7188 That's My Number:

This Japanese power trio dishes out a slab of killer modern rock combining the hookiness of punkier bands like Ramones or The Clash with the sharp knottiness of more angular heroes such as...say, Shellac. Excellent songwriting with a nice balance of stipped down basics and touches of flair (god, that sounds like a jean jacket description). Go!Go!7188 stands as a quality band worth discovering..it has been making my after dinner dish washing time all the more bearable.

Go! Go! Get GYOTAKU

Re-post: Chuck Norse

ENSLAVED ~ FROST

Definitely one of my all time favorite metal bands ever (although, I have not been very excited about most of their output after the Monumension album). Enslaved's early records evoke that gorgeously raw, yet savagely graceful black metal sound that (as the inside cover states) is Viking Metal. Folk melodies buried under walls of blazing buzz saw guitars (that are playing some of the weirdest, fastest, yet strangely angular and catchy riffs ever!), frantic drums pounding and bashing away with lots of weird fills and jazzy post-rock interludes, dazzling bass that drives every note forward with precision.

The thing that sets Enslaved apart from their counterparts (and probably the factor that has given them incredible longevity in scene where bands debut and vanish in record time), is the fact that they write some damn good songs! Their sense of timing is infused with sheer brilliance and astounding creativity within the melodies, structure, timing, and presentation of this awe-inspiring album.


TALL COOL ONE

Equinox Rox:

Happy Spring Equinox Day!

Shall we celebrate this occasion by bidding farewell to winter with the 2004 Bathos album by the almighty forest-dwelling Finnish doom curiosity known as Aarni?

WE SHALL!

And shall we welcome the springtime Sakura by blasting the pop masterwork Jet CD from Japan's longstanding queens of mighty melody machine?

YUP YUP

The repost:

As a few of you may have noticed, there have been few recent posts lately. This is is no small part due to an insane schedule that has left me with not much causal free time on my hands. This blog is not dead...

In the meantime, a few requests for reposts..sorry for the delay.

CRUCIAL YOUTH - The Posi Machine

SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS - Stone Crazy

SUN RA - Reflections In Blue

BARNES & BARNES - Voobaha

Stay Tuned...

Lightning Strikes Twice:

A lot of people really enjoyed the last Asa-Chang and Junray post and here is another amazing example of the wondrously weird world of these Japanese players. Tsu Gi Ne Pu is an extended ep that has a bit more of a laid back feeling than their Jun Ray Song Chang album. Every song here drips with crazy creativity...dabbling in frequencies unknown to any other group; and settling in this really unusual vibe that embraces the subtle power and beauty of the human voice, exotica, tablas, and Star Trek samples!

Rekkomendeed

Italians (still) do it better:

It's been awhile since I posted some rare Italian rock here. This particular album comes from 1974 and is presented by a talented group performing under the name Quella Vecchia Locanda. The album is called Il Tempo Della Gioia and is a stellar collection of classical inspired prog-rock that brims and bubbles with inspired flourishes at every turn. What sets this album apart from most other Italian rock albums of the era is the heavy inclusion of almost all acoustic instrumentation. Hear it for yourself: violin, flute, piccolo, string bass, acoustic piano, harpsichord, drums, acoustic guitar. There are a few electric instruments used: guitar, keyboards, etc. but the emphasis remains on classical arrangements and fantastic interplay among the acoustic players.

Also--dig the crazy "I'm on acid in the Italian red light district" artwork.

Seize it!

Damn fine coffee...

Despite having a fairly ridiculous band name/album title, Metal Flake Mother's one and only full-length album is a treat for those who like weird pop songs with hooks and a slightly quirky and creepy edge. The music contained within the reels of Beyond The Java Sea is full of unconventional melodies and creative arrangements; utilizing a surf guitar sound...full of that "round" rockabilly tone and dripping with reverb. When listening to this great cd, it becomes apparent that perhaps Metal Flake Mother was influenced by Pixies in both their guitar sound and their songwriting approach...and it works wonders! because everyone has heard many bands that try to ape the Pixies style; but Metal Flake Mother pulls it off by adding plenty of their own personality and elements that make them a band on their own. The singer's vocals are great...flamboyant, tuneful, slightly off-kilter, but never over the top; aways staying to the respectful range of the song. Beyond the Java Sea is a record that I have grown intimate with over the years and remains one of my favorite albums. Discover for yourself what all the fuss is about...look past the band name, album title, and the dreadful cover art, and discover a secret masterpiece.

Drink Up

Dark Days:

A dark, epic journey in symphonic pagan metal from this American trio (not the German medieval metal band of the same name). Layers of gothic melody sweeping through these stellar compositions; with a distinct focus on a cold atmosphere and quite a bit of variation. There are five tracks with the total playing time of 44 minutes and Corvus Corax take their time; allowing these songs to unfold at a slow pace, but filling each moment with elements of beauty, blackness, and more than a few grand moment of astounding surprises. The Atavistic Triad is a monster of an album...sadly under appreciated and a document to a band ahead of their time.

