I was doing "research" today and came across this band's demo on Shiny Grey Monotone. It has three songs that are also all available on their myspace. Check them out, and try not to be taken aback by the Russian you find... It sounds like awesome whether you understand it or not.
Sounds exactly like high school, except there was no car.
How about:
Living's no good in this hick town and/or city
I'd drive to Portland but I ain't got no car
Can't drive either, might have asked my best friend
but she's a massive drunk and a whooooorrrrre
Gonna be home and instant message my friend, he's
Two thousand miles south, can't leave here cuz I'm poor
I'm gonna be stuck in this motherfucking hickville city
but at least he's a drunk and a freakin' whooooorreeee.
A few weeks ago, my pal Ren posted some Eggnogg song(s) online. Being still over-saturated, I skipped them... only to later have him post them at me instead. I gave them a shot, and sure enough, this live performance video 'did it':
The songs on their 2009 album entitled III are each individually welcoming various states of doom, but this one is particularly mellow throughout. Even though it's accurate that they've been compared to Electric Wizard, it's an unfair way to approach Eggnogg as a first time listener. Despite being low and slow like said band, I think they can carve their own way with marching guitar bits like at the end of this song.
You can also listen this and others on their myspace.
This won't exactly follow a "first time's the worst time" format because I've heard over half of the album already, in pieces. For what I haven't heard in recorded format via Diesto's myspace, I've heard live. Instead, this'll look more like an actual review. Semi-professional writing here at Sounds of Sagittarius?! GASP.
To repeat myself and have an intro, Diesto was/is:
- one of the first local (Portland) bands I listened to/liked
- post-torrents/blogs, one of the few bands I've bought from without listening to their album(s) or seeing them live first
- the second or third band I posted to the internet
- responsible for my first take-down notice
- containing the first person I knew other than me who liked Red Fang
- really nice because they sent me High As The Sun to "review"...
High As The Sun is their new album. It's been recorded, but I don't think it's been turned into a consumer product yet as their former record label appears to be dead... Or something like that. Either way, it's not been "released" yet and I'm not sure when it will be. That sucks, but what can you do.
Tracklist:
1. Beyond The Graves (8:35)
2. All Eyes Upon You (11:06)
3. High As The Sun (6:43)
4. Lowlight (10:40)
5. Waiting For The Fall (10:11)
6. The Longest Day (9:23)
For fans of: Isis, YOB, Baroness, Neurosis, Electric Wizard, current PDX/Northwest metal...
After listening to a few of these songs several times before this week and giving the album a couple of full front-to-end "spins", one thing is obvious about the new album: High As the Sun is far more introverted than Isle of Marauder and Outland, and I'm assuming Doomtown as well. The songs are more gentle and, overall, much longer than songs they've written in the past. On first listen, it seemed like an awkward, possibly "inspired" change in style after having grown used to what they put out with Isle - the album I discovered them with.
Over the last few months that they've had the song "High As The Sun" up on their myspace, however, I've grown to really like it. Though it sounds little if anything like Isle of Marauder material in its strange feeling of (possibly ironic) optimism, it just stands out. It may actually be their best song to date, though I suppose I should give it a little more time to make such a statement. Still, if you haven't heard it yet, I recommend you do so even if you don't listen to anything else from the album.
Perhaps second best and the first song of the album, "Beyond The Graves" starts out a bit like "Marauder" from Isle, but instead of going into bass-heavy, relatively speedy drumming, it stays low and slow. "Beyond The Graves" comes across as self-conscious and brooding even when the song picks up with a standard doomy march. The mood shifts somewhat with initial drunken rambling vocals that I'm not sure actually fit the song, but the vocals towards the middle of the song fit the slower changes well.
An instrumental theme of this album seems to be a particular high, almost piercing guitar sound. In some songs, it's part of the intro or otherwise momentary, but in "All Eyes Upon You", it's immersed in how the song moves and changes. It becomes a bit of an overkill for me towards the end of the album ("Waiting For The Fall"), but some people like that, and it does add to the overall central feel of the album.
Once the second track "All Eyes Upon You" hits around the two minute mark, it turns into a slow, groovy, non-violent headbanging doom-a-thon fans of Isis, Electric Wizard, and YOB will find easy to appreciate. After about five minutes, the song suddenly quiets paving the way for some super sad, shrill guitar and gradual fade-out. Followed by "High As The Sun", which comes across as stupidly happy regardless of all that bass, the songs are in direct contrast of each other. Instead of being awkward, the songs actually sit back-to-back quite well.
Next comes "Lowlight". Here, the semi-optimism from the previous song becomes unhappy camper once again. The sadness from "All Eyes" seems to be more of a fearful distrust and self-hate here, particularly once it finds a background of semi-psychedelic instrumental psychosis one might find in the midst of a Wolf Eyes track or set to a horror movie scene where the protagonist has lost all hope.
