Crossed Out - Self Titled 7"

Artist: Crossed Out
Album: Self Titled 7"
Release: 1991
Label: Slap-A-Ham

Tracklist:

1. Internal
2. He-Man
3. Locked In
4. Fraud
5. Crown Of Thorns
6. Force Of Habit
7. Crutch

"Why? Because man will always be man."

So goes the final song on Crossed Out's legendary 7" on Slap-A-Ham, which is surely one of the heaviest songs ever recorded. I'm sure many of you already have this, but I've been listening to this (my third favorite powerviolence 7" from the 90s) a lot lately, and just felt like writing about it. Yeah, you can get their pretty awesome discography relatively easily, but this 7" is really all you need from the band. Pissed-off and raw, alternating between fast and slow, this is one of the quintessential powerviolence releases and definitely one of the best hardcore records of the 90s. Classics range from the attack on machismo of "He-Man" to the ultimate misanthropic anthem of the aforementioned, ultra-heavy "Crutch." There isn't much to say about this other than if you don't actually have this or have never heard it before, then you need to get on this. Seriously.

Download Here

-Adam

Pygmy Shrews - Big Time CS

Artist: Pygmy Shrews
Album: Big Time CS
Release: 2009
Label: Work To Death

Tracklist:
1. Catheter
2. Scavenger
3. Shithead
4. Lucky Me

Pygmy Shrews played DNA Test Fest last month. I had been looking forward to seeing them since the fest's lineup had started to come together - I'd seen pretty much all of the other bands, but they had an awesome sound based on their Myspace tracks, as well as a killer pedigree (more on that in a bit). I had high hopes, and they absolutely blew me away. Along with Slavescene, whose cassette was posted a couple of months ago, Pygmy Shrews are probably the best new band I've heard in 2009 so far, and this is a must-listen for fans of noisy music.

Earlier this year, Pygmy Shrews emerged from the primordial ooze of Cutter, who were the latest in a long line of incestuous NYC noise-rock bands (the Fugue, Amelia Earhart Found Alive/FACE!, Archaeopteryx) featuring the same core of members. Cutter featured firebrand frontman Joe Somar, formerly of the Fugue. I saw the Fugue a couple of times in high school, and I also saw Somar's balls a couple of times. Cutter released a 7" and a "discography" release; I've only heard the 7", but outside of a great line about "sucking cock with a broken jaw," it's not particularly memorable. Fortunately, the Shrews reconvened as a lean three-piece at the end of 2008, comprising Ben Greenberg (Zs, the Fugue) on guitar, Tia Vincent (the Fugue, FACE!), and Jeremy Villalobos (Drunkdriver, Whip and the Body) on drums. They wasted no time writing a set of harsh, no-bullshit noise-rock that's actually fun - and actually FUNNY.

After the In Utero-style mega-riffing on opener "Catheter," Pygmy Shrews break into "Scavenger," a slower song that pounds away under a lead blanket of guitar feedback. The vocals are low in the mix, low enough that it's tough to make out the lyrics - a good thing in my book. It's followed by the 45-second hardcore song "Shithead," which reminds me equally of an outtake from the Flex Your Head compilation as it does Harry Pussy at their most aggressive. In the chorus of the song, Greenberg barks, "I'm a shithead, I'm a shithead, I'm a shithead, what are you gonna do?" These guys have a sense of humor that they know how to use effectively, managing to be both self-deprecating but confrontational at the same time.

This tape was originally printed in an edition of 100, and is temporarily sold out; the band let us put the tracks from this cassette up on the blog. An LP is coming out on Missoula, Montana's finest noise-rock label, Wantage USA, sometime this summer - if songs like "Shame Canal" and "Your Party Sucks" on their Myspace are any indication, we have a LOT to look forward to from Pygmy Shrews in the coming months.

Download Here

-CB Radio

Paul Giovanni - The Wicker Man OST

Artist: Paul Giovanni
Album: The Wicker Man OST
Release: 2002, 2007 (Recorded 1973)
Label: Silva Screen, Canal

Tracklist:

Silva Screen Version (2002)

1. Corn Rigs
2. The Landlord's Daughter
3. Gentle Johnny
4. Maypole
5. Fire Leap
6. The Tinker Of Rye
7. Willow's Song
8. Procession
9. Chop Chop
10. Lullaby
11. Festival/Mirie It Is/ Sumer Is A-Cumen In
12. Opening Music/Loving Couples/The Ruined Church
13. The Masks/The Hobby Horse
14. Searching For Rowan
15. Appointment With The Wicker Man
16. Sunset

Canal Version (2007)

1. The Wicker Man (Main Title)
2. Corn Riggs 1 & 3
3. The Landlord's Daughter
4. Festival Photos
5. Loving Couples
6. Willow's Song
7. Maypole Song
8. Beetle
9. Ruined Church Sequence
10. Corn Riggs & Fireleap
11. Fireleap (Reprise)
12. Graveyard Sequence/Tinker Of Rye
13. Tinker Of Rye, Pt. 2
14. Festival
15. Masks
16. Hobby Horse & Tarring
17. Search 1/Baa, Baa, Blacksheep
18. Search 2
19. Hand Of Glory
20. Procession
21. Chop Chop
22. Horn At Cave/Cave Chase
23. The Anointing
24. Hum
25. Approach
26. Summer Is A Coming In
27. The Wicker Man 3

The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy, 1974) is probably my favorite psychological horror film. It concerns the trials and tribulations of a chaste and righteous Scottish detective on the island of Summerisle off the coast of mainland Scotland and his fatal interaction with the local, pagan (read: horny) population in his attempts to locate a missing girl. If you haven't seen it, you should. Seriously.

Like the film, this soundtrack of pseudo-acid folk is loaded with a lot of uncomfortable and cryptic sexuality. Paul Giovanni's compositions (as well as the traditional songs) perfectly match the atmosphere of the film, making his soundtrack(s) for the film perfectly-executed. Split between beautiful, softer folk ("Corn Riggs," "Willow's Song," etc.) and pub rave-ups ("The Landlord's Daughter") an ominous eroticism permeates the veins of this score, leaving the listener feeling more bothered than hot. The aforementioned "Willow's Song" (one of my favorite songs, period) has been covered perfectly by Nature And Organisation, competently by Sneaker Pimps ("How Do"), and allegedly by Death In June.

As you may have noticed, I have upped two separate versions of the soundtrack in this post. There is a long and uninteresting story as to why there are two different versions, but all you need to know is that they are drastically different. The Silva Screen version (2002) was released to be an improvement of the Trunk version (1998) and included studio versions of many of the songs from the film as performed by Paul Giovanni and his band Magnet. The Canal version (a more exhaustive version of Trunk version from 2007) is derived from music-and-effects reels of the film.

