NFT's Got You Covered - Favorite Covers of 2014!

Some covers from 2014!

Invalids - Lemmings from I Guess this is Growing Up (Volume 1)



Every wondered what it would be like if Blink 182 jumped into the twinkle daddy game in 2014? Well, Pete Davis AKA Invalids has the answer in his virtuoso-has-nothing-on-me cover of "Lemmings" from Cheshire Cat (1996).

Pharmakon - Bang Bang from Bestial Burden (bonus track)



I first heard Nancy Sinatra's original after witnessing it in Kill Bill Vol. 1 when I was too young to really appreciate either. This version by Sacred Bones noisemaker Margaret Chardiet definitely would have fit right in with Tarantino's revengesploitation fetish.

You Blew It! - Surf Wax America from You Blue It!



Not as different as the Blink 182 cover above, but this Blue Album Weezer cover is a very fun rework of a song that gets barely any recognition. Props to You Blew It! for making a song that could easily fit in a future Tony Hawk game (I can wish) as well.

The Body & Thou - Terrible Lie (live from Gilead Fest)

While I will never actually know what this song sounded like (recordings were destroyed by the sheer power and heaviness of this performance and only a Youtube video surfaced), I'm gonna have to go with this video over the original by Nine Inch Nails.


These Arms Are Snakes - Energy Drink And The Long Walk Home from Sex Beat



The original is actually less synth-y than this final recording ever made by post hardcore legends, These Arms Are Snakes. This track was originally going to be released on a Split with another band that came about after Botch's breakup, Minus the Bear, but it never saw the light of day. The aforementioned original is by Lost Sounds, a band featuring Alicja Trout and Jay Reatard.

Black Math Horseman - All Apologies from In Utero: In Tribute



This Record Store Day Nirvana tribute was another release that took years to finally materialize. While it also includes a never-before-released track by These Arms Are Snakes (covering "Heart-Shaped Box"), I have to give praise to the now-defunct Black Math Horseman for their re-imaged apocalyptic doom cover of "All Apologies". I also have a very soft spot for dueling female/male vocals.

Chance the Rapper - Wonderful Everyday (Arthur Theme) [ft. The Social Experiment]



This is not your everyday cover of Arthur's Theme song by Ziggy Marley. I might elaborate on this more later when I talk about my favorite albums of the year but something about listening to a lot of reggae music including the original Arthur's Theme went from being a playful joke to really getting me through some bummer summer moments. This song might not be reggae or even a straight-forward cover, but it still has that uber-positive message to it. Plus, it's sung by Chance the Rapper, someone who is never always positive-sounding (see his next single: "No Better Blues").

Graves at Sea - Orchid/Lord of this World from This Place is Poison



There's people that say they like metal and don't listen to Black Sabbath in 2014. I Know, I've read it online. Luckily for you, I got the memo and wanted to remind you that it's still cool to listen to Black Sabbath - including their 1971 release Master of Reality. Once you are done listening to Master of Reality check out this incredible two-part sludge cover of "Orchid" and "Lord of this World" by Graves at Sea.

SLOTHS - Breadcrumb Trail from Casa de Diversion Covers Vol. 3



Portland, Oregon's SLOTHS could not have released this Slint cover at a better time. Along with Slint's documentary entitled Breadcrumb Trail released this year, the grown-up kids from Kentucky decided to get back together and have a real reunion tour. I can't say I have been to too many reunion shows in my day, but I wasn't gonna miss this one. SLOTHS incredible rendition of "Breadcrumb Trail" will forever remind me of finishing a day of finals in Northern Maine to my lone trek through Boston traffic for the perfect parking spot. The Show? Well, Slint will remind me of that...

Bonus:

Have you heard Primus's re-imagination of the Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory soundtrack? I had not until I watched this fan-made sync-up of the classic 1971 movie with Primus and the Fungi Ensemble's Willy Wonka renditions:

Honorly Mentions

As I begin to make my year-end lists (a favorite pass-time of mine), I always end up finding a lot of cool stuff that I either forgot about throughout the year or just completely missed my chance to post them. So, instead of just forgetting about them again, I call them honorly mentions (a play on yearly and honorable I guess) and share 'em like this:

Pink Richard - Volume 1 (2014)

Pink Richard is the side project of Jesse Gertz of the Portland electronic (now three-piece) band, Leveret. It's not too much of a stray away from the indie pop gems on Infinity released in 2012, but these stripped down acoustic visions are definitely a separate entity. A little folky, a little poppy, a little singer songwriter-y - a little Pink Richard.

