Friday, November 20, 2009

The Blow- "Paper Television" (K Records, 2006)


From Wikipedia:
"The Blow is the moniker of Portland, Oregon-based musician Mikhaela Yvonne Maricich, who has recorded several albums for K Records. Jona Bechtolt, aka YACHT, was also a member of The Blow from 2004 to 2007.[1]

The music of The Blow is a sparse combination of Khaela's vocals and electronic dance beats.[2] Performances often incorporate short monologues - in fact, Khaela has toured extensively with her longer monologue "Blue Sky Versus Night Sky".[3] Khaela is formerly of the band The Microphones. Before 2002, The Blow went by the names 'Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Volcajavascript:void(0)no' and 'Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Wave'."

This is not the type of stuff that I typically post, but fuck it, I've been really into this album. Basically what you have here is ten (10) tracks of sort of lo-fi 8-bit dance music, with insanely sexy vocals (Brittany Spears=not really sexy, whereas Mikhaela= super super sexy) by the girl who used to play with the Microphones... it doesn't sound like something I would like, either, but trust me on this one... at the very least, it's good to put on if you manage to get a lady (or dude, I'm not trying to be gender specific here) to come home with your sorry ass. The songs are catchy as fuck, and really simple, but at the same time, there's enough going on to keep you interested. C'mon, you can't listen to post-sludge ALL the time.

Myspace
Download

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Flux Of Pink Indians- "The Fucking Cunts Treat Us Like Pricks" - (Spiderleg, 1984))


I was listening to this today while I was out walking dogs, and, not having listened to it all that recently, forgot what a great record it is. I had this awesome diatribe all cooked up, but now I'm stoned (and also exhausted; the Jesus Lizard show at Irving Plaza tonight was absolutely mind-blowing), and I can't really remember what it was. Part of it was something about taking the best parts of Crass, early Chumbawamba, and Einsturzende Neubauten and beating the fuck out of it with a sledgehammer. Their earlier works were far more pedestrian punk affairs (though still solid); their later works (after dropping the "of pink indians" portion of the name) is basically anarchist dance-pop. This is a cacophonous blend of classic peace punk, dancy art punk, and a heaping helping of analog noise. Lyrically, this deals with "violence between men and women, based on the experiences of a band member who had been sexually assaulted"; the cover got them banned from HMV ("an international entertainment retail chain and is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom and Canada...").

Download

Sunday, November 1, 2009

CPC Gangbangs- "Mutilation Nation" (Swami Records)


I know very little about this quebecois garage punk band. Wikipedia tells me that this is their only LP, that they feature members of Les Sexareenos and Spaceshits, among others, and that they broke up when one of the members was arrested in the US. They also say that "While faithful to the sound of garage punk, CPC Gangbangs incorporated elements of space rock and thrash metal into their music." I don't know if I entirely agree with that, but this shit kind of rules. It reminds me, at various times, of labelmates Beehive & the Barracudas, Le Shok, and even early Fucked Up. This would be a great record to learn all the words to so you can sit around getting wasted and singing along.



myspace
download

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Lifter Puller "Fiestas and Fiascos" LP


This is LFTR PLLR's 3rd and final album, and the only one not featured on 'Soft Rock', which enough people downloaded that I figured I should up this, too. Classic post-punk/indie rock band from Minneapolis. Featuring half of the Hold Steady. See the "Soft Rock" post for a better description.
download

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Danzig- Self Titled



Well, I never thought I would be able to call myself a Danzig fan. For one thing, I hate the fucking Misfits. I know that in certain circles, this is a sacrilegious (in the bad way) statement, but seriously, they are just too cheesy even for me. Also, Glenn Danzig is pretty much a complete tool.