"Waiting For The Fall" then momentarily returns to a doomy beat and a comparatively lighter feel. Short of the tense intro, though, it's probably the weakest song of the album.
Last song "The Longest Day" is what's typically expected of a final track. It takes a while to warm up, but once it does it comes across as one of Diesto's best. It's also the first on the album where you can almost clearly hear the lyrics short of the title words... and I mean "almost", as nearly all of the vocals on High As The Sun are well blended into the music and thus intellectually distant and ethereal rather than meant to be heard literally.
Overall, High As The Sun is a good album. It does what it does well, the mood is built upon and maintained throughout the album, and it stays instrumentally familiar while still providing something new with each song. You may need to have a history of listening to doom, slower stoner, or prog/post-metal bands to approach High As The Sun at its level, but people who are simply new to Diesto won't have any trouble with this album. In other words, if you haven't heard them yet, this is a good place to start.
Once again, this album has yet to be released, but you should go listen to "High As The Sun" on their myspace regardless. In the meantime, they are playing a free show on Saturday, January 23rd at Duckett's (825 N Killingsworth) with Seattle metal band Hellgrammite and Portland's Honduran. I'm sure they'll play a few of these tracks for a better-than-myspace sampling...
I'm a bit at a loss with this band. I've tried a few times to listen to them but nothing has grabbed me or 'set the mood' for me yet. They're heavy and loud and have plenty of familiar, appreciated elements, but nothing about the music really stands out for me to turn generalized, boring "respect" into like.
I spent an hour or so last night just watching videos of them, though... And holy crap, Valient has a shitload of charisma.
Song: "This Is Rape" Artist: Overmars Album: Affliction Endocrine...Vertigo (2005)
This is how I felt when I had to activate credit/bank cards this morning.
One of them just had an in-phone electronic thingy to confirm that I was indeed myself, which wasn't too bad even when I forgot my phone number. The other had that plus I had to talk to a real person to further confirm activation and then get sold a hundred different ridiculous "important" "products". The lady would just not give up. Then, just when I thought she might finally be done, I had to be transferred to someone else for some unclear reason. Apparently the lady sent me to a wrong number... Maybe she was pissed I didn't buy one of her fancy fucking useless things.
It was nice to hang up and find out my card worked anyway.
Song: "Shittown, USA" Artist: Mongoloid Village Album: Mongoloid Village (2008)
I was waiting to do a post on this band until I had gotten into their material and therefore had something more interesting to say than the obvious... Not quite there yet. Nevertheless, I've had a few searches here and at the previous blog location for this band, so I might as well get the obvious song out of the way.
If you're from Portland, you may already know Mongoloid Village. If not, you should. Here's your learning experience.
Song: "A Looking In View" Artist: Alice In Chains Album: Black Gives Way To Blue (2009)
This is my first-ever listen of the "new" AIC.
Sounds like generic radio-ism thus far. In other words, it's apparent that this was released with the intention of sounding like a version of the old AIC so those who've been asleep the last ten or fifteen years will still suckle the product. I'm fearful of what's coming.
I'll try again another time when I'm not having aesthetic PMS. But yep. First impression: no.
... Let be known that I said I was going to boycott this entirely and I failed due to curiousity. I do not get over my boycotts easily, so we'll see what happens. Singles usually suck so it might be a fair album after all. Three months to find out.
It's been long enough. Here's the other song you should have listened to when I posted the other song, but for some reason didn't because you only do what I tell you to do and that's that...
Speaking of which, I need you to go to the store for me. I need lots and lots of food. And shampoo and a computer chair with wheels. Also, my Karpet's looking nasty so you need to also vacuum when you're done with the Big food Business. You should follow that with a good scrubbing. I'll be sitting on one of my Thrones talking to one of my Tight Bros From Way Back When if you need me.
Before I forget... This song did not make any real impact on me on album, but it sounded really great live. It's the stompy beat you can clearly hear at about 45 seconds into the song meets the live experience of watching these assholes flip out at the end of the song and then getting the ascending/circular/waltzy guitar noise at about 1:07 or 5:20 stuck in your head... And "your-ah breath is now still..."
Song: "Blank and White" Artist: Marilyn Manson Album: The High End Of Low (2009)
This song made me LOL. It's awful, frankly, but I was letting it play regardless because I'm trying to give ... peace a chance. Yeah.
So anyway, I was listening not-so-consciously, working on shit. The song was about to end, and though I'd been bored with the song this whole time because it's the same old crap, I was suddenly struck with conscious recognition of what goes on in the song. There's a moment at the end... it's, just, priceless. Nice one, there, Briananson.