There's a neat drum solo somewhere in there, too:



P.S. If you buy this (very snazzy looking) tape you get 7 separate mp3's rather than the streamable one track deal above.

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Rosetta - Flies to Flame (2014)

After hearing Rosetta's 2013 release, The Anaesthete, I thought we would be getting a lot more hardcore and even less atmosphere on their next effort. Then Rosetta released Flies to Flame  last month and my predictions were all off. No, they didn't go full post rock or anything, but they brought back the atmospheric undertones that was the hooked that fished me in several years ago. Plus, this release still has the intensity that The Anaesthete was bursting at the seams with, but it's spread out again and takes its time getting there. It's vintage Rosetta.

 I'm not saying I didn't like The Anaesthete, it was one of my top albums of last year for sure, but it's almost non-canon Rosetta once you start to listen to this EP.





It's all apples and oranges in the end, and it's all good.

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Bearmace - Aim Low (2014)

Bearmace are a noisy almost violent punk rock band from Montreal. The lo-fi recordings of Aim Low, released at the very beginning of 2014, really echoes the recordings of early hardcore and powerviolence. Don't let Bearmace's retro approach fool you though, this is apparently meant to be played on vinyl.






Maybe I'm just out of touch, but this sure sounds like something I would find on cassette in my friend's cooler-older-brother's room when I was 13. Too bad that scenario never existed...

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Thou - Heathen (2014)

Thou play thick doomed-out metal that demands attention. Heathen is no different. Not only is this 10 track banger a major pain on my neck, it also demands me to sit down and listen to it over and over again or else I have not listened correctly. With that being said, I think Thou's Heathen has incredible listening mileage and will be an album I try to listen to a lot in 2015. It's certainly not a one listen and it's in the bag kind of album, especially not with an incredibly brutal 14 minute opener begging to be familiarized. This kicks my ass the more and more I listen to it.

  \m/ A punch in the face never felt so good \m/

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MANTAR - Death by Burning

Mantar - Death by Burning (2014)

While I've been listening to plenty of hardcore lately, I really needed something metal to listen to. I'm talking dark, black, burnt metal. Luckily, I found just what I've been looking for - MANTAR!

Mantar, who might sound like ten warlocks conjuring up dark souls while riding headless horses at first, are actually a two piece straight from Hamburg, German conjuring up dark souls while riding nearly headless horses. The two pieces used in Mantar's music are the traditional weapons of choice: drums and guitars (with lots of spells cast on it). No bass, no worries; these two gents from Germany know how to keep things dark and heavy just with their essential tools of destruction.

Along with dark and heavy, Mantar also summon the spirits of gloom and doom. The doom elements plus Mantar's use of witch, Norse, and demon-themed songwriting is a perfect mix with your pumpkin spice whatever this October/Halloween season. Be warned though, Mantar's Death by Burning is also the kind of album that could lead you to raise a demon seed inside reproductive organs you didn't even know you had.

Highlights: There's really no dull moment for this 10 song epic but "Astral Kannibal", "White Nights", and "The Berserker's Path" are definitely the record's top bangers.


Similar acts/sounds: metal. Good blackened doom metal.

Side note: Ain't nothing wrong with sludge metal but these guys also don't want to be called sludge metal. I'm just tagging them as such so I remember not to call the sludge.

Bandcamp (Free "White Nights" download)
Cassette (only 4 bones!)
A Pic of Mantaur
Last.fm

NFT's Got You Covered - Casa de Diversion Covers Vol. 3

Various Artists - Casa de Diversion Covers Vol. 3 (2014)

Here's a cool cover compilation put together by the hardcore/punk/metal loving blog, Toxicbreed's Funhouse. It features 24 up-and-coming  loud-mouths playing their favorite songs by bands ranging from The Misfits to Slowdive to Le Tigre to GG Allin to Mazzy Star . My personal favorite has to be Sloths's rendition of Slint's Breadcrumb Trails - putting the hardcore back into Slint's post hardcore masterpiece.


Go check these crushers out right now:


Toxicbreed's Funhouse
Bandcamp

DEMONBROTHER

Demonbrother - Beyond the Veil (2014)

Slow violence? You be the judge.



