Sunday 30 November 2014

METH AND GOATS

 BandMETH AND GOATS
GenresPunk / Garage Rock / Sass Rock / Screamo / Hardcore / Experimental
Related artistsCentaur Noir.
Country: Moline, Illinois USA
Years Active2000-2014
Song: "Comedy K"
Album: "Attack From Meth and Goats Mountain"
Year: 2005
Label(s): Electric Human Project / Init Records / 213 Records / Nail In The Coffin / Ruin Your Fun / L'Hiver Vient...
This post's artist is from the November 2014 Mix. This is track #8.
You can download the October Mix#11 right here or get the new November Mix#12 here.
For fans of: Transistor Transistor, Aim Of ConradRye Coalition, Ultra Dolphins, Frodus, Life In Vacuum, The Blood Brothers, Soiled Doves, Hot Snakes, Lucertulus, (older) At The Drive In, Maximum R'n'R and Hercules Hercules.

A beast unto themselves, METH AND GOATS were self-aware and self-reliant as they knew what their sound was and ran with it. I first got into the band when I was scouring Electric Human Project releases about a decade ago and may even have come across this punknews review and picked it up based on that, I don't remember exactly. The band's sound jived with me instantly and is venomous and awkward, jarring and catchy, obtuse and refined - as odd as those sound they seem pretty accurate to me. In lamens terms, it's screamy and sassy garage-rock with hardcore influences.

First, my favourite METH AND GOATS record, one of the most weird and amazing releases I am proud to own (and have since it dropped) is 'Attack from Meth and Goats Mountain', which is a post-punk, garage-rock fucking masterpiece. "How Does He Get to the Moon" shows the band's faster/harder side with a really dark edge and screamy vocals that sound like the newer Life In Vacuum records, and includes some beautiful, trippy and bouncy rhythms around the 2-minute mark. The short, 1:26 "God's Got Money" also blasts out a little louder and faster than the majority of the band's material. But "Comedy K" is the standout not only because it is probably the most accessible and repetitive, it's fucking amazing. "Tell Me I'm Powerful" is almost like a more aggressive "Comedy K" and has some instrumentation that is very similar to Soiled Doves material, which has an subtle lounge-rock foundation with distorted, grooving garage-punk stacked on top. "Rat Tail Revolution", "Wolf Style" and "Psychic Car Crashes" also follow this formula and step up the jarring, discordant and haunting rock and screamy wails that make this album such a classic.

After 'Attack From Meth and Goat Mountain' I just assumed the band had imploded as I didn't see or hear anything until Joe from Ice Hockey let me know that they were still a band. I've just downloaded 'Leisure Time' about a week ago and have spun it a few times. I like the album and noticed a few things besides the standout tracks "Dart Money", "Death on Boats" and "Don't Tell Randy":
-the band's sound is pretty much intact
-the recording doesn't emphasize how loud and obnoxious the band can be, and therefore the band sounds smaller, quieter and less significant
-the lyrics seem to deal much more with socio-political issues

In the end 'Leisure Time' is decent, the live album is passable mainly because the songs on the initial releases sound better on said releases. I would highly, highly recommend grabbing 'Attack from Meth and Goat Mountain' but the discography is certainly worth giving a listen to.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2000 - Demo EP (stream/download here)

2004 - Ten Grand split 7" (download here)

2005 - Attack from Meth and Goats Mountain cd/12"LP (stream/download here)

2009 - Meny Hellkin split 7" (demo versions of 'Leisure Time')

2011 - Leisure Time LP (stream/download here)

2014 - Live at Sound and Vision EP (stream/download here)

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(2005) METH AND GOATS - "Comedy K" (from 'Attack From Meth and Goats Mountain')

(2005) METH AND GOATS - "How Does He Get to the Moon?" (from 'Attack From Meth and Goats Mountain')

(2005) METH AND GOATS - "God's Got Money" (from 'Attack From Meth and Goats Mountain')

(2011) METH AND GOATS - "Dart Money" (from 'Leisure Time')

(2011) METH AND GOATS - "Don't Tell Randy" (from 'Leisure Time')

(2004) METH AND GOATS - "She Murdered Everything in Sight" (from 'Ten Grand' split)

