True Widow Appreciation

After finding their album completely by happenstance, I fell in love with True Widow. Interviewing them for Scene Point Blank (click to read the interview), I liked them even more. Here are some videos of the them live and their video from their only album so far (hurry up guys and gal, we are dying out here).

By The Grace of God...live

A while back, I spoke of By The Grace of God's EP For the Love of Indie Rock and how awesome it was. Well, I figured I would follow that up months later with some live videos (of songs from that EP for your viewing pleasure. Did I mention that I still love this band?

Enjoy:

Rocky Votolato & Brooke Waggoner Played...

...last night in Philadelphia in the Chapel of the First Unitarian Church.

So, the wife and I went to see Rocky Votolato specifically (we had been missing him every damn time he came around lately), and it was a real intimate show, actually the 6 PM show was sold out so we caught this at 9PM. After talking with some friends, we took our seats as the show was about to start.

After almost not showing up on time to catch the opener, I am glad that we made it on time. Brooke Waggoner and her two friends (a guitarist and harpist) played some of the most quirky and playful sounding music that I had heard in quite a while. It was excellent with her bouncing piano and excellent vocals fitting in real well with the harp and various guitars.

This is my favorite song she played:

Rocky was great too, playing a wide breadth of songs from all over the course of his solo career. Just him and his guitar and harmonica this time, but it worked real well and was a ton of fun. The French Canadian dudes in the front were hilarious, particularly when Rocky called them out for singing over him during "Mixtapes..."

Here are some examples of some of my favorites that he played that night.

This Just Might Be... The Truth...

This was my first introduction to the Refused back in 95 or so.

When, all of the mystery, hoopla, and rumors started swirling around Refused possibly reuniting this summer, I felt a bunch of mixed emotions at those prospects; it also ignited a spark that jogged a bunch of memories.

Like, I said, I first heard Refused in 95 or 96 after seeing the band thanked by another band (an interesting way that my friends and I found music pre-internet proliferation). I remember listening to the this album,This Just Might Be... , a bunch when I got my hands on it, particularly the song, "Pump The Brakes". It was, in my estimation, a cool song that made me want to jump around like a maniac whenever I heard it. Listening back after all these years, the album itself does little for me, but the Intro and this song still put a smile on my face.

Now, Everlasting, I actually found out of release order for the band (I had no idea that it existed), but this still has some really decent songs on it. Yet, I almost never drag this record out for a couple of spins...my loss.

Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent was the album that really made Refused for me. "Rather Be Dead", "Coup d'Etat", "Hook, Line, and Sinker", "It's Not OK"...all just hit the right way. I was bummed that I missed the band when they toured the US with Snapcase for this album. I still take this album out regularly today.

I still remember the day I bought this record. My friend Robby and I were driving to his parents' house near Edison, NJ in late winter 98; and he brought me by Curmudgeon records so that I could drop of some records while we were headed up that way. I happened to see The Shape Of Punk To Come sitting on their racks and was shocked because I did not even know that it was coming out, but I bought it immediately (this was an expensive import version because the US release was actually some time off at this point and I could not wait). While listening to the record in the car on the way back to school, I was quite shocked by all of the electronic elements that dotted the album.

It took several listening sessions with the album before it eventually sank into my thick skill, and shortly following that "epiphanic moment", songs such as "Liberation Frequency", "New Noise", Summer Holidays Vs. Punk Routine"... really the whole record began to dominate my listening habits for a while.

Following some time, Refused came to the US to tour; and I was finally able to see them at Stalag 13 in Philadelphia, PA with a handful of others (I traveled to the show alone because none of my friends could make it.) It was a good show, and I walked away so glad that I was able to see them. A couple of days later, I found out that the band decided to stop and disband. It was a huge downer as I figured that they had just dropped an inventive record (as far as I knew at the time) and opened up my mind to other musical styles as a result. It still blows my mind that so many people cite this as one of their favorite albums.