Despite all of this, I've been borrowing a friends Ipod lately (mine broke when I decided, while drunk, that I could throw it onto a pile of dirty clothes across the room. It made it there, but then it fell off the dirty clothes and made sweet love to the floor.), and this was on there. I said to myself, "Hey... Mother is a pretty rocking song, and that's on here... let's give this a whirl." And if you can get past what a boner Glenn is, and the incredible cheesiness of it all, you find yourself listening to a fucking amazing heavy blues rock album.

download

Sunday, October 18, 2009

xbxrx - "Gop Ist Minee" (2001, 5RC Records)


So sorry I haven't posted lately. I'm sure you don't really care. Anyway, this is the first proper album length release from Oakland via Mobile, AL's (or is it vice versa? I never get that right... what I'm trying to say is that they're from Mobile, and then moved to Oakland... someone let me know if I'm right or wrong.) xbxrx. This is the type of thing that I generally cannot stand in any form... it's very danceable punk stuff with lots of 8-bit sounding synths... they play a lot with bands like Japanther that annoy the fuck out of me... But somehow, they do it just right, and it comes out being a fun yet still really interesting record. If that doesn't sell you at all, it was recorded by Steve Albini. Also, the songs are all untitled, or at least titles were never listed on the original record.

myspace- their newer songs up here are also good, but are much more along the lines of noise rock.

download

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Plow United- Discography



I was going to just post "Narcolepsy", but all 3 albums are only 69 MB, so I said to myself, "Self, why not post them all?". Not really a discography either, just the 3 LPs. What you have here is 3 albums by a band who played melodic hardcore pop punk (if that makes any sense from bumfuck Pennsylvania which none of you will download because it's not atmospheric sludge. I'll say this; I fucking hate pop punk. So when I post a record that I describe as such, you best believe it tears the genre a new asshole. People bitch at me that I haven't posted anything in a while; I don't get why they care. Well, I took the bus home tonight, drunk and alone, and this band (specifically the "Narcolepsy" LP) made it pretty OK. I had to walk the last half mile; I listed to "Anywhere But Here" literally 9 times in a row, and it made sense. Fit my mood perfectly. And that's why, while I sometimes cannot stand pop punk as a genre, sometimes it makes sense and it's hard not to love.

Download

edit- Sorry if this doesn't make sense, I shouldn't post at 4am when I come home drunk.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Bad Blood "Tongue-twisting Toons for Tiny Tots" LP



A first here at BAABL (what a craponym... that's a portmanteau of crappy and acronym), we have a pre-release leak of the new Bad Blood album. "Who the fuck are Bad Blood, and why should I care? Post more sludge metal, pussy!" is probably what's going through your mind right now, and I can't blame you. Bad Blood is ONLY the biggest band in, well... my living room. Eh, yeah, so this is my roommates band's new LP, which is coming out this week on Deadbroke Records, but ignore the fact that I live with them, and also ignore the fact that I used to be in this band (especially considering, at the time, the band played solipsistic (you like how I worked that word in? don't I sound like a real record reviewer now?), uninspired melodic punk rock. I got in a fight with one of the guitarists over some stupid shit and drunkenly quit at 3AM, vowing never, ever play with him again. They got a little better and I sort of regretted quitting. Then they went on a tour and that guitarist quit upon return, anyway, and they started writing really awesome, AmRep/Touch & Go style jams. Then I kind of really regretted quitting, but what can you do? Now, I live with 2/3rds of the band, and drummer Matthew Muscles (who has to walk through my room to get out of his) frequently comes really close to catching me masturbating. Which is great, so I think I got the good end of the deal, anyway. But seriously, this is fucking great. It's slow and kind of bluesy with noisy guitars over a groovy, driving bass and pounding drums. For fans of Killdozer. Don't be a dick, just check it out. They're leaving for tour this week, which means I will be able to pleasure myself in peace, and that you should check out their myspace for dates and check them out when they come to your shitty fucking town.

Download

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Screamo Mega-Post!! (by request)

Ask and ye shall receive. King Lew asked for some good screamo stuff to check out, so here goes...