Similar acts/sounds: Ampere, Failures, Vaccine, Iron Lung, Extortion, Charles Manson, Ignominy, Loma Prieta, and other powerviolence acts at half-speed.

Bandcamp (free track)
Iron Lung Records
Last.fm

Monday 102

MXNDXY XXXXXXXXXXII

Free To Think - Demo (2014)

Free To Think are a hardcore band from my third home, Bangor, Maine. Much like my buds Never Relaxed, they are keeping this whole hardcore scene in Maine alive and well. They also happen to be wrestling fans like myself, so I can't not talk about them. This here is their '014 demo which includes a real American outro that can't be missed:


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Margy Pepper - Deep Water Dark Water (2013)

Dark and dreary pop punk rock from Olympia. A three piece possibly possessed by ghosts or some sort of modern-day witch (if that's PC). Margy Pepper are very reminiscent of another band from Olympia that I have talked about before and that band would be RAGANA. This is no coincidence either as they are best buds and do tour together.


Margy Pepper did happen to make it to Mayo Street in Portland a few months sans RAGANA.

Last.fm

Windmill of Corpses - Thin Walls (2014)

Windmill of Corpses are a three-piece crust metal band out of Arizona. With punchy drums and demonic howls, these guys are a guaranteed slap right smack in your little baby face. Get on this if you want to live with your beautiful baby face no more.


Great live!

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Yautja - Songs of Descent

Yautja - Songs of Descent (2014)

From NFT's Song and Match of the Day:

Yautji are a mix of all sorts of pissed off sludgy hardcore and metal noise all tangled up in a big sharp clump and ready for you to step on it late at night as you quietly-as-possible walk to the bathroom. Your foot will bleed and you will be shouting, waking your girlfriend up and her drunk roommate. In this short yet excruciatingly painful moment you will confess your hatred for your shitty job and your mundane life. The next day you will buy a motorcycle and drive it far, far away. Eventually, you will ride it into the sun and mesh your skin and bones with the motorcycle's shiny metal and leather, becoming apart of it as much as it will be apart of you and you will ride the solar system from there on out as a mecha-humanoid motorcycle bounty hunter.

Never to return.

Highlights: "Denihilist", "Tar and Blindness", "Faith Resigned", "A Crawl", and "Of Decent".

Similar acts/sounds: Coliseum, Legion, Nameless Cults, Gnarwhal, Mutoid Man, Harm's Way, Mammoth Grinder, Nails, Black Breath, and eating dessert first... and last... and for all the other meals.

Bandcamp
Last.fm

Stone Titan - Scratch 'N Sniff

Stone Titan - Scratch 'N Sniff (2013)

Stone Titan is some pretty nasty doom metal. Almost every riff is drenched in greasy filth that intoxicates the air. From just listening to Stone Titan's summer of 2013 release, Scratch 'N Sniff, I can smell the all too familiar small of musty basements, sweaty punks, cheap-ass beer, and skunk weed, lots and lots of skunk weed. This album brings me back to some of the coolest times I've ever had without exactly being there and interacting with people. It's like one of those candles you smell at the mall that have all those different scents but what you really end up smelling is your friend's house from 2nd grade that you don't talk to anymore... except, you know, it's music. Dirty sludgy doom metal music.

Highlights: "I Wish I Was Fucking Dead", "Alaskan Thunderfuck", "Faul", Can 'O Worms", and "A Brief History of Overweight Men"


Bandcamp
Last.fm

Ignominy - Come Abuse

Ignominy - Come Abuse (2013)

Ignominy are a band from Sweden that used to play hardcore but now make sludgy blackened post metal. Through the beating drums and sludgy distortion comes spiraling guitar work; a sound that will quickly get your attention. From the very beginning, Ignominy introduce you to the wonders that their instruments can make when they guide you into a storm of electronic swells. Eventually you find yourself in a dark place with no direction and things are getting intense, then you let the storm take over you. Now you're in the eye of the storm, but it's not so bad, it's actually kind of peaceful in a dark, melancholy kind of way. You sit back as the water consumes your vessel and you become completely submerged. You didn't even bother to put your gumby suit on. You are just sinking as chaos and panic ensues around you.

