Who cares?

Free crap!

2008-02-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

This took way too long to finish and now I just want it out of my site. Not a lot to read or look at so don't get your hopes up.
Contact me if you want a copy.

Holy shit! Look how much fun we had!

2008-01-28T12:19:00.001-08:00

Here are the photographs from four friends vacation to America to witness live music and buy vinyl records.

The beginning.

Woops. Wonder if I'll need my purse?

An American breakfast.

Followed by an American nap.

Life is full of choices. A meal with friends...

...or a meal alone.

Makes sense.

Lex led us in the direction of fun falafels.

But after the gig.

24 hours later on the way home.

Look I'm just like him!

A grown man chooses to spend his money wisely.

Top 6 Horror Movies

2007-10-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

Halloween is my favourite holiday so I intended to post a lot of spooky shit all October long here. Unfortunately, a deadly combination of school and laziness got the better of me and now I'm playing catch up. Not all of these are Halloween themed movies but I like them just the same.

1) Suspiria
This is not really the most frightening movie on the list and at times the voice overs can be a bit much but the whole look and feel of the movie is totally fucked. I'm by no means a movie expert but you've got to admit that Argento really went the extra mile on this one. The use of technicolour makes everything so colourful and disorienting. The soundtrack really makes the movie for me as it fits perfectly and is so memorable. Lastly, all of the hidden bits (ie. the witch in blood) put the whole thing over the top. I hope that the Suspiria remake rumours are just that as I'd hate to see something tarnish the legacy of this underrated classic.

2) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
This is the best horror movie ever and anyone who disagrees is wrong. The genre is "horror" after all and not "spooky action" or "scary comedy." No matter how many times I watch it, the impact has yet to wear off. By the time it's over I feel like I need to take a shower because the whole thing just feels gross.

3) Nosferatu
Remember how scary The Blair Witch Project seemed when the film makers tried to play it off as a true story? Even if common sense or a shitty friend ruined it for you and told you it was fake you still wanted to believe it was true because it made it that much more scary and exciting. Now imagine that what you wanted to believe in wasn't some wimpy backwoods witch but a real fucking vampire. What's more impressive? A witch you never get to see or a vampire that plays the starring role in a movie? The answer is obvious. Whether anyone believe Max Schreck to be a real vampire is debatable but it certainly adds to the feel of the movie. In a genre based largely on aesthetic, Nosferatu is in my eyes far and away the best. An added bonus is that the Herzog remake and Shadow of the Vampire are both really good. If it wasn't for that shitty version with Type O Negative songs this could be one of the few horror franchises left untarnished.

4) The Shining
I have fond memories of spending Saturday or Sunday winter afternoons watching this on A&E. I think that some of the scarier moments resonate particularly well because I can relate to the feelings of stir craziness and isolation that comes in the dead of winter. Plus those fucking twins still haunt me.

5) The Exorcist
For The Exorcist to have the right effect you need to have seen it before you enter high school. After you've reach grade 10 or so you should have matured enough to believe that you're probably not a prime target for Satan and tinkering with a ouija board won't fuck your life up. Plus as kids start to get desensitized at younger and younger ages all of the blasphemous imagery and sound bytes start to lose their effect when you get older. Even if you didn't see it at your friends house when their parents were out of town or sneak downstairs to watch it I'd still argue for this to be one of the scariest movies ever.

6) Night of the Living Dead
Zombie movies get way too much credit. They're almost never scary and are usually way too fun for my liking. All criticism aside, for decades Night of the Living Dead has continued to live up to it's hype. It's a shame that a good portion of movies to come out after Romero birthed the sub-genre missed the undertones that make this movie the classic that it is. The overacting by the actress who played Barbara still pisses me off but that's only a minor complaint for a movie that was obviously way ahead of it's time.

Honourable Mention: Session 9
Fuck The Blair Witch Project, this takes the crown for scariest movie of the last 10 or so years. Like The Shining, a lot of the spookiest parts stem from the movies setting. But unlike The Shining, Session 9 was actually filmed at an abandoned mental hospital. The mental hospital is gone now so this is the only chance you'll get to piss your pants at how scary it seemed. Do yourself a favour and check this out if you haven't already.

Perfect Albums: Ulver - Nattens Madrigal

2007-08-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

ULVER - Nattens Madrigral
Choosing this record wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. A lot of people claim that the production is too "raw" or "harsh" and that's garbage. This is the way a Black Metal album should sound. My problem with this record was the rumours that it was recorded in a forest which is obviously garbage and the raw production that it was purposely given. Anyone that has heard that EXCLAIM record knows that trying to manufacture a raw sound can end in disaster. I hadn't spun Nattens Madrigal for some time but was relieved to find that the production holds up fine. Better than fine in fact. The guitar cutting out before the first track fully kicks in is one of those imperfections that can make something perfect.
Another problem I had with this record was that after it's release the band left Black Metal behind. It makes you wonder how serious they were all along. But again, the record being as good as it is makes one forget.
While DARKTHRONE is probably THE Norse Black Metal band this is probably the best representation of the Norse Black Metal sound. The guitar tone, the vocals, the riffs, the production, and the very sparse use of keys or acoustic guitar are all the best representation of this time period and this scene. This is a sound that a lot of bands try to achieve but just can't get. The strength of the album lies in the first four or five songs but the last few have enough of their own moments that this gets away with being "perfect" in my book. The riffs are so catchy that each track is distinctive although I'm not sure if every riff is entirely Black Metal but that's up for argument.
I'll admit that I've never delved very far into ULVER lyrics but the concept album aspect makes this record even more appealing. The artwork is some of my favourite, as is all artwork in the ULVER "trilogy."
I promise my next entry won't be a Black Metal one.

