Heterogeneousness

So we all have albums that contrast one another. Some days you feel like relaxing with something quietly massaging you in the background, and other days there simply isn't a stereo loud enough to fuel your mood. These are all very important albums to my musical vocabulary for extremely different reasons.

 Stars of the Lid 

This is the most listened to band for me at the time. I can't pick a favorite album of theirs because they're all so beautiful. I usually only listen to these guys when I'm painting, going on hikes, or going to sleep. Work has been sucking way more shit than usual lately, so these guys are on on the regular to keep my head from splitting in two. 

 

Skinny Puppy 

For entirely different reasons, Skinny Puppy also removes me from every aspect reality entirely. However, it does not take me to a sane, relaxing place like Stars of the Lid does. Too Dark Park is one of the most important albums to me personally. The first time I tripped by myself, this album was my best friend. I can't really explain it any better way than that. The chaotic textures and layers with the movie samples swirling around the song were perfect while I temporarily lost my mind. 








-Novak

Eh

Been feeling all sorts of strange lately, very disconnected from friends and my life around me. These albums make me feel ok. 

Stars of the Lid- Gravitational Pull VS. The Desire For an Aquatic Life

Zone out music at its finest. I've been putting this on in attempts to be background noise while I read before I go to sleep, but I end up just laying in my bed staring at the ceiling for hours. This band has always had a way of turning off a lot of mental noise and replacing it with an almost meditative state. 

David Bowie- Stage

 Second favorite Bowie album. Hands down my favorite live line up. It was very synth heavy, in the heart of his Berlin trilogy era, but still had the noisy Adrian Belew guitars intertwined throughout. Every version of every song on this album is done flawlessly. The drummer (Dennis Davis) is fantastic in this performance. He brings an immediate violent intensity to it all, yet still keeps it such a sexy groove. Bowie was on fucking fire in every way on this album.

-Novak

Workday review: Unity & Uniform Choice

Much like starting your day off with the inquisitive "who dis?" email, catching a co-worker subtly banging his head to "Wayward Son" yesterday in a work training session is equally incredible.

Unity :  I'll never understand why this band wasn't talked about more.  Before Uniform Choice, before No for an Answer, there was Unity - the progenitors of west coast straight edge.  Let me just get this out of the way - Unity's "You Are One" EP smokes the Uniform Choice demo.  They were really on another level for their time.  Wishingwell Records #1.  Attached below is "You Are One"

Unity : You Are One

Side note : When Unity broke up, and before Uniform Choice got started, there was Winds of Promise.  No recordings ever saw the light of day from this project, but according to Joe Foster the sound was "super DC'ed out" and served as the premise for the "Screaming for Change" record.  Would kill to hear this tape.

Uniform Choice :  Yes, their demo paled in comparison to the Unity EP.  Yes, this band would eventually turn the corner into questionable butt rock territory, and yes, they were slated to release a split 12" with N.W.A...and they also put out a groundbreaking LP, "Screaming for Change".  This was Orange County's answer to Minor Threat, and it was an absolute game changer.  I can't help but wonder though, how fucking rad it would be to hear "Straight & Alert" and "Gangsta Gangsta" on the same piece of wax with a Wishingwell stamp on the sleeve.  Fuck.  Really though, it probably would've been "Staring into the Sun" material and sucked.  Attached below is the "Screaming for Change" LP.

Uniform Choice : Screaming for Change

New Order- "Music Complete" (Mute, 2015)

I've been pretty vocal for a number of years about New Order being one of my favorite bands of all time. Not only do I consider them infinitely more interesting and enjoyable than Joy Division, I think they also are one of pop's most consistently reliable acts, one that transcends trends, genre affiliations, etc. "Music Complete" came out this past year on Mute Records and I have to be honest, sitting still while I type this is very difficult. "Restless" is playing at the moment and it's appropriate title is working its magic. Bernard Sumner's melancholic vocal delivery perfectly matches the drifting beat and underlying synths but the danceability remains nonetheless and you are soon caught up in the trance that is a New Order experience. You just want to drive into the abyss, find a person to connect with, share a moment and a piece of something eternal. It's beautiful, it always has been. 

