Red Dons – Fake Meets Failure (Deranged)
10 song LP/CD from Red Dons, a band that started in Portland, Oregon during the break up of The Observers, who were probably the best punk band of the 2000’s. Red Dons features two ex-members, singer and songwriter Douglas Burns and guitarist Hajji Husayn. This LP is just an incredible piece of work, taking the northwest dirge of The Wipers and mixing in huge sweeping choruses and serious lip-biting breaks.
Articles of Faith – With a Vengeance (self released)
Articles of Faith have a new record coming out in October on Alternative Tentacles called “New Normal Catastrophe”, and this tune will be on it. The band is also playing a handful of shows this fall in Chicago, their first since 1992. I’m not going to even try to explain the greatness of AoF, they are simply one of the most important hardcore punk bands, ever. Check out the video here
Double Negative – Daydreamnation (Sorry State)
Manic and messy hardcore from Raleigh, North Carolina. This is their 2nd LP, and continues the noise / sludge sound that they perfected a few years back. A little bit of Die Kruezen combined with lots of Youth Korps and United Mutation. If you have a few extra points to spare on your license, this is great driving music.
Thrifty Astronaut – Caffeine Heartache (Act So Big Forest)
11 song CD of bedroom indie pop from Fort Collins, Colorado. All of these are incredibly catchy and well written tunes, including this one, called Another California Song: “There’s a place where blondes lie nude in the sun on the coldest December days. The hills are paved in marmalade and no one calls anything by its full name. From La-La land to San Fran, homosexual deviants line the streets. Where all our dreams go to die, and immigrants burn the American flag for heat. The last stop in your casket, the American waste basket.”
OFF! – Upsidedown (Vice)
Vice put up a preview Mp3 of this song, which will be on their first EP. When I hear Keith Morris sing, it just instantly lights up my brain. The man still has more piss and vinegar in his blood than most of the kids who try to copy his style. They filmed a video for this song this week, keep an eye open for that, I heard it was pretty nuts.
Bruce Haack – Farad the Electric Voice (Stones Throw)
Bruce Haack is the godfather of techno, he did for electronic music what Kool Herc did for disco and funk. Using early electronic instruments like the Clavivox and Electronium, he wrote his own songs and recorded them. What separates his work from other early electronic musicians like Gershon Kingsley and Jean Perry (or those Nonesuch Records compilations) is that Bruce approached his writing like he was conducting a huge rock orchestra. This 15 song double LP expands on some of his earlier themes of a psychedelic utopia, and reaffirms his position as the lead architect of electronic music.
Cristal – Homegoing (FSS)
Cristal are an ambient trio from Richmond that feature Bobby Donne of Labradford. This six song EP is a forty minute cross section of sound ideas and landscape pieces that use noise and cello to demand your attention.
Three – Dark Days Coming (Dischord)
Three existed for a short period of time in the late 80’s. Essentially they were Gray Matter with Jeff Nelson from Minor Threat on drums (Dante was touring & recording with Ignition at the time). Three wrote and recorded a ton of material, most of which sounds similar to their work with Gray Matter and Senator Flux. “Swann Street” remains the crown jewel of vocalist and guitarist Geoff Turner’s work.
Integrity – The Blackest Curse (Deathwish)
I did not want to like this. Nothing bores me to death more than metal-core, and considering this band’s reputation as the Steely Dan of hardcore, I wasn’t interested. Fans (myself included) watched throughout the late 90’s and well into the 2000’s as the hardest band from Clevo was dissolved and regurgitated over and over again. First as a noise trio, then a Danzig cover band, then as a third rate metal outfit. But I have to say that this record is surprisingly fresh and brings back that exposed nerve ending that’s been missing for years. It sounds and looks like a return to form, let’s hope that it stays that way.
Ultravox – Ha! Ha! Ha! (Island)
I hadn’t heard this in a few years, and always seem to forget how good it is. I still can’t believe that they recorded this in May of 1977. This is their 2nd record, which surpasses their Brian Eno produced debut with outstanding songwriting and use of synthesizers. Essential post punk!