Nadja (or damn that's a lot of records)

Somewhere along the line, I became completely entranced in the work by the band Nadja. The first time I heard them it was on CD, Desire In Uneasiness; now, at the time I did not fully appreciate what I was hearing, but I did hear something that caught my ear. Still, it was not until I heard Radiance Of Shadows that I was completely hooked.

When I first started collecting this band, there was already a ridiculous amount of music to track down, but their release schedule is insane with records coming from all over the world. Keeping up is both a pain in the behind and a lot of fun, kind of like a monster scavenger hunt that crosses at least three continents (I wish I lived on Antarctica so that I could put out a record from there, though the shipping prices would be ridiculous). I definitely look forward to hearing about the new ones all the time, and love when they sneak up on me but am still able to get the limited color on record (Nadja & OvO collaboration I'm talking about you).

Well, the latest Nadja records are starting to trickle out this year. The Nadja & OvO collaboration The Life And Death Of A Wasp just recently came out via Adagio 830 and Vendetta Records. You can order here. I also recently received the Under A Jaguar Sun double LP (pictured at the top) after waiting for quite a while since pre-ordering, but it was worth the wait and still available here for those that are interested in nabbing this slab of music.

Autopergamene (pictured second due to my fumbling of the pictures) still is not out yet, but should be by the end of April.

108 Follow Up

So in the aftermath of 108's breaking up and then decision to continue on without Rob on vocals, I stumbled up on this awesome tribute by the band's guitarist to Rob's part in 108. In this Vic details some of the dynamics of the band as well as their current intention to continue.

Good luck guys...

All this really makes it difficult to wait for the new album from them, 18.61 is available for pre-ordering now.

The Jane Doe Double LP is finally being re-issued

This image may be one of the more iconic images coming from the hardcore scene in the 21st century so far. The album is without a doubt a landmark for Converge, and seeing as the vinyl version of it really has not seen the light of day since near its release in 2001, collectors have had to pay exorbitant amounts of money to acquire it in the after market. For those unlucky folk that were not there in '01, they have been fleeced over the years.

Well, Deathwish Inc has finally opened the pre-orders on the re-issue. So, if you ever wanted to own this slab, now is your chance to without laying down a ridiculous amount of cash. One of the 3 Deathwish Inc colors is already gone, so these pre-orders are going fast; do not wait to get this if you want it. You will be sorry.

For those that are unaware of the power of this record, Converge's Jane Doe is a twelve horned beast of an album that seethes and roils and hurls invective like the best hardcore albums do. It certainly captured or mirrored some of my emotions at the time, and it was a mainstay on my stereo for quite a number of years (still is to an extent as this is in my Converge album triumvirate). Angry and powerful, Jane Doe certainly spoke well for its time and holds up to the point of it being every bit as urgent and essential today.

The Blackest Curse Is finally coming out...

...and so is a bunch of other records by Integrity.

The first here is the Red version of their 2003 record on Deathwish Inc, To Die For. This can be had from A389 Recordings under the Pre-Orders heading. Get it by itself or in a package deal that will also net a bonus Integrity / Pale Creation - split 7" (as well as a new 7" from Pale Creation, the LP from Caulfield). If you missed out on the Blue version of To Die For that A389 released earlier this year, now is your chance to not pay ebay prices for this 10".

This year is going to be a big year for Integrity releases as the band has already released the aforementioned Blue version of To Die For as well as the Grace Of The Unholy 7" (both on A389 Recordings) and the In Contrast Of Sin 7" repress on Organized Crime. Due out this year from Organized Crime are vinyl re-issues of the band's earlier Victory catalog including Systems Overload, Humanity Is The Devil, Seasons In The Size Of Days, and the first album from Integrity, the essential, Those Who Fear Tomorrow. If the In Contrast Of Sin re-issue is any indication of how these will look, these LPs will turn out great. A389 Recordings also has the US version of the Integrity / Creepout split that came out last year in Japan. British label, 30 Days Of Night is putting out the Integrity / Rot In Hell split double 7" sometime this year as well, which looks awesome. Magic Bullet is putting out a Record Store Day 7" from Integrity as well (which is coming soon on April 10th); so, be on the lookout for that.

