Anika – Anika (Stones Throw)
Mesmerizing and highly innovative LP, fronted by Anika, a political journalist living in Europe. Anika combines elements of krautrock, no wave, punk and dub together with unique arrangements in a minimalist style. Combines elements of ESG, Suicide and 60’s girl groups up against the early solo career of Nico. Phenomenal recording, produced by Geoff Barrow from Portishead and recorded in twelve days flat. A+
Catwalk – (Please) Don’t Break Me 7” (Captured Tracks)
Garage pop from Oxnard, California. Reverb drenched two song 7”, sounds similar to The Clean and The Three O’ Clock. Would easily fit in to the roster of bands on Sarah Records in 1990. Really looking forward to hearing more from these guys.
Various Artists – Cold Heat: Heavy Funk Rarities 1968-1974 Vol. 1
(Now-Again)
Great compilation of rare and hard to find 45’s from American soul and R & B artists. Almost 80 minutes of music, worth every penny. Compiled by Egon, who takes a page from the Florian Keller school of mixtapes – quality over quantity. Fans of Soul Jazz Records – this should be on your Christmas list.
Wovenhand – The Threshingfloor (Sounds Familyre)
Newest LP from Wovenhand, who are easily one of the top three bands in Denver. Their sound is dust bowl Americana mixed with elements of neo-folk and early punk. Inside the dark religious overtones you will either learn something about yourself or be completely bummed out. If you’re lucky, it’ll do both.
Cave In – Anomalies Vol. 1 (Hydra Head)
Cave In is a progressive metal and hard rock band with hardcore roots, formed in Methuen, Massachusetts in 1995. Since their first three song demo tape that year, they have evolved and moved through several stages as a band, including a few years on RCA. They are back together after a hiatus and seem to be back on track. The Anomalies series is an attempt to wade through their messy and confusing discography by choosing out of print songs and putting them on one LP. And although people continually try to pigeonhole them into one genre or another, they don’t seem to notice. They seem content to experiment with all kinds of styles and are usually are able to do it with more enthusiasm and creativity than their peers. This volume contains Bad Brains, The Cure and Black Sabbath covers and four originals. One of those originals is a full version of Mr. Co Dexterity, an amazing song that they recorded but left off of their 1997 LP, Until Your Heart Stops.
Radio 1190 – Local Shakedown Volume 3 (Radio 1190)
41 song compilation of bands from Colorado, released in conjunction with several Denver area record stores and Radio 1190, who are a huge supporter of Colorado music as well as a great community centered, public radio station. Lots of different styles of music, everything from indie folk to noise. Highlights: The Overcasters, Deathbox, Bad Weather California, Chad Price, Wire Faces, Crack Magik and Moonspeed. More info on the CD and the station here
MIA – Lost Boys (Alternative Tentacles)
Classic hardcore punk originally from Las Vegas. Repressed and reissued on double LP. Contains their Murder In A Foreign Place LP from 1984 along with a ton of compilation tracks and demos. New Left, if played loud enough, can still break windows. An exhaustive look at a criminally underrated punk band.
Total Fury – 13 Songs (Dan-Doh Records)
Raging hardcore punk from Sendai, Japan that is heavily influenced by the Flex Your Head era (1980-1981) of DC hardcore. Lots of well assembled thirty second songs with ripping leads and strangely melodic choruses . An incredible live band, not to be missed under any circumstances. Repress comes in a DVD case with a fold out poster!
Forks Over Knives
Great documentary film featuring Dr. T Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, who are both accomplished scientists and authors. The film claims that degenerative diseases can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. No matter what you think about veganism and vegetarianism, the film clearly shows that the price we’re paying for convenience is too high. Food that can be ordered numerically isn’t really food, and Americans are long overdue for a serious overhaul in terms of the way we produce and consume food.
American Hardcore (Second Edition): A Tribal History
Steven Blush has released a new version of his book with an additional 77 new pages. I’m still reading it, and will review it at the end. In the meantime here’s what I thought about his first version. Praise: Love that it’s broken apart geographically, great anecdotes and pictures. Professional gripes: Too much bias for & against certain people and cities. Not enough coverage of women in bands AND women in general. The author would have you believe that every woman participating in hardcore from 1980 to 1986 was only there to take pictures or hold jackets. Personal gripes: Only one paragraph about Denver. Too much coverage of Boston. The kids have had their say. Do you know what they said? They said we love Aerosmith and AC-DC.