Which is better? Well, the Silva Screen version contains much more polished versions of the songs and includes one of the fan favorites from the film "Gently Johnny," but I much prefer the Canal version. You see, due to its source, the Canal version acts and sounds a field recording of the film, making it seem like you are present with a cheap tape recorder for all the shit that's going down Summerisle. The songs are more lo-fi and raw, but this makes things not only creepier, but more psychedelic and druggy. This is what the film's score should sound like, which is why this is the superior version of the two. However, not all agree with me, so I've provided both links below. Enjoy one or both.

Download Silva Screen Version Here
Download Canal Version Here

-Adam

Susumi Yokota - Sakura

Artist: Susumi Yokota
Album: Sakura
Release: 1999
Label: Leaf

Tracklist:

1. Saku
2. Tobiume
3. Uchu Tanjyo
4. Hagoromo
5. Genshi
6. Gekkoh
7. Hisen
8. Azukiiro No Kaori
9. Kodomotachi
10. Naminote
11. Shinsen
12. Kirakiraboshi

Yokota Susumu (横田進) is an electronic artist from Japan who is well known for his ambient electronic pieces. He started in the 90’s, experimenting with house and techno, and in 1999 became well known in the electronic world as one of the most talented composers of electronic. He, like all electronic artists ever, is very stylish in his apparel.

After hearing this album for the first time, it has become very dear to my heart. Since then, I have been listening to it over and over again. This has to be one of the most elegant and accessible electronic albums out there. The tracks are very instrumental, which makes it different then most other electronic albums that I love. The lighter tones of instrumental electronic help the album attain its very ambient foundation. Also, vocal samples are mixed in at the right times, adding a variation to the rhythm in some cases, make this album perfect to chill the fuck out with some homies. Half the album doesn’t even contain drum beats, but rhythm seems to seep from the synthesized, instrumental elements. It’s crazy! My favorite tracks are: はごろも、小豆色の香り、子供たち、 新鮮、and きらきら母子。 [ICDT: We have no idea what songs these are. Thanks, John...]

Seriously peeps, enjoy!

Download Here

-Johnny B

Eggplant - Partial Discography

Artist: Eggplant
Album: Partial Discography
Release: 1994-1997
Label: Pop Narcotic, The Bus Stop Label, Elefant

Tracklist:

Because Some Things Are Meant To Be Throwaway 7" (Pop Narcotic, 1994)

1. Playing God
2. Don't Shout Me Down
3. Bitterly Happy

Sweet Anarchy 7" (The Bus Stop Label, 1994)

1. Your History, Is Not My History
2. All I Can Do (Leatherface Cover)
3. Often I Lie
4. Still We Fall (Into The Same Trap)

Crushed By Ale (Elefant, 1995)

1. Played For And Got
2. Exactly The Same
3. It'll Make You Wanna Throw Up

Catboy/Catgirl (Elefant, 1996)

1. No, I Need The Change
2. Stuff
3. Mealymouth
4. Saragossa Girl
5. Look No Further
6. Backwards Child
7. Can't Get Better Than This
8. Suicidearama
9. Chasing Shadows
10. Bitter (ish)
11. Washing Machine
12. Needle In The Red
13. Dolly Mixture
14. New Life
15. We Only Wanted To Be Loved

Whirl-Wheels: An International Pop Conspiracy Compilation (Shelflife, 1996)

1. How Does Ed Cope?

Girl Wants A Dinosaur 7" (The Bus Stop Label, 1997)

1. Candy Floss Conspiracy
2. Big Red Rock Eater
3. Chips With Everything

One of my favorite twee pop bands, U.K.'s Eggplant remain fairly unrecognized. The band takes its influence from legendary acts like Shop Assistants, Talulah Gosh, and Dolly Mixture (duh). I discovered the band when I received the Because Some Things Are Meant To Be Throwaway 7" when it was included as a freebie in a record trade. It initially caught my eye as it had some really awesome packaging and the purple vinyl was mesmerizing. Pop Narcotic, Great Job! Anywho, I got some really cool stuff in that trade, but I would have never expected the Eggplant 7" to end up being my most listened of the bunch.

The band's first two 7"s, the aforementioned Because and Sweet Anarchy, are the band's finest material. Both of these are blasts of pure, sugary twee goodness with Because Some Things Are Meant To Be Throwaway being the noisier and more energetic of the two, while Sweet Anarchy is just loaded with brilliant pop melodies. These are two of my favorite indie pop releases, period.

The following Eggplant material isn't quite as good as their earliest material, but that's not to say it isn't great. Despite being their weakest release, Crushed By Ale is still a very enjoyable listen. They contributed a track entitled "How Does Ed Cope?" to the Whirl-Wheels comp on Shelflife, which oddly reminds me of Elastica sans keys and synths. Their lone LP, Catboy/Catgirl, contains some of the bands best material. The main reason I don't rank it as a favorite is that this band (and let's be honest, twee, as well) is best enjoyed in smaller doses, so as not to overdose (pun intended) on the Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bomb-quality of the music.

The final release from the band was the Girl Wants A Dinosaur 7". Before I had heard this, I read a brief review of it online in which the writer described it as dissapoining as their music had taken on speed-punk qualities. Bracing myself for some radical change, I put the 7" on to discover that it was exactly the same as the rest of their material. What an ass. The first track is probably their fastest song (as well as one of their best), but the other two are standard Eggplant. Girl Wants A Dinosaur is almost as amazing as their first two 7"s, meaning the band ended on a very high note.

I apologize for this massive write-up, but it's so hard to write only a paragraph about six different releases! Or maybe it isn't. Who knows? I have titled this the "Partial Discography" as I could not procure mp3s of their single-sided 7" I Believe In The Loch Ness Monster, as well as a lone track on the Mixtophonia 1997. If anyone has these, you should send them our way. It would be greatly appreciated! Anyway, enjoy this collection of some of the most underrated twee/indie pop of the 90s.

Download Here

-Adam

Teenage Depression - Skank Or Die

Artist: Teenage Depression
Album: Skank Or Die
Release: 1984
Label: Bulldada

Tracklist:

1. Anarchy Is For Arseholes
2. Reagan's Gestapo
3. Working For The Kremlin
4. Caught In A Bind
5. False Jesii, Pt. 1
6. Frat Party
7. Rabit Song
8. Speed Punks Suck
9. I Love Kate

Teenage Depression's lone release, Skank Or Die, is an absolute riot. While fairly standard 80s hardcore, the band injects the sound with such youthful, bratty energy and a shit ton of humor, be it lyrical (they hate everyone) or musical (just try containing your laughter during the Clash send-up parts in "Working For The Kremlin.") Seriously, this band hates everything under the sun: anarcho-punks (who doesn't?), adults, Henry Rollins (???), etc. It's great. When the band merges its humorous lyrical and musical styles into the shitty Voltron of "I Love Kate," I lose my shit every time and you will too if you don't hate fun. Get into this lost gem of poorly-recorded 80s hardcore from New Jersey and prepare to have a blast. SERIOUSLY, LOOK AT THAT COVER.