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METH AND GOATS out of print Ten Grand split mp3 download / additional links

(download here)

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JONBENÉT, THE

GenresPunk / Screamo / Hardcore / Grunge / Metal / Indie
Related artistsHussy and Unfortunate Hubris.
CountryHouston, Texax USA
Years Active2003-2009
Song: "Stolen Home"
Album: "The Plot Thickens"
Year: 2005
Label(s): Self Released / Pluto Records / Team Science! Records / Emerald Moon Records / Pobrecito Records
This post's artist is from the November 2014 Mix. This is track #4.
You can download the October Mix#11 right here or get the new November Mix#12 here.
For fans of: The Blood Brothers, The Fall Of Troy, Akimbo, Short Hair, Since By Man, Fear Before The March Of Flames, Graf Orlock, Mercy Ties and JR Ewing.

I can make this quick. Do you like The Blood Brothers? Yes, okay so listen to the band's early material, especially their 'The Plot Thickens' LP. Next, do you like Akimbo and Graf Orlock? Yes, good now get cracking on 'Ugly/Heartless' LP and 'Substances' EP which I would also describe as still being influenced by The Blood Brothers and they have a bit of a Genghis Tron aftertaste. 'Ugly/Heartless' includes some demos, which are a great mix of the new instrumental material with the older, screamier-style vocals. Check out my favourite songs below and then grab the two albums in the mp3 download here. These fellas were a really good, underrated, hook laden screamy/metallic hardcore band with a strong grasp of writing heavy yet catchy tunes and screaming much akin to The Fall Of Troy.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2003 - Seven Short Stories by Mortimer T. Chimneytot cdEP

2004 - Five Stories Retold cdEP

2005 - The Plot Thickens cdLP (stream/donate/download here)
2005 - The Kidnap Soundtrack split cdEP (does anyone have this? please post it!)

2006 - Ugly/Heartless cd/12"LP (stream/donate/download here)

2007 - Devil Music Volume 1 7" (anyone have this one? you know what to do!)

2009 - Substances digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)
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(2005) JONBENÉT, THE - "Stolen Home" (from 'The Plot Thickens')

(2005) JONBENÉT, THE - "Eleventh Century Folklore" (from 'The Plot Thickens')

(2006) JONBENÉT, THE - "Why We're Dead" (from 'Ugly/Heartless') official music video

(2006) JONBENÉT, THE - "We Eat Our Young" (from 'Ugly/Heartless')

(2009) JONBENÉT, THE - "The Children Will Always be Bored" (from 'Substances')


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THE JONBENÉT mp3/flac downloads

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Wednesday 26 November 2014

***ZEGEMA BEACH mini-fest feat. EDHOCHULI, OLD SOUL & BLACK LOVE***

So it happened. I put on a fest (kinda). A mini-fest with 10 bands. This followed a similar festival in Toronto put on by the ridiculously talented Darryl of Worst Gift and Foxmoulder. Below is a short review of the show. I will posting all 19 videos that I have in the next day or two.

STRESSFEST
I basically detached from reality for a few hours and during the 3 out-of-towner sets I got more into live music than I have since my literal vomit session at my first Blood Brothers show. Here's a quick review of the band's a was able to see, as I got there late:
OLD SOUL ruined me. It was during this set that I really escaped from reality and soaked everything in. I had found out I was in a dire financial situation a few hours earlier after not getting a promotion I told I was going to get and this was the perfect escape. The band turned every head in Soybomb with their set of "Emerald", "Tome" and "Wick" and I was lucky enough to jump on vocals twice for a few seconds. Heaven, I say. Here's their full set in parts one and two.
WORST GIFT played more new songs of hard to define sludgy and dreamy three-voiced ginger rock.
BAD HISTORY MONTH put together a very engaging set of stripped down rock set with one acoustic guitar or ukulele and somber vocals.
NEW WINGS jammed shit up with their instrumental bedlam somehow contained, using only bass, guitar, drums and keyboard.
EDHOCHULI came through and, as per usual, destroyed everyone's preconceived notions about what a bunch of punk musicians can accomplish and ruined the place with epic, riffy and monster jams including a whack of new material.
SHAHMAN was introduced through a short poem read by a friend of the band which bled directly into their set, during which their friend bounced, danced and lost himself in the set as they pounded out punishing and lulling tunes, many of which from their new 12" 'Demise of a Body' on Revolution Winter Records.
BLACK LOVE also have released on Zegema along with Old Soul from this show, and they did not disappoint as they played old and new material as well as four tracks from their latest 'Black Love' 12" which was definitely one of the better and most interesting records of the year.

