch.tumblr.com/post/30388556632/abul-mogard-was-born-in-belgrade-an-ex-factory that is well worth a read.

The album is available as pay-what-you-like digital download but also in a really elaborate wooden/plexiglass handmade edition.

Here's the blurb:-

Abul Mogard approached music in old age. He was born in Belgrad and spent most of his life working in a Serbian factory.

When he retired, he felt that his accustomed environment with all the acoustic noises he had been listening to during his working years, was gone.

Music was a way to somehow recreate these surroundings, and not having a formal musical education he realized that using electronic musical instruments would make this possible.

These machines could also make similar sounds to the ones he remembered. He started working with synthesizers and other devices, some of which he has built himself over the past few years.

Jodis - Black Curtain (Hydrahead)

Only given it one listen through but I am definitely buying this come payday at the end of the week.

Jodis feature one Mr James Plotkin who was in OLD (aka Old Lady Drivers). They were one of the weirdest bands on Earache back in the 90s.

I remember riding my bike doing my paper round listening to stuff like Marzuraan by OLD and liking it, but not quite getting it.



Years later I finally heard their final album, Formula, which was more trippy and almost like the Cocteau Twins or something.



Then, of course, came Khanate with the Southern Lord/Sunn folk. They were great too. Anyway, Jodis was the band Plotkin formed after the demise of Khanate. Was another bloke from Khanate (i think) and Aaron Turner from Hydrahead/Isis. For some reason I only briefly checked out their first album they did a few years back. I remember it being pretty harsh. And that's harsh compared with Khanate!

This is kind of more trippy. The reason for all the OLD stuff I posted at the beginning was that it kind of reminded me of Formula era OLD. It doesn't sound anything much like it. More the fact that it's kind of nicer sounding and vaguely musical but also still odd.

Onto the second listen now and it's definitely sounding like it's a keeper.

Oh, if you haven't heard, Hydrahead is going to be calling it a day. Read all the reasons here - http://hydraheadlines.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-imminent-demise-of-hydra-head.html. Shame as they were a great label. Definitely make sure you support them by buying their releases. They've got a ton of releases up on Bandcamp as well so get on it - http://hydrahead.bandcamp.com/

Slomatics - A Hocht

Was checking this out a while back but at that point you couldn't do a paid download. Now you can, so I'm telling you now to get it. I'll be getting it at the end of the week when I get paid.

This lot are from Belfast and play some stellar doom/stoner rock stuff. The folk behind Roadburn Festival put this out so you know it's going to be be top notch stuff

They've been plugging away for years and are grand lads. Saw them years ago in Leeds with Like A Kind Of Matador and then a few years later in Belfast with Gruel. Banging both times.

Definitely the real deal.

Mean Jeans - On Mars

Most of the stuff I post about is either skulls/death/brutality hardcore or chin-stroking electronic stuff.

Mean Jeans are the total polar opposite. Beer, pizza and Ramones.

Dead simple pop punk is surprisingly hard to do. Or I guess sit must be as there's a billion shitty 7"s littering sale boxes in record shops and free boxes in distros. Mean Jeans seem to have that little bit extra that makes it work.

Protestant - Reclamation (Halo Of Flies)

I approve of the name Halo Of Flies. A great song and a great band that named themselves after the song.

Protestant are kind of modern metallic d-beat hardcore stuff. Tragedy and all that kind of thing. Or Lounge Crust as some people I know call it.

Truss - Ganymede 12" (Perc)

The splendid PERC have a new release on their label. Given it a quick listen and it's sounding good. PERC have very high standards. Here's the blurb:-

Support from Surgeon, Objekt, Chris Liebing, Tommy Four Seven, Dave Clarke, Oliver Ho, Drumcell, Adam X, Xhin, Shifted, Motor, Sawf, Derek Plaslaiko, Chymera, Speedy J, Bas Mooy, Truncate and a shitload more.

Perc Trax’s Welsh born, London based acid wizard Truss returns after the success of his recent releases on Sigha’s Our Circula Sound imprint and his remix (in collaboration with Sigha) of Perc’s own ‘You Saw Me’.