Once you get to the second song though, you realize you still can't breath underwater and you want to live. So comes this intense burst of emotion as water starts to build up in your lungs and you are fighting to get to the surface. Luckily, by the power of music, you are sky-rocketed (err, sea-rocketed) up to the surface and spat out of the ocean's mouth. After that it's really up to you; a choose your own adventure of heavy and doom-y proportions.

Sounds pretty cool, right?

Come Abuse is Ignominy's newest release and is free for everyone on the internet to listen to and own. So grab this album from the link above and enjoy the shameless trip.

Highlights: listen to this album from beginning to end. Twice.


Constantly.

Bandcamp
Last.fm

Monday LXXXX

Getting there.

Atalanta - Tainted (2013)

Very passionate and soul-gripping screamo. From the streets of Chicago and beyond.



Almost a little sludgy even.

Last.fm

Future Death - Future Death (2013)

Future Death is my answer to a new Zach Hill project minus Zach Hill. With spastic drums, blazing guitar riffs and  distorted female vocals, Future Death are mashing all sorts of sounds together and making it work. It's awesome!



For fans of Hella, Marnie Stern, Lightning Bolt, Caddywhompus, or Tera Melos.

Last.fm

CUSS - Heavenly (2013)

Incredible new release from Jesus Lizard-like Portland, Maine noise rock outfit, CUSS. Heavenly is a bit more refined than their previous releases recording-wise as well as musically-wise now that they have An Anderson guitarist, Dan Smith on beautiful Slint guitar duty to add a little melody to the madness. Since I'm a better listener than a writer I would definitely recommend checking out the review of Heavenly in the Portland Press Herald with some kind words and an appropriate star rating (pronounced stah ratin', of course) for a local news paper judging a "noise rock" band. Just check it out.


Also, CUSS are playing a show real soon at Matthew's in Portland, but Alex their singer won't be there. They're still going to be playing but ask that if anyone wants to sing their songs step up and sing along with them.

Last.fm

Phantom Glue - A War Of Light Comes

Phantom Glue - A War Of Light Comes (2013)

Here's some new-ish music from the Boston doomed sludge brigade, Phantom Glue.

I saw these guys a couple years back when there was a good number of metal shows at the Space Gallery in Portland. It was a hell of a show and these guys really bring the noise in the essence of powerful Neurosis-like sludge metal. Phantom Glue might not be playing in my neck of the woods anytime soon, at least not that I know of, but they are currently playing shows around New England and elsewhere with some very cool bands such as KYOTY, Pelican, Wreck & Reference, and Sannhet. So yeah, that's still pretty sweet.

I've been on a huge metal/heavy/intense music kick lately, especially doom-y sludgy sloppy stuff, and Phantom Glue provides me with all those wonderful things. This album is an incredible 7 track banger that I would easily put on my best of 2013 metal list if I had one, which I don't. Not yet, at least...

Highlights: All of it! Probably digging "Bow in the Dust" the most right now though.


Similar acts/sounds: Ramming Speed, Razormaze, Sylvia, WARANIMAL, Kowloon Walled City, Pyres, Neurosis, Black Tusk, Raise The Red Lantern, and other cool bands that don't sound like Phantom Glue.

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Monday LXXXVII

Yandom.

True Neutral Crew - #MONSANTO (2013)

True Neutral Crew is an experimental krautrock-meets-hip-hop-of-some-kind project by members of Foot Village, Clipping, I.E.



Released just in time to celebrate Monsanto's executive receiving the noble prize of food AKA the World Food Prize for the development of genetically modified organisms or GMOs.

True Neutral Crew also have a remix kit for #MONSANTO that comes with a remix of "Monsanto" by Viper Venom and the ingredients to remix the rest of this mixtape (not including the bonus track).

Last.fm

Pat "the bunny" Schneeweis - The Mark Inside (2013)

Pat "the bunny" is currently the frontman for Ramshackle Glory, an anarcho folk punk outfit from Tuscon, Arizona. You may also know Pat from the passionately honest and rebellious folk punk bands Wingnut Dishwasher Union or Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains.

The Mark Inside is a bit different from most of Pat's projects in that it's not about him or his friends. No, it's actually about characters and stories that are mostly fictional and made up by Pat, but are just as emotional and feel-y as true stories would be.



Bandcamp
Last.fm

Iron Sword - Loose Leaf (2013)

Iron Sword are a doomed stoner/sludge metal from Vermont.


