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Current Aural Pleasure
I bought numbers 1 and 10 in a store. The others were downloads that I burned onto CD in a brief moment when my computer worked.
Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville (ATO) CD/DVD reissue
I remember going into my favorite indie record store, Aron’s Records in Hollywood, CA, and seeing Liz Phair albums on the “New Releases” shelf, but at the time, I was so steeped in Crass, Conflict and The Jesus Lizard that I probably would have dismissed her. Recently, I heard a segment on NPR about this reissue, and I liked what I heard so much, I decided to buy it. Many people nod to the “dirty” lyrics and proclaim it to be a feminist manifesto. Maybe it is, but I hear blatant personal honesty, originality and an extremely timid vulnerability that rarely gets pressed for public consumption. As far as the reissue’s bonus content (B-sides and DVD) goes: “Ant in Alaska” is a good song and “Instrumental” displays Liz’s
guitar skills, but “Say You” is a really horrible attempt at reggae.
If you already own the album, the most interesting part of the reissue is the DVD, Guyville Redux, where Liz interviews people about the album, including Nash Kato and another guy from Urge Overkill, Steve Albini, Ira Glass from NPR, John Cusack (!), Chris Brokaw from Come, Brad Wood and Casey Rice from the album itself, the Matador Records guys and some other people who were involved in the Chicago “scene” and her life at the time. Dave Matthews interviews himself – it’s on his label. I’ve listened to this every day since I bought it, sometimes multiple times a day. I love it.
Antiseen – Southern Hostility & Eat More Possum (TKO)
After reviewing and loving The Best of Antiseen (TKO) for BT63, I had to grab these albums from Emusic.com. Antiseen are one of the best punk bands ever. Period. No argument. So there. Done.
Blumchen – Herzfrequenz (PSP Music/MTunes)
Back when I worked at Aron’s Records, everyone hated Blumchen (*Jasmin Wagner*) except for Joe MacPherson (the world music buyer) and me. (Joe also turned me on to The Shangri-Las.) She was a teenage girl who sang over insanely fast technopop. She contributed to a Turbonegro tribute album. She’s awesome!
GG Allin – “Gypsy Motherf***er” EP (Homestead), Wild Billy Childish & the Musicians of the British Empire – “Punk Rock at the British Legion Hall” b/w “Joe Strummer’s Grave” (Damaged Goods/State 51) Black Flag – “Kickin’ and Stickin’” (SST)
The GG Allin EP contains some of the best GG songs put to tape. I needed some new Billy Childish, so I downloaded the single from Emusic.com. I think “Kickin’ and Stickin’” was the only Black Flag song I didn’t own, so I had to grab it.
Gorgoroth – Under the Sign of Hell (Regain/Koch)
Every Gorgoroth album I hear impresses me more than the one before it. Unapologetically brutal.
The Who – The Who Sings My Generation (MCA)
Pete Townsend heavily influenced my guitar playing when I was a teenager.
Stevie Wonder – Music of My Mind (Motown)
I particularly like the reference to Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song in “Sweet Little Girl” as it’s one of my favorite movies.
Gortuary – Manic Thoughts of Perverse Mutilation (Sevared) & Unburied – Slut Decapitator (Metabolic)
I’m not a huge death metal fan, but I get a lot of it for free and I appreciate the good stuff. Gortuary are just noisy and nasty, while Unburied take a technical approach reminiscent of later Black Flag.
Emancer – Twilight and Randomness (Naga)
Progressive black metal, like King Crimson crossed with Mayhem. Pretty cool.
The Louvin Brothers – Satan Is Real (Capitol)
This one’s worth the cover. The brothers wear white suits with black ties and stand before a huge plywood cutout of Satan surrounded by the fires of Hell. Ultra-Christian country from 1959. Yee-haw!