Download Here

-Adam

P.S. This was totally lifted from the scarcely updated and poorly-executed Can't Stand The 80's blog. I hear it's run by Nazis! ZOMG!

Pestilence - Consuming Impulse

Artist: Pestilence
Album: Consuming Impulse
Release: 1989
Label: Roadrunner

Tracklist:

1. Dehydrated
2. The Process of Suffocation
3. Suspended Animation
4. The Trauma
5. Chronic Infection
6. Out of the Body
7. Echoes of Death
8. Defy Thy Master
9. Proliferous Souls
10. Reduced to Ashes

First, a bit about the bleak present. Roadrunner is now home to popular bands such as Nickelback. Warner Bros also owns three quarters of it. Yeah, Opeth's onboard, and as of recently so is Porcupine Tree, but for fuck's sake that doesn't redeem the label. Nor does it make Roadrunner even remotely a shadow of its former self as gigantic factory of quality death metal releases. Cynic, Gorguts, Sadus, Obituary, Sepultura, Deicide, Death, hell, even King Diamond in the early days-- the company's earlier releases read like a who's who of awesome underground metal acts.

And one such act was these Dutch dudes. Initially more of a thrash band on their debut Malleus Malificarum, vocalist Martin Van Drunen's vocal style shift-- as well as the band's instrumental skill progression-- heralded Pestilence coming full-force into menacing, raw death metal. On this, the album whose cover art rivals any rendered for a Magic: The Gathering card, drummer Marco Foddis penned tunes about disease, death, or both, and mainman Patrick Mameli and second guitarist Patrick Uterwijk lay down catchy, crunchy riffs and Slayerish solos, but the true highlight of Consuming Impulse are the demented roars of Van Drunen. The tone of his pained growl is the perfect middle ground between the raspier tones of Carcass' Jeff Walker and the low-end, incomprehensible growls of, say, slam bands like Devourment. Uncalculated-but-perfect doses of insanity, primal anger, and intelligibility thrown in an aural blender and blasted through the vocal pipes of a man who sounds somewhere between a demon and an absolute madman. Mixed with the rest of the band's talent, almost every track is a highlight. But the Pestilence track of all time is undoubtedly "Out of the Body," which exhibits the band at their most powerful best, right from the simple opening lick and Foddis' boomy fill.

Mameli put the boots to Van Drunen the day touring ended for this record. The band broke up after releasing the more accessible Testimony of the Ancients and the controversial jazz-metal of Spheres. Then Mameli rehired Atheist/Cynic bassist Tony Choy (who also played on Testimony) to join him in his "gangsta metal" band C-187. It was, as expected, a total trainwreck both critically and commercially, and less than a year later the reformation of Pestilence-- featuring Uterwijk, Darkane's Peterwildoer and Choy again-- was announced. Mameli, Uterwijk and Choy, heads hairless, look like fucking Pro-Pain. Looks aside, the Samson affect hasn't entirely taken effect-- the new songs are unremarkable, but the band sound tight again. This weekend, they play Maryland Deathfest at Sonar in Baltimore, and Martin Van Drunen's bands Asphyx and Hail of Bullets will also be present. Will Mameli invite him onstage to melt faces with "Dehydrated" and other Consuming-era classics? Probably not, but a fan can dream.

Buy Here
Download Here

-Asa

Lush - Early Demos

Artist: Lush
Album: Early Demos
Release: Unreleased
Label: N/A

Tracklist:

Demo I

1. Grotesque
2. Truth Or Fiction
3. Skin
4. Sunbathing

Demo II

1. Etheriel
2. Second Site
3. Emma Vocals

Here's a real treat for you all: some early demos of U.K. shoegaze legends Lush. I'm not exactly sure where these recordings come from, other than that they were recorded sometime between 1988 and 1989, but I was so fucking excited when I found them and have been more than satisfied with them upon multiple listens.

The first demo (in all its raw, lo-fi glory) includes THREE (!!!!!) Lush songs I haven't seen anywhere else and, let me tell you, they are fucking fantastic. Each song brims with an aggression, sass, and even energy that Lush sometimes lacks, especially on their first release, 1989's still-impressive Scar. Finally, the last song on the first demo is "Sunbathing," which was included as filler on the 12" version of Sweetness And Light. In its official release form, it is the worst song from Lush's early, pre-full length period. However, this demo version is far superior. Gone are the meandering and wispy atmospherics, and in its place are actual life, which proves that the songwriting behind the song is not actually what killed it.

The second demo is more bass-heavy than the first, but sounds much worse. It's kind of charming, actually. It features two songs from the Scar 12", "Etheriel" and "Second Site," both of which sound pretty similar to the official versions and are both very good. The final track, when I got it, was labeled "Emma Vocals" and I have no idea what it is, other than totally incoherent and indiscernible. Once you get past that, though, it reveals itself to be a very interesting listen. And hey, at least most of us haven't heard it, so it will sound fresh. While inferior to the first demo, the second is still well worth the listen.

I hope some of you are as excited I am about this collection of rare Lush. Four of the seven songs here are unreleased and unheard of by most Lush fans, so their exclusive nature alone warrants a listen, but let me tell you: these demos rule, even without the standard, studio-produced guitar-bludgeoning for which the band is known.

Download Here

-Adam

P.S. I think the titles for "Skin" and "Truth Or Fiction" are mixed up, but I'm not entirely sure...

Team Dresch - Personal Best

Artist: Team Dresch
Album: Personal Best
Release: 1995
Label: Candy-Ass/Chainsaw

Tracklist:

1. Fagetarian And Dyke
2. Hate The Christian Right!
3. She's Crushing My Mind
4. Freewheel
5. She's Amazing
6. Fake Fight
7. #1 Chance Pirate TV
8. D.A. Don't Care
9. Growing Up In Springfield
10. Screwing Yer Courage

First off, I think this album is more important on a personal note to a lot of people rather than making great strides in the pop punk/indie rock world... some people have swim coaches, others have Kaia Wilson or Donna Dresch. Maybe it's a little self-indulgent or obvious to have someone singing about having her heart broken by some stupid asshole straight girl, but sometimes it's necessary. And aside from a few other bands around this time, not all that many people were doing it. While I think queercore is kind of a bullshit genre musically, I think narratively it exists, and this is one of the best examples of it (for either definition).