The cover art to their new demo entitled, Loose Leaf was provided by Maine's finest party thrash metal legends, WARANIMAL and their bearer of the party axe, Nick Reddy. Both bands love to rip it up...

... more ways than one!

Last.fm

Monday XXXXXXXI

RIP Jason Molina

Black Mask. - Black Mask. (2012)

Finger licking good hardcore that falls right off the bones! From Pennsylvania.

At first I though this was another Black "something" band but then I saw the period.



Get mad.

Bandcamp
Last.fm

Scavenger - Cynical (2013)

Scavenger are a hardcore troupe from northern Maine that are quite reminiscent of early hardcore punk that requires a cassette player and big giant 80's speakers. Not bad, not bad.



Last.fm (#7)

Songs: Ohia - The Lioness (2000)

While clearly not as recognized as Magnolia Electric Co. or as truthfully and down right sad as Axxess & Ace (one of my favorite albums to play when I'm sad), The Lioness definitely has its moments of both sadness and glory that makes it stand out in my top three Jason Molina albums list.

Highlights include: "Lioness", "Being in Love", "Coxcomb Red", and "Nervous Bride"

Bonus:

Joe Beats's remix of "Coxcomb Red":

Last.fm

NFT's Got You Covered - RSO tackles Flippers' Generic Album!

RSO - Generic (2013)

Filthy blues crust, RSO takes on Flipper's punk rock essential, Album - Generic Flipper or just Generic.

I had the interesting pleasure of seeing RSO play a show in a dirty warehouse behind the train station about a half a year back and was very surprised to find that "RSO" was just one guy who stands on a platform, wails on his guitar, shouts bloody none sense, and stomps all the while wearing a tuxedo. I'm not sure if this is always RSO or the rest of the band just couldn't find the warehouse's coordinates but I thoroughly enjoyed his performance none the less... my girlfriend on the other hand, not so much.

Truthfully, this guy in the tuxedo and the uncontrollable erg to play blues and stomp as hard as he can is actually Ryan Owens, formerly of New Jersey but now residing in good ol' Maine.

RSO (I'm guessing those are his initials?)'s money rendition of Generic also comes with a double take of "Living For The Depression" and a few live renditions as well.



My only question now: where is "Sex Bomb"?

Official site
Dirigimus Cooperative
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Last.fm

Bonus:

Correspondences - Christmas // Devil Town (2012)

Correspondences of Portland, Maine released this 7 1/2" at their farewell show back in November... Without me knowing, of course.

It's got two tracks, an original number called, "Christmas (Baby, Please Don't Go)" and "Devil Town" - a doom rendition of Daniel Johnston's haunting a capella about the struggles of living in a devil town with vampires as friends that you didn't know were vampires.




So yeah, it's pretty great!

I'm guessing this album is labeled Lee as in the drummer, Lee King. I'm almost positive it's all Correspondences, though.

Anyways, enjoy!

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Monday XXXXXXVI

More boring and less hyped than MBV and the Super Bowl commercials combined, It's Monday #66!

RAGANA - Unbecoming (2013)

RAGANA is a witchy guitar/drums post black metal/doom band from Olympia, Washington.

These ladies should come play a show with Correspondences, Portland's residential all-female cello-driven doom act. 

That'd be fun.

Oh wait, too bad Correspondences broke up...

Anyways, this is RAGANA's new release, Unbecoming. It is followed by another nice album, All's Lost - released last June.

Last.fm

Mumblr - White Jesus EP (2012)

I'm having a hard time defining what Mumblr from Philly sound like other than funky, fun indie rock.

That sounds totally lame, I know, but it's all I think of when I listen to them and their release from last October, entitled, White Jesus.



Last.fm

An Anderson - 2 Song Sampler (2013)

Out of the ashes of Red Medicine (super gnarly Portland/Farmington math-y post punk whatever) comes an all new and totally too-good-for-their-own-good band called, An Anderson (Featuring Red Med's Dan Smith) - not to be confused with Arn Anderson, the Four Horseman enforcer who always had the back of Ric Flair and was one hell of a tag team competitor.

I'm not sure where the name of origin An Anderson comes from really but maybe one of the members: Ron Harrity, Dan Smith, Stefan Hanson, or Elijah True can.