‘Ganymede is Truss’ first Perc Trax outing since ‘Osbasten’ back in summer 2010 and from the outset demonstrates how far his sound has progressed. Fusing the attitude of classic early R&S with modern techno, he layers razor sharp hoover stabs over a heavily swung, bass-laden groove.

Remixes come from fast-rising Semantica/Horizontal Ground producer Skirt and label boss Perc. The former deepens the track, adding more atmospherics over the original’s broken beat kick, whilst Perc sharpens up the hoover stabs even more and adds layer upon layer of his trademark crushing metallic percussion.

Rounding off the EP is ‘Hackney’, a 4/4 jackin’ acid stomper, with a sound that is at the forefront of the current UK renaissance in stripped down, in-yer-face techno.

Army Of Flying Robots - Discography

Essential.

Last Shop Standing

Last Shop Standing is a documentary film to be released on September 10th 2012.

Last Shop Standing inspired by the book of the same name by Graham Jones takes you behind the counter to discover why nearly 2000 record shops have already disappeared across the UK. The film charts the rapid rise of record shops in the 1960's, 70's and 80's, the influence of the chart, the underhand deals, the demise of vinyl and rise of the CD as well as new technologies. Where did it all go wrong? Why were 3 shops a week closing? Will we be left with no record shops with the continuing rise of downloading? Hear from over 20 record shop owners and music industry leaders as well as musicians including Paul Weller, Johnny Marr, Norman Cook, Billy Bragg, Nerina Pallot, Richard Hawley and Clint Boon as they all tell us how the shops became and still are a part of their own musical education, a place to cherish and discover new bands and new music.

http://www.lastshopstanding.com/

Got the book for Christmas the other year and it's a great, if very depressing, read.

I love record shops. Scary to think just how much money I've spent in them. I've got shelves and shelves and boxes and boxes of records to show for it though.

And, as the trailer states, record shops are great for finding out about new stuff, getting recommendations, chatting and all the rest of it. It'd suck if you couldn't turn up in town you've never been to and check the record shop out.

I reckon it'd genuinely be disastrous if record shops died.

Which is why I can't understand why record shops don't sell downloads. Already touched on the idea in this post about Rough Trade but it's worth repeating.

A record shop is somewhere where you go and buy music. In ye olden days before records you'd have bought sheet music. Then it would have been 78s and then onwards to vinyl, 8 tracks, reel to reel, cassette tapes, CDs and whatever else you could stick music on.

So why is the thought of selling a piece of card with a download code printed on it so inconceivable?

New 7"s in shops are now between £4 and £7 which is quite a lot. Wouldn't it be great if you could get several singles for a tenner? Well you could with download cards. For a couple of quid people are more likely to take a punt on something they haven't heard before.

I can't think of one single idea why it would be a bad thing.

You only need to look at the itunes store wikipedia page to see the ridiculous amount of money they're making. Biggest music store in the world now, apparently.

Blows apart any argument about people not being willing to pay for digital stuff.

Could you imagine a music shop in the 60s and 70s that refused to sell vinyl or one in the 90s that refused to sell CDs?

Vilipend - Inamorata (A389)

First heard this because the folk over at Elementary Revolt compared them to Deadguy, Kiss It Goodbye and Botch. It's definitely in that ball park sonically. Obviously they're not quite as good as those bands. Honestly, if you managed to combine those bands and make even better music then you'd probably instantly become my favourite band of all time. It's unfair to judge any band by that standard.

Repeated listens have changed my opinion on them though. First listen I thought it was alright, not too bad. Slowly but surely repeated listens have made me think that actually this is some pretty killer stuff.

It's definitely more Botch than KIG/Deadguy. I could well imagine this having come out on Hydrahead.

I mean, these guys can really play their instruments. They don't wank off into a noodlefest but it's subtly there. Just occasional tasteful flourishes. More importantly, it's really well structured. It moves and shifts and does stuff.

The more I think about it the more I think of Botch. The tone of the guitars, the tempo shifts and the kind of discordant riffs used.

At this point their still students of Botch. But they're students that have got an A* in their exams. It's definitely something you should check out. The more I listen to it, the more I enjoy it. And definitely keep an eye out for them in the future. There's the seeds of a band may well truly smash their way into the level of the aforementioned trio of bands. Here's in hoping.