Something about Kaia Wilson's voice has always slayed me (see also, Dismantle by Adickdid). And there's definitely something about Personal Best (a pretty obvious reference to the '80s film, especially with the cover art) that will tear you up. It might be a little too explicit at sometimes, but I think it's kind of necessary. I can't explain why. When I first started listening to this album, "Growing up in Springfield" would just destroy me, and still, I would listen to it over and over again.... the killer girl-loves-girl who thinks she has something wrong with her- "she told me I needed god, I told her I just needed her."

All the sort of indie queer ballads are part of why I think this album is important, but where it is really the best is with pop-punk anthems like "Freewheel." It's still got some of the same elements, but without be too self-pitying. And it's catchy as fuck. Kaia Wilson's pop-punk roots continued with the Butchies, but Team Dresch were definitely her best. This album, along with the Hand Grenade 7", are the essentials.

If you don't like this album, at least lol at the fact that one of the songs is about Sinead O'Connor.

Download Here

-Catherine

Etàt Brùt - Géométrie D'Un Assassinat

Artist: Etàt Brùt
Album: Géométrie D'Un Assassinat
Release: 1982
Label: Self-Released

Tracklist:

1. Hélicoptères
2. Intro
3. J. Michaux
4. Pôles Du Cerveau
5. Dealey
6. Plaza
7. Karol Simon
8. 7H30
9. Allright

It's back to normal around the ICDT parts, meaning most of you can start checking out our posts again. While I can't speak for everyone, I know that I certainly have OD'd on pop-punk over the past week and I'm going to need some detox. Really, though, there's no better way than some good ol' power electronics.

Introduced to me by an ex-roommate, Belgian noise duo Etàt Brùt are on the less shady side of the whole PE thing, so must of you will not find anything objectionable or questionable about my favorite release by them, Géométrie D'Un Assassinat.

This cassette came out in 1982 and still blows a lot of modern releases out of the water. The tape kicks off with the sound of helicopters and a distant voice repeating "Etàt Brùt. Géométrie D'Un Assassinat," which then leads into the song "J. Michaux." This track sets up a false precedent for the rest of the tape, as its combination of a French woman's voice and electronic pulsing create an almost-beautiful drone. The beauty ends there, however, and the following collection of minimal noise flows very well creates an extremely unsettling and forboding atmosphere. One of the only exceptions to this is the final track, "Allright," with its harsh vocals spouting off imitations of the sampled lines "It's going to be alright, Nicky!" and "Oh, you're going to die, you motherfucker!" There are no words (at least from me) that could do this effect justice, so please know that it's not as goofy as described, but instead is so very uncomfortable.

With this comes the necessary death of Pop-Punk Week. But yeah, Géométrie D'Un Assassinat is definitely one of the more accessible [read: still not accessible] releases of this type, so I encourage those of you who went crazy for Little Lungs to do so here!

Download Here

-Adam

POP-PUNK WEEK: Lefty Loosie - 100 Miles An Hour!!

Artist: Lefty Loosie
Album: 100 Miles An Hour!!
Release: 2007
Label: Fast Crowd/Repulsion

Tracklist:

1. For Evan, Wherever I May Fine Him
2. It's Okay
3. Nothing New
4. Fourteen Days
5. Bright Futures, Mature Aspirations
6. God Is Laughing
7. Tired
8. Wasted
9. Call And Response
10. It's A Mess
11. Andy's Deathray
12. Celebrated Summer
13. The Ballad Of Forget Me Now

Sloppy pop-punk/drunk pop anyone? Sign me up... 100 Miles an Hour!! by Milwaukee-based Lefty Loosie delivers pretty fast-paced punk. At the beginning it kind of reminds me of speedier pop-punk like the first Pink Razors album, but with way shittier recording. At other times, it verges more on pop/indie, maybe like Lemuria, but again if it weren't the least bit slick. Though it's sometimes total pop-punk with the "blah blah blah blah" on "Call and Response," it's pop love/crush songs like "For Evan, Wherever I May Find Him" that are the best.

I don't know if they're a band anymore (going off of the fact that they haven't logged into their Myspace for a while), but Lefty Loosie could definitely benefit from some editing... 100 Miles an Hour!! is a solid first album, but with pop-punk, the strength is always in short songs. Most of these hover somewhere in the two minute range, but some of them tend to drag a bit. That said, I still wish I were sitting out on a river drinking beer and listening to this.

The vinyl (released on Repulsion) is out of print (feel free to trade it to me!), but you can still get the CD from Fast Crowd. They've also got a split 7" on Repulsion with Pear of the West.

Download Here
Buy Here

-Catherine

P.S. There was a problem with the extraction of Track 7, but it is now fixed. Re-download if you encountered this.

POP-PUNK WEEK: Doughboys - Crush

Artist: Doughboys

Album: Crush
Release: 1993
Label: A&M

Tracklist:

1. Shine
2. Melt
3. Disposable
4. Fix Me
5. Neighbourhood Villain
6. Shitty Song
7. Tearin' Away
8. Treehouse
9. Everything
10. Fall
11. End of the Hall
12. Summer Song

As previously established, the Doughboys totally rule. For this-- their second-to-last record and 1993 major-label debut-- the quartet had settled on its final rhythm section of lesser bassist/better backing vocalist Peter Arsenault and drummer Paul Newman.

With Crush, 90% of the band's punk elements are completely stripped away. In their place? Pop. Outright, catchy-as-hell vocal harmonies even more accessible than on previous records. Polished guitar tone with just enough messiness in the playing to keep things loose and fun. This is a rare record: incredibly commercial, but entirely guilt-free. The Husker Du-influenced "honest" sound of Kastner and company's vocals are hardly gone, but soaked in just enough sugar.

It's of little wonder Crush was released in early August. With the increasing accessibility of an already-super-catchy band, there's a sound to the entire album that unshakably reeks of summertime freedom (and no, not just because of "Summer Song").

There's also not a bad song on the record. "Shine" kicks it off with a riff that, well, shines like the summer sun (and also goes great with Willow). The energy has nowhere to go but up on the chorus of "Melt"-- its soaring guitars beautifully juxtaposed with Arsenault's restrained-but-fuzzy basstone during the verses. "Disposable" continues with the quiet-verse-loud-chorus vibe with a tale of a girl who's "drunk again/on Listerine" and who's "just a toothpaste cap/falling down my bathroom sink." Another phenomenal chorus. "Fix Me" explodes with a riff that hits you face first. It's also apparently perfect for photogenic slo-mo headbanging.

