Gregor Samsa & The Metamorphosis

Recently, I decided I wanted to catch up on some fine literature. I didn't want to read something too long, so I decided on a short story. I ended up reading Frank Kafka's 1915 novella, The Metamorphosis. A story about a man who wakes up to find his life flip-turned upside down. One day after school, while he was playing himself a nice little game of basketball, a group of troubled kids from neighboring hoods began to give him shit. He tried to stay back but also felt he should stand up to these hoodlums and scruff them up a bit just to show them a lesson or two. Unfortunately his mama got scared good by this and had no choice but to send him to his auntie's and uncle's in the lovely affluent residential communtiy in the hills of the westside of the city of Los Angeles, California to teach him class and etiquette. While there he grew content with his new life and family. That is until one morning he wakes up and finds himself to be a big ass fucking insect and can no longer go about his days fending for his family. It is not too long after that his friend and partner, Kay, has to go in from the outside of him (that's right! He get's eaten!) and blasts him away like the slimy, ugly, parasite he had become.

I wanted to listen to something as I read this, so I put on the only thing that would make sense and that's Gregor Samsa! Come on! That's the name of the main character in The Metamorphosis! It works perfectly though with the story as it is that kind of post rock that can be kept on in the backward. It is very somber, dark, and beautiful with all it's rhodes piano, bowed electric basses, and sparse male and female vocals here and there. And you don't have to choice from other bands that play a similar sound of post rock as Gregor Samsa do like Ef, The Ascent of Everest, Joy Wants Eternity, Bark Psychosis or Immanu El because their name is Gregor Samsa! It's as simple as that.

Gregor Samsa - 55:12 (2006)

Album of choice this time: 55:12.

Favorite track: Even Numbers

Last.fm
Official site

Monday XX

Fucking Mondays. How do they work?

LEANN GRIMES - LEANN GRIMES (2011)

Honestly, I forgot about this gem a friend of mine showed me last year. Some of that forgetfulness may have been due in part by the attention the last track had on me, which is a killer remix of The Tallest Man On Earth's "The Wild Hunt". The remix is called The Wild Grit and is introduced by a True Grit sample (the original I believe). But The Wild Grit is not the only thing being remixed or filled with fun and/or goofy samples. No, actually that's what this albums all about! Every track is a remix, or sample really, of an indie band's work. And though I may have been stuck on how cool it was to see a indie folk star like The Tallest Man On Earth being used in a super bouncy and moving number, the whole album has great examples of what can be done with a normal old indie rock n roll track in a bedroom dance and hip-hop-y format! Even though I'm not a big fan of bands like The Decembrists, Local Natives, Kings of Convenience, and Little Joy, the tracks that their work represents in the album is really interesting and gives them life (not to say that they don't have life by themselves but... LEANN GRIMES makes 'em sound.. fun!).

I don't wanna give anything else away though! Some stuff is just meant to be listened to and not picked apart. I will say that The Wild Grit has always been my favorite track, I'm also now a huge fan of Keep Me In Grimes, Memory Noise, Got To Grime and Cats & Dogs in Idaho, I'm also a big fan of classic Disney movies redone in 3D and long walks on the beach but none of that matters... All the track should be listened to!

Last.fm

Loma Prieta - I.V. (2012)

Loma Prieta are a heavy hitting screamo and emotionally violent sounding hardcore rock band from San Fran that just put out a new album earlier this month. It sounds really harsh and noisy! And angry!

Did you know Loma Prieta are made up of some members from Punch, Beau Navire, Sailboats, and us, haunted bodies, and Archeopteryx? Did you also know that I only knew that because it says it on their Last.fm... except I put the bands in order of how much I know them?

Damn your good.

Last.fm

Old Gray - Do I Dare Disturb The Universe (2011)

Old Gray are an emo revival, spoken word, talk to yell bands that come from New Hampshire. I don't know how many of those bands there are down there but I think it's pretty cool. Maybe they'll crawl up to Maine sometime. Maybe they already have... and brought back a deer head for there 2011 release, Do I Dare Disturb The Universe, artwork.

Do I Dare Disturb Universe may only feature 4 tracks but it is full off goodies that will fill you up. They are satisfied with what it sounds like and "put all they had into it". Plus the last track, cleverly titled Instrumental, features the classic Network sample! Yeah its also been used by Maybeshewill, Mouth of the Architect and Transit but it still kicks ass every time I hear it used!