Perfect Albums: Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

2007-08-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

BURZUM - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
I'm sure that not a lot of people familiar with Black Metal wouldn't disagree with this one. I downloaded this back in the glory days of Napster but waited until I found it used a few years ago to finally buy it. Depending on my mood this sometimes ranks pretty close to being my favourite album ever and the first song "Det Som Engang Var" is in my opinion probably the best metal song ever recorded. While Burzum's back catalogue is the strongest of any Black Metal band ever (excluding the last two synth albums), the first record is just a tad too unpolished or sloppy (elements which I have no problem with in most cases but they seem out of place here) and the second record has a few missteps with the synth work. It's too bad that Black Metal bands continued to use synths after this record (or Filosofem) because nothing has come even close to creating the effect that they have on this record. Nowadays a lot of bands use the heavily repetitive song structure that Varg mastered here but this is truly the epitome of that style. It's easier to criticize something than to write a paragraph full of praise. The quintessential desert island record for me. Those that let politics get in the way of giving this a chance are doing themselves a disservice.

Perfect Albums: Beherit - Drawing Down the Moon

2007-08-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

perfect
• adjective /perfikt/ 1 having all the required elements, qualities, or characteristics. 2 free from any flaw; faultless. 3 complete; absolute: it made perfect sense.

I work at a job that requires very little thinking and a lot of sitting. Because of this I make a lot of lists to keep myself busy. "Classic" or "essential" albums can change and are always open to argument but "perfect" ones are purely subjective. This might not make sense to you but it does to me and that's what matters.

After a full shift of brainstorming I managed to come up with about 20 albums give or take that I deem to be flawless. I wouldn't change the artwork, I wouldn't make something quiter and something louder and I wouldn't take out a song or even a riff. In order to be considered for the list I worked out two rules for myself:

1) I can't have heard the album for the first time less than 2 years ago. This means that I can't look really cool by declaring something totally underground that I just downloaded from 7inchpunk or Soulseek "perfect."

2) The album can't have been released less than 5 years ago. 10 years ago is even better. Let's face it, people make a lot of claims to convince someone how good something is. Usually they're wrong. Plus music needs to age like a fine wine.

Writing about albums that I deem perfect is fun and easy which means that I can write about one every day or two. Get ready to party.

BEHERIT - Drawing Down the Moon
My mind is fuzzy when it comes to remember when and where I got this. I either ordered it from The End when I was in grade 11 or 12 or had CDplus special order it when I first moved to Winnipeg. Either way this took a lot of listens before I finally learned to appreciate it. Earlier BEHERIT had a lot in common with primitive the South American bands and of course BLASPHEMY. Drawing Down the Moon retains some of those influences but slows things down to a plodding pace that never really picks up. The ambient aspect and the use of many different vocal stylings are probably what gives this album a "hate it or love it" status. The atmosphere created is like a mix between the depths of Hell and a post-apocalyptic world. In this day and age almost every major Black Metal band from the early 90's must have at least a few copycats trying to replicate their sound and yet I've never heard any band try to come close to this album. I've read a couple of reviews that mention RIDE FOR REVENGE having something in common with this era of BEHERIT but I don't really believe. I haven't heard the album yet though so I could be wrong. Either way, this album to me is flawless.

I took the pictures from http://www.sadomator.com/beherit/ which is a really good resource for Beherit info.

Fake old-timey

2007-08-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

It's a cloudy, rainy summer day. These are two records that seem to go along perfectly with this weather. It's my blog and I'll do what I want.

Every once in a while some hipster bullshit will surprise me by actually being good. This shit has been praised all over the place so I won't bother.

I'm way late on this one. For a few weeks straight I listened to this at least once a day. I'll give this a few years before I officially rank it up there as one of my favourite albums ever.

Surprise!

2007-08-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

I updated my meal blog. It can be found here: http://eatingabigmeal.blogspot.com

Top 6 Black Metal Albums of the Past 5 Years

2007-08-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I put together a useless list. I constantly make lists of everything and through this blog I intend to make a lot of those lists known. You might wonder why I chose six albums instead of five and the only reason for this is that I just couldn't bring myself to exclude anything listed here. Aside from that, this was surprisingly easy to make and I'm sure that most (if not all) of these will be regarded as "classics" 10 or more years from now.

1) S.V.E.S.T. - Urfaust
I could write an essay on why I think this album is one of the best of not only the past few years but of all time. People often talk about how certain albums get better with age and usually that's a lot of garbage. However, Urfaust is a definite exception to that rule. The whole record has a "controlled chaos" element that is complimented by the riffs being repeated numerous times throughout each long track as well as a very raw production. Dizzying and confusing and yet each listen is more rewarding than the last. Honestly, this sounds like what DEATHSPELL OMEGA is aiming for with their most recent album. Tell me if I'm wrong.

2) DEATHSPELL OMEGA - Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice
Sure, this is probably the record to blame for ushering in the pseudo-intellectual "Orthodox Satanist" craze that thankfully seems to be on it's way out. However, there is no denying that this is a great record through and through. I'm sure that this record has the most interesting and thoughtful lyrics ever in Black Metal. In an age where it has all been done before this offered a unique perspective in a pretty stagnant genre. Nothing that they've done since this record has even come close and if they ever do manage to top this I'll eat one of my hats.

3) DRUDKH - Autumn Aurora
The first full length, Forgotten Legends, had a pretty strong BURZUM feel. With Autumn Aurora they kept that BURZUM influence but also added a heavy dose of ULVER and some well placed solos that I actually enjoy. BURZUM and ULVER ranking up there as two of my favourite bands ever certainly helps to solidify this a place near the top. Even though they've kept putting out an album each year, I don't think they've come close to matching this. The perfect soundtrack for walking around on a cold fall day (obviously).

4) XASTHUR - Nocturnal Poisoning

Okay, so I've got the Orthodox Black Metal trend covered so of course I need to cover the bedroom Black Metal trend as well. People have talked a lot of shit about this band and I'll admit that I haven't bothered to keep up with his releases for a few years now. Regardless, this has got to be one of the bleakest Black Metal albums ever and the best representation of XASTHUR's "sound." In some instances I feel that the rawer production he employs on later albums is better suited to his sound but still, this album as a whole is nearly untouchable. If that MUTIILATION cover was taken out and put on a split or an EP or something instead then this would be pretty close to perfect.