It feels just like yesterday Red Medicine called it quits and played their super good last show with CUSS and Captain Hollow. Now all of the sudden Dan Smith's new band, this one right here, is already recording stuff. Granted, it's just a demo, but it's a pretty impressive demo, no doubt. Despite being called a "2 Song Sampler", this sampler actually has 3 tracks. And despite it being called a "rough demo", this demo is actually not that rough. It's good enough for me!



I can't wait to hear more from An Anderson in the future, though.

Stay tuned in for more on these guys right here for sure!

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Monday XXXXXXIV

All this talk of MLK is making me thirsty...

SRVVLST - I Would But I'm Baroque (2012)

SRVVLST (yes, as in 'Survivalist') is a post-whatever - or as Last.fm puts it - a post-everything four piece from Ohio. 

They twinkle, they noodle, they shout, they get intimate, and they survive. 

In my book, that's about all a band needs to do to count as post-everything anyways. 

Last.fm

Sinforiano Diaz - The Moosup Seassions (2012)

Sinforiano Diaz is the solo moniker of This World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die's Tom Diaz. It also features Axel Diaz on guitar and John Bowles guitaring and singing some back up vox. 

Tom Diaz replaces the electric twinkly feels with acoustic, sometimes uke-driven, but still twinkly feels here on this little four song release entitled, 'The Mossup Sessions' after the session of which he recorded this, in Mossup, Connecticut. 

Fans of Crywank, Waxahatchee, Warren Franklin, John Galm, and other solo acoustic singer-songwriter acts will most likely dig this gravely.

PS: It has just come to my attention that Tom Diaz may not be playing in TWIABP anymore... which is lame. 

Last.fm

Iron Sword - Demo (2012)

Iron Sword is a super intense and sloppy stoner metal band from Burlington. 

They're going to be playing a neck-breakingly good show (from the looks of it) with hometown sweeties, WARANIMAL (if you live in Maine and like metal and haven't seen WARANIMAL play, I feel bad for you son!) along with The Proselyte (MA), Eastern Spell (ME), and Lunglust (MA) on the 25th!

I don't know if I'll be able to swing down to see this mega stacked line-up in Portland on Friday (that's when it's happening of course. Put it on your shredule if you haven't already), but Iron Sword is also playing a show the next night (Saturday) at Orono which looks to be a real rager as well and is much closer to my current location. ;)

Hell, maybe I'll just go to both!

Hopefully dese boys bring there samples with them from this demo - including the Dazed and Confused Matthew Mcconaughey sample at the beginning of "Stairway to Hell"! Check it out:

Here's the poster for the show Friday night for your viewing Lord of the Rings pleasure as well:

Last.fm

Kowloon Walled City - Container Ships

Kowloon Walled City - Container Ships (2012)

Here's some good stuff from the sludge metal department.

It's Kowloon Walled City's (San Fran) new 7-song album entitled, 'Container Ships' - released about a month ago.

Highlights: "The Pressure Keeps Me Alive", "50s Dad", "Container Ships", "Cornerstone", and "Wrong Side of History"

By the way, all of Kowloon Walled City's releases are free via their official site and Bandcamp!

Official site

Bandcamp

Last.fm

Friday Streaming!

Here's some music to listen to...

Modern Baseball - Sports (2012)

Modern Baseball are a little indie emo band from Philly.

While I'm not too sure what to think of Sports, Modern Baseball's debut album released back in November, I do enjoy the sort of 90's indie rock feel to it that I usually always enjoy.

These guys remind me of The Front Bottoms but a little less clever and not as catchy. Modern Baseball though, like The Front Bottoms, still possess that attitude of "yeah we sound like we are from the 90's or something but we're still going to sing about taking pictures with our phones and twitter".

Truthfully though, I also hate that twitter song Modern Baseball have called, "@chl03k". I really don't want to hear about "checking tweets" or "Facebook statuses" in my music. It's a pet peeve of mine; even if they are making fun of the whole loss of real human interaction with the invention of internet friends and all that jib-jab.

 It just makes my skin crawl. 

But this isn't about me, this is about music...

So check these guys out:

Last.fm

Creepoid - Horse Heaven (2011)

This debut album by Creepoid - also from Philly - entitled, 'Horse Heaven' is not your average No Idea Records release. 

Unlike what I expected from such a band that has recently been signed to No Idea Records, this is not Hot Water Music - Orgcore-type music (not that that is a bad thing) by any means. No, Creepoid is really much more of a grunge band than a punk band; the kind of grunge band that also incorporates a bit of slowcore and heavily distorts their music with old music recording devices and dirt.