There maybe even more than that, but this is what I have come across.

But...This release here is one I have been waiting for quite a while to hear.

The Blackest Curse will be the latest LP from Integrity, and I cannot wait to hear; luckily, it is finally coming out May 25th via Deathwish Inc. A flurry of releases to document one of the more legendary hardcore bands.

108 Breaking Up? Again? Maybe Not?

My initial reaction to hearing the rumor of 108 breaking up was a mixture of emotions ranging from disappointment to disbelief, particularly with their newest album being released this month. Various information came out where Rob Fish, the vocalist of 108, no longer seemed to feel as strongly about his place in the band even partially trapped by its legacy and themes; so, Rob left 108. For a time, it looked as though the band would be done once again, which saddened me.

108 has always been a special band to me. When I was an impressionable high school kid, 108 was on a mix tape passed to me during mythology class; I played the hell out of this tape, but more specifically the 108 songs on it. It was strange hearing this band scream its head off in "Deathbeds" the first time because I my picture of Hare Krishnas came from Airplane! ; this was intense and blew my mind that 108 was singing about concepts from the Bhagavad Gita and Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Even still, the aggressive music intrigued me. I rushed out and and found Songs of Separation when I could, and again, this album received many spins in my CD player and tape deck (I dubbed the CD to play in my car since I only had a tape deck in it). A couple of years later, Three Fold Misery came out and I became obsessed with the band; the record was just great, but 108 would break up not long after its release.

For years I could only reminisce about the band and listen to their music on my stereo, then they reunited for Hellfest which did not happen, but the band played the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia. Seeing them was awesome. The band eventually released a new album A New Beat From A Dead Heart, which was an energetic kick to my own ass.

Fast forward to today and 108 is on the verge of releasing a new album 18.61 (pictured above) while entrenched in some inner turmoil. Rob is leaving the band, and 108 will attempt to soldier on without him. Vic DiCara was always the driving force behind the band; so, I cannot say that the future for the band is bleak...different, yes...bleak, no. In any case, I still love this band and cannot wait for the new album and hope that the band does what they feel led to do.

...and Let Me Introduce You To Some Friends of Mine...

...By the Grace of God

And that was my introduction to Louisville's punk and hardcore scene. The resulting burst of energy as "Remora" from the band's debut record For the Love of Indie Rock hooked me forever (I still think it is one of the greatest punk rock songs ever). This EP does not let up at all for the next 15 or so minutes; it is pure energy and passion blasting through your speakers, headphones, what have you. Not a single song is bad and it rips like the great punk records do, and this is great.

"Yeah! Self worth derives from affliction..." follow an umistakably explosive drum and guitar intro to "Remora"; This is just a great punk rock song with one hell of a riff. Following that beast up with an equally fiery track called "Goliath" is perfect; the breakdown in this song makes me go nuts everytime I hear it, and when Rob Pennington screams "Fuck Your Crusade", it is priceless. The driving and melodic sound of "Pallbearer's Hymn" is just what belongs next on the EP along with the rolling drums and guitar squeals and short group sing along is perfect.

"November's Lie" is the crown jewel of For the Love of Indie Rock. The song is fast paced and contains one of the most under rated and amazing pieces of punk music on wax at about the halfway point of the song. Guitarist Duncan Barlow's wail of frustration into the instrumental breakdown is amazing and when By the Grace of God brings it back up with another amazing and much more melodic breakdown, it caps the song exactly the way it needs to be.

For the Love of Indie Rock slams down a poignant, superb example of melodic hardcore with "Fissures". I never can resist singing along to the words, "When We Can't Move On". Pennington shows why he is one of the best writers of emotional hardcore lyrics with this song.

The band closes the record off with the crunchy "Navigator" (sounding the most like Endpoint than the band ever does), the tense "Ipecac", and a cool cover of Poison Idea's "Plastic Bomb".

I owe so much to By the Grace of God. Not only were they great, but this EP introduced me to Louisville punk and hardcore.