5) LURKER OF CHALICE - s/t

I had a tough time picking five and six so I'll say that they are interchangeable. While I'm a fan of early LEVIATHAN this exceeds anything that he's put out under that moniker. Barely falling within the realm of Black Metal this is quite a mood setter. I hear a lot of doom and darker ambient influence and I'm sure a lot more that I'm missing. I almost want to believe that Wrest had no idea that the album would be as good as it is as this is a style of music that almost everyone fails at.

6) INQUISITION - Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan
There are only a handful of truly unique Black Metal bands left around these days. Since what I consider the best LUGUBRUM and GRAND BELIAL'S KEY albums came out a year too early to be considered for the list I had to include this record. While Dagon's vocals are what stand out the most, the guitar work and lyrics are equally important. I can't think of a single aspect of this album that I would change. Touch me with your magic hoof.

Honourable mentions:
The two most obvious exclusions for me would be BONE AWL and PESTE NOIRE who both have put out demos that are just as good as almost everything on this list. Perhaps full lengths released by these bands will grow on me enough to be included in a revision of this list. After all, all of my lists are subject to change.

A relaxing weekend with friends

2007-07-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

It's time to lighten the mood a bit. We took a trip to Gimli on Saturday.

Steve has a pretty great body from behind.
Friends in the mirror pt. 1.
Sometimes Winnipeg is so beautiful that it makes me want to cry. I'm not sure if Tracy feels the same way.
Nature. Fuck it's hard not to get your thumb or Mike's finger in the shot.
Tracy's lunch.

Everyone else's. Kinship of the All-You-Can eat is born.

Steve is thinking "tender."

Look out Neckface. Get ready to pay $50 for a t-shirt with this on it by next year. Either that or I'll get it tattooed on me.

The punks/friends.

Someone did this painting of my crotch.

Mike is advising you to keep it loud and keep it local.

You'd never guess what's actually happening here.

Christian rock group picture #1.

Steve feeling the glory of God's presence.

Christian rock group picture #2.

Feats of strength.

The definition of "buff."

The word is officially out.

Friends in the mirror pt. 2.

Yay! Fun!

Keeping in touch

2007-07-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting this blog lately so it's time for a pretty major record update. I went down to Minneapolis last week and bought a bunch of records there so this post will only consist of the records I bought before I left.

BLASPHEMY - Fallen Angel of Doom... LP

This is probably the most important Black Metal reissue of the last few years. I remember how excited I was when I found a copy on cassette at the flea market in the Maples. After being out of print for something like 15 years, Nuclear War Now!(who else?) gives it the deluxe treatment. I won't really bother talking about the music because in my opinion this record ranks up there in importance with A Blaze in the Northern Sky, or INRI. I was determined to get the "die hard" version of this and just barely lucked out. This version came with two copies of the record, one on picture disc and the other on coloured vinyl (would've preferred straight black but at least it's nice and thick). The sleeve is a triple gatefold with a huge booklet attached and of course the standard poster, patch and sticker is included. I don't think I can speak highly enough about how good this record is and how excited I am to finally own it on vinyl. Nuclear War Now! is THE best current underground label. Not only in terms of Black Metal but in all metal, punk and whatever else.

FRAMTID - Under the Ashes LP

Given that it's been a number of years since it was released, the FRAMTID EP has managed to maintain pretty frequent play on my turntable. I remember when this LP originally came out it disappeared pretty quickly. I told myself that I'd have lots of time to get it but when prices on eBay started hitting the 50-75 dollar mark I knew I was fucked. Lucky for me, Black Water has reissued it. Like almost all Japanese hardcore bands, FRAMTID has stuck with their same sound which is rooted in early Swedish hardcore and the early 90's wave of Japanese "crust." Instead of trying to replicate those bands FRAMTID offers a pretty unique take on the sound which I'm sure is why they're so highly regarded (a split with DISCLOSE and a lot of praise from Stuart Schrader and MRR probably doesn't hurt). I think these Japanese bands could be a lesson to a lot of bands who try to incorporate too many styles at once or try to evolve into something they aren't capable of becoming. But that's a rant better saved for another time. For my money FRAMTID are the best current Japanese and probably the best current punk band period.

HOMOSTUPIDS - The Intern LP

I gave pretty high praise to the last HOMOSTUPIDS EP but I still had my doubts about this one. My biggest worry was whether I could stand an LP worth of music from what seemed like an EP type of band. I found out that their solution to this problem was to write actual songs instead of filling the record with obnoxious shit. I'm glad they took this route as it goes to show that they aren't just getting by on how shitty and stupid their recordings sound. A few of the songs here are a little more straight ahead hardcore while the majority of them are hardcore/punk with a garagey and at times even surfy feel. They turn up the quirk factor on the second side but I prefer the straight ahead, maybe actually giving a shit style of the first side best. This seems like it could be a grower.

LEBENDEN TOTEN - Death Culture Deprivation 8"

I'm sure this would have passed right by me had it not been for a friendly hot tip. I don't know if I can expand much on what I've written about LEBENDEN TOTEN before. The signature drenched in feedback and distortion sound is present but instead of the songs all blasting right by you they use a bit of repetition and slow things down a here and there which keeps things memorable. Maybe better than the LP but maybe not.

ROT SHIT - The Worst Kids Ever EP

I had high hopes for this after I read a live review on their Myspace which mentioned them whipping a live eel at the audience. This is snotty, dumb, loud, shitty, distorted etc. but it's also for the most part throw away crap. Twelve songs on a 45 can't mean good things. There's a couple of stand out songs that show promise but for the most part this is pretty bad. The cover is kind of neat for a seconds at least.