Zegema Beach Records mini-fest followed the Stressfest on Saturday night. The review is below, but to quickly catch a glimpse of the two festivals from Old Soul's angle (thanks Adrian for all the videos!) in this short 3-minute video linked here.

DINOSAUR SEX CHANGE brought one of the biggest crowds of the night and although I realized that I had forgotten my camera I noticed at least three people taking videos. I assume some are already up or will be soon. Until then check out the young foursome's other live videos from local shows I've done here and here.
-{(((*)))}-
TERRY GREEN absolutely lit it up and from what I saw sold some of the most merch of the night, and pretty all they have is a demo tape, which you can grab here. The band mixes poppy, mathy rock riffs with throat-shredding screams not unlike a lighter version of State Faults or Versus The Mirror. My camera arrived via some friends after this set so unfortunately I have no videos, but I have recorded them and posted videos here.
-{(((*)))}-
JIMMY AND THE JERKS busted out some sassy, shirtless punk that had the old school folks bopping along. The band will also be playing tonight's Congratulations release tape show. More videos in the full ZBR set link.
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TELEPORTOISE dismantled the audience by the time they hit my favourite number "Rhino Charges" which I have linked for the video below. Imagine Isis and Black flag battling it out. At 43 seconds they slow it down with a killer bass riff and dual vocals with bellowing bassist and shrieky drummer. The entire songs is a pounding barrage of slow Tool-esque stuff and bludgeoning Isis/Locktender material. I will have cds up in the distro next week and you can go here to download/pay what you want.
-{(((*)))}-
BLACK LOVE when they play Corps Etranger live my heart almost collapses because I get so into it. The band also came pretty close to bringing me to tears when the vocalist announced that, "Every band needs a David Norman in their life." Check the video below and try to understand that being there, in the moment with that sexy ass bass riffing that Charles does is way more mesmerizing than the video. Also, grab band's remarkable new LP here.
-{(((*)))}-
OLD SOUL converted a brood of people to Old Soul souls. Seriously this band blew away even my expectations (which were really, really high) as they ripped and lulled us through a set list that I devised:
1) Lens
2) Wick
3) Ghost Incomplete
4) Perfectly Fucked (love lost but not forgotten cover)
5) Emerald
Twas mesmerizing and pulverizing depending on the part of each song. I think seeing "Perfectly Fucked" live was one of the coolest experiences I've had, and whenever the band played "Emerald" (as they played it at Stressfest also) I was caught in a slightly swaying trance of complete euphoria. If you ever have a chance to see OLD SOUL you should be running to that show. Watch their entire set at the Stressfest in parts one and two.
Adrian also posted a live video of "Ghost Incomplete" from behind the drums here.
-{(((*)))}-
EDHOCHULI did what they do. I spoke about it with some folks before the show who had also seen the band. The scenario is basically this:
-audience member comes to show that doesn't know about EDHOCHULI
-audience member enjoys show
-EDHOCHULI plays, thus destroying everything the audience member thought they knew about music
-audience member's brain becomes slightly fried as they attempt to reconcile any past efforts they had about starting a band - for there is already EDHOCHULI, and they rule everything live

The band played a shitload of new tunes as well as one of my favourites "Totally Caveman" and I just watched people's jaws drop, it was magical...and totally normal at an EDHOCHULI show.
Adrian from Old Soul also posted a great video of a new EDHOCHULI song that I didn't capture here.
-{(((*)))}-
WORST GIFT gets tighter with every show and I have gone from liking to loving. Although the songs can drag a little near the end, this influx of dreamy, shoegaze energy amidst post-rock/screamo and all three members kicking it on vocals simultaneously is very embracing live and I'm absolutely stoked to hear their future splits, and hopefully can be involved with at least one. You can check out their first show here and a recent stint with Animal Faces and My Dad here.
-{(((*)))}-
RESPIRE lacked the Rohaninator, but that didn't stop these guys from playing what they called their "worst show" which everyone was drooling over, especially myself and the dudes in Old Soul. The new stuff was spectacular and even without the third guitar the epic post-hardcore/screamo just washed over me.

