Pollution - 120608 CS

Artist: Pollution
Album: 120608 CS
Release: 2009
Label: Vinyl Rites

Tracklist:

1. Upsidedown Trough [Live]
2. Failure [Live]
3. Black Commune [Live]
4. tiny.black.burns [Live]
5. drop.die [Live]
6. Reds [Live]
7. Fuck Hope [Live]
8. The Crazy Girl (Black Flag)
9. Familiar And Plain (Honor Role)

Pollution is back in a big way with this cassette, which consists of a live documentation of their insane live show and two covers on the flipside. First off, while minimal, the packaging on this release is still very impressive and continues the winning streak of quality releases from Florida's Vinyl Rites.

While this tape does somewhat function as a stop-gap release between their last two tape and vinyl releases and their upcoming stuff (which will be amazing!), it's still great. While obviously not the same as being there, the live set captured on the A-side "120608" is great. The set list is strong and the sound quality good. They also keep things around fifteen minutes, so it never becomes stale. Also, and maybe this is just the quality of the recording at play, but the sporadic clapping in between songs from the potentially-confused audience is pretty funny. That's just my interpretation, though. They probably loved it!

The real reason to check out this tape, though, is the B-side, humorously entitled "Copyright," which consists of two covers. The first of their covers is "The Crazy Girl" by Black Flag. It's not surprising at all that a band that has been described as sounding like, among other bands, later-era Black Flag, would cover them. Also, I bet at least half of these dudes saw them play this song live, so they've earned it, baby. The cover is slightly faster than the original and consists of both reverbed vocals and a little more riffing, branding it with the Pollution stamp. The second cover is "Familiar And Plain" by the Richmond hardcore band Honor Role. To be honest, I had never even heard of this band, but when I saw them play this song live I was absolutely blown away by the heaviness. While the studio recording doesn't capture that raw energy, it's still incredible and might be my favorite of the two covers.

There aren't many copies left if you're not an NYC-resident, so be sure to order from Vinyl Rites ASAP. Also, get stoked for future releases. I know I am.

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-Adam

I Owe My Soul and Every Ounce of Social Credibility I Possess to Adam: Top Ten of 2009

"How quaint of you. What are you VH1?" This was the reaction that I was met with when telling a friend about having to compile a year-end list for ICDT. In truth, I felt a little hackneyed, or inauthentic writing this up. By January I can hardly remember any of the year's releases. This list does not represent the most artful, sincere, or necessarily worthy albums of 2009, but just those records that come December were still being played along side other releases from years past.

Notables:

Viper - Committing the Seven Deadly Sins CS

This debut cassette by the surreptitious "Viper" has been in my car tape deck since I received it in early January (much to the dismay of my friends and loved ones). Viper play a brand of UK inspired, Japanese d-beat to a tee. Probably because the bands members are hardened criminals, I've heard, that live somewhere in Upstate New York, or maybe Canada. Thematically wicked, lyrically horrifying (not in a good way), with wicked good parts. Catch them at Chaos in Tejas. But beware, these men should be considered dangerous.

Nomos - Demo (Deranged)

Dustheads wasn't really my thing so I was uncertain of what to expect from this band. I was shocked by this demo. It's great! Nomos is anti-trend biting unapologetic hardcore band made by unapologetic hardcore kids. In an age where hardcore seems to be ignoring the plea, "How much art can you take?" Nomos offer up punk music that still maintains it's ignorance (in terms of sound style), but is high-quality (in terms of lyrical content, and aesthetics, in my opinion.)

Cult Ritual - Self Titled LP (Youth Attack!)

I had expected that this record would make my top ten list originally, but ultimately held back. This is not because of a hype "backlash" or due to some pseudo-elitist contempt for the popular. This record deserves every ounce of praise that it has received since its release. I am putting the Cult Ritual LP on my notable list ultimately because it receives less play by me then the other records in my top ten. This is only because I find it difficult to listen to individual tracks without going through the entire record. It is a great album.