While all of the familiar qualities of New Order are present, there is a strong element of electronica that I find refreshing in many ways, particularly on tracks like "Singularity." Despite having somewhat of a dance club remix vibe to it, the song effectively maintains a fast and frantic beat without overshadowing the vocals and wonderful synth melodies. The expanding influence of electronic music in the wake of long time member Peter Hook's departure is helping to push the band away from stagnant nostaliga into a comfortable position of revitalized relevance sonicially. "Plastic," another single from the album, works in a great chorus with very retro inspired female vocals and a great electronic bridge that will have Lady Gaga's producers scrambling and fumbling for ideas for her next offering I'm sure. The highlight track though for me is the somewhat out of place but very uniquely powerful "Superheated." Full of emotive lyrics and a sense of vulnerability but lacking most of the electronic dance beats of the rest of the album, the song not only stands out but sticks with the listener more by hitting different senses quickly and often. 

"Music Complete" is a testament to New Order's capability to use their music to motivate, inspire, captivate, and stimulate the senses of its audience. Fusing new and classic influences and forging a new direction for the veteran band, this album further cements a legacy that few, if any, will or have ever questioned. 

- Joe

Workday review: Helmet, The Jesus Lizard & more

When you start your workday by opening an email with no subject matter, and a sentence that simply states "who dis?", you know you're in for a real mind-blower.

Helmet : The ugliest, noisiest, and heaviest non metal band...ever?.  Before the "Betty" LP, before Peter Mengede left, Helmet put out a number of awesome singles and 7-inches through Amphetamine Reptile before releasing their "Strap it On" LP.  All of these are mandatory listening.  Unfortunately, the band never recaptured their insane sound from this era, and instead opted for either a more accessible sound (probably due to being on Interscope) or trying to recreate Meantime 2.0 with the "Aftertaste" LP.  Attached below is the "Strap it On" LP.

Helmet : Strap it On

The Jesus Lizard : A lot of the stuff Steve Albini produced for these guys is pretty good, give or take a few songs.  A lot of what wasn't produced by him is not good.  That's not just me being an asshole...put their "Blue" album on and try to convince yourself it's not bad...you can't. Attached below is their second LP, "Goat".  David Yow & company at their most psychotic.

The Jesus Lizard : Goat

Doughboys : Over the years I've revisited this band a number of times.  Each time thinking maybe I'm just missing something and I'll catch it this time.  Naturally, today wasn't that day.  They still sound to me like they took the less memorable parts of Mega City Four, Seaweed, and Dinosaur Jr, mixed them up and put out a bunch of shitty albums.  Attached below is their first LP, "Whatever".  Pretty fitting name.

Doughboys : Whatever

Workday review: Rollins Band

After sifting endlessly through the most mundane, idiotic, and downright insane patient emails at work, I decided I needed an outlet that I can utilize while on the clock. Walking my dog, taking a dump, and masturbating are all fun ideas, but not exactly major time killers...and probably only a little less interesting than this post is.  So in addition to the aforementioned activities, I'll be talking about and reviewing whatever records I'm listening to throughout the workday - be it good, bad, or completely embarrassing.  Enjoy, or don't.

Rollins Band :  I'm admittedly not the hugest fan of this band, and Rollins is my least favorite Black Flag singer.  But all that aside, Hank managed to put out three of the most intense, and aggressive records of his life with the Rollins Band.  "Life Time", "Hard Volume", and "The End of Silence" are absolutely essential listening.  Unhinged and insane punk with a bit of a bluesy influence, something that would become more definitive on the bands later albums.  Attached below are the first three records from Rollins and crew. "Gun in Mouth Blues" still gives me goosebumps.

Rollins Band : Life Time

Rollins Band : Hard Volume

Rollins Band : The End of Silence