RORSCHACH REUNION

OK...being from Jersey, I love Rorschach. Always have since the day I first heard them. Their musical progeny are legend as well, but these guys always held a soft spot in my heart.

So I am psyched I get to see them soon:

September 23 - Richmond, VA (Probably ALLEY KATZ) with FORENSICS and PULLING TEETH.
September 24 - Asbury Park, NJ ASBURY LANES with BLACK KITES +1
September 25 - New York City SANTOS PARTY HOUSE with CELEBRITY MURDERS(Last Show) +1
September 26 - Boston, MA
September 27 - Philadelphia, PA Unitarian Church with 1.6 BAND + 1

I wish I could hit every show of these.

Mid Year for Music

What a great year for music it has been thus far, but while I am enjoying it; there has been so much that has come out as well. From the ridiculous amounts of music that Nadja is responsible thus far to the latest album from Isis to the "comeback" album of Coalesce, 2009 has exceeded my expectations.

And there are still a slew of records on the way, including Jesu's attempts to catch up with Nadja (which is going to be tough as Nadja still has a bunch of records on the way) as well as other records like GREYMACHINE's Disconnected and the Bad Secrets EP.

For the rest of this week, I will be posting a bit about each of my top 10 records so far this year.

End of another term...

So another bout of grad school is winding down (at least for a week before my next one kicks into high gear. It has been nice, let me tell you. I find myself enjoying the quiet time more and feeling more able to enjoy relaxing. My listening habits are very reflective of that...particularly today.

Earth- Hex: Printing in the Infernal Method

Leonard Cohen- a bunch of random songs

Angels of Light- also a bunch of random songs but "The Man We've Left Behind" mostly.

Dusty Springfield- a bunch of random songs

and some Porno for Pyros.

It just feels nice to relax a bit.

Supermachiner...This Week Keeps Getting Better

...just a short bit about Supermachiner whose latest album, Rust (actually a compiling of the first album Rise of the Great Machine and some unreleased material), was put up for order today at Deathwish Inc. 

Supermachiner was a side project of one, Jacob Bannon, the vocalist of Converge, a while back and this record has been a long time coming. Rise of the Great Machine was an underrated release when it first came out and continues to be mentioned mostly as just a side project with little other mention of its quality. Though, as much as I may enjoy Converge, I find myself listening to Supermachiner much more often and more religiously. 

Rust's release is exciting to me and a few others I know. Check it out if you get the chance.

Finding New Music

So, my friend Dave had been bugging me for weeks to listen to this new record called Hirror Eniffer by Mamiffer; and it continually got pushed to the backburner until I received the record to review. When I initially popped their debut EP in, the subtlety of the Hirror Eniffer was lost to me; but something compelled me to play it again...and again...and again. While listening to it repeatedly, unbeknownst to myself, Mamiffer had sunk in to my thick skull; I realized how much I actually enjoyed the album and immediately understood my friend's proselytizing enthusiasm for Mamiffer (to which I also began to do the same as my wife and brother can attest).

After some minimal snooping on the internet, I found that Faith Coloccia (the person which Mamiffer revolves around) also was involved with the recently ending project, Everlovely Lightningheart. Now, I had heard some of their work on the Pyramids remix record and did highly enjoy those remixes that they did, so intrigue began to set in for the band. Also, around the time that I found myself subconsciously indoctrinated into Mamiffer's goodness, Hydra Head announced that they would be finally releasing the last Everlovely Lightningheart recordings. So naturally, I did everything I could to acquire the Everlovely Lightningheart discography. Thus far, I believe I need two releases, the upcoming Sein Weal Tallion Rue 2xLP on Hydra Head and a super limited record the band self released.

I must say that I have not been disappointed in anyway by Mamiffer or Everlovely Lightningheart. It would definitely be worth anyone's while to check out both bands. It is really funny the path which people find new music.

Revolution Summer

The last few days, I have been reading Mark Anderson and Mark Jenkin's book, Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital here and there. This is something that I seem to do regularly and cannot really answer why. The last few times, there is a bunch of skipping, usually straight to the section on Revolution Summer. When this occurs, it is inevitable that the next few weeks of my music listening is spent on the related bands, which I do enjoy immensely.