While the first four tunes on the record are probably the best, the rest can still hold their own. Great choruses abound ("shitty times/shitty world/shitty songs about shitty girls"), Jon Cummins shreds short-but-sweet solos, and ultimately Crush quickly puts a smile on your face. The dude from Aversionline will totally back me on this-- a perfect slab of pop-punk-pop!

Buy Here because it's wayyyy out of print and will likely run you four bucks, tops.
Download Here

-Asa

POP-PUNK WEEK: Cub - Box Of Hair

Artist: Cub
Album: Box Of Hair
Release: 1996
Label: Lookout!

Tracklist:

1. Freaky
2. Pillow Queen
3. Magic 8 Ball
4. Loaded
5. Main And Broadway
6. Box Of Hair
7. One Last Kiss
8. Way To Go
9. Mom And Dad
10. S.G.
11. Riverside
12. Not What You Think [Live]

Cub isn't the first band people think of when they think "pop-punk." As a matter of fact, they are one of the seminal twee pop bands; "Stokage" isn't exactly the first emotion conjured up from a Cub record. Their first and last LP, Box Of Hair, is not only a departure in sound in that is punkier, but was also released on the semi-legendary Lookout! Records, the home to many pop-punk "greats."

As I previously mentioned, Box Of Hair has a slightly different sound than its predecessors. Their earlier, more minimal material (like the amazing Betti-Cola 2x7") established them as the premier cuddlecore (*vomits*) band and their mid-period (as best represented with the Come Out, Come Out 3x7") was something a bit more mature and contemplative, but still somewhat cutesy. Box Of Hair, however, is the most aggressive Cub release.

What does an aggressive Cub sound like, though? Not aggressive at all. It's still cuter than most pop-punk (let alone most pop music), but that's not important. What matters is that it's aggressive and punk for Cub. For the first time, the band emphasized the guitar over the bass and Lisa Marr's vocals have a little extra snarl to them, especially songs like the opener "Freaky" and "One Last Kiss." This ain't "My Chinchilla," brah.

Like I said before, no pop-punk purist would accept this as pop-punk, but who cares? Do you know how pathetic someone must be to actually be a pop-punk purist? That sounds miserable. Everyone should listen to more Cub. I'd like to give praise and thanks to Jacki from New Brunswick (aka "the Healthcare City") for suggesting this one to me. Cub rules. Adam out.

Download Here

-Adam

POP-PUNK WEEK: All - Allroy's Revenge

Artist: All
Album: Allroy's Revenge
Release: 1989
Label: SST/Cruz Records

Tracklist:

1. Gnutheme
2. Fool
3. Check One
4. Scary Sad
5. Man-O-Steel
6. Box
7. Copping Z
8. Hot Rod Lincoln
9. She's My Ex
10. Bubblegum
11. Mary
12. Net
13. No Traffic
14. Carnage

Honesty is a big part of our reviews here at ICDT. We try to spread our tastes and tell those who drop in to hopefully READ the reviews and not just buy/download the music posted. There's other blogs to scope if you just want dumb Rapidshare links. It's not just about the music to us, it's about what it means.

And so given the above statements, I'll keep things honest. I bought Allroy's Revenge last summer and since then I'm almost entirely sure I've never once listened to it in its entirety. What I've listened to, mostly, is "She's My Ex."

"She's My Ex" is one of those songs that has unremarkable lyrics, no jaw-dropping musicianship, and just enough catchiness, yet elicits a "man, that's exactly how I feel/have felt" when you hear it. An instantly relatable tune whose easy relation makes it all the better. And in this way, "She's My Ex" is the perfect song for anyone who's been broken up with and then has to see their old flame around. And for a verse, it also examines the phenomenon wherein post-breakup, an ex seems more attractive than before. Y'know that one, right? It blows. Stephen Egerton's riffs and Karl Alvarez's impossibly tight bass playing knock the song out of the proverbial park.

To be fair, there's a lot of other good tunes. "Fool" bounces around with a wonderful, awkward excitement over a crush and is basically the aural equivalent of an awesome John Cusack movie (and what coincidence, Say Anything came out in '89, too). "Check One" is actually rather discordant and bounces as well, but in a bit more of a chaotic fashion. "Bubble Gum" adds some squeals to Egerton's six-string arsenal. And I'm only now listening to it for the first time now, but "Mary" is a great tune that continues All/The Descendent's awkward attempts at relating with the opposite sex.

But nothing really cuts like "She's My Ex."

Buy Here
Download Here

-Asa

POP-PUNK WEEK: Green Day - Kerplunk

Artist: Green Day
Album: Kerplunk
Release: 1992
Label: Lookout!

Tracklist:

1. 2000 Light Years Away
2. One For The Razorbacks
3. Welcome To Paradise
4. Christie Road
5. Private Ale
6. Dominated Love Slave
7. One Of My Lies
8. 80
9. Andriod
10. No One Knows
11. Who Wrote Holden Caulfied?
12. Words I Might Have Ate
13. Sweet Children
14. Best Thing In Town
15. Strangeland
16. My Generation

When I was 12 years old, I first heard Green Day in the same way as many other kids: on the radio or MTV (but who can really remember through the haze of bong smoke-filled years, summer nights huffing RustOlium and trading blowjobs with male schoolmates). Anyway, when I was 12 years old, I rode my bike to the local record mart with the intention of purchasing the recently released Dookie album.

I got there to discover that Dookie was $12.99!!! $12.99 for a fucking record! I was distraught as I only had a crisp ten dollar bill lifted from my distracted mother’s purse. Then I found Kerplunk. The cover wasn’t nearly as exciting as that of the overpriced Dookie, but the price tag of $6.99 made up for that. I bought the record and as always rode home as fast as I could to listen to it. I studied the liner notes, memorizing the lyrics to every song and convincing myself that the story of the girl cutting up her parents and putting them down the garbage disposal so that she could go see Green Day in concert was in fact truth.

Over the next decade, I probably spun that LP 1,039 times while dryhumping my high school girlfriend before selling it on eBay for $160 to some asshole from Texas. I have not even heard this album in years, and I don’t really want to, but in the spirit of “Pop-Punk Week,” I thought I could share my story.

-Evander Holywar

POP-PUNK WEEK: The Bananas - Forbidden Fruit

Artist: The Bananas
Album: Forbidden Fruit
Release: 1998
Label: Recess

Tracklist:

1. Midnight At The Rendering Plant
2. Feel Good Hit Of The Summer
3. 4 A.M.
4. Sugar Bear
5. Fancy Pants
6. Butt-In-Ski
7. Indensity
8. Miracle Cure
9. Beginning Of The End
10. Forbidden Fruit
11. Feel Better
12. Enemies Everywhere
13. Pink Tuxedo
14. My Style Is Banana Style

All hail pop-punk! Or something. At first, I was dreading this week of posting, as writing about the genre is not only not what I would consider my forte, but I had already posted Discount, leaving with me with nothing obvious to write about. However, during my attempts to pick something worthy, I got "stoked," a characteristically pop-punk feeling. I am, like, so ready to do this! The album to really get me "stoked" on contributing was this one, Forbidden Fruit by The Bananas.

