Song: "Flying Whales"
Artist: Gojira
Album: From Mars to Sirius (2005)

Here's the first song I ever heard by Gojira. It was a fine introduction as the band apparently stuck after this despite just barely crossing the line of the realm of my tastes.

It also suits really well when I'm as tired as I am today, having to quickly get mentally ready for so-called "metal" after a day of fun-rock excess. It's a nice bridge with that slow prog metal build and stomping beat.

Am I the only one that laughs at "...but it's true!" (4:48)? Someone tell him his punch has been spiked. Then again, considering, who would have the heart? He lubbs his whales...

Song: "Suicide in Progress"
Artist: Melvins
Album: Nude with Boots (2008)

Ughhhh. That was too much. But I want more. Well, as soon as my ears and feet stop hurting. This Halloween - November 1st topped all others... by a nose. Heh.

Look, appropriate song title for how I feel today. As you should know, the Melvins are good and you should consume their most current version of rock if you have not done so already.

Song: "Jimmy The Exploder"
Artist: The White Stripes
Album: The White Stripes (1999)

I heard The White Stripes for the first time in early 2002 and due to having nothing better to do with myself, downloaded a random song-by-song sampling of their present discography back when Audiogalaxy was an entirely free service. I listened to a few songs and got a very familiar feeling from the lyrics and music style, like something that had come from within. I pictured hanging out with my other family as a kid and my not-my-dad singing at us kids in his obnoxious, over-the-top way, clearly having grown up in a place that was not conservative little or-gan. I found it strange when I started to unintentionally mimic this shit later on, and all along thought that maybe it was specific to his family that I'd accidentally inherited all despite being of a completely different temperament... until I heard The White Stripes. The words are different, and of course these are songs and not random outbursts, but the style rung very familiar.

"Jimmy The Exploder" doesn't come across as familiar in the way I mean, but the song was funny/surprising the first time I heard it. For real? Someone really thought this was decent material to put to a record? They got paid for this, you guys. Think about that. A lot.

Song: "Black Steel"
Artist: Tricky
Album: Maxinquaye (1995)

Wait, one more special occasion song!

Be a good hippy-anarchist-feminist and don't vote.

This was one of the coolest songs I've ever seen live, even a football field away from the stage.

PS. It's a cover.

Song: "Electric Red"
Artist: Meshuggah
Album: Obzen (2008)

This song is worth it to a non-technical metal fan because of the highly memorable guitar throughout the song.

I wish they'd come back here. I'm all caught up now.

Humanity peeled from our bones
Deprived of integuments that make us real.
Shadows of flesh to maintain the system
Our own blood splashes as we kneel.

So meticulously machined
Into these obedient devices
Puppets, fine tuned submissive drones
Replicas of each other, clones

We're dormant accumulations of flesh
In a crimson filtered twilight
Mute witnesses to the game
Wrenches to keep the bolts of lies tight

We're the fabric concealing the stains,
The red tainted existence
The gullibles to bless your sins away
Rags to wipe your blooded trails

We give in to the atrophy,
To the twining of self-thought knowledge
The purpose of the human mind reviled
Everlasting ignorance realized
The scarlet flood inundates our powerless thoughts
Defenseless minds with lies overfed

Every thought stained, defiled
Painted the color, the shade of electric red

Song: "Lungless"
Artist: Akimbo
Album: Navigating the Bronze (2007)

Memorable song opening located here.

Song: "The Wolf Is Loose"
Artist: Mastodon
Album: Blood Mountain (2006)

Today the song stuck in my head is ...

Thanks, annoying video I watched this morning to find out if Mastodon's next album was coming out soon..!

And you know what else is loose? That girl you just impregnated. I mean, if you're going to hang out with morons, the least you could do is take preventative measures against showcasing your own stupidity. But thanks, now we all know.

Song: "I'll Give You Something To Cry About"
Artist: Big Business
Album: Here Come The Waterworks (2007)

Did you know that it's not like it used to be?

This song is strangely powerful in delivery despite being half as loud as others on the same album. All in all, this album works well for this time of year, what with it being wet and muddy and dark and cold out, but this song and "Another Beautiful Day in the Pacific Northwest" really achieve that particular mindset.