Tuesday 25 November 2014

NOUS ÉTIONS

GenresPunk / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Emo / Screamo / Metallic Hardcore / Prog-Rock
Related artistsN/A.
CountryMontreal, Quebec CANADA
Years Active2011-present
Song: "Le Journal De Ricardo Lopez"
Album: "La Manière Noire"
Year: 2014
Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Desordre Ordonne / Through Love Records / Ancient Injury Records / Don't Live Like Me Records / Aqueous Records / Maniyax Records / Desertion Records
This post's artist is from the November 2014 Mix. This is track #9.
You can download the October Mix#11 right here or get the new November Mix#12 here.
For fans of: Gantz, RosettaViva BelgradoEngineer, Sed Non Satiata, Furtive Forest, Alaskan, La Parade, Envy, Aussitot Mort, Amanda Woodward, Bleeding Kansas, (old) Hopesfall and Tephra.

NOUS ÉTIONS began, for me, with some guy on facebook commenting on some post about how Sed Non Satiata was amazing. As I was obsessed with the band and trying to get people to listen to their Daitro split and 'Le Ciel De Notre Enfance' EP with no success, I had finally found someone with mutual admiration for the band. We (Alexandre/guitars and I) started messaging away and he showed me his band's older material, which I dug. He asked if I could help his band release their new LP in 2014 but I was hesitant because I liked the band but wasn't in love. He explained that the new album was much more "up my alley" (not necessarily a direct quote). He was right, because 'La Manière Noire' is one of the most exciting releases of this year along with fellow Montrealers Black Love, with whom I also share my musical bed.

To describe NOUS ÉTIONS' sound I would use descriptions such as metallic, post-hardcore, and European screamo or by comparison, Sed Non Satiata + Gantz = NOUS ÉTIONS. The band's older material is pretty varied and is generally on the harder side, with songs like "Exsangue" coming across kinda Bleeding Kansas-y and "L'empire" having hints of Tephra and Fall Of Efrafa but much more condensed, which are both from the band's first release titled 'Limbes'. Their next endeavor shows two songs transitioning the band from extremely hard and metallic to one with a softer, more intricate, post-hardcore vibe. I think "Je Me Souviens" is a great example of this as it blends some really harsh elements with some elegant and composed...compositions.

Moving on to the 2014 12" 'La Manière Noire', "Ste.-Lucie" is a great opening track with a slow beginning that bleeds into one particular riff at 2:07 that goes "du-na, na-na, na-na, na-na, nuh-na nuh-na" (or so I say) that gets stuck in my head for days along with that booming bass and those dual vocals. "Leviathan" is my favourite track because that intro is so sugary sweet, much like Sed Non Satiata's newest LP with gruffer vocals. "Les Algorithmes Du Malheur" again boast some Sed Non-esque instrumentals with playful, twirling harmonized guitars that spin all over the place until shit gets ridiculous just before the two-minute mark, quickly shifts/builds until 2:40 and then explodes all over again. "Juste" also busts out some great twinkly, melodic and intoxicating riffs that you can almost inhale right before pulverizing you with some massively heavy stuff. "Le Journal De Ricardo Lopez" is another favourite of mine, as it expertly combines what I love about both softer and harder music, which can bridge gaps for new listeners and wash euphorically over existing ones. "Les Vertiges Du Perché" follows a similar formula with a lush, dreamy intro amidst some pretty emotionally tortured vocals before dismantling the listener with breakdowns and dual screaming. "Bleu Et Violet" closes the album and is a slow song without many overly heavy bits and sounds like a slightly punkier version of Rosetta. 7 songs, all awesome. Plus the artwork is stellar and the vinyl is sweet clear with black smoke/whisps/whatever.

