With all the self-released records coming back into earshot, it's almost like a Private-Press-A-Palooza in our record racks! Flannelgraph Records and Bloomington based record store Landlocked Records have thrown their collective irons into the fire and reclaimed this lost labour of love from New Yorker Don Muro - it's time we talked about "It's Time", so let's get crackin':
"Originally self-released in 1977, synthesizer pioneer Don Muro's It's Time is the singular work of one man combining his skills as a trained musician with a truly creative spirit and the somewhat unmarketable insistence that all of these different styles of music would make up his debut album. While this kind of genre hopping can often take away from an album's coherence, It's Time works as a whole because these are such well-crafted and interesting songs. At times playfully fun, at times beautifully earnest, It's Time is consistently engaging for its entire 42 minutes. Muro's sincere love of what he is creating shines through whether it's a catchy, triumphant rock anthem, a subtly emotive instrumental synthesizer piece or an intense fusion dance jam.
Having spent much of his life teaching others about the latest music technology through his books, videos, classes and seminars, Muro's influence on electronic music is immeasurable. His demonstration compositions for the legendary Korg M1 helped to make it the world's best selling synthesizer. The recipient of several ASCAP composition awards, Muro's music has been performed everywhere from New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral (where he presented the cathedral's first synthesizer concert) to Disneyland."
This one starts off with a bang! In the liners, Muro explains, "Looking back, I would say that the variety of musical styles is both the strongest and weakest aspect of the album." and the album is indeed a stylistically diverse affair, with measured, experimental electronic pieces, next to cosmic synth burners and acrobatic, near-proggy synthesized workouts (Harold Faltermeyer better watch OUT)! Muro recorded and played everything his own damn self from synth to guitar, to drums (dude is a SMOKIN' drummer). Hell, "Sweet Little Thing" is a city-rockin', power-pop classic just waiting to be uncovered - shine your shoes, pop your collar and get ready! Muro is still an active musician and educator, serving on the board of both TI:ME (the Technology Institute for Music Educators) and the NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) and the care he took into making this album is more than evident! Remastered with love by Alex DeTurk at Masterdisk and housed in a glorious repro of the OG sleeve! A stellar production all around - IT'S TIME we added "It's Time" to our collections - nab it NOW! RECOMMENDED!
Edition of 150 – 2x SINGLE SIDED W/ SCREEN PRINTED B-SIDE 12"s
Mapled Records has pressed up this MEGA LIMITED EDITION double LP of Charles Albright's collected early singles and this is some package! You get 2 clear LPs both of which have screen-printed b-sides of Charles Albright going to town with multiple arms creating his unhinged jams! This includes the "I'm On Drugs" single on Sacramento / S-S, the "I'm Happy, I'm A Genius" single, the "Weight" single (both on Permanent Records), the "Things Have Changed" single on Goodbye Boozy and CA's track from the Matt K. Shrugg/Charles Albright "Split Personalities" single plus what looks like to be 3 or 4 unreleased tracks tacked on for good measure. This has been lovingly put together and comes as a hand numbered edition of 150 so act fast friends and grab this collector's item now! Recommended.
Sky Needle releases their second full-length this time on the Bruit Direct Disques label. Once again we'll step aside and let the enlightened folks at Volcanic Tongue fill you in on this one:
"Second full-length album from this amazing Australian homemade instruments orchestra, now upgraded to a seven piece big band: Debased Shapes is a revelation, with the group moving on from the weirdo Sun Ra/Moondog hands-on DIY improvisations of their first album into a liminal zone of left field pop synthesis and ‘debased’ songcraft. Parts of this beautiful album almost sound like a Scratch Orchestra re-imagining of the early Rough Trade sound, stuff like the Raincoats or even The Swell Maps re-crafted for clunky hands-on sound sculptures, with female vocals somehow directing every squawk and dunt towards a vision of psychedelic pop that comes out of invention more than technique. There’s still a dazzling afro-primitive free jazz feel to the choruses of honking geese and thrifty percussion but they feel more like hallucinatory song forms here, true DIY imaginings of heavenly pop hits. A stunning amalgam of sound sculpture, improvised percussive freak out and super personal pop vision. Still no one like them, highly recommended!"