The Banana's first LP is one of the most energetic pop-punk albums of which I'm actually aware. It's not glossy pop-punk, however, as the sound is so very lo-fi, which (along with the songwriting, obviously) is what truly catapults it into greatness. I tend to be attracted to shitty production in most music, even pop-punk, so this album is a breath of fresh air in a genre known for a little too much sheen and not enough Estevez. Fast songs are punctuated with sloppy performances and utter silliness. It's boxxa pop-punk!

Download Here

-Adam

POP-PUNK WEEK: Little Lungs - Hoist Me Up! 7"

Artist: Little Lungs
Album: Hoist Me Up! 7"
Release: 2008
Label: Salinas

Tracklist:

1. Pet Cemetary
2. Dreary
3. Loft Coffin
4. Atlantic Bridge
5. White + Green
6. The Big Six

I was originally going to write this review as a little bit of shameless self promotion a few weeks ago, but I was crazy busy for the same reason, so it comes now. Prepare yourself for pop punk... it's actually sunny in Cambridge through some wonder. Apologies if this turns into a fan-girl rant, but this is one of my favorite things from the past year. This was put out on Salinas, which -real quick plug- you need to check out. Aside from this, Marco put out the Witches 7", which is one of my favorite indie rock releases from last year, and he's got the P.S. Eliot LP coming out soon-ish.

For those unfamiliar, Little Lungs has Angie (guitar + she plays drums in Cheeky) and Jacki (bass) dueling it out with the vocals while Josh sticks to the drumming. I think this recording may beat out Cheeky for favorite 7" of this variety from the past year (and I fucking love Cheeky), but Cheeky probably edge them out with the live act. Both of these bands though, just have so much fun/are so much fun to see play. Anyway...

Little Lungs play pop-punk/indie rock with the perfect balance of each. It kind of reminds me of some more upbeat '90s indie stuff like Superchunk or Sleater-Kinney (maybe even more than that, "She's the One" by Heavens to Betsy). Hoist Me Up! has some backed choruses you find in pop punk, but without the stuff that sometimes pushes that genre over the edge. It's the indie rock moments of this where it really shines- stop and go breakdowns, starting things off with high hats, and so forth. They've got some of the sloppiness of pop-punk without degenerating too much.

It really doesn't get any better than "Atlantic Bridge." The sweet and subtle bass lines under your usual pop-punk strumming. And as I count down the months (month at this point) and days, I can't wait for "Back when we just turned 21 couldn't forget it if I try!" to be my anthem even more than it already is. Seriously... I can't get enough.

I could go on a rant about every song on this, how they're awesome people, how I have a giant crush on the whole NY/NJ pop-punk scene, but I'll spare you. Just do yourself a favor and listen/buy.

Download Here
Buy Here

-Catherine

POP-PUNK WEEK: Hüsker Dü - Flip Your Wig

Artist: Hüsker Dü
Album: Flip Your Wig
Release: 1985
Label: SST

Tracklist:

1. Flip Your Wig
2. Every Everything
3. Makes No Sense at All
4. Hate Paper Doll
5. Green Eyes
6. Divide and Conquer
7. Games
8. Find Me
9. The Baby Song
10. Flexible Flyer
11. Private Plane
12. Keep Hanging On
13. The Wit and the Wisdom
14. Don't Know Yet

Alright kids, welcome to ICDT Pop-Punk Week 2009! The weather is warm and the sun is shining, and the music naturally fits the exhilarating feel of summer stokage. We'll be posting records that do and don't necessarily fit the formula, as many of our favorites here at ICDT corporate headquarters are bands that began as pop-punk and then branched out, sound vaguely pop/vaguely punk, or some other somehow-relevant reason warranting their inclusion. If you hate this shit, maybe it's time to take a vay-kay from here for, say, seven days. We'll be back with the usual variety then. Or maybe this is the time to actually take a plunge into an unknown world. And hey, if you still hate it, you now know not to trust our taste in music. Meanwhile, this post kicks off Pop-Punk Week and my (Asa) return to posting to lift the heavy burden of keeping up with our fanbase from Adam's shoulders.

Which brings us to Flip Your Wig. Hardly a predecessor to Dude Ranch sonically speaking, but the elements of both pop and punk are inarguably here. The instant catchiness of the title track? The Mould-fueled rage of "Divide and Conquer"? Yep, both melody and anger are plenty intact. The record melds both styles in an untraditional way, balancing 60s pop sounds with the emotional drive of Hüsker Dü's earlier, angrier, and more lo-fi releases.

A friend of mine-- albeit one nine years my senior, thus into all things punk, DIY and underground exponentially longer than myself-- once said that the Hüskers' output would be way better if all the Grant Hart-penned tunes were removed. I called horseshit then, and I'm doing so now. Hart's hippiesh blurting can be grating on occasion, but his pensive lyrics and more melodic numbers offer a perfect counterpoint to the aggravation and urgency expressed by Bob Mould. Furthermore, whereas Mould's contributions totally win over Hart's on, say, Zen Arcade, Flip Your Wig features Hart tunes that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Mould's in the quality department. Cymbals and guitar alike shimmer in "Green Eyes;" Hart proves he can do raw yelling too in "Keep Hangin' On."

But there's no questioning Bob Mould, especially not on this record, and especially not on Side A/the first seven tracks. One after another, some of the most robust and melodic tunes he'd yet to write that, like the record as a whole, balance both the band's punkier past and what would be their pop future. "Flip Your Wig" seems as though it was recorded on the rare day Mould and Hart got along; their trade-off vocals give and take seamlessly. "Makes No Sense At All" is classic Dü, and "Divide and Conquer" is perhaps the best example of the pop melody/punk anger this album is known for.

The production is also noticeably better-- and JUST unpolished enough-- because SST's in-house producer Spot wasn't manning the boards.

Oh, and skip "The Baby Song." What a joke of a filler. Really, guys?

Buy Here and help Greg Ginn feed his cats.
Download Here

-Asa

If, Bwana - Tripping India

Artist: If, Bwana
Album: Tripping India
Release: 1997
Label: Pogus Productions

Tracklist:

1. 3 out Of 4 Ain't Bad
2. Pr-Dr
3. Tripping India

If Bwana's Tripping India blew my fucking mind when I first heard it as a curious 16-year-old. At the time, I had no idea that music could sound anything like this. I was ignorant. Led by composer/performer Al Margolis, If, Bwana is (from what I've gathered) a collective of experimental performers attempting to push the boundaries of what music can be. How novel.