This entry needs editing so bad but I have no idea where to start.
a) I wish I were ten years younger, and...
b) I wish I had gone to high school in this neighborhood instead of the one I did.
because then I would have been able to C a band of relative decency at my high school.
All we had at Hickville were Z100-style DJs when there were football games. And being underage with no choices, it was the same sort of thing at "clubs". Plus I was made fun of for my musical choices, even when people had no idea what those were. My high school reunion ought to be interesting (not that social networking sites haven't taken away some of the surprise).
Actually, this is all silly because, at this age, a network of musical friends have been created, I can actually talk to various band people myself, I've been quoted by TAD!, I can talk Monster Magnet with one of my favorite band's drummer and his slowly degrading sanity, and I can get into any place I feel like getting into also without having to worry about whether or not my friends like my music so I have a ride to get to shows. Now is actually way better...
Song: "Don't Talk To Me (live)" Artist: Queens of the Stone Age Album: some b-side from some album
This was on thefade.net and I found a copy of it somewhat recently, but don't see it online anywhere offhand now. I'm sure it's there because of how popular these guys are now. I suppose if you all complain about me making you do work I'll upload the song myself soon.
This cover of GG Allin isn't particularly remarkable at first... and then Josh speaks. I have no idea what's going on. I'm not sure anyone does. It's interesting, in any case.
Song: "Wish" Artist: Dillinger Escape Plan Album: Plagiarism (2006)
DEP covers Nine Inch Nails' "Wish" from the Broken album. That song cannot be topped from its original format, especially not when played live, but this is a fair cover.
This is a cover of Kiss' "Calling Dr Love" by the following: Maynard, Tom Morello, Billy Gould, and Brad Wilk. This sounds like the worst thing ever from its premise, but it's really a good song and a huge improvement over the original.
Song: "Revolution" Artist: Tool + Rage Against The Machine Album: none.
It's weird b-sides and comps night.
This song is pretty cool - fans of Tool are going to like it. I think Melvins fans will like it, too, since it has a familiar feel to something they'd have done years ago. I could do with out the "you can't kill the revolution" vocals from hair boy, but it's otherwise alright.
Song: "Zodiac Lung" Artist: Monster Magnet Album: Spine of God (1991)
It's amazing how, when you know a band well, you can easily tell where a person is coming from in their life based on their favorite or most played songs of said band. Or, sometimes, even how old they are. And it's all so arbitrary... Not to mention judgmental.
And it's also amazing that I haven't posted this before, what with my astrologeekin' and all. Not that I have a fucking clue what the hell a zodiac lung is supposed to be.
I remember the beginning of 2007, musically, in a vague and distorted sense. I was working on my list and trying to sample a lot of different artists. I'd also found a site that shared individual songs, mostly indie but I found some good dance/electronic stuff from it. I was using last.fm for searching similar artists quite a bit, too. In general, I wasn't thinking too hard about what I was taking in, just trying to be "open".
I noticed that my tastes had become rather diverse. I approached most music in a superficial way, but at the same time I was listening to "Jambi" and "Crystal Skull" all of the time, I was discovering Felix da Housecat and Peeping Tom and The Faint... or, mid-spectrum, Porcupine Tree and Kings of Leon and Muse... or even new-to-me stoner rock bands like Karma to Burn and Sleep and Slo Burn. I was very much diversifying going into this year...
Ironically, I was feeling frustrated at the same time. On one hand, my "friend" was still giving me shitty vibes. If I openly talked about music, there would be bitchiness and holier-than-thou comments. I knew I was bad about not being open, and I definitely get stuck on myself and my opinions and what is/isn't reality, but fuck... There was no way I was going to be able to explore music in my own backwards way with this asshole around. I would never 'ascend', would merely become a clone or antitheses of whatever the shit he was doing.
On the other hand, I was frustrated because I had been sampling a lot in recent months and nobody around me or online had nearly the mindset to appreciate that. If I could listen to Hot Chip at the same time as a bunch of stoner rock and appreciate them both in their own ways, why couldn't anyone else? Even in writing/talking regularly about music, even music specific people WOULD like FOR SURE, nobody seemed to be paying much attention and I didn't otherwise feel supported in the least. It was getting more and more frustrating...
So, Nine Inch Nails released Year Zero. The means of advertising this was next to brilliant, and I was caught up in it.
I saw a bunch of bands live. The third of the year, Peeping Tom, was great, much closer to where I "was" now and I preferred the more masculine energy by comparison of the first two.
On a whim, I bought a ticket to see Mastodon. I had the the time off and I needed to know whether or not they were any good. It was still possible that I was only feeding off my friend's energy, that my appreciation of the few songs I'd gotten into off Blood Mountain were merely representation of something else going on. The live setting would break me of that, if so.