Embrace might be my favorite of Ian MacKaye's bands. They strike a huge chord with me and find myself listening to their sole record more than any of the other Revolution Summer bands. The really crazy thing is that the band played roughly 9 shows in 9 months and that was the extent of their existence. Still, their lone album is a great record that never seems to get old. Sometimes, as much as I like Fugazi, I wish MacKaye and company could have kept this going for a few more years. "Said Gun", "Dance of Days", "Spoke", "Do Not Consider Yourself Free", "I Wish I", "Money", "No More Pain"...are all classics of punk rock and are usually sadly overlooked in comparison to Minor Threat and Fugazi (but still nowhere near as obscure as other MacKaye projects like Egg Hunt or Skewbald/Grand Union).

I would be completely remiss if there was no discussion of Rites of Spring at all when speaking of Revolution Summer; because in many respects, they were a major catalyst in its occurrence. I guess the best word to describe this band would have to be catharsis; any other explanation fails horribly. It is simple and complete. On record, I am sure there is much lost in the translation, but it is still there for those of us not there at the time.

Seriously, search out this book.  Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital is an excellent document of several stages of DC punk and hardcore with lots of great anecdotal material.

While We Are At It

So since looking back at 2008, I recently found my top 25 lists for past years. Here is my Top 25 from that year and a bit about how I still feel about each one. After time, some records definitely grow in stature and some fall; tastes change as does critical thinking. 

1. Young Widows- Settle Down City (Jade Tree)

Surely, almost three years on, a record might just grow old, but that really is not the case with Settle Down City. It still holds a special place in my collection, and based on their follow up, 2008's Old Wounds, I feel completely justified in this record being my #1 of 2006.

2. Tom Waits- Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards (Anti)

Ah the great Tom Waits, this monster of a record at 3 CDs and not a bad song on it. I still feel comfortable with this here as well.

3. Tragedy- Nerve Damage (Tragedy)

Tragedy is a force. Love the records. Love seeing them play. And even though this might be their weakest record, it still destroys 90% of what others put out.

3. Black Heart Procession- The Spell (Touch and Go)

Such a good record. I remember not being able to choose between this or Tragedy as my #3. I still can't. The Spell really is a gem.

5. Isis- In the Absence of Truth (Ipecac)

Ok...this one drops, although I am not sure where yet. I love Isis, but this is the first record that they recorded which disappointed me in some way. Not that In the Absence of Truth is bad, but I definitely do not find myself listening to it as often as anything else they have done. 

6. Sunn0)))/Boris- Altar (Southern Lord)

Another one that drops, Alter was good; but it was not amazing to me. SunnO))) was another band that was gold up until this point for me, and I am still waiting for them to fully recover. Pentemple and Domkirke are getting there though but neither really gets them back to top form. Boris on the other hand does nothing for me at all and that might be another reason why this languishes more and more for me.

7. Isis/ Aerogramme- In the Fishtank Vol 12 (Koncurrent)

This record still rips, and I still listen to it pretty regularly. Something about it just continues to strike a chord with me.

8. Jesu- Silver (Hydra Head)

Yes, Silver was down at 8 for me in 2006.  Not sure if this rises, but I have come to enjoy it more now than I maybe did then.

9. Converge- No Heroes (Epitaph)

Converge is one of those bands. I am really into what they do; I respect them as artists and musicians. No Heroes was another feather in their cap.

10. Hope Conspiracy- Death Knows Your Name (Deathwish Inc)

Death Knows Your Name was one hell of a comeback record.

10. Planes Mistaken for Stars- Mercy (Abacus)

So was Mercy which is why they tied.

12. Micah P Hinson- And the Opera Circuit (Jade Tree)

Micah is great. I still enjoy this record thoroughly.

13. Envy- Insomniac Doze (Temporary Residence)

Here is one that would jump a ton of places. Insomniac Doze was the record which put Envy on my map. 