Open the Portal

Eggsperimental:

Don Cherry ~ Orient...a live recording of two separate Don Cherry performances in Paris, 1971. One of which features madman Han Bennink on drums and percussion. This album has so many different moods and feelings that it's kind of hard to write about it properly. Things start off quite nice with a spooky rolling piano vamp and then suddenly...BAM! you're thrust into a white hot free jazz blowout with pounding cymbals, pots and pans, trumpet blaring and all kind of freakoutedness. The piece shifts suddenly again with chanted mantras and vocal acrobatics and some kinds of unusual vocal drone effect. This is one of the tracks where the vocals are utilized quite interestingly...other times on this disc ("Togetherness" for example) are less impressive as Cherry tries to get the audience to join along with his flat singing. It only seems to make it worse when he peppers his coaxing with corny lines ("God made all children to love to sing").

Never a dull moment in Paris '71, I suppose.

Booyah!

1989 Was Fine:

Second album from Japan's Haco-led avant-baroque ensemble After Dinner. Their music is at turns, beautiful, startling, off balance, and brimming with quirky atmosphere. Unique melodies interlaced within wonderful compositions. The music on Paradise Of Replica utilizes a wide array of instruments to create a complex and sometimes surprising setting. Tracks 1-9 are the original album with 10-13 being bonus tracks of remixes by Pascal Plantinga, Terre Thaemlitz, Skist, and Joshua McKay.

Paradise Awaits

For The Love of The Love God:

Tape/manipulation/dadaist/junk/aggravated/assault/machines/men
/blood/whiskey/spilled/console/well/damn/samples/laughter/whipsaw/
turntable/bass/loops/scotchtape/gurgle/eq/red/ropes/congo/carpal/
tunnel/edit/pretty/f'ed/up/

*Features members of Steelpole Bathtub

Experience!

Third Eye Scream:

Released in 1998, Beneath The Surface was a compilation that served as a quirky little snapshot of some of the more adventurous underground American hip hop artists on the West Coast. These artists vary in style and technique, but they seem to share a common sense of mutual inspiration to create some interesting stuff.

Hazy, hallucinagenic background music serves as a canvas for these off-kilter rhymes that are as ridiculous as they are revolutionary. Sitars, Vibraphones, Native American hand drums collide with new age spoken word electro-proggy beats. Despite many shades of variety, the excellent production pretty much boosts this whole album to a solid level of coherence and a convincing listening experience. Plus there's a freaky 9 minute track on here called "Farmers Market Of The Beast" that features a guy named All Deadly Jizzm. That's exciting!

01. Beneath The Surface - Alien Nation
02. When The Sun Took A Day Off And The Moon Stood Still - Freestyle Fellowship
03. Who's Keeping Time? - Xololanxinco, Blackbyrd, Rakaa Iriscience, St. Mark 9:23
04. Hazerdous Curves - Sesquipedalien/DJ Mindframe
05. Night And Day - Xololanxinco, 2Mex, Circus
06. Sunny Side Up - Ellay Khule & DK Toon
07. Line Postin' In Pedro - Brothers Manifesto
08. Farmers Market of the Beast - Xololanxinco/All Deadly Jizzm/Radio Inactive/Shap
09. BustMustJustUs - Ellay Khule, 2Mex, Wreccless, Drez
10. Subterranean Service - Global Phlowtations
11. For Her Soul, Slowly, Solely - H.I.M.N.L., Tylana
12. (In)sense - Onomatopoeia
13. You Are In My Clutches - P.E.A.C.E., Kutmasta Kurt
14. To The Turn Of The Earth - Global Phlowtations/Awol One

Beneath the surface and at times, beyond belief.

GO gettit

sing song sung

Ever wonder what happened to Emma from UK shoegaze rockers Lush? She now fronts this nice little group called Sing Sing. Kinda pretty, kinda cute, kinda breezy pop done with a nod to 60's and 70's jangly stuff. Decent songwriting and swell hooks.

This is a batch file with their Joy Of Sing Sing full length bundled together with their 2 singles.

Fetch!

Let's JAM again:

I know a few of you have e-mailed and asked for more JAM ~ so here's another blast of frenzied punky pop from the colorful Judy And Mary. The Power Source was originally released in 1997 and was kind of their breakthrough album; spawning quite a few hit singles in Japan and making them massive stars on the music scene.

Recommended for those who like a little bit of bite with their candy-coated pop.

GO FORTH

The Numbers Game:

Ok everyone, this is a big one.

The Conet Project is a massive 4 cd set of spooky shortwave radio transmissions reportedly used by underground sources during war times and beyond. I won't go into any details here, since there is wealth of deep information to be found on the web regarding this intriguing practice. For starters, try here and here.

This set has been re-issued quite a few times (I bought mine as a first pressing about 9 years ago) but has now sadly vanished again. This is pretty disheartening news considering that this is one of the most important documents of recorded audio/art of the century. It is, truly, a set of sounds that pulls you into a secret and mysterious web and sticks in your mind forever. Once you have set foot into the cryptic world of The Conet Project, you'll never forget it.

Those who appreciate the power of a good mystery should wait no further. Immerse your senses in the chilling secret world of Shortwave Numbers Stations.