HUBBLE BUBBLE - s/t LP

Technically this is Tracy's record but since I was interested in checking it out as well I'll do a quick review. After the first few listens I brushed this off as having a few really great songs and some filler. A few listens later and I realize that I was wrong, this whole thing is really good albeit very weird. Almost every track sounds a lot different from the last. Some are rocking proto-punk sort of songs ala THE STOOGES I guess (this comparison is probably way off but I can't think of a better way to describe it right now) while others are more along the lines of what would later come with PLASTIC BERTRAND only more raw sounding (I've only heard that one song). Then there are songs that are really out there like the cover of "San Francisco." Obviously it needs to be heard to be understood. I wish this came with some sort of insert or liner notes or something.

ZEMIAL - Sleeping Under Tartarus EP

When I started getting in to Black Metal te Norway was still a big deal and thus what I paid the most attention to. It wouldn't be until a couple of years later when I realized that during that same time Greece also had a thriving Black Metal scene. This EP is a testament to that scene around it's peak. This is more rooted in a darkened death metal sound with tasteful usage of synths (this was long before mall black metal would become popular). After a few weeks where I got a lot of reissues (albeit really good ones) it's nice to get an original copy of an old record. Now I need to track down a copy of ZEMIAL's first full length on vinyl.

ALTTARI - Demo 2

I have a soft spot for this style of Black Metal. ALTTARI doesn't offer up anything groundbreaking or unique but play one of my favourite styles of Black Metal with enough proficiency to keep me interested. I'm having a tough time describing how this sounds or comparing it to something as it's a sound I've heard dozens of times before but can never quite trace it's origins. I guess a current reference point would be BAPTISM and a few other Finnish bands (duh! ALTTARI is Finnish as well) with ties to the Northern Heritage label. I'm not sure if this band is quite ready for a full length but this demo is one of my favourites from this year.

DEATH IN JUNE - Heilige CD

I don't buy a lot of CD's anymore but I found this used at CDplus, not even in the used section but just in a stack of CD's off to the side and couldn't resist. I'm sure most people reading this don't give a shit about DEATH IN JUNE or at least not enough to read about a live album. This was recorded during what I consider their second best era when Albin Julius (DER BLUTHARSCH) had a pretty big influence on the direction of the group. I love almost everything DEATH IN JUNE puts out and this has a lot of my favourite songs on it so of course I'm going to like it.

Summer = Skateboarding

2007-07-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

I remember how bummed and kind of confused a young Tyson was when he learned that Jamie Thomas, one of his skateboarding heroes at the time was Christian. Not just kind of Christian either but cross tattoo on the back, quotes from the Bible in Zero videos Christian.
I loved Zero videos because they were full of guys that looked like total hessians going huge. The classic rock soundtrack helped too. As much as I enjoyed them, the end credits where the guys all thanked Jesus and God left a sour taste in my mouth.
I found this video online by accident a few months ago and I've watched it a bunch of times since. For some reason I thought it had more fire and was a bit longer but regardless, nothing has got me this pumped on skateboarding for years. I wish I knew all of the bands in the soundtrack but I definitely recognize Sarcofago, VON and Sodom. Someone let me know where I can purchase an actual copy of this.
Fuck Jesus!

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-263872225750689886&q=barrier+kult&total=3&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Books

2007-07-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I made a post about books I've read. This will be really half assed and short because I want to get this out of the way before I make a substantial post about records I've gotten lately.
Most of these are deemed "classics" so I won't bother writing much about them. I had taken pictures of a few of these but somehow all of the pictures were accidentally deleted from the camera.

Hemingway - A Farewell to Arms
I've been meaning to read more Hemingway for years. Aside from this book the only other book I've read of his was The Old Man and the Sea which I read twice for some reason. I don't remember too many details since it's been well over a month since I finished it. Probably one of the best books I've read this summer.

Ken Kesey - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
This was my second attempt at finishing this. I didn't like this as much as I thought I would and I had a tough time getting into it until the last 100 or so pages. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie now.

Steven Lee Beeber - The Heebie Jeebies at CBGB's: A Secret History of Jewish Punk
I picked this up on a whim from the new section at the library. I don't read a lot of non-fiction so I was surprised that I liked this as much as I did. About half or two-thirds of this was really good and the rest was filler. The best chapters were the ones where he managed to talk to his subjects about their Jewishness and the influence it had (or didn't have) on them. Chapters on Lenny Kaye, the Dictators, and Tommy Ramone were good because of this. The ones on Lou Reed, Jonathan Richman and Richard Hell seemed like a lot of speculation. Regardless, I think that claiming that these artists being Jewish was the reason why they were as influential or turned out the way they did is garbage. I guess read it for yourself.

Faulkner - As I Lay Dying
Faulkner is becoming one of my favourite authors. This shit is no walk in the park and I'll admit that I probably could've used some sort of Spark Notes to help me along. This is one of those books I wish I had read in school. I'm sure I could read this again and get even more out of it.

Saul Bellow - Humboldt's Gift
I haven't finished this yet and I'm not sure I will. I really wanted to like this and thought I would after the first 30 or 40 pages but I guess this just isn't my thing. Someone tell me why this is worth finishing before I bring it back to the library. I hate the main character who I assume is based loosely on the author and that alone turns me way off. The only neat part is that Humboldt is based on the guy that the Velvet Underground wrote "European Son" about.

Double woops!

2007-06-17T00:02:00.000-07:00

Looks like I missed way more than a week this time. I forget which week summer is in and I'm not even going to include books with this post.
I intend on updating this more often. I'm not making any promises though.
I almost forgot. Summer = punk. Winter = Black Metal.

LEBENDEN TOTEN - State Laughter LP
I'm a few years late on getting this and I almost missed out entirely because I thought this was another of those "PDX" hyped bands. Now that I think of it, almost all of those bands are good. The recording is noisy as hell and drenched in feedback and the music is played so sloppily that it sounds like it's on the verge of falling apart. They seem to be influenced by the noisier Japanese Hardcore bands (CONFUSE, KURO) but also probably draw some influence from DISORDER somewhere along the line. The shouted high pitched female vocals would usually turn me off but they give this an originality that it might otherwise lack.