On March 28th, 2014 I had the distinct pleasure of seeing the band in Toronto (review/videos here) and they blew away the expectations I had had and will most likely again tomorrow at the Congratulations cassette release party show, during which Zegema Beach Records will also have the 'La Manière Noire' 12"LP available for the first time! The show is taking place at The Doors Pub in Hamilton, ON at 8pm. If you know someone in the area please let them know about the show, because it's going to be a banger! The facebook page is heeya.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2011 - Limbes cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here & PURCHASE here)

2013 - Aldo Raine split 10"EP (stream/donate/download here & PURCHASE here)

2014 - La Manière Noire 12"LP (stream/download/purchase herePURCHASE here)

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(2014) NOUS ÉTIONS - "" (from 'La Manière Noire')

(2014) NOUS ÉTIONS - "Les Algorithmes Du Malheur" (from 'La Manière Noire')

(2014) NOUS ÉTIONS - "Le Journal De Ricardo Lopez" (from 'La Manière Noire')

(2013) NOUS ÉTIONS - "Je Me Souviens" (from 'Aldo' split)

(2011) NOUS ÉTIONS - "Inukshuk" (from 'Limbes')

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NOUS ÉTIONS additional links

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Sunday 23 November 2014

RUINED FAMILIES

GenresPunk / Post-Rock / Post-Metal / Screamo / Hardcore / Thrash / Crust / Grunge / Sludge
Related artistsN/A.
Country: Αθήνα, GREECE
Years Active2009-present
Song: "208"
Album: "Blank Language"
Year: 2013
Label(s): Adagio830 / Halo of Flies / Dog Knights Productions / Gardens / Gafas Del Rigor / True to the Game Records / Athens Noise / Scarecrow / World's Appreciated Kitsch
This post's artist is from the November 2014 Mix. This is track #10.
You can download the October Mix#11 right here or get the new November Mix#12 here.
For fans of: Cassilis, Bleeding Kansas, Callow, Rayleigh, His Hero Is GoneWounded Knee, Graf Orlock, Foxmoulder, Phoenix Bodies, Curl Up And DieBirdbrain, Lost Lands, Dangers!, Jungbluth, Canyons, Knut and Backstabbers Inc.

The boys in RUINED FAMILIES from Greece contacted me about doing a review of their band a few months back. This was rather irrelevant as I had slotted them in to do a review anyway. So, on to it.

I found out about the band right when I started up Zegema Beach Records because I grabbed some copies of their newest effort 'Blank Language' for my distro (grab them here) after reading the label's description of the band's sound. I would describe the sound as caustic, dirty and grungy hardcore with elements of screamo, not unlike Cassilis, (early) FoxmoulderBirdbrain and Callow.

The mixture of aggressive melodies and droning rhythms are generally bass-centered and littered with gutteral shouts/screams. Material by RUINED FAMILIES is generally not that varied, but the everyone doesn't have to be Pink Floyd, as they do what they do well - short, punk/hardcore songs that should have you screaming at government offices in no time. The band has yet to really blow me away, but everything they've released has been rock solid and I am interested to see where the band decides to head in terms of their evolutionary material. If I had to choose a starting point, I'd highly recommend the 'Untitled' 7" (which you can purchase here) as it has more of a Bleeding Kansas feel, heavier, mathier and screamier. The aforementioned 'Blank Language' is certainly a decent record and a progressive step forward for the band, but the slower, lighter touch removes some of the intensity from RUINED FAMILIES, which was one of the strongest things they had going. Their first LP 'Four Wall Freedom' is also on the heavy side and boasts more Bleeding Kansas meets Knut styled metallic hardcore.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2010 - Four Wall Freedom 12"LP (stream/donate/download here)

2012 - Untitled 7"EP (stream/donate/download here)
2012 - Discography cassette

2013 - Blank Language 12"LP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2010) RUINED FAMILIES - "Modern Man" (from 'Four Wall Freedom')

(2010) RUINED FAMILIES - "Seasons" (from 'Four Wall Freedom')

(2010) RUINED FAMILIES - "Patriarchy" (from 'Four Wall Freedom')

(2012) RUINED FAMILIES - "Voidealism" (from 'Untitled')

(2012) RUINED FAMILIES - "You Will Become Like Your Father" (from 'Untitled')