Weird, spooky, gorgeous, unerving...and completely essential listening

Disc One is here.
Disc Two is here.
Disc Three is here.
Disc Four is here.

Salmo Sax Appeal:

Although not a well known name within the Japanese Improv scene, sax player Katsura Yamauchi has been honing his craft for well over a decade and is known to be a close comrade/collaborator with Otomo Yoshihide. Yamauchi even went so far as to title one of his pieces after his friend (see Oncorhynchus Otomo).

Released in 2003 on the tiny Salmo Fishing Association label, Salmo Sax is a quiet marvel of solo sax improvisations. Yamauchi displays a unique touch within these pieces and his playing radiates with fluid runs and thoughtful musical phrasing.

Salmo Sax

Kurtain call:

Where were we? Oh yes, rocking out with Kurt; a powerful German band who combine the chaotic sound of early 90's bands (such as Born Against, Assfactor 4, to name a few) with a super tight punch and a knack for writing some keen songs. Ahhh...listening to Schesaplana takes me back to a time where every little 7" record came in a manilla envelope and featured a landscape picture somewhere within the artwork. Does anyone else remember the word "angular" was being thrown around constantly in those times?

Rocking, passionate & powerful stuff here.

Schesaplana

Re-post: Lumanians Unite!

I'm not gone for much longer...things are hibernating to the side and will hatch soon. For now, here's a requested re-posting of this classic Barnes and Barnes album.

VOOBAHA!

Lost Boys (part 1):

The first volume of Essential Collection Of 80's New Wave from these Japanese jokesters is solid compilation of choice cuts which reflects some of the duo's more alternative roots and like their Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 albums, this one features a few decidedly non-new wave tracks (unless you consider Napalm Death new wave???) But it's all in good fun.

Excellent track listing...dig in:

01. SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK - Love Missile F1-11
02. JOHN FOXX - Underpass
03. VIRGIN PRUNES - Baby Turns Blue (7" version)
04. THE FALL - Bingo Master's Breakout
05. ALTERNATIVE TV - Action Time Vision
06. SOFT CELL - Bedsitter
07. CLASSIC NOUVEAUX - Inside Outside
08. CHRISTIAN DEATH - Spiritual Cramp
09. PSYCHIC TV - God Star
10. COIL - The Anal Staircase
11. INTO A CIRCLE - Evergreen
12. ZODIAC MINDWARP AND THE LOVE REACTION - Prime Mover
13. HOLGER HILLER - Johnny (du lump)
14. SUICIDE - Ghost Rider
15. NAPALM DEATH - Deciever
16. DJ ROMAN PORSCHE - I Feel Love

PARTY?

Lost Boys (part 2):

As promised, here is the next installment by the goofy Japanese tag team DJ Roman Porsche. Judging from their album covers, they aren't ones to take themselves too seriously; but their music selection is damn near impeccable.

This is their second volume of Essential Collection Of 80's New Wave and as usual, it contain a healthy chunk of rare and unknown music from that time period. This particular set is especially unique because it features all Japanese New Wave stuff (Boredoms...New Wave? What? oh hmm..yea? Okay). Most of these bands I had never heard of but there are some real gems here (as well as some real head-scratchers)...oh and AN EXCLUSIVE RUINS TRACK.

01. SOFT BALLET - Body To Body(インディーズヴァージョン)
02. 空手バカボン - おおもうけバカボン
03. 黒木香 - 時からの誕生
04. 戸川純 - さよならを教えて
05. RUINS - Epigonen (remix)
06. SALON MUSIC - Spending Silent Night
07. 立花ハジメ + HOLGER HILLER - Replicant J.B. (remix edit version)
08. 極虎一家 - 激!! 極虎一家なめんなよ!
09. 本田恭章 - 0909 -ワクワク-させて
10. MADAME EDWARDA - Princess Reta
11. phew - 終曲 -フィナーレ-
12. ZELDA - エスケイプ
13. 泯比佐子 & KLINA-MEN - 肉体の天使
14. BOREDOMS - Hamaiian Disco Bollocks
15. おぼたけし, 森みどり - 行け行け飛雄馬「劇場版」
16. ロマンポルシェ。- 解剖室

01. SOFT BALLET - Body To Body
02. KARATE BAKABON - Omoke Bakabon
03. KUROKI KAORI - Tokikara No Tanjo
04. JUN TOGAWA - Sayonnara o Oshiete
05. RUINS - Epigonen (remix)
06. SALON MUSIC - Spending Silent Night
07. TACHIBANA HAJIME + HOLGER HILLER - Replicant J.B. (remix edit version)
08. GOKUTORA IKKA - Gekki! Gokutora Namen Nayo
09. HONDA YASUAKI - 0909 Wakuwaku Sasete
10. MADAME EDWARDA - Princess Reta
11. PHEW - Shukyoku
12. ZELDA - Escape
13. MIN HISAKO & KLINA-MEN - Nikutai No Tenshi
14. BOREDOMS - Hamaiian Disco Bollocks
15. OBO TAKESHI, MORIMIDORI - Yuke Yuke Hyuma
16. DJ ROMAN PORSCHE - Kaiboushitsu

BUST A MOVE