"Mohinder was a four-piece rock band from Cupertino, California. Despite their brief existence, they were considered an important feature of the California hardcore scene, and helped to define the musical genre now known as screamo. Mohinder songs tended to be short in duration, and are often characterized as being extremely intense and chaotic. Formed in 1993, they released only three 7 inch EPs before breaking up in 1994, all of which have posthumously been compiled onto one CD. Members went on to such bands as Jenny Piccolo, Indian Summer, The Anasazi, Calm, Duster, A-Set, and Makara." (wikipedia)

Download



"Swing Kids were a hardcore/emo band from San Diego California during the mid 1990s. They were closely involved with and influenced by the forerunners of the San Diego hardcore punk scene of the 1990s.
Their music was characterized by Justin Pearson's spoken/screamed vocals and their melodic/chaotic rhythms and song structures. Swing Kids were influenced by fellow San Diego bands Antioch Arrow and Drive Like Jehu. On a broader scale, their music and lyrics were influenced by post-punk.
Swing Kids carried the San Diego "art hardcore" movement past the initial wave of Gravity Records bands and through to the late 1990s, releasing a 7" EP and split 10" EP along the way. Despite their importance in a relatively small scene, Swing Kids' impact both during their tenure and after their 1997 breakup was global, thanks to many independent Zines and a US/European tour. The sound they pioneered inspired bands such as The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower, Refused, Orchid, Jerome's Dream and many others." (wikipedia. I'm lazy)
Download



Early emo band featuring Tonie Joy who later went on to be in Born Against and Universal Order of Armageddon. Crucial hardcore record if you don't have it already.

"The band's identifying characteristics, and those that distinguished them from their contemporaries, included noticeable and abrupt transitions from loud to quiet, Joy's distinct arpeggiated guitar (often undistorted and picked), and Vance's esoteric, sometimes meandering lyrical content. Earlier recordings of the band are reminiscent of early Joy Division, particularly in guitar style, while later songs embodied a less blunt approach, noted by some detractors as making Moss Icon "like Grateful Dead for punks." The band championed, among other issues, the plight of indigenous peoples of the Americas, and opposed the U.S. government's involvement in Nicaragua and Guatemala." (wikipedia)

Download



"Saetia (pronounced say-sha) was a New York City-based screamo band. Their name originates from a misspelling of the Miles Davis track "Saeta", from his album Sketches of Spain, which, in turn, was named after the saeta, a religious tradition of flamenco music. (This is similar to fellow screamo band Joshua Fit For Battle, whose name was a corruption of the traditional American spiritual song "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho"; other members of Saetia later formed Off Minor, which is the title of a Thelonious Monk composition.)" (wikipedia)

I used to see Saetia play at ABC No Rio when I was 17 or 18 years old a lot. Back then, I was really punk and only listened to bands with green mohawks and bondage pants, so I didn't really watch them too much. Boy, was I a turd.
Download

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Men's Recovery Project- "The Very Best Of..."



Yeah, pretty lazy, I know, just a wikipedia quote and a youtube video, but fuck it. This is a good collection of Men's Recovery Project stuff, and honestly, all you really need. While a great band, there's only so much you can take in one sitting.

"MRP were known for their often extremely short and sometimes theatrical/performance art style sets. Sam McPheeters occasionally dressed as Patrick Henry while playing. The rest of the members sometimes wore masks, ladies lingerie, or children's clothing.(see video below)

The roster for Men's Recovery Project included members from such groups as Wrangler Brutes, The Locust, Melvins, Thrones, Rah Bras, Le Tigre, and Six Finger Satellite."




Download

Passive Aggressor- Demo



Haven't posted in a while, so sorry. Yeah, like anyone gives a fuck. No one downloads anything except for a few of the metal records, and certainly no one ever comments. Fuck you. Regardless, this is a recent demo from Brooklyn locals Passive Aggressor. Everyone compares them to the Jesus Lizard, but I don't really think they sound like the Jesus Lizard. In fact, whenever someone compares a band to the Jesus Lizard, I know for a fact that they're definitely not going to sound like the Jesus Lizard. Passive A sounds like they LOVE the Jesus Lizard, but nobody sounds like the Jesus Lizard. Except maybe for The Jazzus Lizard. What you do get is 4 songs of well played post-hardcore with those angry/bored at the same time somehow female vocals that the kids are all into these days. Definitely worth checking out.