Pick Your Side - Let Me Show You How Democracy Works (A389)

When I first heard this my immediate thought was that it sounded a hell of a lot like Haymaker. Turns out it's ex-Haymaker. Also ex a bunch of those other Canadian bands like Left For Dead and Chokehold.

Like Haymaker, it's some weird mid-point between 80s hardcore stuff and moronic mosh metal but somehow turning out awesome.

It will make you want to kill people.

It won't show you how democracy works though. Like Haymaker before them the lyrics are pretty stupid and childish. But, y'know, it's a punk record. Who cares.

And yeah, the artwork is fucking shit.

The music, though. The music is good.

Mark Fell - Sentielle Objectif Actualite (Editions Mego)

Bought this from Boomkat this morning. Go get it here - http://boomkat.com/downloads/550998-mark-fell-sentielle-objectif-actualit

This is Mark Fell who is one half of SND who've put plenty of stuff out on Mille Plateux and Raster Noton. We're talking super chin scratchy abstract electronic stuff. With this project he's gone a bit more house.

According to Resident Advisor:- The package centres on remixes of the three 12-inch singles so far (3.333... should drop shortly) on Sensate Focus, the Editions Mego sub-label set-up at the start of 2012 to house off-kilter house explorations from the Snd member. While traditional genre tropes were fully utilized on the recordings, Fell tampered heavily with house's rhythmic structure to evoke "slightly unusual beats," sounded out by Roland drum machines and the like.

And yes, even by underground house standards this is "unusual".

It has a really nice effect though. You get the clinical, cerebral Raster Noton thing but with nice washes of sound and hints of an actual tune. Definitely something for repeated listens.

Cynarae - s/t

This lot get compared to Systral, Unruh, Morser, The Swarm and Left For Dead. And that's a pretty fair comparison too. There'll be a handful of people who see that (like me) whose interest is piqued.

For everyone else we're talking blistering metallic hardcore punk stuff. Recent comparisons might be the more straight ahead Drainland stuff or that new Torch Runner album.

Definitely a cut above that post-Cursed thing where everything sounds dead samey.

10 Reasons Why Itunes Is Crap

10 Reasons I Don't Buy From Itunes

1. They don't sell FLAC.
Kevin points out the many reasons why FLAC is vastly superior to mp3 in this post - http://spoonfuloftar.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/why-flac-format.html

2. Because I'm buying independent or DIY music.
I buy my vinyl from someone with a box of records at a punk gig in the back room of a pub. Either that or a proper independent record shop. I'd steadfastly refuse to go to somewhere like HMV. Why would I want to buy my digital records from the equivalent of Tescos.

3. Apple are a bunch of tax dodging bastards.
They use every dirty trick in the book to pay only a peppercorn tax rate in any country they operate in. You might argue that it's 'legal'. It's not. The methods are just not explicitly illegal. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/business/apples-tax-strategy-aims-at-low-tax-states-and-nations.html

4. I'm just not a fan of Apple products.
Shiny and overexpensive and just frustrating to use. I just don't like the walled garden appraoch. Also, the itunes program has given me nothing but grief.

5. Bands and labels have to pay for their stuff to go on itunes.
Could you imagine a shop demanding to be paid to stock your records? That's up front by the way. Not just taking a cut of each sale (which is fine). No, you actually have to pay to be put on itunes in the first place.

6. DRM
Yeah, I know they don't do DRM anymore but they used to. And the stench remains. They're very much not on the side of the music fan. Which brings me on to the next point.

7. You don't own the music you buy
This one is almost incomprehensible. You don't actually own the music you buy from itunes.

"Part of the problem is that with digital content, one doesn’t have the same rights as with print books and CDs. Customers own a license to use the digital files — but they don’t actually own them.

Apple (US:AAPL) and Amazon.com (US:AMZN) grant “nontransferable” rights to use content, so if you buy the complete works of the Beatles on iTunes, you cannot give the “White Album” to your son and “Abbey Road” to your daughter.

According to Amazon’s terms of use, “You do not acquire any ownership rights in the software or music content.” Apple limits the use of digital files to Apple devices used by the account holder."