"Debased Shapes" is the logical progression from Sky Needle's debut "Rave Cave" and we like these 12 tracks here plenty. Sky Needle's deconstructed psychedelic art music is unlike any other act on this planet, being cryptic, hypnotic, haunting and celebratory often all at the same time. This group is utterly unique in their approach creating some of most original sounds we've heard and further proving that Australia is fully in the lead of a new musical renaissance. Highly Recommended.
Agitated Records has all the praise for their latest by psych-rock royalty Carlton Melton. Get hipped to what Agitated is saying:
"Andy Duvall, Rich Millman, Clint Golden and (introducing) John McBain on Echoplex (and mastering duties once more!) are Carlton Melton, Agitated Records’ standard bearers, their freak flag wavers. The travelers have returned with Always Even, their fourth album, recorded once again in a geodesic dome in the winter of 2012-13. Strap in, fly on—but do not be fooled by the gentle ease of opening track “Slow Wake.” It’s the calm before the psych-storm, a balm for one’s ears to prepare body and mind for the synth-riff-laden, psych-guitar-knockout blastings to come. Much like “Space Treader” on last year’s Photos of Photos, “Keeping On” launches into a unmapped zones, only to return to earth with the eased-back dome-drone of “Spider Web.” The trip continues with the furious, kraut-influenced “Sarsen,” a track that could soundtrack an entire flight to the Moon and back—not to mention fuel the rocket ship with its ampheto-cranked psych chug. Make sure all seat belts are fastened for final descent, as “The Splurge” envelopes all with its molasses-like fog / fug."
What else can be said? Carlton Melton have been delivering top notch dank nugs of psychedelic maddness for many a year now and "Always Even" is further proof to their power. These psychedelic warlords have unleashed a monster LP of brain-altering space rock that'll have you hypnotized, narcotized and mesmerized in no time. Drop the needle and let go… you'll be floating through space with the best of them. You better believe this one is Heavily Recommended.
White Manna return with their follow up to 2012's self-titled debut and just like that one this new jam is on the mighty Holy Mountain label. We'll let the Holy Mountain begin the discussion:
"White Manna returns to prove just how deep their thrust is. Dune Worship, the Arcata, California, group’s sophomore album, follows in the vein of last year’s self-titled debut, mining another batch of primal, outward-bound jams that reek of eternity. “Transformation” channels prime-time Hawkwind, evoking that sense of zooming headlong in endless flight with every atom buzzing. Like the best space-rock songs, it intensifies and ascends ever higher as it goes. The staunch, towering riffs of “X Ray” are as foreboding as the next report from the EPA. This is White Manna’s idea of a power ballad… until it accelerates in the last minute and leaves the listener blissfully charred. The speedy yet smooth “I’m Comin Home” could be the recurring theme for that impossible sequel to Easy Rider, while the ten-minute “Illusion of Illusion” simmers with astral, meditative menace—a massive, billowing specimen of rock that glows like the earth’s inner core. The epic finale, “Solar Returns,” is as majestic and momentous a climax as one would expect from these profound pros, whose singleness of purpose remains irrepressible and righteous."
We flipped for White Manna's debut and on their second outing "Dune Worship" they've upped their game. The riffs are bigger, the effects are more intense and the track lengths have stretched way out creating some epic space rock ready to carry you off into the cosmos. A steady rhythm section leads you on this sonic journey as fuzzed out guitars spiral in on themselves. White Manna is bringin' that northern California fog to their brand of heavy psychedelia and we like what we're hearing big time. Supremely Recommended.