TALK IS POISON - Condensed Humanity LP
I can't remember if I posed too hard or just couldn't find the original EP's that are contained on this. Prank Records, late 90's/early 00's pissed off Hardcore, split with DEATHREAT. That should be a decent enough description. The later stuff is my favourite. The labels on the record say it's a 33 but it's not.

GENTLEMAN JESSE AND HIS MEN - I Don't Wanna Know EP
Very rarely do I come across a current band playing power pop type punk like this that doesn't make me cringe. Maybe the last band was THE EXPLODING HEARTS? Catchy to the point that it can be annoying. You could probably dance to this as long as I'm not around to see it.

AVSKUM - Crucified by the System EP
Pretty much what you would expect from a Swedish Hardcore band in the mid-80's. Some songs sound really similar to ANTI-CIMEX but my favourite ones are where they sneak a hint of melody in that makes them distinct. There's a reason why this is a "classic."

CARBONAS - Frothing at the Mouth EP
This is a pretty hyped band at the moment so I assume that most know what they sound like. Garagey, poppy at times, catchy, etc.

THE VICIOUS - Obsessive EP
The LP that I got before this isn't aging too well. After repeated listens I think that this is my favourite thing that I've heard from them. This band is better in small doses.

CHEETAH CHROME MOTHERFUCKERS - 400 Fascists EP
This reissue came out a bunch of years ago but I didn't bother with it until now. They possess the best "s" qualities: shitty, snotty and sloppy. I can think of a few current bands that this probably has a pretty big influence on and rightly so. This is my ideal for how punk should sound.

CARBONAS/DIE ROTZZ - split EP
The CARBONAS cover the ZERO BOYS but I like their own song more. I guess I pose. The first DIE ROTZZ song is boring but the second one is catchy. They're a new band to me and I doubt I'd bother with them if the CARBONAS weren't on the other side of the record. There's only so much of this garagey trend I can take.

PISSED JEANS - I Don't Need Smoke... EP
This post is full of hyped bands. I got into PISSED JEANS a litte late. I really enjoy both songs on here but not really together. I found myself listening to the A side twice instead of flipping it and vice versa. Side A = later BLACK FLAG and probably some AmRep crap or something that I'm not hip to. I can't remember what I was going to compare the B side to.

DISCARD - Death From Above EP
Where as AVSKUM has a bunch more influences than just DISCHARGE this is pretty much a total DISCHARGE rip. I love it! Features Ake from MOB 47. At first I thought the song "Survive" sounded exactly like "Protest and Survive" but maybe not so much any more. I've heard conflicting stories as to whether this is a legitimate reissue or a bootleg.

AGE - The Spider EP
I probably wouldn't have picked this up had it not been recommended to me. I certainly wasn't let down. I guess AGE plays metallicrust or whatever you want to call it. Influenced by AMEBIX and late 80's crust or "proto-crust" bands (before it became a dirty word) while still retaining a distinct Japanese sound. Alongside CROW, this is the best new Japanese hardcore I've heard in the past year.

Summer 2007 - Week #4 & #5

2007-05-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

Woops I missed a week. Same old shit.

H.P. Lovecraft
While I always list Lovecraft amongst my favourite authors, the truth is that he's kind of a bad writer. Sure his stories are fun to read and can evoke a spooky or weird atmosphere (if you're lucky) but they aren't the slightest bit scary. I got this nice looking book that compiles a selection of his most popular works for my birthday a few years ago. I haven't even delved into the Cthulu Mythos yet. Out of the half a dozen or so stories I've read my favourite are The Outsider, The Music of Erich Zann, and Herbert west - Reanimator. There are a couple that show potential but don't amount to much like The Rats in the Walls and The Shunned House. The Lurking Fear is one of the more disappointing reads as his writing is sometimes so convoluted that it ruins the mood.
This article http://dir.salon.com/story/books/feature/2005/02/12/lovecraft/index.html is pretty accurate as to how I feel about Lovecraft. Stephen King should've died in that car accident though. Bashing Lovecraft while he puts out audio books about haunted stationary bikes? Give me a break.

Steinbeck - The Long Valley
I guess Steinbeck wrote this collection of short stories the year after Of Mice and Men and the year before The Grapes of Wrath. Compared to Tortilla Flats it seems he'd entered total bum out mode by now. I like Steinbeck the most when he is a completely enjoyable read but is also so depressing that he makes you hate life. I need to finish this to see if all the stories are as sad as the first few I've read.

BLOOD RED FOG - s/t DLP
I was really looking forward to getting this bands full length as the demo was excellent. I was told that this full length was even better than the demo but after just one listen I don't see it. None of the songs on here really caught my attention and for some reason I thought it would be more typically Finnish sounding than it is. BLOOD RED FOG has quite a similar sound to fellow Finns RAATE which is slow and depressing in the BURZUM vein without the over the top suicidal theatrics. Hopefully this one is a grower.

PESTE NOIRE - Lorraine Rehearsal LP
PESTE NOIRE is the best current French band now that NUIT NOIRE have entered their own world that defies genres. Everything this band touches turns to gold and this no exception. There are only four new songs on here which sound even better than the stuff on their last album. This time there is a more traditional Black Metal (BATHORY, HELLHAMMER, etc.) sound which is a departure from the melancholic Black Metal bands some PESTE NOIRE members are also in. The solos are still present and in my opinion are the most fitted to this current style. I can't stress enough how much I love raw production so the fact that this is a rehearsal excites me even more. On track to be one of the years best releases.

VORDR - I LP
I don't know what took so long for the first VORDR full length to make it to vinyl. VORDR has a lot in common with BONE AWL in that both bands have an apparent punk influence in their sound. However, VORDR has a lot more variation including some doomier influences that I hear now and then. I would like this record even more if the vocals didn't get on my nerves so much.