Aerosols - Self Titled LP (Youth Attack!)

What a ridiculous year for the YA imprint. Aerosols are at it again, with this eleven-minute hardcore onslaught. This band always surprises me. They are billed as degenerates, weirdos, and long-hairs but have an innate capacity to deliver timeless, hardcore gems that spin through my head for days. 100% hardcore hatred. Make jocks pay.

Slices - Self Titled 7" (160h)

Not groundbreaking, but certainly not lacking in originality, the Slices ST 7in rules. I don't really know where this sound of hardcore is coming from (historically speaking), but I love it. Sludgy, sometimes fast, degenerate vocals, etc.


And here is my top ten in no particular order:

Axolotl - Of Bonds in General CD-R

I have been sleeping on this artist for the past few years despite my admiration of the Not Not Fun label. Axolotl has done several releases on this cool vinyl and cassette brand, only one of which I have in my possession. The “Loci” imprint put out Of Bonds in General as a CD-R limited to 200, with plans for vinyl on the annoying Catsup Plate. If anyone actually owns a copy of this and is interested in parting with it let me know. Of Bonds in General is three masterfully executed noise tracks. The opening track begins with what sounds like the string section of a symphony tuning, and then builds into a discordant but beautiful lead of (electronic?) violin. Distorted, strangely syncopated electronic drums carry it. The second song gracefully moves between melodic static, and eerie, chirping rhythms. The third track is the same. All can properly evoke sadness, or joy.

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The Rival Mob - Raw Life LP

A strange Lockin’ Out release that FINALLY arrived in my mailbox yesterday. This includes re-recorded tracks from the band’s demo. The Rival Mob play hardcore that is underrepresented these days; it is hard but not for the sake of being hard, it is embittered but pointed, it sounds like a millennial Cro-mags. The bands' members are that group of Bostonians who apparently only play hardcore (DFJ, Doug Cho, etc.) Expect fat guitar riffs played incredibly fast with appropriate breakdowns. Favorite track is the ambiguously titled "RxCxBxSx". It is an incredible mid-tempo hardcore anthem (listen for DFJ's hidden, right hand power). Missed these guys at Edge Day while waiting for a friend to call and sneak me into the show in his bass drum. But, hey, an afternoon spent in a parking lot in Revere, MA is not one wasted.

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RVIVR -Life Moves 7"

I was just recently exposed to RVIVR (and for that matter, Shorebirds) and immediately fell into a kind of giddy spell because I love the over-the-top vocal styling of Matt Canino. Sometimes I'm late on arrival for stuff like this. I didn't really discover Latterman until just before their official break-up in 2007. I did a breeze through the Shorebirds material and then discovered RVIVR whom I love. It took me forever to hunt down a copy of the Life Moves 7" online but I finally found it in Razorcake distro. Another reason ICDT <3 style="font-style: italic;">Life Moves 7" is four tracks of high-quality melodic pop-punk with dual male/female vocals. RVIVR has great lyrics which fluctuate between introspective, and socially aware. "Plenty of Town" and "Scrooged" may be my two favorite songs of 2009. Enjoy!

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Masshysteri - Vår Del Av Stan LP

I never got to see the Vicious. Their records warmed on me after the band had broken up. Luckily for me there is Masshysteri, who released a 7" in 2008 and this amazing LP in 2009. Masshysteri do several Vicious covers live, and did so when they played with an amazing line-up at ABC No Rio last spring (Blank Stare, Antidote). Many of the other reviews I've read of this have called Vår Del Av Stan surf-punk or surf inspired but that has never really struck me. The guitar lead is loud in the mix with a heavy chorus effect on most of the songs but it just sounds like early punk to me. The whole album carries an almost mournful, and paranoid feeling. Excellent song writing. I wish I spoke Swedish, because the words on this record are sung so soulfully.

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Confines - Demo CS

This demo was posted already, but had to make my year end list. I haven't heard such hardcore in years and am excited for great things from this band. Confines is four hardcore stalwarts, and some of the best songwriters in the North East. They have composed an incredible demo, perhaps the most noteworthy hardcore of 2009 . As also noted by poster Catherine, they have the most dynamic vocals in the current hardcore cosmos.