With Tripping India, Margolis & co. have created my favorite work released under the If, Bwana umbrella. To get an idea of what this stuff sounds like, the first track consists of three different pianists playing three different pianos at three different times, which are then manipulated and processed. The real treat on this release, however, is the "audio travelogue" of the title track. The piece is a bunch of found sound recordings (celebratory music, street sounds, etc.) from India, which when combined evokes most highly transcendent feeling in the listener.

If, Bwana deserves much more credit than they receive, as this is just one of many excellent albums Margolis has fashioned under the name. While definitely not the most accessible music (this makes fellow electro-acoustic composer Fennesz sound like Lily Allen), I would highly recommend this if you are at all interested in anything electro-acoustic or "experimental."

Download Here
Buy Here

-Adam

Biosphere - Substrata

Artist: Biosphere
Album: Substrata
Release: 1997
Label: Origo Sound

Tracklist:

1. As The Sun Kissed The Horizon
2. Poa Alphina
3. Chukhung
4. The Things I Tell You
5. Times When I Know You'll Be Sad
6. Hyperborea
7. Kobresia
8. Antennaria
9. Uva-Ursi
10. Sphere Of No-Form
11. Silene

Not that I enjoy shooting up or anything, but as I was writing the review for Microgravity, I had realized that I had loved this album more. The outstanding ambient transitions conribute to the utter smoothness of each track. Mr. Jenssen still uses vocal samples, but they aren’t as sci-fi as they are in Microgravity. However, they are still very interesting and weird as hell. There is a very trippy track called “Hyperborea,” where a man describes a vision in which his mind was “revealing itself to itself.” The sample is layered with delay, echoing into the darkness of the track. Immediately following is another vocal track containing Russian vocals entitled “Kobresia.” I had a Russian friend translate what the guy was saying, and apparently it’s a guy describing a cold and plastic or metal object. The sample is loosely translated as such:

“It is either a metal or, if it is a metal then it is a painted metal with a cold surface. It is either a painted metal or... maybe it is plastic... That's colored. That's bright. It appears that it is a toy with smooth texture, but here are some ledges... the finger even gets stuck, maybe these are some kinds of notches or maybe these are letters... Probably just ledges. Yeah, it seems like a toy. Multicolored metal, plastic, or painted metal.... Read More That's it... Stop.”

The tracks still contain some sci-fi aspects derived from dull and cold electronic tones and gloomy, ambient fades. All in all, the album is both numb and full of emotion at the same time. It’s almost as if you’re being sedated into a lucid coma, and waking up “with an endless feeling of omnipotism and confidence.”

Download Here

-Johnny B

Unrest - TB14 aka State Champs aka Tink Of S.E. aka Hitler In Germany

Artist: Unrest
Album: TB14 aka State Champs aka Tink Of S.E. aka Hitler In Germany, etc.
Release: 1987
Label: TeenBeat

Tracklist:

1. Can't Sit Still
2. Cats
3. Die Grünen
4. Holiday In Berlin
5. 91st Century Schizoid Man
6. The Hill, Two
7. Picnic At Hanging Rock (The Hill 3)
8. Love On A Hot August Night
9. The Chastity Ballad
10. Judy Says II
11. The Tundra
12. Wild Thang
13. Laughter
14. The 'S' St. Shuffle With A Beat
15. Over The Life
16. Hope

I first got into Washington, D.C.'s Unrest when I heard their 1993 (and final) album Perfect Teeth. I have always been drawn to lots of 90s indie because of the sheer nerdiness of it all. Plus, I'm naive and pretend that they weren't hip kids. Unrest is not one of those bands, however, and I would be so turned off to this band if they weren't so fucking good. Perfect Teeth and the album that preceded it, Imperial f.f.r.r., are probably their best albums (and least hip), or at least their most consistent and less frustrating. You see, their early stuff is (almost too) self-aware, mixtape-esque collections of the band not only churning out some of the best pop songs of the 80s, but also weird tape experiments, tongue-in-cheek covers (On this release they cover King Crimson and The Troggs), and other shit that the band did JUST for themselves. Admirable, but frustrating.

I still really like all of their early stuff and my favorite release from this period is TB14, a name given by fans based off the catalogue number (TeenBeat 14) , as the album was released in a pressing of 500 copies, all with different album titles and art. Yep, every single one. Other "popular" names include State Champs aka Tink Of S.E. aka Hitler In Germany, etc.

Like I said, this is a hodgepodge of different sounds and experiments. Fortunately, they are all (for the most part) very entertaining. Interspersed between these are, as I previously mentioned, some of my favorite songs of the 80s. To make things easier for you, I shall be boring and list my favorite gems from TB14: "Judy Says II," "Laughter," and my personal favorite, "Die Grünen." Seriously, the fuzzy pop of "Die Grünen" is one of my favorite songs ever. I'm not entirely sure why, but I fell in love with it from first listen. Maybe you will too? This isn't exactly the best place to begin with Unrest, but it's probably the most representative.

Download Here (First link wasn't complete, please download again)

-Adam

The Holy Mountain - Entrails

Artist: The Holy Mountain
Album: Entrails
Release: 2005
Label: No Idea

Tracklist:

1. The Lines Are Drawn
2. America
3. Lord Of All Enemies
4. Slaves
5. Entraas Putrefactas I
6. Oversight
7. ...Means You Have To Die
8. Plague Bearer
9. Entraas Putrefactas II
10. Worship and Murder
11. Hammers

This is the sophomore “long player” of defunct Tampa, Florida juggernaut The Holy Mountain. I quite enjoyed a summer full of car rides blasting their debut 12” “Bloodstains Across Your Face,” but this trumps it, hands-down. This release shows a more frantic approach to their song structure and much more solid playing by all parties involved, not to mention much more fitting cover artwork. For those of you in the dark, The Holy Mountain featured members of The Blackout Terror, Combatwoundedveteran, and a future Divisions guitarist playing blazing crust-infested hardcore with a very heavy Scandinavian vibe. Gutteral vocals spit over ripping solos and plenty of d-beats. All of their records are still available from No Idea, so pick 'em up! All Hail Florida and their ability to spew out fucked-up and amazing bands.