This show was exactly what I needed at that moment. It was amazing. I was really, really glad I did it, glad I conquered the show, glad I did this unusual thing not only for myself but for people's perceptions of "me".
Meanwhile, because I instantly loved Peeping Tom, I checked out Tomahawk. They had been sitting on my hard drive a while before I actually gave them a proper shot. Even then, I was sitting on "Mayday" and "God Hates A Coward" for a while more.
And then Anonymous came out. I was in the mood, so I just let it play from the beginning instead of my usual random picking. "War Song" isn't much for an actual "song", but it was a nice mood setter. The moment "Mescal Rite I" began = HOLY SHIT. And those vocals. I was instantly sold. This album was the weirdest fucking shit I'd ever heard. If you've never heard Tomahawk's Anonymous, seriously, go listen to it right now... It's an "experience".
I tried to talk about this... everywhere. I kept writing about it. More people needed to hear it - at least be AWARE of it. Two people who would have found the album anyway responded - otherwise, nothing. I know you can't make people like what they're not inclined towards to begin with, but... RGH.
Queens of the Stone Age's Era Vulgaris came out. It made par but I was not impressed to begin with. Nevertheless, at this point, I loved them enough to buy a ticket to go see them in another city since they weren't locally touring yet. It would be a nice opportunity to 'get away' and do something chancy.
Around this time, I finally got myself a portable mp3 player because I was doing a lot of walking and solo most of the time at work. At first I loaded up bands I already knew/loved, but I deleted the most of that and replaced it with new-to-me stuff so I'd be working on my musical endeavors at work.
I'd had Gojira thrown at me before, and I liked "Flying Whales" okay but the rest of From Mars to Sirius was way too far out for me. I decided it would have to reveal itself randomly, and threw it on my mp3 player.
Sure enough, "Backbone" caught me off guard one afternoon on the way into work. I was in a horrible mood, was not at all pleased to be working that day, and the song was making me... happy? Either way, it clicked with my mood. Oh,-I-get-it-now...
The week that I went to see Queens of the Stone Age, I finally gave Big Business a proper try - I think because I got "Another Fourth" stuck in my head. I knew they were touring or had just toured with Tool, and that was about enough for me to prove their worth. Anyhow, pretty much the entire time that I was gone, a couple of their songs were stuck in my head. This... needed to be explored.
The QOTSA show was followed by a few days of massive angst in addition to already hating everything by default, which collectively resulted in some soul-searching. I decided there needed to be some big changes to ultimately aid the lifestyle I wanted to be having. Musically alone, I knew I needed to get more involved, especially in metal.
The last week of suck, I was listening to a lot of The Atomic Bitchwax's self titled...
The following week, I discovered Boris' Pink album.
Then High on Fire's Death Is This Communion.
Then Battles' Mirrored.
Then, I heard "We Hate You" by Electric Wizard. I was talking to the ex who hated Ozzy at that exact moment, who now turned his nose on metal in general. Fucking beautiful synchronicity (and so incredibly backwards). This resulted in downloading Witchcult Today. Where have you been all my life?!
The week I heard Electric Wizard for the first time, I was thinking a lot about starting a new project. My first idea was to do some astrology videos or blogs, maybe some tutorials or something. Listening to Witchcult Today made me realize that this needed to be heard, and I should instead talk about that. I'd seen a few download blogs by now, and I'd seen plenty of review sites before which are always thoroughly fucking boring, but I nevertheless could write about and share these bands... The place I was already writing would not do, if only for the drastic change it would require for me to do it right.
So, I came up with a format, wrote up a layout in MT, and began the blog on my already existing domain.
At first I had a backlog/queue of plenty of amazing songs, so I wasn't having to work too hard on anything besides the writing. Still, I knew I'd lose inspiration soon, so I needed to go searching out new stuff to talk about. For now, I mostly just downloaded a lot and didn't do much actual listening outside of what I already had...
Just trust me on this: download it from Mercenario. There are some live recordings of The Whip swimming around the internet that are also quite good. In fact, for this song, they're better.
Song: "Tear You Apart" Artist: She Wants Revenge Album: She Wants Revenge (2006)
heh! Yeah. How about this one?
I saw this band live the year this album came out. It was a fucked up day/night as a whole, something I hope remains unique. It might just be because I was into this kind of sound then and the timing was right, but I liked the show itself - their performance and energy. I don't clearly remember much about it now other than the negativity from the night, but... I still have fond thoughts of the band. Which is something considering my non-liking their latest album.
Song: "Man In The Box" Artist: Alice In Chains Album: Facelift (1990)
FAEEEE-AYEEAYEAYED MY EYYYYES. JAAAAAA-YAYAYAY SUSS CAHRIIST.
