NFT's Interesting Albums of 2013

Some things sound the same... these aren't those things.

Clipping - Midcity (2013)

Clipping is hip-hop laced in harsh noise featuring members from True Neutral Crew. I thought I would like Midcity a lot more than a I did; not because I don't like the noise/anti-beats - that's actually what kept me listening - I just can't get passed the stereotypical rap lyrics. Still, it's a very interesting listen:

Last.fm

Hill/Cameron/Weiss - Drumgasm (2013)

Simply put, Drumgasm  is a 39 minute drum solo by Janet Weiss (Quasi, Wild Flag, Sleater-Kinney), Matt Cameron (Soundgarden, Pearl Jam), and Zach Hall (a thousand other things). It's not an album for everyone, especially for anyone who doesn't like drumming, but it certainly deserves a spot on my most interesting albums of 2013 list. Drumgasm is also now a nice treat for myself since Zach Hill is so busy with Death Grips that he is not appearing in all sorts of supergroups and experimental tag team projects that he used to. Plus, this album is only drumming... so, we the listeners get to hear Hill's gloriously spastic drumming in full color.

Matt Cameron and Janet Weiss are great drummers in their own right, but let's be honest: if Zach Hill wasn't on this drum expose, there probably wouldn't be much to talk about.

Last.fm

Jungbluth - Part Ache (2013)

Politically fueled by the ghost of German communist and antifascist, Karl Jungbluth, this post-hiatus Alpinist side project is a crusty hardcore battle cry. I'm not a big follower of politics by any sense but I have noticed how powerful of a tool it can be when it comes to making art and music... and noise. 

All proceeds to Part Ache go to Anarchist Black Cross: Belarus - a group that supports anarchists and antiauthoritorian people (and other words I remember hearing in Amnesty club) that are imprisoned for their political beliefs and public activities.  

Last.fm

Kal Marks - Life Is Murder (2013)

Boston freak indie rock fueled by the ghost of Karl Marx.

Seriously though, Kal Marks is a classic last minute find from the always impressive record label, Exploding in Sound. No time like the present to get addicted to this stuff:



Did I mention the vocals are hauntingly freaky?

Last.fm

Botanist - IV: Mandragora (2013)

Probably my most interesting find this year has to be Botanist.

Botanist is plant-inspired black metal using only drums and a dulcimer. It's a one person effort by a man named Otrebor who plays this green metal of sorts from the perspective of The Botanist. The Botanist's mission in life is to return Earth back to its natural form before humanity moved in and destroyed everything. At first it sounds like a guy with an electrical voice box banging on metal and a marching snare drum, but it gets enjoyable in a weird way once you listen to it a few more times.

It's definitely something.

Last.fm

NFT Classic: A Tribute to Tigers

By the End of Tonight - A Tribute to Tigers (2005)

By the End of Tonight were a somewhat short lived math rock/post rock/instrumental band from Texas. BTEOT were also one of the first "Math Rock" bands I discovered after finding Zach Hill's first solo-album, Astrological Straits in a skateboarding magazine almost five years ago and had to find more music like it and fast. That being said, I always felt that these guys had a closer resemblance to the untouchable instrumental music of Hella than most other math rock-like bands I would eventually discover for the next few years. Maybe it's the metal influence or maybe it has to do with the furious approach, but either way, this is probably the only band that has ever come close to capturing the sound-plus-energy that I first heard from Zach Hill/Hella. But the best part is: By The End of Tonight still had their own unique and original sound. They were just what I was craving for.

A Tribute to Tigers is BTEOT's second release after their initiation debut full-length, ...In a Letter to the Sandbox. Both were recorded live and are almost completely instrumental except for some random yelling and a few written lyrics in "Stop, Drop, and Roll Does Not Work...". A Tribute to Tigers also features by favorite BTEOT track, "Setting Sail in April". Check it out:

Similar acts/sounds: Hella, Tera Melos, Piglet, Volta Do Mar, Sleeping People, Dysrhythmia, Pneu, Lightning Bolt, etc...

Bandcamp
Last.fm

Monday XXXXXXXIII

RIP Margie

Gimme Goldar - Dizzep (2013)

Had me at Goldar.

Some noisy music spasms by Portland folk. Recorded on location at 131 Washington Ave.

Spoiler alert: they don't sound like Goldar...



Facebook

Safe - Safe EP (2010)

Safe is Chris "CF" Edley. Edley plays very elegant lo-fi-ish pop music recorded in secret basements for secret basements.



Safe will be playing with groovestep Portland acts, Glass Fingers, Altered Gee, and Conjjjecture at the Darkmouth Castle on the 19th (house on Dartmouth Street in Portland. Just follow the noise).

Rumor has it that this will be Glass Fingers' last performance as Glass Fingers. I don't know what this means but most likely will lead to more surprises ahead.