NASTROND/MYRKR - split 10"
I was most excited about the NASTROND material on this split but their side is a bit of a snoozer. Too many interludes, intros, etc. and nothing there to really catch your attention. MYRKR improves with each release and this is no exception. The EP they put out last year was good but was missing something and I think they found what it was. This shit is cold as ice. For bands that claim to be so "religious" it's a shame there are no lyrics included.

SEARCH AND DESTROY - s/t 7"
It's nice to see some newer Winnipeg bands getting the vinyl treatment. SEARCH AND DESTROY are in my top few Winnipeg bands and that opinon of them solidifies with this record. I think this might have been better as a 45 with a few less songs and the mix isn't my favourite but it's certainly a good despite these minor complaints. Hopefully this will garner them a little more recognition than they've gotten thus far.

I also picked up SWANS, Children of God used on CD but in the span of a week I managed to misplace it so it doesn't get the full review treatment. I listened to it twice the day I got it and it didn't really click either time. The songs in the older SWANS style I like but the newer shit where they're clearly "expanding" their sound or whatever cop out bands use to try and sell more records don't do it for me.

Grandma's House

2007-05-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

Tracy and I went to visit my grandma for Mother's Day. There really isn't much to see between Winnipeg and Wawanesa.

This the funniest and saddest graffiti I've ever seen.

I think a sex offender got his dick cut off here during a riot.

They found some sex workers body in this park a year or two ago. That's probably a ghost.

A lot of money down the drain. Might be good for shooting rats.

I'm not joking. I love this album.

Tracy takes good pictures of herself while driving.

My family on Cruise Night. I'm so proud!

Mix Tape Love

2007-05-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

Fuck CDRs, MP3 playlists and podcasts. Nothing beats the satisfaction that comes with laying out a solid mixtape. I spent a good part of my Saturday working on this one. I don't pretend to know shit about Hip Hop but I feel pretty confident with the lineup. Obviously Wu-Tang and Nas are missing but it was hard enough to pick the GZA and Raekwon tracks let alone narrow down something off 36 Chambers and Illmatic.
I'm all set for a trip to Portage and beyond now.
Someone swap mixtapes with me. I promise I won't let you down.

Summer 2007 - Week #3

2007-05-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

Slow week.

John Steinbeck - Tortilla Flats
Steinbeck has quickly become one of my favourite authors. I liked The Grapes of Wrath but Of Mice and Men and East of Eden are what really did it for me. This is more of a fun read than any of those other books but the familiar themes of post World War I and the Great Depression are still there. I hate book reports. Save yourself the $10 to go to a Palahniuk reading and read some of Steinbeck's books instead.

Death With A Dagger/Kylmä Sota - split EP
The story of how I got this record is long and kind of unusual and if I hadn't got it it would've been a recordless week. I first heard Kylmä Sota on MRR Radio. After some internet searching returned no results I emailed MRR about the band and found out about this split with Death With A Dagger. Turns out they mispelled the band name which is why I couldn't find anything. The corrected band name led me to their Myspace where I emailed them about buying the record as well as anything else they have. They told me they'd send me the record which I thought meant that they'd tell me how much and I could buy it. My question of "how much?" went unanswered and two weeks later this arrived.
The music of Kylmä Sota is really nothing new. Discharge worship with a bit of originality but played proficiently enough to keep things interesting. What really attracted me to the band was the production. If you've read any of my other half assed reviews you would learn that I'm a big fan of shitty production. This really takes the cake. The music sounds like it's being played through a stereo with blown out speakers. They told me that they're recording or have already recorded for a 7" of their own which will come out soon and are planning to keep the shitty production.
Death With A Dagger is kind of so so. I hear a hint of Japanese hardcore (guitar solos) and a hint of Finnish hardcore with a ton of Tragedy influence. Pretty average stuff.
http://www.myspace.com/kylmasota

Summer 2007 - Week #2

2007-05-01T19:16:00.002-07:00

My life is defined by material goods.

William Faulkner - Light in August
Faulkner is kind of a hard fucking nut to crack. One minute you think you've got everything figured out and then all of sudden the narration is from the perspective of an entirely new character and the time frame is all fucked up. Ever since I fucked around and didn't finish reading The Sound and the Fury for an English class he's been on my "to conquer" list. Light in August is primarily about race relations but in a much more complex way than "slavery bad, abolition good" (Harriet Beecher Stowe) . Certainly not a party read but it's rewarding and he's obviously a master at piecing a seemingly impossible puzzle together. Also leans heavily on the outcast theme and apparently gays (according to the introduction but I don't see it).

The mailman was good to me last week.

BATTLE OF THE WORST BANDS LP
Compiles way out of print 7"s of old Cleveland bands. Each band is unique in their own way but also give off the essential "fuck you" that seems to go hand in hand with that city.

CONTRAST ATTITUDE - Sick Brain Extreme Addict EP
I love this shit. Heavy heavy Discharge influence with a raw as fuck recording. Japan!!!

HOMOSTUPIDS - The Brutal Birthday EP
One sided 7" that I cheated and already downloaded a few months ago. This sounds as stupid as their name and I can't stop listening to it. The one sided 7" is the perfect dose of this crap. Someone sell me the first 7" already! Hopefully the full length that I guess is already out is as great as this.

BONE AWL - So I Must Take from the Earth... 2xEP
It never ends. I only listened to the first of these two records but it sounded what you've come to expect. The new record out on Nuclear War Now! is in my opinion the best recent stuff from these guys. Still my favourite active band.

UNHOLY CRUCIFIX - BLACK MASS EDIFICE tape
The last demo was so lo-fi that I couldn't distinguish any instruments until the fourth or fifth song. This one isn't quite so hard on the ears but all of the lovable aspects are still present. The definition of primitive.

ANCESTORS - s/t tape
I'm not a huge fan of the "featuring members of" game but this one is a little too strange to ignore. This is Mark McCoy's Black Metal band and it is surprising good. Taking cues from BONE AWL, ILDJARN and obviously punk/hardcore this is in the same vein as aforementioned bands but with a slightly different take. Some songs are a little bit too long but impressive nonetheless.