Going on 19 years now, and about ten since I re-discovered them on my own will. It's funny how some songs drop out of relevancy after a while, or get boring, or whatever it is... and some just don't fucking go away. Case in point.
Song: "Sexy Boy" Artist: Air Album: Moon Safari (1998)
...is a rare occurrence, but I suppose when it does, it levels somewhere around this song. At least before "other women" are sighted. Or the boy starts talking. If boys would never talk, that'd be great. Even better if they stayed in the kitchen/laundry room until beckoned. That would solve a lot of problems.
I was looking for something more cliche to the fact that I'm fucking sick of snow, but I landed here instead. Okay. That's fine. This was one of my first non-astral favorite Fu Manchu songs. It still works.
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.
Before I forget about this one (again), this should have been in my mass videos entries months ago. Locally they played this song on video channels a lot for a little while, and then just stopped. I recall being disturbed by this. Where did they go?
Doing some really quick research, I discover this lady's a Leo. Wow, that was completely unsurprising.
I remember in those first few dozen times I heard these songs, the building open between "Parabol" and "Parabola" used to make my day.
Then I remember wanting to cringe because it reminded me of talking to a guy whose name started with P and ended with :(, because I told him it made my day. Didn't make my day too much shortly after that.
This song also reminds me of when I first played with CSS layers, as I was listening to Lateralus on repeat that day. And also because the text I used to play around with were "Parabola" lyrics. The colors in the design were red and yellow. I know, I know. Wrong song.
It's weird that memory sticks so heavily to songs. Or, at least, did.
Anyway, "Parabola"'s lyrics? They are the cheesecake of song dessert. Consume.
Song: "Gonna Leave You" Artist: Queens of the Stone Age Album: Songs for the Deaf (2002)
Despite my sarcasm, I didn't lie.
Back when I first heard Queens of the Stone Age, I thought only moronic fuckers listened to QOTSA. And while this is true, and it does get in the way of band appreciation, it reflects the band itself not (well, maybe, I've only met them in dreams). Back when I wished QOTSA would die, when my sampling of their material was seriously limited, this is the only song that got in and stuck with me.
Why?
"Push it in, Break it off" and "You're out of my high chair, I'm out of your womb".
I'm almost certain that I started listening and hearing that second line when Saturn went into Cancer, even though there was a 9 month buffer between the file datestamp and that time (June 2003). Cancer has pretty much nothing going for it in the way of self-assertion short of reverting to infant models of expression: pointless crying and acting helpless to life/others. Saturn hit my chart when it went into Cancer, and boy did I feel like I was surrounded like a bunch of babies. No wonder the song stuck.
Also, this is irrelevant to my own experience then, but... ladies, no man is worth it. Use a motherfucking condom.
Lazy post #7850. Later I'll post Queens of the Stone Age, followed by the only Electric Wizard song post I haven't made, and finish up the day with some Black Sabbath. Tomorrow, the Beatles. You'll fucking like it, too.
I like to experience music as a whole when I am not nearly unconscious, as it makes for less awkward experiences when dealing with the actual human beings involved with said music, from the band members themselves to the drunken idiots I have found myself spacially or socially near at that moment. Unfortunately for my need to make sense and be present, extreme levels of mental and physical exhaustion always find themselves meeting up with synchronous sound appreciation. In short, it sucks. I'm not socially trained enough to deliver when I'm out of it.
That's what this song made me think. Irrelevant, like everything else I've said about songs here at Sounds, but nevertheless present.
Great ending to this song, here. After clock abuse from various pseudo-metal bands, it's nice that someone out there can take the general energy of said styles and shorten it but still be effective/affective.
Song: "Point and Click" Artist: Tomahawk Album: Tomahawk (2001)
Doing my research for this song, I noticed that this album came out on a particular day in my history that I titled myself an interesting made-up adjective that fits this album really, really fucking well. Basically, so I don't get google hits from people in my past or vice versa, the word means "introverted annoyance".
That said, I love this band. They can be a little tough to get into due to their eclectic "experi-metal" nature, but it's worth the try. This song is fairly straightforward. It's aggressive, but not necessarily metal as it's slow-paced and a bit quiet. And awesome - did I mention I love this band?
Also, thanks to the wonders of various stupid ideas my local city has, it looks like I'm going to be missing Battles because, all in all, I can't miss a one-off show that is guaranteed awesome. "We" love you, John & co, but a 7pm show when I need to be at the other place by 8pm to make sure I get in because the fucking festival isn't selling motherfucking tickets, idiots, is against the rules. Come back soon - hopefully with Tomahawk next time.
Somehow this was immediately appealing. And "Bones". You know you want more Bones and Whorses in your life, so go check these songs out at their myspace, then buy their split coming out with Red Fang soon.