(2013) RUINED FAMILIES - "208" (from 'Blank Language')

(2013) RUINED FAMILIES - "Books as Weapons" (from 'Blank Language')

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RUINED FAMILIES additional links

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Saturday 22 November 2014

TITAN

BandTITAN
GenresPunk / Hardcore / Metal / Thrash / Doom / Ambient / Screamo
Related artistsFires of Mammon, Struck By Truth, Ispoke, Panserbjorne, Gates and The Sustained Low 'C' Of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra".
CountryToronto, Ontario CANADA
Years Active2006-2013
Song: "Warmer Months (demo)"
Album: "Warmer Months"
Year: 2013
Label(s): Self Released / React With Protest / Hypaethral Records / Empyreal Records / Inkblot Records / Erode Releases / Feast or Famine Recordings
This post's artist is from the November 2014 Mix. This is track #13.
You can download the October Mix#11 right here or get the new November Mix#12 here.
For fans of: Buried Inside, Tephra, Amber, Isis, Monuments Collapse, Back When, Alaskan, La Kraken, Crestfallen, AmenRa, Breag Naofa, Castle, Belladonna, Botch, The Minor Times, Gray Ghost, Nous Etions and The Sustained Low 'C' Of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra".

TITAN was Toronto's powerhouse for just over half of a decade. They played absolutely massive and punishing songs with some long, drawn out and repetitive riffing not unlike some other well known bands, but mainly the most obvious due to sound and location would be Buried Inside. The band interested me for quite some time after I initially picked up their June Paik split 12" and was impressed with "His Eminence" which straddled the screamo/metal barrier.This is kind of funny, as I live next to Toronto but only found out about the band because of a split with one of my German favourites! After becoming engrossed in their discography a while back, I realized with the release of 'Burn' that the previous releases were stepping stones to get to that insanely ridiculous 10-song LP completed. Really, the cd/2x12" 'Burn' album from 2012 is a masterpiece and belongs up there with Buried Inside's 'Chronoclast' and Tephra's 'Tephra'.

TITAN played epic metal/hardcore with some black metal influences, was sometimes fast and sometimes plodding, toyed occasionally with two vocalists and dropped some serious double bass. The vocalist, I should quickly mention, was able to seamlessly jump from shrill scream to bellowing growl in an instant. I would recommend starting with 'Burn' and my favourite song "Warmer Months" (which has the greatest ending, starting at just past 7 minutes) and working your way back in reverse chronological order. My personal favourites by the band besides the June Paik split track and In First Person split song "Throne of Blood" are "Next Winter" and "His Eminence" from the 'Colossus' album, the "Warmer Months" demo from the 12" of the same name as well as "Feast", "Myopic", "Warmer Months", "Little Seeds" and "The Fire Sculptures" from the band's final album. I was lucky enough to see the band play (what I believe ended up being) their final show with Loma Prieta and White Ribs back on April 8th, 2013. Here's a picture of me with the vocalist, who ended up looking identical to my Uncle Tony living down in Australia. They sound a bit different ;) You can check out a brief show review here which I posted before this blog was officially launched and a video of "Warmer Months" which I've also linked in the audio/video section below. Check the video out for sure, especially from 7:00-8:41 which just made me headbang (with my eyes closed) by myself sitting in front of the computer. RIP, you bunch of heroes.

A final random note, I spoke with a member from the band (via Zegema Beach Records) about a year ago hoping to release 'Burn' properly on cd (the cd I have is a burned copy in a cardboard sleeve) but after the breakup I never heard from them again. Boo-urns. The vocalist joined The Sustained Low 'C' Of Richard Stausss "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and I think that may or may not have been the catalyst for the breakup, but I dunno. The 2-track 7" is linked here.

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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here (for pt.1) and here (for pt.2)<==( to download the band's complete discography in mp3 form.