14. Coliseum/ Young Widows (Auxiliary)

A good record and has Young Widows material not available anywhere else.

15. Red Sparowes- Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun (Neurot)

Red Sparowes is interesting to me. I enjoy them live much more than on record. This is their 2nd album and is good, but does not match their first for me. I still think this would fall around here though.

16. Sonic Youth- Rather Ripped (Geffen)

Another album that would relatively stay put. Rather Ripped is a good record. 

17. Mastodon- Blood Mountain (Warner Bros)

Blood Mountain would plummet. I really like a couple of songs on the album but that is pretty much it. Does not have anywhere near the potency of Leviathan.

18. Versoma- Life During Wartime (Robotic Empire)

OK, so I really think that this record would move up quite a bit. I listen to this more and more. Versoma just had a sound...one that I still want to hear. The fact that this band spawned two really good bands also helps its case and will probably be one of those criminally underrated records in a few years that people talk about like a religious experience.

19. The Draft- In a Million Places (Epitaph)

Yes, I still really like this as well. It certainly would not fall.

20. Johnny Cash- American 5: A Hundred Highways (American)

Same here. Probably Cash's last album, American 5 does have quite a bit of sentimental value; but I still listen to it. 

21. Rainer Maria- Catastrophe Keeps Us Together (Grunion)

Catastrophe Keeps Us Together probably would move up if I am being honest. I still really dig this record even if it is not Rainer Maria's best.

22. Rocky Votolato- Makers (Barsuk/Second Nature)

Seriously, Rocky makes good albums, this one probably jumps a few spaces as well.

23. Rise and Fall- Into Oblivion (Deathwish Inc)

This might go up a bit as well. Still waiting for a new album from Rise and Fall.

24. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan- Ballad of the Broken Sea (V2)

Really enjoyable record. It would still make this list.

25. Sick of It All- Death to Tyrants (Abacus)

I love these guys, but I probably would not include this in the list again.

25. Cult of Luna- Somewhere Along the Highway (Earache)

Somewhere Along the Highway would definitely move up the rankings here, Big time. I still think my review of this record is right on, but I like it more and more in any case. For a while, earlier this year, I listened to this album obsessively.

25. Fleeting Joys- Despondent Transponder (Only Forever Recordings)

OK, I probably would still include Despondent Transponder still. Fleeting Joys are another band which I am awaiting a follow up from them.

Starkweather- Croatoan (Candlelight USA)

Now this record just might peak up into the list. I should have included them in the first place.

So...

It is a bit different, but I think this is more accurate as per what my listening habits and desire to hear the record have become. Here is my revamped list:

1. Young Widows- Settle Down City (Jade Tree)

2. Tom Waits- Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards (Anti)

3. Tragedy- Nerve Damage (Tragedy)

3. Black Heart Procession- The Spell (Touch and Go)

5. Envy- Insomniac Doze (Temporary Residence)

6. Jesu- Silver (Hydra Head)

7. Isis/ Aerogramme- In the Fishtank Vol 12 (Koncurrent)

8. Cult of Luna- Somewhere Along the Highway (Earache)

9. Versoma- Life During Wartime (Robotic Empire)

10. Converge- No Heroes (Epitaph)

11. Isis- In the Absence of Truth (Ipecac)

12. Micah P Hinson- And the Opera Circuit (Jade Tree)

13. Rainer Maria- Catastrophe Keeps Us Together (Grunion)

14. Coliseum/ Young Widows (Auxiliary)

15. Rocky Votolato- Makers (Barsuk/ Second Nature)

16. Hope Conspiracy- Death Knows Your Name (Deathwish Inc)

16. Planes Mistaken for Stars- Mercy (Abacus)

18. Red Sparowes- Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun (Neurot)

19. Sonic Youth- Rather Ripped (Geffen)

20. The Draft- In a Million Places (Epitaph)

21. Johnny Cash- American 5: A Hundred Highways (American)

22. Rise and Fall- Into Oblivion (Deathwish Inc)

23. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan- Ballad of the Broken Sea (V2)

24. Starkweather- Croatoan (Candlelight USA)

25. Sunn0)))/Boris- Altar (Southern Lord)

25. Fleeting Joys- Despondent Transponder (Only Forever Recordings)

Top Records of 2008 Well...