Song: "Burn My Shadow" Artist: Unkle Album: War Stories (2007)
Technically I've already posted this, but I'm doing it again regardless...
It's funny watching adults become psychologically unglued when they lose a love (and/or their human personal validator machine). Extremes in personality come into the light, formerly shadowed by the forced niceties of modern social exchange. In short, the masks come off. People you'd imagine having intelligence because they seem put together and mentally systematical any other time become needy, screaming, crying infants. ... If you ever want to know the truth to someone's personality, just watch them break up with someone, especially someone with who they profess strong feelings.
The funny part comes in where the righteousness of supposed growth begins to apply to the situation. Anything from "I'm above this pettiness" to "I've learned my lesson" to "I'm free". Mm... nope. Once a moronic screaming fetus, always a moronic screaming fetus. It's simply a matter of degree of expression and who's going to put up with it today.
Song: "El Doce de Octubre" Artist: Black Cobra Album: Bestial (2006)
You can find this album online in various place if you're inclined to look. As may be clear from my previous Black Cobra posts, it's worth it. This band/duo is amazing.
Apparently "the 12th of October" the Sun is at 19 degrees Libra. If you're 26-31 years old, this song is conjunct your Pluto. If you previously didn't know that, you now do. Congratulations. Take your new-found intellectual herpes and spread away.
This song isn't the best start for an introduction to the band, but is nevertheless worthwhile... for its embrace of lollipops and white unicorns and gleeful, smiling children frolicking about like world peace has finally been achieved. Yep.
Song: "Johnny Blade" Artist: Black Sabbath Album: Never Say Die (1978)
And if you're here, you've heard of Black Sabbath.
Or you haven't heard anything except what they play 90 times a day on the radio station where you live, and you're just pretending to be cool. You brainwashed jerk.
You've undoubtedly heard this song by now, if only by accident or associating with 80s revival morons. It's an excessively pop-centric song, therefore alienating my audience, but it's what you get. The song is about not being a trend whore, which is a statement of thick, awe-inspiring irony, but nevertheless a useful statement one should keep in mind at all times.
This guy sounds like an asshole to me, but at least he has a fucked up sense of humor about it. And the song itself is great.
This band/outfit's going on a bit of States and Canadian touring during the present festivals they're signed up for, so if you like what you hear, you know what to do.
Decent song, just varied enough not to be boring, while still being a sleepy Ladytron track.
I saw these guys live recently, and in doing so I quickly discovered that their unconscious sound is tough to translate through live performance. However, watching middle-aged fat men trying to dance to their music made it worth it.
I intended to post this artist earlier, but I had trouble finding a decent recording or video of their songs. So, while they have a version of this song posted on their fan-created myspace, it sucks in comparison to my naturally immaculate version on muxtape. Presently, "Rebel Girl" is the last song.
This is another one of those "best songs ever" tracks. If you've avoided Bikini Kill due to their so-called "riot girl" image, you're a moron. This song and "Resist Psychic Death" ought to change your feelings (though they won't do much for logic).
Song: "The Law" Artist: Kyuss Album: Wretch (1991)
I'm going to tell you right now: this album is a MUST OWN.
If you've never heard this, or anything like this before, you will initially be surprised at the overall tone of the album seeming to jump right out of late 80s/early 90s metal. Naturally, because it does. However, it's a "classic", so you will come back to it despite your feelings on that era of metal.
"The Law" begins with guitar. This is an understatement. Over one minute of amazing guitar. And it doesn't end there, no, as lyrics do not begin until 1:50. You may need to pause right at "darkness..." and start over again to make sure that first minute was for real.
The rest of the song is a disappointment in comparison, but it is still full of the awesome that you neglect if you have no Wretch in your life. Change this.
Song: "Hold On" Artist: Hot Chip Album: Made in the Dark (2008)
Completely in contrast to the song posted before it (...and not even a tenth as good, FYI), "Hold On" is a simple little dance-pop-electronic song. Non-epic lyrics, clean vocals, easy listen. Though I don't care for some of the concepts here, the chorus part is pretty nice.
As for the link, there's some odd added crap in the beginning for a few seconds. It's not part of the song.
As for the song link, if you look at the very bottom of the screen, there's a player that plays the whole song. The quality is better than myspace, where it's also available to hear.
I'm surprised that I like this (still). You may, too.
Edit #1: Also, I think I may <3 this song as much as "El Equis".
Edit #2: Methinks this song is going to win song of the year.
Song: "O.F.G." Artist: zZz Album: Sound of zZz (2005)
I got greedy and nearly broke my computer today. Nothing like the fear of no computer to make one load up the most difficult mp3s available and listen to them in full once said computer is available again. But this is always followed by a sudden shift in mood. After a certain hour-long Sleep track, one needs speed and organ.