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Ryuichi Sakamoto - Out of Noise

The Japanese transplant to New York, and master of minimalism was back in 2009 with what he does best, delivering twelve tracks of spacious instrumentals. My relationship with Sakamoto is love and hate. In all of his warm electronic composition there is a lot of gold, but also a lot of mind-numbingly bad genre-bending. The Vrioon LP with Alva Noto is my favorite Sakamoto record and Out of Noise comes pretty close as an album in quality. Lots of keys still, but also a greater variety of instrumentation, and electronic sounds. 8 out of 10.

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Salvation - Of Unforgiving Wind

In what might have been Youth Attack's "sleeper" release of 2009, Salvation's Of Unforgiving Wind has been on my record player with more consistency than any other record this year. Why? Of Unforgiving Wind is multifaceted. Different elements kept getting through to me as I listened to the album. At first, it was the rich and thick production. If you listen to this record enough you begin to pick out all the interesting guitar leads that sort of ride the top of the noise wave. And when it comes down to it, these are just supremely written songs. Of Unforgiving Wind is filled with anxious sounding stomp-ers, sassy rhythms, raw punk speed, and elements of what I think resembles early melodic hardcore (ala The Faith, at least in one track). Sorry all, no repress in the pipeline, to my knowledge.

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Merchandise- Terminal Jagger Jane's Addiction Boxset CS

It took me awhile to realize that there were more than two songs on this tape. After, "White Walls", the opening distorted vocals, engine gunning punk anthem, the other songs flow into each other seamlessly. Starting with "History Repeats (God Bows To The Past)" the three remaining tracks flow into each other as if they were one epic. This tape takes so many different twists and turns in volume and tempo that it was hard for me to keep track of the changes while listening to this tape over and over again in my car. One garage sounding punk song, and three epic testaments to the best of early 90s rock music make a bizarre, but ultimately redeeming listen.

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Weed Hounds - Demo

I still haven't had the chance to see this new New York band. Probably because they are from Long Island, and their itinerary for the comings months only includes two shows. I am disappointed because the Weed Hounds cassette was one of my favorite plays of this year. Here are four tracks of raw, dreamy pop music, over-driven just enough to make you feel like you haven't settled into soft, easy-listening adulthood.

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Social Circkle - City Shock

Don't know what to say about this band except that every release since U.S.S.A. has shown a vast improvement on the former. This album is packed with modern classics, and as a whole is very cohesive. More than any other No Way band Social Circkle represents the spirit of revival that this label is trying to accomplish. It's new, but obviously pays homage to the past. The sound is not trying to recover lost recording techniques or sound quality. "Out of Focus", "Under Suspicion", and "Third Shift" are some of my favorite tracks but its all good.

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-Colman

How I Got Cult Rich: My Favorite Releases of 2009

Like last year's list, this is just as hard and frustrating to complete and I will probably regret a lot of my choices in a few months time, but oh well. Like last year, there are many releases that didn't quite make it on my list that I would like to give praise and thanks to. Also, note that I haven't received my copy of the Bastard Noise/The Endless Blockade LP in the mail, so that's why it's absent from my list. Anyway, here are the notables:

Nomos - Demo - One of the few Brooklyn hardcore bands that I'm really into. This release was a very solid start (I think I like their live show and where they've come more than the release itself) and now that the band has become better and better live, I expect really great things from them. Don't fuck it up, Michael. The 7" version of their demo is still available here.

Slavescene - Demo II - The band's recordings have finally caught up with their live show. This demo and the b-side of their 7" are mindblowing. I am so excited for what this band churns out next.

On Various Days - Demo - I normally hate when people include their own material in record deals, but this was so good I can't even remember what I initially traded for. This is Andy from Brain Handle doing dreamy/shoegazey stuff. I'd feel bad including this in the top ten because it's only three songs, so I'll put it here because it's really worth your time. "Fall Behind" is one of my favorite songs of the year. Word.