CIRCLE OF OUROBORUS - Streams tape
New Circle of Ouroborus full length. Almost in the exact same style as the first full length Shores which I think they've outdone on some more recent efforts. Not the best I've heard from them

CIRCLE OF OUROBORUS - Night Radiance tape
The best I've heard from them! This gives off a really eerie vibe and incorporates more typical Black Metal vocals. Still a strange fucking band but this ups the ante.

Top Meals:
1) Miso - the sushi isn't always shit hot but as long as I can eat as much as possibly who cares?
2) Merkato - an Ethiopian place I've never tried. The best I've hard in the city since Harmans closed.
3) Chicago Phil's - just because you can get a panzerotti filled with soy cheese doesn't mean you should choose shrimp that look like fish food as one of the fillers.

Summer Resolutions

2007-04-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

I wrote my last exam last Wednesday. That means my summer starts now. Every summer I make some shitty resolutions that I never keep so we'll see how long these last.

1) Finish at least one book a week
2) Only eat out twice a week or less
3) Buy as many records and as much alcohol as I can afford

SUMMER 2007 - WEEK #1

Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
The best book I've read since East of Eden. Wish I had read it in junior high or high school like everyone else. Easily makes it way on my "Essential Reads" list.

SHOOT IT UP - Pop EP
Not as good as the one song I heard on Myspace which I guess is from their demo. Not thrilled on first listen but the second spin got better. Snotty and shitty sounding.

OUT WITH A BANG - I'm Against EP
I think I might like the EP on Criminal IQ more. This is more of a grower.

SOCIAL CIRCKLE - Static Eyes EP
Another record that wasn't an instant thriller. Second listen was much better.

KIELTOLAKI - second EP
Forget the real name for this and am too lazy to grab it. After only one listen I think they may have somehow topped the first EP which was incredible.

RETAINERS - Teenage Regrets EP
Wow this is good. Garagey, surfey (maybe?) punk. Raw as hell. All this amounts to a really good fucking record that proved my prior opinions wrong.

HOLY SHIT! - Jazz Phase EP
Is this the best new punk 7" I've bought in the past year? Probably. I love this.

FUNERAL MIST - Salvation CD
A few years late with this one. NOEVDIA doesn't put out bad records and this is one of their best. Sounds like how I wish MARDUK would say. Also loves Satan a lot which gets an instant thumbs up from me.

Stolichnaya Vodka
Being a snob about vodka is for old men and try hards since it's going to taste like rubbing alcohol anyways. This shit doesn't burn and gets you tipsy after only a few shots. A+!

I'm a compulsive list maker.

The ranking of the past weeks meals:
1) Deens
2) Rasoi the Kitchen - food is kind of so so but the samosas are good. Cheap too.
3) Red Lobster - I wish I got more shrimp.
4) Sushi Train - too bad Delicious was closed. Consistently the worst sushi in the city.

The ranking of the past week (or so) shows:
1) SEARCH & DESTROY/BORN BAD/NO FUN - all bands I like to varying degrees. BORN BAD being my favourite this time around.
2) VELODROME - in my top 5 favourite Winnipeg bands. Consistently great.
3) CLOROX GIRLS/RED DONS/local crap - RED DONS sucked and the only they played that were good were OBSERVERS ones. CLOROX GIRLS were so-so. Some good songs but a lot of meh.

Easter Weekend

2007-04-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

I dare you to read all this. Also, I suck at taking pictures. Woops.

I spent this past weekend in Minneapolis to take in the shows held in celebration of Fashionable Idiots 1 year anniversary. I might have taken pictures of the bands if I didn't forget that we had brought the camera along until the ride back home.

Show #1

Paid to get in to this house show and then immediately went to get food which lasted as long as the entire show. The only band I really cared about seeing at this one was OUT WITH A BANG who was also playing the second show that night.

Show #2

This ranks up there with being one of the strangest shows I've seen. This was held at a bowling alley on Good Friday. I thought there would be a lot more punks but it was mostly filled with people looking for a Friday night bowl/drinking session. No cover charge and free drink tickets from a band comprised almost entirely of non-drinkers was a bonus.

The FUCK YEAHS started things off and I wasn't really into them.

BORN BAD played next. They didn't play bad but the environment just wasn't suited for them. I'd rather see them in a basement or a packed show.

Next was OUT WITH A BANG who I liked a lot. Sloppy and fucked up with hilarious banter from the front man who eventually stumbled off near the end of their set.

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS closed things off and I wasn't into them either. Maybe I'll see them again and my mind will change? Probably not.

Show #3

This is the show I had been waiting for. $10 bucks for a basement show seemed pretty steep but I guess only 2 of the bands that played were local. The basement was a surprisingly good venue which didn't end up getting too crowded.

The RETAINERS played first. I can't remember why I was entirely impressed but for some reason I wasn't. I don't own any of their records but the tracks I've heard on Myspace I liked. The drummer wore sunglasses the entire set.

BRUTAL KNIGHTS from Toronto played next. Okay live but not convincing enough to make me want to buy any of their records.

After the previous evenings performance I was anticipating seeing OUT WITH A BANG again. Things got equally retarded when a pipe burst and soaked the band and everyone in the front of the room with water. The singer was super obnoxious calling everyone faggots and being a total dick. Impressive!

CHRONIC SEIZURE were next and something happened that made their set stop for a considerable length of time. This resulted in a loss of momentum and my attention span. I should probably give their recorded material a chance.

BRAIN HANDLE played one of my favourite sets of the evening. I barely remember seeing them at Midwest Hardcore Fest about a year and a half ago so this was a pleasant surprise. The slower songs were my favourites as there are only so many short and fast hardcore songs I can take in before everything starts to blur together.

FORMALDEHYDE JUNKIES ended the night and played their last set ever. I was expecting things to get really crazy and stupid but instead they played the tightest set I've ever seen from them and everything remained relatively mellow. At least they had the guts to call it quits while people still cared.