Doom and electronica go together wonderfully, despite being in stark contrast of each other and 45:33 being largely commercial.
This song is 45 minutes and 33 seconds long. The first half is the best half. This is sort of like disco minus the HIV with one piece that's been redone as a single track called "Someone Great".
I get a lot of hits from people searching for Sleep material. If you use torrents, and you should, here is your problem, fixed.
Jerusalem is a re-worked version of Dopesmoker, and "part six" is the final nine minutes. The Jerusalem version is slightly better. Just slightly.
I was unconvinced about this band when I first heard them. I hate scenes and cliches, and this album literally begs to have a cult following. Further, the slow repetition can get under even the most patient person's skin. But looked at objectively, this song is fucking art; when it's over you'll feel apart of yourself missing.
"Mammoth" is a Pelican cover. While I'm only vaguely familiar with Pelican, this track has most certainly piqued my interest in either band. Listen if you like instrumentals, heavy metal, doom, the Melvins, movie samples, and bands who are just getting started.
If you listen to this song, good luck with your future sanity. I suppose if it gets stuck in your head the way it has mine, you may have to go to the H to the O to the S to the P to the I T-A-L. You're lucky because you've been warned. Nobody told me. :(
The cartoon show Rocko's Modern Life had a song like this on an episode about "spring cleaning", where they went up to a factory to sing about how everyone should R-E-C-Y-C-L-E, recycle(!!), C-O-N-S-E-R-V-E, conser-erve(!!). Because if we P-O-L-L-U-T-E, pollute the rivers sky or sea, then we're gonna get what we deser-erve! I saw that show when I was no older than 14 years and it still hasn't left my brain. The guy who wrote that show was a fucking genius.
Damnit, Sounds. I had "Take Me To The Hospital" stuck in my head all day because of that. This is your fault. Also, why do I post more when I think I won't post at all, and vice versa?
Song: "Street Justice" Artist: MSTRKRFT Album: The Looks (2006)
This band is out of my comfort zone, and yet for a while I really liked them. I can't recall why or what this connection was. I am fearful of the end results of the act of hearing this band for the first time. Hopefully whatever it is will pass quickly and without memory.
Nevertheless, if you like electronic(a), you'll undoubtedly appreciate this group. If you haven't been introduced to them before and would like to be, the best place to start is with the song "Paris". It is muy bein, and it's a great introduction to their style (which goes off into WTFland with particular tracks... what's this shaking it to numbers business? I don't get it and I hope she dies in a fire, the annoying bitch).
Song: "Boys Wanna Be Her" Artist: Peaches Album: Impeach My Bush (2006)
You haven't lived until you've shown up for something wearing a shirt with a big gold rooster on it, and the nearest extremely animated gay guy tells you he lovesssssss your shirt. Gosh, now I know why I purchased such an article. Clothes like that deliver results.
About this time last year, I was looking for new music and this was one of the bands I found. I recall walking by a hospital after a show in April, with "Take Me To The Hospital" suddenly infecting my brain despite having had the time to decide it was an annoying song and thus avoiding it. At this point, I find the band really easy to listen to... but I do not come from an elitist masturbatory masculine "rock" background, so they could possibly suck to you.
Still, this is one of their okay songs (many of their songs are better than this). The point of this song is pretty clear, easy to relate to, and it has a video... so that's what I'm posting. The lyrics are about the 'rat race' of life, when life becomes endless work. I'm sure you can picture that.
Song: "Slutgarden" Artist: Marilyn Manson Album: The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003)
"I never believed the devil was real But god couldn't make someone filthy as you"
I was 15 the first time I ever listened to Marilyn Manson. I was initially put off because of his reputation, and my parent and friends' parents didn't like the idea of us listening to his music. However, it was difficult to avoid.
A year later, Mechanical Animals became one of my top-listened albums. I got Holy Wood when it came out in 2001. I recall hanging out with my mom one day about this time and her making a comment about how she was glad I never picked up any of that Marilyn Manson. Well shit, I thought I had most of their albums and they were one of my top ten favorite bands! ... His reputation to "infect" clearly fully eclipses the music.
Still, I took my polite, nerdy self to Best Buy and purchased TGAOG after it came out. I was mostly disappointed with this album, although the latest makes me want to cry for aesthetic decency. TGAOG is where I deboarded the interest plane. That said, Manson has some really admirable lyrical skills. For as much as I've dreamed about music, no band has ever made me dream of a field of black spades ("Spade" is one of the songs on this album) before this.
Song: "Suture Up Your Future" Artist: Queens of the Stone Age Album: Era Vulgaris (2007)
You can also see an acoustic version, although the song isn't quite as effective without drums.