Brain Killer 7" - One of the sweetest bands going at the moment. I didn't like their 7" as much as the demo, but they're both fucking incredible and their brand of punky hardcore just rules so hard. You can get this 7" here and the demo 7" here.

Social Circkle - City Shock - Definitely my favorite No Way release of the year and a certainly a punk favorite, this rager is full of mini-gems. Because it blows by so quickly and is so addicting, you'll be listening to this endlessly. The mysterious G-Baby was supposed to review this, but he never did...

Punch LP - While it didn't have as much lasting power as I had hoped, I still really enjoy this record. Fast, female-fronted hardcore done right.

Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. 2 - This sequel to the 1995 classic is nearly as perfect as its predecessor. I suppose I had given up on every Wu member other than Ghostface (though, I'm close at this point), so this was a most unexpected surprise.

Human Mess - Follow You Home - Violent hardcore on No Way bearing similarities to very early Poison Idea. Coming in at around ten minutes, this is a super sweet listen. Get into it.

Incapacitants - Box Is Stupid - An amazing boxset of some old and some new material by the Japanese noise legends. It took me forever to get through it, but it was well worth it. My brain still hurts. I would like to provide this to you, but it's more than eight hours and 900 MB of music, so go fuck yourself.

Drunkdriver - Knife Day 7", Fire Sale 7", Mattin Collaboration - 2009 was an incredible year for this band. I can't really rank their releases because they were uniformly excellent. One of the best bands going today.

And there was the list for all those who weren't quite good enough to cement a place in my heart. Here are the real winners:

10. Wasted Time - Futility

Nothing revolutionary here: just the best straightforward hardcore release of the year. Wasted Time's first two 7"s were really cool, but holy shit is this LP incredible. I even like it more than the new Government Warning album! Richmond continues to be the best source of 80s revival hardcore. Some people may be tired of it, but there are always bands that excel and are truly something special. Someone's gotta keep carrying the torch...

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9. Pollution - n.s.DRUGS CS

When I first saw Pollution I was so stoked. These 30-something longhair (and one shaved head) metal dudes managed to merge the *shredding* of metal with the attitude of hardcore and are just as excited about their craft as a bunch of fifteen year-olds who just started their first Minor Threat cover band. Existing above most of the plagues (pun!) that pervade underground music, Pollution's n.s.DRUGS tape towered above most of their peers from Brooklyn. Similarities to Black Flag, Rorschach, and Born Against have been thrown around, but Pollution is their own beast. I am so excited for what this band does in the future! Did I mention one of them is a dad???

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Buy 7" Version Here



8. Merchandise - Terminal Jagger Jane's Addiction Boxset

Merchandise is one of my favorite bands going at the moment. Their first CD-R was mostly excellent and ended with one of the coolest songs I'd heard in forever. So, when I put in their new tape I was expecting to be let down just because "It's A Man's World" was the perfect song for me. Was I disappointed? Yes, at first, but then the tape began to grow on me and I realized that it's actually far superior to the CD-R. The band has progressed so much, as well as had their hearts broken in ways far worse than on the CD-R. For the sake of the music, I hope terrible things happen to these dudes. :-*

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7. Paintbox - Trip, Trance & Travelling

Here's where the list jumps great bounds ahead in quality. I knew that Paintbox was great, but this great? Trip, Trance & Travelling is seriously one of the year's grandest accomplishments. Forerunners of the "Burning Spirit" punk subgenre in Japan, Paintbox have created a psychedelic hardcore masterpiece with this double LP. This album is the sound of triumph put to music.

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6. Low Threat Profile - Self Titled 7"

OK, WTF? Good powerviolence being put out in 2009??? A miracle! Oh wait, this was recorded almost a decade ago. The planets have realigned. Phew. Andy from No Comment on vocals, Matt Domino of Infest on guitar, and, uh, that guy from Lack of Interest on drums. I hate that I can't remember his name, because he's just as responsible for the kickassness of this album as the others, if not more. SERIOUSLY, THE DRUMMING ON THIS IS INSANE! I would even say it rivals Downsided. But yeah, this EP is incredible, fast hardcore that, unsurprisingly, is light years ahead of anything trying to ape the style they revolutionized in their other bands. You need to get this.