Download

Saturday, June 27, 2009

This is fucking amazing...

from yahoo news...

Filipino inmates in `Thriller' video stage tribute
AP, Jun 27, 2009 7:40 am PDT

The Filipino inmates who shot to global fame with a YouTube video of their "Thriller" dance swayed and stomped again Saturday in a behind-bars tribute to their idol, Michael Jackson.

After being told of Jackson's death Thursday in Los Angeles, the 1,500 inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center hit the exercise yard, practicing for nine hours Friday night — and into the wee hours of Saturday morning — for the show. They took breaks only to eat or when it rained, said professional choreographer Gwendolyn Lador, hired by the prison to teach the inmates the dance. (read more)


Thursday, June 25, 2009

KARP- "Suplex"



Up for your consideration is the late, great KARP's second LP, "Suplex". Released on K records in 1995, this is my favorite KARP LP. For those not in the know; Karp existed from 1990 till 1998. Members went on to form Big Business (the best reference point I can think of if you haven't heard the magic that is KARP: Jared Warren's vocals are unmistakable, but KARP is way more of a punk band), The Whip, and Tight Bros from Way Back When. KARP is a little known acronym; Kill All Redneck Pricks.

I'm pet sitting in Boerum Hill, and they have cable, but I'm really sick of watching Law and Order. This episode is about a bounty hunter, though, and that's cool. Also, I saw this insanely racist commercial for Kool Aid last night. I was really stoned, so maybe I imagined this, but it was a black father and son sitting in the woods fishing. All of a sudden, you see the Kool Aid Man and a bottle of Grape Soda with legs running on a log in the lake, until the grape soda falls off the log. All the while, the father and son look on intently. I swear I am not making this up.

Myspace
Download

Monday, June 22, 2009

Please Inform The Captain This Is a Hijack- both albums


PITCTIAH was the project Mike Kirsch was involved with in 2000-2003. Musically, no where near as poppy as the stuff he did with Pinhead Gunpowder, and not as abrasive as Torches To Rome or Bread & Circuits. There's also this whole weird electronic thing going on, more as intros to songs and as in between song samples, but Kirsch does them all himself, and as far as electronica goes, it's all pretty cool. Mike Kirsch is one of the most interesting guitarists working in the hardcore/punk dialect, and this is some of his best stuff.

I feel bad that I don't have more to say about this. I think as many people read this blog for the angry ranting as they do for music. I'm not too pissed off this week, what can I say?
Myspace (fan site)
Download

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

I Hate Myself- "Ten Songs" & Everything Else


Back when I was young and really punk, I used to go to emo shows sometimes with my punk friends and drink beer in the parking lot and make fun of all the emo kids, because they weren't different just like us. It was pretty stupid. After a long and depressing period where I worked the graveyard shift at Kinko's on Long Island (I was living in midtown Manhattan at the time. It makes no sense, I know), I started dating an emo girl. Even before that though, I loved this record. It is hotly debated whether this band was serious or a joke, but regardless: they had the whole loud/soft/screamy/singy thing down to a science, and out of all the other bands of their ilk, they were the only one to sing about drinking 40's and huffing gas. "10 songs" (they didn't actually title their records; the other ones are called "3 songs", "4 songs", etc.) is their quintessential album. The second download is everything else they ever recorded (besides this one Spoke cover off some comp that isn't all that great anyway), which is just as amazing, but 10 songs is the cr00sh jam. I would ultimately describe this as emo for people who don't like emo.

Myspace
(This is a fan myspace page. I think it's fucking hilarious that whoever made it took the address www.myspace.com/noidearecords and No Idea records had to go with just /noidea. I'm just sayin'...)

Download "10 Songs"
Down everything else