...#26-50 actually.

My Top 25 of the year got posted at Scene Point Blank late last night in the big year end feature. Go check that out. 

These were all really good records in their own right that I wanted to list them

26. Aughra- Proof of Dark Matter| Light the Lights (Magic Bullet)

27. Trap Them- Seasons In Barren Praise (Deathwish Inc)

28. Fucked Up- The Chemisty of Common Life (Matador)

29. SunnO)))- Pentemple (Southern Lord)

30. Disfear- Live the Storm (Relapse)

31. The Gutter Twins- Saturnalia (Sub Pop)

32. Hope & Suicide- Hope Suicide (Supernova)

33. Steve Von Till- A Grave Is A Grim Horse (Neurot)

34. 5ive- Hesperus (Tortuga)

35. Fight Amp- Hungry for Nothing (Translation Loss)

36. The Night Marchers- Scene Report (Swami)

37. Crevecoeur- II (Denovali, 2008)

38. J. Bannon- Blood of Thine Enemies (Deathwish Inc)

39. Gridlink- Amber Grey (Hydra Head)

40. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan- Sunday at Devil Dirt (V2)

41. Capsule- Blue (Robotic Empire)

42. City of Ships- Tour (self released)

43. Rocket from the Crypt- RIP (Swami/ Vagrant)

44. Nadja- Desire In Uneasiness (Crucial Blast)

45. Pyramids- Pyramids (Hydra Head)

46. Stove Bredsky- Black Ribbon Award (Hydra Head)

47. The Kills- Midnight Boom (Rough Trade)

48. Haiyano Daisuki- Headbanger’s Karaoke Club Dangerous Fire (Hydra Head)

49. Grey Daturas- Return To Disruption (Neurot)

50. Celeste- Nihiliste(s) (Denovali)

Debut records from 2008.

Hearing good new bands is something that I really enjoy getting to do. It might be one of my favorite aspects of music; hearing different combinations of people making really great music is awesome and just never seems to get old. To an extent this goes against common attitudes that many people have (comparing new bands negatively to vaunted bands of the past is a common occurrence), but this strikes me as really strange.

In any case, 2008 had a bunch of great new records. My list over at Scene Point Blank barely scratched the surface of some of the great debut records that came out this year. I definitely had more that were more than worth mentioning so here are more debuts by bands and people that were noteworthy in 2008:

True Widow- True Widow (End Sounds) 

True Widow's self titled debut is good on many different levels and full of subtle beauty. It is tough to really pick pieces of the record out so listening to it from start to finish is really the only way to listen to it. True Widow made a cohesive record that makes me jealous. Definitely a record more people need to check out.

Gods and Queens- Untitled (Robotic Empire/ Adagio 830 / Dead Format)

Noisy and urgent sounding, Gods & Queens untitled debut hits people in the gut with a thick sound and volume to match. A real killer that finds its way onto more stereos because it is that good. I really hate comparing bands to others so...go listen to them and make up your own damn mind. If you go to the Robotic Obscurities blog (linked to mine over there to your right), there are some demos and rarities from the band as well.

Aughra- Proof of Dark Matter| Light the Lights (Magic Bullet)

Aesthetically speaking, Brett Eyestone (the lone member of Aughra) contines to put out great art and music. Proof of Dark Matter | Light the Lights is the long time coming first full length from this ambient/ soundscape project, and it continues and broadens the paths which Aughra has tread on a 7", Cassettes, split, and an EP/Book. Hopefully there is more to come from Mr. Eyestone with Aughra. 

Mamiffer- Hirror Enniffer (Hydra Head)

Calling this album infectious to my personal ears would be an understatement.  The more that I listen to it, the more it creeps into my listening habits (to the tune of my listening to it 2 to 3 times a day at present). It is a beautiful sounding record and though it might not be considered a true full length, it is a deserving debut. It is brutal because now I need to hear more from Mamiffer...damn them for being so good.