Food

Depending on my mood a trip to Minneapolis is usually ranked:

1) Show

2) Records

3) Food
Sometimes #2 and #3 are interchangeable. I'm actually more disappointed that I didn't take pictures of the meals I ate than the shows I attended.

Taco Bell

We ate at one on the way down in I think St. Cloud. Smallest 7 Layer Burrito I've ever had but the Guacamole wasn't as cold as in Fargo a few weeks ago so that was a plus.

The Taco Bell in the Mall of America food court was surprisingly good. They do away with trays and give you your order in a plastic bag. Fuck the environment.

Pizza Luce

I was lucky enough to eat here twice. The first time I had some sort of Mock Sausage Hoagie which was good but too way too fucking long to get. The chips on the side are unnecessary. Should have stayed gay and went with the salad.

We placed our usual order for the Rustler from the hotel room. Consistently good and consistently sloppy. I can't imagine eating this more than once every 5 or 6 months.

Triple Rock

I kind of have a love hate relationship with Triple Rock. The service is pretty inconsistent and if you get there late or go with a bunch of people you have to sit in the other room which sucks. Now that I'm of age in the US there's been another point added to the "pros" column. This was easily my favourite meal of the trip. Easter Sunday was started with a Bloody Mary at 10:30 in the morning which will get you drunk on an empty stomach. Since I was last there in the winter they added a new menu option. Finally there's a vegan equivalent to the disgusting Mother Trucker. This time it consists of home fries, tofu scramble, veggies, vegan nacho cheese, jalapenos (on request) and toast. Wish I had boxed up what I couldn't eat.

Records

I bought nothing else besides records on this trip which was perfectly fine by me. Even after everyone from Winnipeg had been through it, the used section at Extreme Noise still had a few things I wanted. Here's the newer stuff I got:

CROW - Bloody Tear

Better late than never with this LP. I've only given it one proper spin so far but was really fucking impressed with what I heard. The best thing I've heard out of Japan in the last year at least. Metal tinged hardcore. I've seen the word "crust" tossed around as a descriptor but I hate that term so I'll avoid it. Honestly this seems to run the gamut of current Japanese hardcore as it varies enough that it could have something for everyone. My only complaint would be the few instances where things get a little too metal for even my liking.

DESTRUCKTIONS - Complete

When it comes to early 80's hardcore I'll pick up almost anything that mentions Finland. Here's another old Rock-O-Rama LP getting the proper reissue treatment. I don't think that label put out many bad Finnish records before they realized how cool racism was. Classic Finnish hardcore ala RIISTETYT or KAAOS. I really don't know how the fuck to describe the differences in sounds between these bands. Even the two unreleased demos are good, making this a total package. I just wish the Vox Populi LP wasn't split up, but that's only a minor complaint.

OUT WITH A BANG - Few Beers Left But Out of Drugs

Some of the songs on this are really good and memorable (the title track in particular) and some are just okay. Songs about suicide and drugs. Don't show mom!

THE VICIOUS - Alienated

Newish band from Umea with members of older Umea bands. This isn't a style of punk that I usually listen to but this stuff is so good I couldn't resist. Melodic and catchy punk presented on the perfect format. Too bad I can't see them when they play Minneapolis this weekend.

Tunes For Fucker Vol.1

Bootlegs are a tricky format. We seem to be living in the age of reissues when even the most obscure KBD bands are getting the proper reissue treatment. Do you wait and hope that the records will be reissued or better yet, end up finding the originals or do you risk being the jackass that buys an overpriced bootleg of something that winds up getting a legit reissue a few months or years down the road? Obviously I chose the latter. While Japanese hardcore reissues are starting to show up (THE EXECUTE, GUDON), I took the risk in assuming that I'll never own these flexis (and one proper 7") on vinyl otherwise. I'd only heard STATE CHILDREN prior to getting this but all the bands are along the same line, noisy and raw as fuck. JANKY and A.T. DET are a little more comprehensible but it's all good. A little difficult to listen to it all in one sitting though. Not a bad looking bootleg either, pictures of the originals records labels are included on a xeroxed sheet.

On Monday we took a trip over to McNally where I was pleasantly surprised to find this:

While I think (hope) I've grown out of the phase where I was manic for sneakers this magazine is always a really good read and justifies the somewhat cheap price tag of $15 after taxes.

Disappointment

2007-03-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

Every year without fail it's as if the receptors in my brain which are specially functioned for paying attention in school and keeping up with homework turn off a month early. Anything can trigger my subconscious to tell me, "even though school isn't done it's okay to reward yourself early." I remember when I was in maybe grade 9 or 10, my parents let me buy a Playstation 2 before I had even begun writing final exams. Somehow I still passed.
Like clockwork it happened again this year but thankfully it didn't result in me buying an expensive gaming system that I will never use. Doing away with the guilt associated with reading a book not assigned for school I picked up what I thought would be a fun light read:

Perhaps I'm either too hip or not hip enough for Chuck Klosterman to have ever registered on my radar. If this is the new "cool" author for kids to put in their interests on Myspace then I'm disappointed. There were three points in this book that made me consider putting it down without finishing it. Chuck Klosterman:
1) Hates punk (except the Clash)
2) Claims to own well over 2000 CD's but has never bought anything on vinyl
3) Hates the Blues.
If that isn't convincing enough criticism the longs sections about Radiohead, and KISS should be. I hate self-professed music nerds. Especially ones with such terrible taste in music.
The only good parts were the talk of drug use which wasn't even excessive enough to get excited about.
Wish I'd stuck to reading text books.

The Zoo

2007-03-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

March 24 was supposed to be the warmest day of the year thus far. To celebrate we went to the zoo. Clearly it was not exciting as we had hoped.

These bear pictures would look more impressive if you couldn't see that fence.

The only animals that did tricks.

"Please free me."

Gross.

We didn't see many more animals. Unless you're really eager to be outside in the cold the zoo is only worth it in the summer.