Song: "Hoss No"
Artist: Peeping Tom
Album: Peeping Tom (2004)

There are two (or more) Peeping Toms, and this is the stoner rock band from Australia. You will like them if you like, gasp, stoner rock, but this particular song is very classic/southern in feeling. You can listen to a few doomy/darker tracks on their myspace to get an idea ("Shoodabeenrope" is from this album), but other than that this is a download/buy band due to the lack of internet aid.

Song: "Dirt"
Artist: Alice In Chains
Album: Dirt (1992)

I think the song I posted last year when there was a full moon in Scorpio/Taurus holds about as much weight today under the same instance. But to avoid repeating...

Jesus Christ, Layne, you'd think you were suicidal or something.

Song: "Spine of God"
Artist: Monster Magnet
Album: Spine of God (1992)

Especially in context of its album, when this song hits you in the right mood... BEST FUCKING SONG EVER!

If you love this song as-is in some personally sacred fashion, do not watch this video.

Song: "Undertow"
Artist: Tool
Album: Undertow (1993)

Two times in...

I remember that this was one of the hardest songs by this band to get into. It doesn't have that mass appeal of other songs, it's not amusing, it's not especially deep/emotional in feeling... It took more perspective and attention than a few listens (or a year or two) could give it.

This song and a picture I took always remind me of each other. Naturally, the picture is of the beach. On a foggy day. Of a beach sign. Says "Undertow". I took it while on one of those grand life adventures one takes where it sounds like a good idea going in because you're half blind, but you have to scramble and bleed to get the fuck out. Then always being a little scared it could happen again. Explicably linked to the song's theme.

Oh yeah, and eeuuuuuuuuuuu phorrrrrrrrrrrr iiiiiiiiiiiiii aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh.

Song: "Witchcult Today"
Artist: Electric Wizard
Album: Witchcult Today (2007)

Witchcult ThisTimeLastYear was an instant favorite for me. I only had to hear those first opening moments to know I'd be playing this band and album for years to come. Maybe the instant inclination was all of those horror movies and books growing up as a kid/teenager, as it certainly wasn't the pot. Druggies are silly little creatures we shall mock like berated housepets, but in the meantime, OMG GOOD SONG.

I need to write new lyrics to this song. Something about how "saturnine" needs more fans. But then I would be living up to some sort of astrological darkside, and people would point their backwards fingers and scream "SCORPIO!" at anything that moved, at which point the world would self destruct in realization of itself even though it kind of always knew and after-the-fact conscious existence doesn't understand why one can't figure something out without yelling about it and pointing in fear, and that would be that. So maybe I won't.

If I lost you with that paragraph, then you have probably been listening to too much Electric Wizard... or not enough?

Song: "Pink"
Artist: Boris
Album: Pink (2005)

AHOWW!

That is all.

Song: "TV Eye"
Artist: The Stooges
Album: Funhouse (1970)

Watch this. Am I the only one that feels myself having a heart attack for him? The cuts make it seem worse and you could see more energy in older videos, but damn... When I'm 60, I hope I have that much energy.

And, also, this song is infectious.

Song: "Panama"
Artist: Hackman
Album: Enterprises (2008)

I'm such a clone these days, jesus.

I JUST heard this band, like four minutes ago, and... they fit this site very much. Start where I started.

Song: "Dahlia"
Artist: Salvador
Album: Built of Trees and Sludge (2008)

I wanted to make a post about a bunch of local bands that we should all know and love by now, but it seems I should post more individual bands first.

I've known OF Salvador a while now, but it's taken time to get around to them. Finally when I have gained interest enough to sample them live and they even have a line-up of other, semi-local bands I have needed to see/hear a while now as well, they end up playing the same date/time as freakin' Earthless. While one clearly outweighs the other, the addition of other bands makes this a nearly unsolvable dilemma. It appears that bookers, etc, around here hate each other. I wish I had a time machine.

Song: "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)"
Artist: Arcade Fire
Album: Funeral (2004)

The movie The Neon Bible keeps coming on. I keep trying to miss it. The other day I left the tv on while I was doing other things, and I ended up listening to the movie playing in the background... and thus started thinking about Arcade Fire practically against my will. What were/are their good, post-able songs?