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore! Find a different monologue for heaven's sake!

Last.fm
Bandcamp


Wiltz - Wiltz (2011)

Wiltz is just the kind of the thing I've been missing from my music diet lately. It's instrumentally technical but not too mathy, off the grid rock-structure wise but not too post rocky, and twinkly but only to a point where it keeps you interested and wanting to listen on.

If only there wasn't already an Irish band with the same credentials.... And that band is Enemies. Hah, would you look at that. No pun intended.

Wiltz is still a good listen in my book.

Last.fm
Bandcamp

NFT'S Got You Covered! Daniel Johnston! ¡En Español!

Various Artists - Hola che, como andas? (Homenaje Argentino a Daniel Johnston) (2011)

This weeks cover album is a one subject cover album with many various artists put on by Japón Records. The subject of interest being covered: Daniel Johnston; the man who has probably been covered as many times as The Beatles, Bob Dylan or The Beach Boys. With that being said, a Daniel Johnston cover is like seeing my socks in your mom's laundry. It's very common.

So common that sometimes just the run of the mill cut-copy cover is not good enough. So when I stumbled into this tribute album, I was quickly surprised to find that it wasn't just another collection of hip household name bands playing more audible versions of our favorite D. Johnston tunes. I also quickly found out a lot of it wasn't in English...

It's an album featuring over 30 bands covering Daniel Johnston in Spanish or broken English! It's got two Walking the Cow covers, three True Love Will Find You In The Ends - one being completely in Spanish including the title, Grievance (becoming one of my favorite Johnston songs from this), Casper The Friendly Ghost, and two Held the Hands (currently my favorite Johnston song) - one in English and the other in Spanish. Along with a ton more classics like The Story Of An Artist, many more songs about love, songs he did with Jad Fair and the scariest rendition of Devil Town I have ever heard. So scary it's unrecognizable to anyone who didn't know it was Devil Town.

Being Spanish is not the only thing that these bands and their covers have got going for them, though. They also bring in very raw and lo-fi sound that begs the question of what if in fact these guys are actually the Spanish versions of Daniel Johnston? Just a handful of unknown bands from wherever they may be who long to be on MTV and be The Beatles? Maybe not. But that still have that desperate sound that echoes the challenges and victories of Daniel Johnston's illustrious career. I could be over thinking things. I mean, these bands could just be really really rough around the edges and just happen to be inspired by Daniel Johnston. I would like to think otherwise, however...

Noteworthy names on this compilation: Jersey Killer, Dr. Gonzo, Fusibles, Amukan, Gasti Explorador, El Mal Menor, Evil Cannibal, Elefantelibre, and a hell of a lot more argentinian rockers (I'm guessing that's where they are from...)


Japón Records

Victor! Fix the Sun again

Victor! Fix the Sun - Person Place or Thing (2009)

Person Place or Thing is Victor! Fix the Sun's follow up to their 2007 release, Retractable Claw. It was also their last. It still had that funky post hardcore goodness that their previous full length had while still being active as Victor! Fix the Sun. Jowls is cool but I don't think anything can replace Victor! Fix the Sun.

Last.fm
Myspace
Paperthin Feather F
Retraceable Claw (NFT review)

Monday XIX

Eat up.

Wilhelm and the Dancing Animals - The Forests Have no Name (2011)

Wilhelm and the Dancing Animals play mostly acoustic music that incorporates indie folk and 

The band is a boy/girl due of Guille and Helen who, by hearing their accents and seeing the language on their Bandcamp, are Spanish or from a Spanish speaking country. I'm not exactly sure, however. Maybe that's not even Spanish.

Wilhelm's 2011 EP release, The Forests Have No Name, comes with three tracks; Twice Alone, Wake Up (not an Arcade Fire cover but definitely reminds me of Where The Wild Things Are) and TEN, GO!. They are easy to get through and Guille has a very unique voice that kind of sounds like the spanish version of Françios Virot. 

Last.fm

The Octopus Project - Identification Parade (2002)

The premiere album of The Octopus Project, Identification Parade, doesn't seem to get discussed too much around music circles it seems. So I checked it out and made an amazing discovery in the track Porno Disaster! If I was a rapper I would rap over Porno Disaster! That's how awesomely dope that track is! 