A "best of" collection of sorts from Yugoslavian/Croatian musician/poet Satan Panonski entitled "Hard Blood Shock" compiled by S-S Records. They've done the legwork on Panonski's sordid tale - read on:
“Of all the former Eastern Bloc countries, Yugoslavia (and Croatia in particular) had one of the most exciting and innovative punk/underground rock and roll scenes and the legend among Yugo/Croat punk legends is SATAN PANONSKI (nee IVICA CULJAK). Starting with pioneering, late-70s, Yugo punk band POGREB X, through incarceration, a solo career and an untimely death by a mysterious bullet during the Croatian War of Independence, Satan Panonski literally cut his way into E. Euro punk history. His stage act was an extreme blend of punk shock and Auto-Destructiv performance. His music is a vivid mix of KBD-style punk, Serbo-Croatian folk melodies, and jags into abstract avant punk. Three cassettes were released during his life (and shortly after his death), one of which made it to vinyl. The vinyl is now very collectible. SS has culled through dozens of songs and come up with the creme de la punk, all transferred from the original tapes. Vinyl mastering by JOHN GOLDEN makes Satan Panonski sound the best he has ever sounded. This also includes much of Ivica Culjak's art, new lyric translations, a long biographical essay, and plenty of photos, all in a 16-page booklet. There is no CD or digital download.”
These are some gnarly jams! Panosnki is definitely not one to shy away from extremities (in his stage persona, personal life and his music) and the tunes collected here show a real musical freedom not bound to any real scene. Sure, Panonski's music springs from the punk scene of the Seventies/early-Eighties but that's only a springboard for the variety of expression documented here. KBD ragers sit side by side with more obtuse avant-punk jams with nary the blink of an eye. We can dig it! Another stellar S-S recording! RECOMMENDED!!!
BRUTAL Italian hardcore from '83 rescued from a demo tape and pressed up onto wax from - who else - S-S Records! Scott Soriano's go the juice on this bad mutha, read on:
“FOTTUTISSIMA PELLICCERIA ELSA were a short-lived Italian hardcore band from the city of Gorizia. I was tipped to them by a 1983 review in Maximum Rocknroll which compared them to ‘the MEAT PUPPETS met M.D.C. in a Chilean secret police torture chamber.’ I wrote on Crud Crud ‘Fast bursts of rage segue into sludge and then into total confusion. It is like the Italian hardcore version of Tampax’s “UFO Dictator” over a full LP, but it makes sense.’ WFMU’s Fatty Jubbo once described it as ‘wow...stumbles along like a drunken horse with its feet cut off. sorta reminds of Destroy NYC or Upside Down Cross.’ The music comes from their one and only demo tape released in 1983, a rarity itself. Transferred from tape, not MP3. Mastered to vinyl by JOHN GOLDEN. Includes insert with original demo tape art work. This is a vinyl only release. There is no CD or digital download."
This is some crazy shit! Fottutissima Pellicceria Elsa rage unrelentingly from the first needle drop, mixing straight-up brutal, hardcore (a'la GISM or Mob 47) with the more proggy-chops of later-era Black Flag (these guys MAY have the 10 and 1/2, but we're not sure). If there are no dreads or butt-flaps involved in the band we'd be surprised, this is squatter hardcore, unquestionably. The lower fidelity of the recordings (this IS a demo after all, despite the mastering job) makes a few of the tunes sound like full-on powerviolence . KILLER. This one's gonna rattle yer teeth, so you best get some Polident. RECOMMENDED.