Last.fm


Moon Bandits - Action Changes Thinking (2013)

Moon Bandits are another, but less aggressive sounding, anarcho-punk outfit with acoustic instruments hailing from the west coast. If you enjoy or attended the Blackbird Raum (the anarcho-punk band I introduced last week) show last Friday night at The Oak + The Ax and had yourself a real doozy of a time, I highly recommend giving Moon Bandits a listen.

Or, if you are in town Wednesday night, you can just go check them out at Dobra Tea (that tea place above Bullmoose/Video Port on Middle Street) for yourself!



Last.fm

11th Day of Christmas + Monday XXXXXXI

Day 11.

Monday:

Lvl Up - Space Brothers (2011)

Lvl Up features the likes of Dave Benton and Nick Corbo from Spook Houses and Sirs. This is sort of their side project featuring a bit more bedroom recording/acoustic/lo-fi stuff than those other bands.

Favorite track would have to be "NIGHTSHADE". Check 'em all out though!



Last.fm

The Chewers - Chuckle Change and also (2012)

The Chewers are a two-man outfit based in West Virginia that make "deliberately off-kilter" music.

Off-kilter is definitely one way of putting it...

I found out about this interesting band/album after looking through my spam mail the other day. I'm not sure how it ended up in there but I'm pretty glad I decided to check. It really makes me wonder how much stuff I miss when I don't check my spam!

Ayeyeyeye!

Official site
Soundcloud
Last.fm

/mu/ - A Very Merry Gripsmas (2011)

4chan made this last year. It's a Death Grips Christmas remix album.

Highlights include: "Takyon the Housetop", "Shock the Halls", and the bonus track, "I've Seen Jingle Bells".



That's all I got.

Furious Pig

Furious Pig - EP (1980) AKA I Don't Like Your Face

Furious Pig were a short lived quintet post punk band that only played music with their vocal chords. A cappella punk is what you could call it I guess and it is really out there. I'm serious when I say that though, they use only their voices, percussion and all. "Orchestrated chanting".

These three songs are pretty much all Furious Pig put out but there's probably more to be found out there... There always seems to be. Like Bare Pork.

After the fall of FP, two of the four members (Dominic Weeks and Cass Davis) went on to perform in Het. Tim Hodgkinson of Henry Cow and a Belgian Singer accompanied the two in creating "Let's Het" in 1983; Het's only release and very much out there as Furious Pig was. Stephen Kent went on to become music director for Circus Oz and Martin Kent went on to release singles under the name 'Martin Pig'.

Furious Pig are one of those bands that you just happen to find one day by accident. You sit there and wonder why these gents are not living legends. Also, I have a lot of trouble listening to the hit "I Don't Like You Face" in the shower. Here is why.

Similar sounds/acts: Het, Boredoms, OOIOO, Martin Pig, Ethiopian polyphonic chants, and other stuff that doesn't sound like Furious Pig

Last.fm
Ubu.com (Free MP3's + Profile)
I DON'T LIKE YOUR BODY.
I DON'T LIKE YOUR BODY.
I DON'T LIKE YOUR FACE
LIKE A LIKE A
LIKE YOUR FACE.

NFT Presents: 1993

It's my birthday. This a birthday post. If you count back from 2011 to 1993 you can find out how old I am. Let's not get too personal; I'm only doing this to post music.

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)

The album that introduced us all to our favorite characters: ODB (RIP), Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, GZA the Genius, RZA, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, U-God and that other guy...

This album came out 4 days before my birthing.

Still to this day it is bringing da ruckus.

Wu-Tang Ain't Nuthin to Fuck Wit.

Last.fm

Tom Waits - The Black Rider (1993)

The Black Rider may not be my favorite Tom Waits album or one I am really familiar with but it does have some really good instrumentation running through it. Plus it's Tom Waits. How can you go wrong?

The song, November is probably the most relevant song right now for me. I've been listening to all week.

Love me some singing saw.

The Black Rider is another one of those Tom Waits releases that were also a soundtrack for a play. This one being The Black Rider by Robert Wilson. Waits also provided music for Wilson's play Alice and Woyzeck. The music from each were than released as Tom Waits' Alice and Blood Money.

Last.fm

Beltbuckle - Judas Suicide (1993)

This 7 inch is the side project of Lou Barlow and Bob Fay of Sebadoh and Eric Matthews. It's a pretty sweet lesser known Barlow side project as well as a nice introduction to Eric Matthews. Not to be confused with the older brother on Boy Meets World.

All I really know about Eric Matthews (other then this project and his other project Cardinal) is his rock n roll cover of Elliott Smith's Needle in the Hay.

Do not put things in your head

Last.fm

Faust IV

Krautrock, kids. Straight up experimental and explorimental. If this album was a substance, I would tell you to abuse it. The psychedelic track, "Jennifer" has got to be one of my favorite songs of the 70's. It's probably the last think I bought from a big label like Virgin in a few years as well.

Faust - IV (1974)

Last.fm
Jennifer, your red hair is burning