You better check it out. Since porno might be uncomfortable to search for in Youtube (who are we kidding, there's no porn on Youtube anymore) I took the liberty of searching it for you:

Identification Parade is probably the most scattered work of The Octopus Project with no song really matching the others and everyone could go off on their own and start something else... like some kind of eight armed project... holy moly would you look at that. Too bad this album had nine songs!

I would not necessarily recommend this release to anyone who wanted to get in to The Octopus Project. That job is for One Ten Thousand Million, Hello Avalanche and The House of Apples & Eyeballs with Black Moth Super Rainbow. But there is still tons of amazing works of electronic and instrumental experimentation. It just doesn't had that pop that those other albums feature. And by pop... I mean pop music. Don't believe me? Go listen to Rorol (track two of identification Parade and later rereleased on the 2009 EP, Golden Beds) with Truck (from Hello Avalanche) and you will definitely see a diference in direction. Not that any of these directions are right or wrong. Hah, or left.

Last.fm

Tokyo Cigar - Felt 3.0 (A Tribute to Nancy Sinatra) (2010)

Here's a pretty sweet mashup album for you this week. It's a combination of Felt A.K.A. Slug (of Atmosphere) & MURS (an acronym for Making Underground Raw Shit, for real. No lie) and their album Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez with Nancy Sinatra (Frank Sinatra's daughter who also made music, for real. No lie) and a whole array of her work. The original was also produced by Aesop Rock 

The contrast is solid and yes! there is Bang Bang. Don't worry.  Track 7, "deathmurdermayhem". The only thing that is offsetting about the mashup production is how Tokyo Cigar (the productor of this mix) jacked the vocals up on Nancy so they are bit more high-pitched than what they should be. It does work really well on the first track, I must admit. 

I figured that this would be appropriate with all the hype of Lana Del Rey and her common comparisons to the original Icon of Cool. 

Speedy Ortiz - The Death of Speedy Ortiz (2011)

Speedy Ortiz on this release is just Sadie recording some super tunes at summer camp but she is now accompanied by two gentlemen. I don't know how gentle they are though.

Be sure to check out the video of them on BTR here for a better understanding of what this band is all about! Grass is Green posted it on their Facebook, so I gave it look. I will be checking back on Speedy Ortiz for any further releases! 

Last.fm

(Editors note: I got a chance to see Speedy Ortiz with Grass is Green and a few others at a house show and Sadie was actually accompanied by three gentlemen (bass, guitar and drums)... I still don't know how gentle they are though)

Mouth Washington Demo

Sorry for the lake of regular posts on NFT recently. I've been doing a lot of scheming and planning on some big projects for the future. I've also been planning on excuses to write.

Mouth Washington - Dichotomy Demos (2011)

Mouth Washington are a Portland, Maine noisy and loud post punk band of today. Frontman Max really brings this band to life even before the music plays when explaining the next three songs will be about police brutality and another about what "you are sippin' on". Then when the music comes in like a disabled dog out of the starting gate and filthy nonsense is spilt from the bands instruments you know they are alive and kicking. And only alive and kicking to bring you the funniest time you have ever had at a punk show. The lyrics are none more serious and the drummer (Max's brother I believe) plays like he hasn't had the chance to get on the drums in years! Just a four limb free for all. I don't mind though... I would do the same. 

Every time I see these guys play I am entertained. They don't even have to play music. They are just those kind of people. It's cool that they do though!

This is only their Demo and while i thought it wouldn't do them justice at first, I really am surprised to hear that it actually does capture some of what these guys have to offer music wise. It's still missing their live atmosphere and ridiculous introductions by Max but in a demo aspect the recording couldn't have come out any better for these guys and if it did, well then, it would not have been Mouth Washington.

These guys play some sweet shows down here and around Portland and are the kind of local band ever city should have. They stay true to themselves, aren't looking to be famous, don't care if they aren't the next Iceage or Wavves, don't need to sound like gold records and most of all entertain the audience and love playing music. Whether they love playing with each other is their own business. Whether they like playing with themselves is really their own business.

They also just played a show with Cattle Drums, who I have posted here before, last month and I missed it.  Always a drag when that happens! Hope those guys come back up here some day and play at least a 18+ show so I can see 'em. For Mouth Washington though, I know I'll be seeing them again. 

Happy 101 posts!

This is the 101st post of Nostalgia For Tomorrow! Great Job! We did it!

Take that SOPA!

I dare you to shut me down...

If you can find me!