Download Here
Buy Here

-Evander Holywar

Henry's Dress/Rocketship Split 7"

Album: Henry's Dress/Rocketship
Release: 1996
Label: I Wish I Was A Slumberland Record

Tracklist:

1. Henry's Dress - Over 21
2. Henry's Dress - Can't Make It Move
3. Rocketship - It's Going To Be Soon

I said I wasn't going to post anymore Henry's Dress, but then I finally found mp3s of my favorite split by them and just had to break my promise! Besides, the Henry's Dress side of this is some of their best material. Real talk. This is some of their more fast-paced and exciting music. The first song, "Over 21" is definitely in my top three favorite Henry's Dress songs. It's perfect in its bouncy, noisy pop. I played this around some peeps who don't like this band and even they admitted they liked it. The Rocketship side, "It's Going To Be Soon" is a more contemplative and slow turn from the band when compared to other singles. With time, I've discovered that I find this to be one of my favorite songs from the band, despite its Christmas-y sound. However, the real treat here is both of the Henry's Dress contributions. While not always the most sunny band, this release totally is. What better way to usher in summer?

Download Here

-Adam

Label Profile: Fan Death Records

Here's the second (of an unknown amount) installment of our Label Profile series. This time around is Fan Death Records of College Park, MD, run by two dudes named Sean and Chris, two very nice gentleman! The label has quickly emerged as one of my favorites with only a few releases (including Drunkdriver's Knife Day 7") and, from what I can tell, it will only continue to improve. This isn't about me, though, so here's Chris Berry giving us his two cents:

Fan Death Records

It's 2009, ten years after Napster was released. I can't believe that - it seems like only yesterday I was downloading shitty rips of Dead Kennedys songs and having my eighth grade mind blown. There are now dozens of ways to hear pretty much anything you want to hear almost instantly, thanks to the Internet. CDs have been obsolete for years. Purchasing MP3s doesn't make any sense to me, because there's no physical object. And no matter how many major magazine articles declare "the return of vinyl!!1" thanks to Radiohead saying "fuck you" to the music industry or whatever, records will always be a niche market, relegated to sweaty dudes with receding hairlines and mild Asperger's and 16-year-olds who absolutely HAVE to have every color of every Against Me! record. Vinyl's for losers who care too much. Like us.

Sean and I met because I bought a Clockcleaner 7" that he released on his Hit-Dat label (winner of 2003's "Best Record Label" in the Baltimore CityPaper!). He was transferring into the University of Maryland, and I told him to get involved with WMUC, where I was Program Director at the time. He got a show, and we hit it off. I had released a couple of records on my own, and we talked about our respective experiences. We decided to start a label together in fall of 2008, and our first release, Clockcleaner's Ready to Fight 12" was released in January. It sold out immediately. Since then, we put out a 7" by Drunkdriver (which has since sold out), and a 12" by shoegazers Ringo Deathstarr (which is well on its way).

The New Flesh - Parasite!

Artist: The New Flesh
Album: Parasite!
Label: Maelstrom Recordings
Year: 2005

1. Scratch and Bleed
2. Hopeless
3. Pirate Stomp
4. Plastic
5. Salt
6. Scapegoat
7. Twat
8. Untitled
9. Friends of Mine

Adam asked us to upload one of our records, and we figure we'd put up a record that was really overlooked when it came out. In 2005, Baltimore's New Flesh released Parasite! on Maelstrom Recordings. This was their first full-length (and one of nearly 20 releases), and in my opinion, it's representative of the kind of noisy hardcore blur they make when they're at their peak. For reference, the New Flesh draw from the more fucked-up end of the noise-rock spectrum: the most dangerous bands on the Touch and Go and AmRep catalogs, the 90's Providence bands that were more interested in lighting shit on fire than making costumes, various Michigan haters. Being from Baltimore, they gravitated towards noise, playing the International Noise Conference in Miami at least twice and making an appearance on Hospital Productions' Tiger Tongue Pussy Cactus comp LP alongside Air Conditioning and the Vegas Martyrs. And then there are the stories that circulate about them - ditching a girl who came from Baltimore at a Jiffy Lube in Texas, or breaking up after the whole band got in a brawl over a set list.

On Parasite!, the New Flesh document a number of their best songs. The record opens with three of their more "punk" songs, which sound like they could've been Robitussin-fueled outtakes from In Utero. My personal favorite New Flesh song is track 4, "Plastic," which is based around a downer Flipper-style bass riff before the song falls apart into waves of jagged guitar squall. Throughout the record, singer/bassist Jason Donnells' voice is buried in the mix throughout the record, slurring and churning like David Yow at his most incoherent. I don't think I can make out a single lyric on Parasite!, and it fucking rules.

The New Flesh played their last show before going on a hiatus at the second night of the Fan Death-affiliated DNA Test Fest this coming Saturday, April 25, with Drunkdriver, Kurt Vile, Pink Reason, Twin Stumps, and a whole bunch of other bands. That show was insane. If you like this and do the CD thing, we have a bunch of copies at Fan Death corporate HQ. Send us an email and we'll cut you a deal, because this record rules and not enough people have heard it.

Download Here

-Chris Berry
www.fandeathrecords.com
www.myspace.com/fandeathrecords

Hex Noir - Demo II

Artist: Hex Noir
Album: Demo II
Release: 2009
Label: Occult Contemporary

Tracklist:

1. Crawl
2. Waste
3. Filth
4. Disappoint

Hex Noir are one of the more interesting bands to emerge in the shadow of punky USBM bands such as Bone Awl. If you missed their first demo, it was definitely a solid first effort, but is dwarfed when matched up with their new, second demo, a show exclusive tape limited to twenty copies. The sound of this release is notably different in that it's just LOUDER. Also gone is the Bathory-worship that was pretty prominent from the first tape. In its place is more well-conceived song-structure and an overall sound that is darker, more disgusting, and just of higher quality.

The tape opens with "Crawl," a song title that immediately made me think of the opening track of the same name from Neanderthal's Fighting Music. The association doesn't end there, though, as the Hex Noir song acts in the same way as the Neanderthal track: it's a sludgy opener to a release of fast songs and, like the Neanderthal song, it's my favorite on the release. For a band to create such a slow, dirge-like black metal jam that actually works is always awesome and "Crawl" is no exception.

As I mentioned before, the remaining tracks (the simple names ensure I will never actually learn them) are blistering, raw black metal done right. The riffs aren't as discernible or immediately catchy as the first demo, but upon repeated listens, they reveal themselves to be better. This is just a superior release.

Hex Noir is another good reason why USBM is slowly becoming interesting again. It sucks that most of us won't get our hands on this tape, but don't fret, a demo collection is in the works from the same label that is releasing this one, Occult Contemporary. It looks like it will be a tape of both demos limited to 100 copies. I will definitely update this when it actually happens. Get stoked!

Download Here

-Adam