Creepoid reminds me of another one of my favorite acts, Dead Confederate. The small differences here would be that Dead Confederate have a bit more of a southern tinge to them and Creepoid take more influence from bands like Low or Spain. However, the way that both bands have that nice and slow build-up into a big pile of layered sound is definitely what made me think of mentioning these two bands' similarity.

My current favorite track off 'Horse Heaven' would have to "Grave Blanket" which has a very visually-interesting music video to go along with it...

Creepoid also has a nice split with slowcore labelmates, Shores - which is very easy on the ears - as well. Hint, hint: It'll probably be featured in my next all-split post coming soon!

No Idea Records

Last.fm

Lord Earth - Napalm, Baby! (2012)

I'm not sure how I missed this one, but according to my sources, not only is this new instrumental metal group known as Lord Earth from the Portland (ME) area, they are actually from my hometown of South Portland - that place that is south of Portland with the big brick building (according to a Portland local I met once).

Lord Earth's debut album, 'Napalm, Baby!' was released last March without my knowledge and the boys behind this death machine called a band have supposedly been putting on some pretty rockin' metal shows all over Portland ever since.

Lord Earth play a mix of sludge-y doom and heavy metal with zero vocals, letting their sweet rhythms and guitar-work do the talking/singing/shouting for them.

I also must note that while 'Napalm, Baby! sounds incredibly good production-wise, I have a feeling that these guys are much heavier in person than what their album is sharing with us...

It looks like I'll be putting Lord Earth on my must-see list for 2013, no doubt.

Oh yeah, and No Doubt too!

They're back right?

Last.fm

Enjoy your weekend and stay out of the cold!

Swaath/Correspondences Split

Swaath/Correspondences - Split tape (2012)

Swaath is a slow-brewing doom-y mess from the mean streets of Portland, Maine.

Seriously though, Swaath play some nice waves of riffs with the echoing vocals and all that good sludge stuff. I saw Swaath the other night with Sylvia (a chaotic metal outfit filled with ex-members of some legendary Maine metal band, Ocean) and a new metal act (featuring members of Shabti, Hessian, and Paige Turner), Eastern Spell, and these Swaath punks have a real knack for making some dastardly delicious music. Folks may not have been bouncing off the walls like they were for Sylvia, but necks were definitely snapping to these guys and their haunting doom music.

Swaath are currently on a New England tour right now until the 12th.

This tape by Swaath is also half of a split with Maine's bass/cello/drums all chick all doom band, Correspondences.

Correspondences, who I may or may not have mentioned here before, are a very interesting treat no doubt about it. They have traded in traditional electric guitars for a cello to give their music/set a much more atmospheric, yet spiraling-into-the-pits-of-despair feel that is both fun to watch and fun to hear. Correspondences are a must-see for any local music fan around dees pahts.

Hopefully Correspondences are playing some shows in 2013. For 2012, they not only opened for Dead Dog at a "Pussy Riot Legal Defense" show but also opened for Thee Silver Mt. Zion this summer with Awaas which was top-notch stuff.

Swaath's Last.fm

Swaath's B-spot

Correspondences's Last.fm

Correspondences's F-book

6 Degrees

Nothing says "take that storm" like some dark and cloudy post metal.

Of course, by "take that" I mean "fuck you".

6 Degrees - I & II (2012)

6 Degrees, hailing from the great Mother Russia, provide a beautifully gray scene of post rock/metal and sludge that is sometimes dabbed with peoples' voices concerned about global warming. Like I said, perfect storm music. Errrr, minus the perfect storm part. 

These two albums (I &II) only hold three tracks each. From "Fifth Degree" to "Sixth Degree". Most tracks are over 7 minutes (lots of 10 minuters) like any post metal piece should be, but I suggest listening to them as one big long track if you have the time.

In all seriousness though about this storm, even though I wasn't hit with anything more than a bit of zealous wind, other places like New Jersey took Sandy head-on and unfortunately, some parts are pretty much underwater. As metal as that might sound even without the mention of the sharks, that brutally stinks. Just something to keep in mind when you are whining about how wimpy this storm was and how hype-happy the media got. Storms suck whether they are the biggest in years or not.

Last.fm