Nice song. Gentler than most of the songs I post. I've had a prolonged phase of listening to this album a lot since I got into it. EV is a refreshing shift in direction for this band, as this album is more eccentric and varied than their others which, despite growth, still seemed to hang onto the "stoner rock" title. This song is anything but.
If you like this, you should also try "Running Joke".
You also have certain iPod commercials stuck in your head due to the brainwashing endless repetition. This, however, is better. It's a smooth sort of piano-rock song. Though she probably needs to work on her lyrics, her voice is quite nice, too.
And thus concludes today's theme. Check back soon for the usual amount of drugs, sex, and rock&roll, 'kay?
In keeping up with today's theme... this song is surprisingly very good. It's "nice", even. It's one of the few songs I will ever post about that your grandma will like in addition to yourself. Meaning, your grandma will like the song. She probably doesn't like you because you're an evil internet pirate, stealing this song off of some file-sharing program like the selfish bastard you are. Tsk tsk. You tell that old bitch that it's available to listen to for free on last.fm.
The album version of this song is way better. After the first verse, the song progressively melts into static, eventually to where it's almost unlistenable. In a way, it's fucking hilarious... but that static in comparison to the half-retarded triteness of the lyrics makes a nice point.
Good album, but I'm not familiar with their others.
Song: "My Art" Artist: Le Tigre Album: Feminist Sweepstakes (2001)
There's an unfortunate lack of this song on the internet. It's only two minutes long, so I don't get it. I've thought of creating a video for this song before to remedy this situation, but this has yet to happen. Someday, perhaps. Til then, if you can tolerate the whiny vocals and high intensity sound of Le Tigre, please get this. I haven't met a straight guy yet that listens to them and admits it because this group has an extremely pro-woman image, so I suppose it also helps if you have estrogen... or wish you did.
Song: "Snowblind" Artist: Black Sabbath Album: Vol. 4 (1972)
Youtube's sound quality kills this song. If you don't have it and you can, buy the album instead. You can find it for less than $10 pretty much everywhere.
If you're coming from an alt-metal background, you'll be pleased to know that System of a Down has covered this song (assuming you didn't know already). If you're coming from an electronic, pop-rock background, check out Trent Reznor's cover of this album's "Supernaut" with the band 1000 Homo DJs. If you're coming from a stoner rock background, there's sHeavy's "Tomorrow's Dream", which I leave you to go look for because I know you want to. And then there's all of these other covers. In short, this album is highly recommended.
For once I'm going to post about a song I can't say I like. I can't say I like it because I can't even get through it. Theoretically, I would... and it does have a promising start. But, at 63 and a half minutes long, it asks a bit much for someone with aesthetic ADD.
zZz - "Ecstasy". You can hear this song either at their myspace, which I linked, or by going to their main site.
In this song (and their others) you will find drums and an organ and a few words, together creating an easy to digest, simple, upbeat dance-rock song. It sounds better than the adjectives I've come up with here belie, and it comes from their album entitled Sound of zZz.
I don't think I can explain this song without ruining the element of surprise that makes this song, in a word, brilliant. But you should hear "Mongoloid" at least once in your life, so if you haven't, do it now. There's a live version of the song available at myspace, too.
There are quite a few versions of this song, but the original was on this album.
I don't see them as being a "joke" band, as I often hear, since the only real joke is with their name, but Eagles of Death metal are clearly thematic. Their style is intentionally light in sound and heart. Many people find this band because of other bands, most often those in the stoner rock genre. While this can still qualify as stoner rock, the overall feeling from their music is far removed from the typical post-Sabbath crowd. Stoner rock can be fun, but it maintains a certain masculine rigidity and togetherness. All in all, it still comes from a serious mindset. Eagles of Death metal, on the other hand, are unapologetically silly.
For that reason, I love this band.
It's hard to recommend a song from this band, as they're all at least a little challenging on first listen. But, here's the song that "did it" for me, and therefore the song for today.
Perhaps second best and the first song of the album, "Beyond The Graves" starts out a bit like "Marauder" from Isle, but instead of going into bass-heavy, relatively speedy drumming, it stays low and slow. "Beyond The Graves" comes across as self-conscious and brooding even when the song picks up with a standard doomy march. The mood shifts somewhat with initial drunken rambling vocals that I'm not sure actually fit the song, but the vocals towards the middle of the song fit the slower changes well.
Overall, High As The Sun is a good album. It does what it does well, the mood is built upon and maintained throughout the album, and it stays instrumentally familiar while still providing something new with each song. You may need to have a history of listening to doom, slower stoner, or prog/post-metal bands to approach High As The Sun at its level, but people who are simply new to Diesto won't have any trouble with this album. In other words, if you haven't heard them yet, this is a good place to start.
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