Read more about that here - http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-08-23/finance/33336852_1_digital-content-digital-files-apple-and-amazon

8. They almost have a monopoly
It almost seems like people don't realise there's other options. OK, it doesn't help that loads of independent labels use it as they're default option for selling digital. But, the fact is, there are far better options such as Bandcamp or Boomkat or whatever.

9. It's expensive
You want me to pay the same price as a CD for a digital version that's worse quality? Erm, no.

10. Fuck itunes
Just fuck it. Everything about it. Just fuck it. Itunes is just pure unadulterated bullshit. I've tried to focus on specific things but the fact is that there isn't a single good thing about itunes. Not one. Itunes stinks to high heaven. It's the very antithesis of independent music.


And yes, I know these ten points have ended with just irrational ranting but that's irrelevant. What labels and bands should understand is that I will never, ever, ever, ever in a million trillion years buy anything through itunes. And I know that goes for lots of other people too.

There are independent options so use them. Obviously I'd like to see more independent options become available but for the moment any option is better than itunes.

Old Apparatus - Realise

AVAILABLE FROM BOOMKAT HERE - http://boomkat.com/downloads/564011-old-apparatus-realise-ep

Creepy and dusty electronic music. Maybe a bit like Burial. Definitely not d*b s**p though. All a bit odd.

The Boomkat write up explains it reasonably well:-

The second EP salvo on the Old Apparatus collective's recently minted Sullen Tone label, and it's quality all the way, this time credited as the solo work (more or less) of LTO . 'Chicago' ain't no acid house jam, rather it's a grave little number propelled by maudlin piano arpeggios and chopped-up steppers' drums - if you've been digging Four Tet and Burial's recent gear, you'll dig this, it has a similar balance of melodic drama and dancefloor fire. 'Found' and the more subdued 'Realise' nod to second generation IDM and Warp Records, numerous acoustic and electronic elements woven into expansive, beautifully textured tapestries, at once contributing to and buffeted by compellingly abstract, unpredictable rhythms. The scuttling, crepuscular electro of 'Holding' provides the highlight for us: it has a truly sinister edge to it, with hints of the more low-slung among AFX's Analord productions, and even some well-turned noir-jazz flourishes a la Photek.

More than worth the £2.95 it costs to buy the FLAC.

Night Birds - The Other Side Of Darkness

Night Birds were probably the best punk band I saw last year. Completely off the hook. Singer crawling through the crowd's legs. Guitar and bass players running around everywhere. Actually, yeah, it was the guitarist going through people's legs now I think of it. His rather fetching white Gluey Porch Treatments t shirt ended up a a brown, soggy, torn mess.

Of course, if someone likes the Melvins you can generally trust them musically.

And punk bands that aren't completely and utterly myopic musically are also a good bet.

Night Birds hit the spot musically as well. Surf punk is the best description. Surf-y guitar lines mixed up with some of that post-Observers snotty tuneful punk rock. Some super catchy tunes. And they sound like they're going a million miles an hour and about to fall apart at any second (but actually being mid-paced and far from being an all blur - they just have that feel if you see what I mean).

Before State Icons got asked to play the Brighton date on their tour I'd never heard of them. Found an illicit download and ended up playing it on repeat for a few weeks. Still gets plenty of spins. I might even go so far as to say they might be the best current punk band. Obviously, my opinion on that position changes frequently but they're always up there. Honestly, highest possible recommendation to check them out.

That brings me to the nit-picky bit of this review. You can buy the whole album digitally. And that's great. That's kind of the whole point of this blog. Making stuff available to buy digitally in a DIY manner is awesome.

However, you can only stream two songs. You can't even stream the song I reckon is the best one. The total headshot tune that'd instantly make you fall in love with the band. That'd be Neon Gray if you're interested. Doesn't seem to be on youtube either. Guess you'll have to find a dodgy mediafire link or fire up soulseek. I'd definitely recommend it. And fuck it, no-one has got the LP for sale in the UK anymore. I want repeat my rant about the stupidity of the limited nature of vinyl records. Especially as they've got it up for sale digitally. But it's a bit daft that I'm sat here screaming at you to check them out because you'll definitely love them but for some reason you can't listen to it properly. I can understand why people do it because someone might rip the stream and bung it up elsewhere on the internet for free. But that's already happened. It's already out there. And I'm telling people to go out and find those dodgy rips so they can listen to it. Instead, they could listen to it easily and they'd be a great big button saying BUY in their browser.