Well, here's one. This one snuck in despite the fact that I was listening to Gojira and Monster Magnet's Superjudge a lot at the same time. I'd like to think that means Arcade Fire is good.

Song: "I'm Your Torpedo"
Artist: Eagles of Death metal
Album: Heart On (2008)

People who don't like Eagles of Death metal are missing out.

This song is like slapping someone and saying "you fucking liked it."

Song: "Crackerman"
Artist: Stone Temple Pilots
Album: Core (1992)

I remember trying to re-write lyrics for this song once. Well, technically not re-write, but make fun of how it was sung and attempt to interpret the lyrics my own way. I only got as far as "chicken as i'm trying to sleep, i got my mother in my shoes" before I realized this was a futile idea.

I also remember that, in my youthful ears, this song was loud and fast. And for that reason, I hearted it. This was back when the loudest/most "metal" song I had access to was by that one band entitled "Fuel".

Time apparently makes a difference. Good.

As for the videosong up there, the song begins at 1:36. But you should probably hear "Wet My Bed" again, anyway.

Song: "Quantum Mystic"
Artist: YOB
Album: The Unreal Never Lived (2005)

As you should know by my repetition now, I'm way behind on my music, lately and in general.

I only recently gave YOB a chance, and have not been able to stop listening to this song. Unfortunately, its only internet presence is via compressed files. :(

Edit: No wait! There's this! Could be better quality, but still! Listen!

Edit #2: Added a video! Thanks Doom metal Alliance!

Song: "Seconds"
Artist: Le Tigre
Album: This Island (2004)

WORST VOCALS EVER. EVER EVER EVER.

I suppose it fits in context... but still. AWFUL UGH WHY.

It's worse on record, too.

PS. Please reform, Le Tigre. We still love you.

Song: "Make It Reverse"
Artist: Men
Album: Men (?)

And, for anyone wondering what happened to Le Tigre... I don't know. But what did come of two of the three was this new band called Men. Same basic idea as far as music goes, but they're way more dance/electronic.

Song: "Eyes in Disguise"
Artist: Danava
Album: Danava (2006)

I was thinking about annoying vocals and this band came to mind of many, especially with this song. If you're not paying attention when this song shifts from instrumental to having lyrics, you might not notice the voice... but give it a couple of minutes, and it becomes progressively harder to ignore. Thankfully, just when the vocals become irritating, the song shifts again. The music itself makes "Eyes"... which is a massive understatement. This song is sooo good. Just, that building couple of minutes of singing is... wow. Really? Are you sure about that?

Song: "Heart in a Cage"
Artist: The Strokes
Album: First Impressions Of Earth (2006)

You know... when this came out, I really did not think I'd still be listening to it a few years later. I assumed, like most trendy bullshit bands, I'd like it for a month or two and then it would go away. It did go away, yes, but eventually it came back.

Song: "Would?"
Artist: Opeth
Album: Burden (single) (2008)

Here's a pretty faithful cover of Alice In Chains' "Would?" done by Opeth. It doesn't quite have that extra bit of pathetic energy required to properly pull off anything by AIC, but is nevertheless pretty good. This lonely sample is a bit distorted, but this album/song is swimming all over the web so it shouldn't take you long to find it otherwise.

Song: "I Don't Need This Shit, I Played Budokan"
Artist: Hackman
Album: The New Normal (2007)

You don't need a sample, really. Just get it.

On their myspace, listen to "Chin Music", "The Anthem", or "Fuck You, I Played Altamont" for the idea, as they're all on this album.

Song: "Grip"
Artist: zZz
Album: Running with the Beast (2008)

More zZz! Because it's been eight or nine months since I last posted them. And because this album is all fresh, shiny, and new. It can be found at itunes if that's your thing. Otherwise, it'll be out December 9th.

Oh, and check out the "Running With The Beast" video. You put your CHICKEN IN, you take your CHICKEN OUT... And you wear a suggestive shirt and shake it all about.

Song: "Lover"
Artist: zZz
Album: Running With The Beast (2008)

Also, this one.

The vocals are funny. OH I... wannabe'erlovah.