The Gutter Twins- Saturnalia (Sub Pop) 

The long talked about pairing of Greg Dulli (of Afghan Wigs and Twighlight Singers fame) and Mark Lanegan (of shredded vocals, Queens of the Stone Age, Screaming Trees fame) does not disappoint in any way. I think this record sounds incredibly sleezy (in a great way) and just sounds great. Think of a dark, smoky night club and this record could probably be the soundtrack.

More Year End Lists

Being that with the sheer amount of music being created all the time, it is bound to happen that people will miss out on albums, EPs, what have you. In this case, given the facts, it can also be extrapolated that people could continually miss good music. If such music continually is missed, these pieces of music can and might fall into obscurity and being rendered out of print. Another scenario that might cause a record to go out of print could be that the original label that issued the release could no longer support the release or keep it in print due to finances (it happens). Yet another scenario (which is mostly tasteless in my opinion) is when a label purchases a release from the original label with the express intent to re-issue the music. 

 

Regardless how one views them Re-Issues can be a tricky thing. Sometimes, the re-issue is more than worth it as the record label puts a lot of time, love, and effort into the new version of the record; while, at other times, the re-issue comes out with nothing different from the original release and seems to be nothing more than a cash grab. Besides the list that I wrote which will be available on Scene Point Blank here are more Reissues/ Rarities comps that were worth it to me that were released in 2008:

Envy- All the Footprints You’ve Ever Left… (Temporary Residence)

Envy- Compiled Fragments (Temporary Residence)

Envy- A Dead Sinking Story (Temporary Residence)

The re-issue series which Temporary undertook to make available or more widely available is possibly questionable. Though I am not sure how available All The Footprints... and A Dead Sinking Story were at the time, but Compiled Fragments never was really all that widely available in the United States. Nothing new was really done with the records, but at least they are out and people can find them. The records themselves are all excellent and well worth getting. People who already owned them, though, really have no reason to pick them up again.

Hot Water Music- Till the Wheels Fall Off (No Idea)

This nifty collection compiles demos, outtakes, compilation tracks etc that normally took a lot of tracking down to collect. Neatly packaging all of this material and making it available in one place is a boon for Hot Water Music fans.

Rocket From the Crypt- All Systems Go Vol. 3 (Vagrant/ Swami)

Another nice collection that takes unreleased tracks and combines them with singles and alternate versions of songs from the massive Rocket From the Crypt catalog. This record really produces some nice gems (Like "Total Bummer") as well as funny liner notes produced by Speedo himself.

Cavity- Laid Insignificant (Hydra Head)

Ah...a long out of print record sees the light of day again. I was so glad that Hydra Head re-issued this so that paying "collector" prices was not necessary.

Supermachiner- Rise of the Great Machine (e-vinyl)

Finally available on vinyl, Rise of the Great Machine sounds like it was meant to be in this format. I am glad someone released it on vinyl because it was long overdue. Packaging looks great as well.

Planes Mistaken for Stars- We Ride to Fight (No Idea)

All of this was pretty much available previously, but compiling it into one nice package was a neat idea. I am sure some fans of later Planes Mistaken for Stars were surprised by how this sounds.

Today Is the Day- Today Is the Day (Supernova)

Today Is the Day- Supernova (Supernova)

I never realized how good early Today Is the Day was before hearing these reissues, partially because getting a hold of them could prove to be a bit problematic. Now that they are more widely available, hopefully more people will check these out because both the self-titled and Supernova are definitely worth it. Even thought his music has evolved over time, Steve Austin still made disturbing music even at this stage in Today Is the Day's development. 

Skullflower- IIIrd Gatekeeper (Crucial Blast)

This Skullflower record is another album that was very difficult to find or acquire. Crucial Blast really came through in re-issuing this. It is more structured than later Skullflower releases, but that crushing noise which the outfit is known for is still evident on IIIrd Gatekeeper.