Plus, virtually no one buys music on spec anymore. They only buy stuff they've already heard. I know I do. Bought enough crap records in my time that I really don't feel the need to buy records I haven't already heard anymore. To the labels that complain about that because no one buys your records I'll paraphrase Dead Kennedys (who Night Birds get compared to quite often), maybe you put out one too many lousy records.

Night Birds is far from being a lousy record. Genuinely a fucking great record. Night Birds need to damn well make another record and come back over here and tour again.

UPDATE: Grave Mistake records mentioned in the comments that they've got the whole thing up to stream on their bandcamp here - Grave Mistake records bandcamp



There's the whole album to stream so now you can listen to Neon Gray and fall in love straight away.

Put Grave Mistake up in the recommended labels in the sidebar as they've got all their stuff up for streaming and download. Genuine DIY punk labels are well worth supporting so get on it.

Nick Frater - Throw Money

Some people might look at that name and think I'm engaging in shameless nepotism. You'd be right.

It is very good though. Well produced progressive 70s powerpop sounds. Steely Dan, The Raspberries, Todd Rundgren and all that jazz. Ben Folds Five isn't too far off either. Intricate piano melodies & harmonies to full on bombastic pomposity, fuzzy guitar solos, bits of synth. All good stuff.

Bosse De Nage - III

This is another album I've been playing the shit out of for a couple of months with a naughty internet copy. Glad Profound Lore have put it up on bandcamp as the FLAC version sounds so much better.

Bosse De Nage often get described as something like Slint gone black metal. And that's a fair description. If that means nothing to you and you've never heard a record called Spiderland then you probably need to get your priorities sorted. You need to hear it.

If you like Slint and black metal, though, you're probably turning your nose up at the idea. Perhaps the image of Vice-reading schmucks with ironic moustaches and no socks has entered your mind. Don't worry, this isn't false. This contains a member of Slough Feg and they're very much old, grizzly proper metal.

It's possibly not 'black metal' in the strictest sense but who cares about that? Not me.

I'm honestly struggling to describe it accurately. Every phrase I come up with just makes it sound like one of those bloody awful Isis clones.

It's bloody brilliant though and that's all I can say.

Oblivionation - demo

If you liked hardcore punk then you'll know the name OUT COLD. You'll know that they were one of the best of the 90s/noughties. Straight, no frills hardcore punk. Great stuff.

Some of them are back together and have formed a new band called Oblivionation. It pretty much sounds exactly like you want it to.

Dawnbringer - Into The Lair Of The Sun God

This is heavy metal. As in heavy fucking metal. As in false don't entry on pain of being burned and died.

Not only is it heavy fucking metal it's heavy fucking metal on Profound Lore. What else needs saying?

Synek - Paradiba EP

Get yourself some cold, minimal Polish noise. It's all quite atmospheric and well thought out. There's clattering and giant wooshes of scrawl but is still kind of ambient.

I quite like the label's brief manifesto:-

RANO

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Producing limited edition recordings of unique music from around the world. Our goal is to be sought after, not saturated. The items we create will never be mass produced.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Good things come in small quantities!

Nice they're doing it both ways. A short run (20) of well packaged, nicely done cassettes but also for FLAC download. Shows a confidence and belief in the sound. That they've actually put effort and thought into it. Y'know, not just something tossed out in ten minutes on Fag Tapes.

Iron Lung - Saboteur 7"

I'm going to take a wild guess that none of you were in the first 112 people to turn up at the Prank Records Festival recently and so therefore don't own this 7". 10 years ago you would have read about this 7" in a copy of Short Fast and Loud 6 months to a year later and with no way of actually hearing it. So yeah, great that it's up for free download.

As you might imagine it's a bit of a throwaway affair. But this is Iron Lung we're talking. It still towers above the likes of Apathetic Ronald McDonald.

Apparently there's a new LP coming sometime soon so this will do for the moment.