Melbourne's mighty Cuntz return to the fold with another scumfuck masterpiece "Solid Mates" out again on the ever reliable Homeless Records. We'll let the Homeless Records peeps fill you in on the detail behind this one:
"Second album of 2013 for Melbourne’s CUNTZ. With Alex Macfarlane (Boomgates, Constant Mongrel) behind the desk yet again and both camps benefitting from being a year older, CUNTZ have produced another thug punk classic in ‘Solid Mates’. The debut ‘Aloha’, polarised critics mainly due to the band’s chosen moniker, and those that didn’t get the sardonic humour present missed out on fully enjoying Aloha, although one commenter nailed it when stating “…the informed listener can choose to either get it or be put off by the irreverence. Cuntz are dedicated to the hoon, and dedicated to supporting each other in their own respective hoons, and they don’t give a fuck about what anyone thinks about that.”
And so, with ‘Solid Mates’ tucked securely into their pants, CUNTZ are about to embark on their most ambitious project yet with the band undertaking a US tour, commencing September ‘13 and includes an appearance at Gonerfest 10 in Memphis, alongside the Cosmic Psychos, Mudhoney, Wreckless Eric, Quintron and Guitar Wolf. Tour includes shows on the East and West Coast of America. You’ve been warned."
Just in time for their 2013 US invasion the Cuntz let loose a canon blast of menace and attitude with their second full length "Solid Mates". We are all waiting with bated breath for the opportunity to catch these dudes live cuz we know it's gonna be absolutely punishing!!! By now you all know we are bonafide freaks about the all amazing music coming outta Australia, we mean we liked the Cuntz first LP so much that we repressed it as a domestic release just to get it into as many more hands as possible. And this surly platter of knuckle draggers is further proof to the scuzztastic power of Aussie swamp punk. Solid Mates indeed. Beyond Recommended.
7in - George Brigman and Split - Blowin Smoke (Autographed Original 1977 Pressing) - $9.99 - BUY
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ORIGINAL DEAD-STOCK!
Got another batch of this amazing single of original 1977 stock in! We nearly wet ourselves when the "Jungle Rot" LP got reissued earlier in 2013 so to get these 2 raw killer jams back is a mega bonus!
Killer lead guitar parts are all over the A-side of George Brigman's 1977 single Blowin' Smoke. The single was comped on the sweet Cherrystones Word comp alongside some killer psych/punk tracks by Dead Moon, Chrome, Brainbox, Deviants, and more. We (dumb us) just realized that Brigman reissued the single in 2007 as a 30th Anniversary Edition. This edition includes the original pressing on Solid Records of the single in an all new hand-numbered sleeve (which it never had originally). The sleeve is autographed by Brigman to boot. The B-side Drifting is a decent meandering, instrumental psych jam, but Blowin' Smoke will blow your mind.
There were only 500 of these left in '07 and we couldn't imagine there'd be many more left in '09, yet lo and behold miraculously a few copies are mercifully still available in 2013, but even if there were an infinite amount of these in the world, we'd recommend picking one up.
ORIGINAL DEAD-STOCK!
More Brigman madness here! Both the "Jungle Rot" LP and the "Blowin' Smoke" single are essential George Brigman must owns. And now we scored yet another brain melting single from George Brigman and Split. Bona Fide Records has original 1985 stock of the esoteric "Silent Bones" EP. George Brigman and Split are supplying 5 tracks that lay out sleazy heavy blues rock that sound like Pentagram outtakes and strange instrumental jams that sound like hippied-out Chrome and Minutemen/Firehose or the early 80's SST roster. The two cuts with vocals feature Wayne Hastings glam tinged howl while all cuts are sportin' Brigman's signature guitar sorcery, locked-in rhythms and some damn fine bass noodling. If you dig the outsider jams of the Bonehead Crunchers comps, the Clone Records stuff or Michael Yonkers then you best add this to your collection as another single like this you won't hear anytime soon. Recommended.