2007 - The Chrysanthemum Pledge cd/12"EP
2007 - June Paik split 12"

2008 - In First Person split 7"

2009 - Colossus cd/12"EP

2010 - Scraps of a Feast cdEP (3 'Burn' demo tracks + "JCN")

2012 - Burn cd/2x12"LP
2012 - Warmer Months 12"EP (contains the demo version of "Warmer Months", that is all)

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(2013) TITAN - "Warmer Months" live

(2012) TITAN - "Warmer Months" demo (from 'Warmer Months')

(2012) TITAN - "Feast" (from 'Burn')

(2012) TITAN - "Myopic" (from 'Burn')

(2012) TITAN - "The Fire Sculptures" (from 'Burn')

(2009) TITAN - "Next Winter" (from 'Colossus')

(2008) TITAN - "Throne of Blood" (from 'In First Person' split)

(2007) TITAN - "His Eminence" (from 'June Paik' split)

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TITAN out of print mp3 discography download / additional links

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Wednesday 19 November 2014

JAGUAR LOVE

BandJAGUAR LOVE
GenresPunk / Lounge / Sass-Rock / Alternative / Garage / Indie / Keyboards / Pop / Dance / Electronic
Related artistsThe Blood BrothersNeon BlondeSoiled Doves, Head Wound City, Kill Sadie, Frank Tooth Band, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Sharks Keep Moving, Vade and The Vogue.
CountryPortland, Oregon USA
Years Active2007-2010
Song: "Bone Trees and a Broken Heart"
Album: "Take Me to the Sea"
Year: 2008
Label(s): Matador / Fat Possum Records / Second Nature Recordings
This post's artist is from the November 2014 Mix. This is track #3.
You can download the October Mix#11 right here or get the new November Mix#12 here.
For fans of: The Blood Brothers, Neon Blonde, Soiled Doves, Life In Vacuum and the (International) Noise Conspiracy.

The Blood Brothers had many musical heads. In one song you could get bombarded with a dizzying array of styles. So I guess it's not all that surprising that most Blood Brothers offshoots were endeavors that generally honed in on those genre specific styles. JAGUAR LOVE seemed like the logical progression for Johnny Whitney after dabbling in Soiled Doves and Neon Blonde and his continued rise in his testicles...errr, voice. This band also boasted Cody on guitars, also from The Blood Brothers, Neon Blonde and Waxwing.

The first JAGUAR LOVE album 'Take Me to the Sea' is a fantastically accessible sassy post-punk, pop-rock album. There are some screamy numbers to keep fans like me happy, but it's truly some of the completely melodic songs that make this such a great record. "Bats Over the Pacific Ocean", "Humans Evolve Over Skyscrapers" and "My Organ Sounds Like" all have a very pre-"Lazer Life" sound (from the Blood Brothers LP 'Young Machetes'), although "Bone Trees and a Broken Heart" is the softest, most melodic and stunning standout from the record. Seriously, Johnny Whitney showed with this song that he could write catchy stuff with more refined melodies and tighter control of his wailing. Just a beautiful song. "Highways of Gold", "Jaguar Pirates", "Antoine and Birdskull" touch on the harder, screamier side of the band but never gets into hardcore territory, as "Antoine and Birdskull" sounds much akin to the (International) Noise Conspiracy's "Smash It Up" (great song, video here).

I didn't hear anything about the band for a few years, and then I posthumously discovered the 'Hologram Jams' album. Ehhhhh...not so good. "Cherry Soda" (sweet lyrics, "Sugarcoated cherry soda puking on the lawn, it's 6am the party's over, everybody's gone. Rode a motherfucking mastadon to my high school prom, it's on it's on like Immigrant Song") and "Jaguar Warriors" are songs I can get behind, but the rest are too over the top and weird. They aren't necessarily bad, but as a child of the 80s I dislike the vast majority of music from that time period (because it sucks). This LP stuffs the 1980s into a funnel and blends it in a manner that makes me feel queasy and uncomfortable because after such a stellar debut I had hoped for more. Oops.

Still, grab both albums in the download. Put it all on and experience music that sounds like it has been dipped in drugs then melted down into a massive ruby which is held in front of the sun and set on hyperactive rotation. What? Exactly.

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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here<==( to download the band's complete discography in mp3 form.