Randy Records is way stoked for their latest release, a new single from local trashy bubblegum poppers Slushy! Read on for the details:
"For the last four years or so, Slushy has been one of my absolute favorite bands in Chicago. I think I've seen them as a five piece, a four piece, maybe a three piece, but in the end, they figured out all of that rock n roll goodness sounds best boiled down into highly concentrated, pop-infused, two man juggernaut. After an exhaust search, frontman Chris Kramer found another rock n roller as dorky and awesome as he was in local man-about-town Brent Zmrhal. Both shared a love for all that is good and pure in rock 'n' roll: great songwriting, catchy hooks, and having fun, and the result is pure gold. If you are a fan of clever danceable pop songs, if you dig the garage-pop stylings of bands like The Memories, Nobunny or Eric and the Happy Thoughts, or if you ever wondered what it might have sounded like if Jonathan Richman started a bubblegum band, then Slushy is the band for you. Candy has always been my favorite song at every Slushy show. Its a great slow jam about either something or someone sweet that make you drunkenly put your arm around the stranger next to you at the show and sing along even if you don't know the lyrics. Pocket, though it is on the b-side, might be the undercover hit on this record. It's definitely the side to put on right when the dance party is warming up and its time to turn up the heat. It's the soundtrack to your eighth beer at the beach, the one that's got a little sand and grit in it, but it still fucking cold as ice, and the sun is still out, and there's babes as far as the eye can see, and maybe, just maybe, this summer's gonna last for ever. Slushy is a great band, and this is a great record. Don't be a dummy, pull the fucking trigger already. You'll be happy you did." - Randy Records
Slushy is one of the hardest working bands in Chicago, and many might say one of the best. Nobody plays down n dirty yet syrupy sweet garage rockin' tunes around like they do. And this is exactly the double-shot you need for yer next party or DJ night if you're, like us: a power pop, bubblegum and garage pop junkie. WAY FUCKING RECOMMENDED!!!!!!
7in - Biloxi and the Fucks - Holodeck Survivor b/w Not Getting Stabbed (on Total Punk) - $5.99 - BUY - LISTEN
- LISTEN Now that yer Goner Fest hangover is finally over, it's time to get fucked up all over again with Buck Biloxi And The Fucks, who just unleashed a brand new, punk as hell 7 inch via Total Punk. YES!!! Here with the deets is Styrofoamdrone:
"Total Punk Records in Florida is back with another scathing batch of 7″ records. Up first is Holodeck Survivor from BUCK BILOXI and THE FUCKS from New Orleans, marking what looks like their third 7″ to date. Crumby guitars open this 7″ with a tinny, metallic snarl. They’re both sloppy and crunchy, shredding a path for lead singer Brian Wilson’s raspy, vicious shouting. These grooves are so trashed up you can taste the filth, serving up these rugged punk blazers that don’t even reach the two minute mark. “Holodeck Survivor” opens with a grumble, quickly filled out by gritty guitars and grainy drumming that meld together into one noise-crusted punk stomper. B-side track “Stab” comes burdened by blown-out guitar screeching, followed by a poised and rowdy Brian Wilson. The track is just as nasty as the first, fronted by his snotty vocals about fucking your mom and smashing your face with a guitar. The sharp hooks are unleashed with palpable fury, immediately throwing us through a loop with this speedy and jagged punk beat down. In the end, this stuff is just downright foul, so don’t miss out on it!"
More LOUD, TRASHY, FUN and also very ADDICTING budget rock from New Orlean's baddest sons!!!! Count us in!!!! Buck Biloxi And The Fucks are one of the best upcoming garage punk hooligans around and this new single of theirs is PROOF: a punk double shot sure to leave you with blurred vision, ear damage and dehydration for days to come. And we wouldn't have it any other way. Grab this one now cuz it's nearly sold out everywhere!!!! Totally punk and TOTALLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
Split single from these two bands of malcontents! YES!!!! Buck and the Fucks do "Shithole Boys" and "Tea Party", and Giorgio Murderer (best band name ever) perform "Theme From Star Trek" and "I Need My Shit". These four songs will make a mutant outta you for sure!!! Something weird, awesome and super punk is happening down in New Orleans, and we can't get enough of it!!! TOTALLY RECOMMENDED.