2008 - Take Me to the Sea cd/12"LP

2010 - Hologram Jams cd/12"LP

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(2008) JAGUAR LOVE - "Bone Trees and a Broken Heart" (from 'Take Me to the Sea')

(2008) JAGUAR LOVE - "Humans Evolve into Skyscrapers" (from 'Take Me to the Sea')

(2008) JAGUAR LOVE - "Jaguar Pirates" (from 'Take Me to the Sea')

(2009) JAGUAR LOVE - "Cherry Soda" (from 'Hologram Jams')

(2009) JAGUAR LOVE - "Jaguar Warriors" (from 'Hologram Jams')

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JAGUAR out of print mp3 discography download

(download here)
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Monday 17 November 2014

THIS FLOOD COVERS THE EARTH

GenresPunk / Hardcore / Post-Metal / Emo / Screamo / Thrash / Skramz
Related artists?.
CountrySan Diego, California USA
Years Active2006-2007
Song: "Lake Hodges Anthem"
Album: "Barnburner"
Year: 2007
Label(s): Self Released / Dood Records
This post's artist is from the November 2014 Mix. This is track #5.
You can download the October Mix#11 right here or get the new November Mix#12 here.
For fans of: Tigershark, The Setup, OutclassedVoyage In Coma, Jungbluth, Yage, Callow, Kodan ArmadaEdhochuliCassilis, Rats Into Robots, Furnace, Weakness, City Of Caterpillar, Sweetheart, A Day In Black And White and Dillinger 4 aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Like many bands I listen to, I have no idea how I first came across this band. I know I picked up their 7" off of Interpunk years back and thought it was decent. A few years later I came across their discography and noticed an album that I was not aware of so I downloaded it. "Lake Hodges Anthem" is a song that makes this post worthy all on its lonesome. Horse The Band vocals, The Setup, A Day In Black And White wrapped in the droning yet quick sludgy atmosphere of Furnace.
The entirety of the track is amazing, but the from 3:15 onwards the song is utterly breathtaking.

The demo is alright and shows some glimmers of what the band becomes but ends up sounding like a punk/hardcore version of Deftones without clean singing and doesn't sound too far off from early The Death Of Anna Karina.  The 9+ minute song "The Man Who Loved Gina Carter" has some serious Yage and City Of Caterpillar going on as well. The 3 songs are pretty long, clocking in just shy of 20 minutes.

The 'This Flood Will Cover The Earth' 7" dazzles with some sweet tri-fold packaging right off the bat and has 2 good, shorter and more directly transitional songs while they embrace the hardcore aspect of their sound.

As hinted at before, the unreleased 'Barnburner' album takes the cake as it expands all of the sounds found on their earlier work. There are some other more than decent tracks like "I Used to be a Genius but Now I'm Just a Werewolf" quickly blazes mathy hardcore (reminiscent of Outclassed and Edhochuli but less crazy) with some sick breakdowns and a lot of screaming that'll strip the skin right off your face and the entire ordeal reminds me of A Day In Black And White's hard stuff. "Everyone Knows Skunks Love Free Bacon" is another good song with a mesmerizing aquatic bass lead at 1:13 (1:17 in the live video). As you may have noticed they also boast some silly/humourous song titles, my favourite being "The Tetris Chainsaw Massacre". With all of these great tracks on the final album, I have to reiterate that "Lake Hodges Anthem" is definitely the standout for me. Check it out first and decide if you are game on the rest of this 3-piece's material. I was.

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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here<==( to download the band's complete discography in mp3 form.

2006 - Demo cdrEP

2007 - This Flood Covers The Earth 7"EP

2007 - Barnburner cdEP (physically unreleased)

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(2007) THIS FLOOD COVERS THE EARTH - "Lake Hodges Anthem" (from 'Barnburner')

(2007) THIS FLOOD COVERS THE EARTH - "I Used to be a Genius but Now I'm Just a Werewolf" (from 'Barnburner')

(2006) THIS FLOOD COVERS THE EARTH - "Building a Wall" (from 'This Flood Covers The Earth')

(2006) THIS FLOOD COVERS THE EARTH - "Everyone Knows Skunks Love Free Bacon" (from 'Barnburner') live video

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THIS FLOOD COVERS THE EARTH out of print mp3 discography download / additional links

(download here)

Live video of "Everyone Knows Skunks Love Free Bacon"

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