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5. Slices - Self Titled 7" [16oh]

Don't get me wrong, dudes, I love Brain Handle, but I gotta put it to the Slices bois: they are the best thing going on in Pittsburgh right now. I missed their most recent D.C. show by minutes (dammit Megabus!) and then the blizzard kept me from traveling back to N.Y.C. to see them play my apartment. GODDAMMIT. Anyway, their two 7"s this year are both perfect, but I'm more partial to this one on 16oh. A-side is made up of three furious bangers, while the B-side is a heavy-as-shit, slow-build with an incredible payoff. Just wait for their LP, it's even better.

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4. Lotus Fucker - Self Titled LP

I'm predicting that this will be the release that really launches Lotus Fucker into a place of recognition that they deserve. After hearing their LP, I've realized that their demo, while awesome, didn't have the production values that served the band as well as this. With this album, I've realized what the band is actually trying to sound like: more stripped down and raw. This is some of the best American raw punk to come out this year. Not as noisy or as indecipherable as many of their Japanese counterparts, as well as steeped more in hardcore, the Lotus Fucker LP is hands-down an incredible achievement. I'm not allowed to post this yet, as there has been a delay at the record plant, but you can watch the band play the A-side of this record here.

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3. Weed Hounds - Demo

This was definitely the biggest surprise of the year for me. I randomly found their demo on a messageboard describing themselves as being influenced by Swirlies, Dinosaur Jr., etc., what I found was a band that sounds like a lost Slumberland shoegaze band. I was immediately blown away. These four songs were not only sufficient enough for a demo, but could have made an excellent (short) LP, as well. I'm so in love with these four songs and I'm so excited for all the new releases they have planned.

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2. Lady GaGa - The Fame

If Trey is going to count this, then so am I! I would be lying to myself and the reader if I didn't place this album so high on my list, as I have been listening to this album non-stop for months. I fucking love Lady GaGa. I own this and The Fame Monster on vinyl and I've found that half of my daily conversations revolve around the topic of our inevitable marriage. The Fame is one of the best pop albums I've ever heard from this decade. It loses some steam towards the end, but the first half is pure perfection. With her over-the-top presence steeped in electro-pop and queer theater, it's nearly impossible to hate on Lady GaGa. Still, her charm manages to elude many and I just can't understand it. Say one more word about my fiancé and I'll fuck you up and get high.

This was the last write-up I came up with for this list, mostly because I added it last minute (originally, The Fame Monster was #10). What else can I say? This is better than all the other clowns on my list.

Download Here??? (Never! I wouldn't want you stealing music from my benefactor. Plus, we don't want to get in trouble with Google.)

1. Cult Ritual - Self Titled LP

Boy, was this album a point of contention within the "punk world" (a.k.a. in the internet) in 2009. The band blew the fuck up and, as expected, there was the mandatory backlash. Even I knew kids who at one point liked them and owned some of their earlier material that not only pretended like they were never into them, but actively shit-talked them. Decried as hipsters (LOL, clearly these folk never met the herbs of Cult Ritual) or, even worse, as insincere, Cult Ritual was the target of str8 h8. And if hate wasn't bad enough, people were buying their records just to flip for exorbitant rates. It was an unfortunate fate for the band, but we should take a cue from a revered hardcore deity and let the past be the past.

None of this should matter, though, and I'm bummed that most of this write-up revolves around shit other than the music, because it fucking rules. I'm not too cool to continue to love this album and most of their other material. My past review of it may have been steeped somewhat in hyperbole, but I meant everything I said about it: this record really was the best record of 2009 and I absolutely love it.

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-Adam

2009? More like 200bust

This year was not too great for punk. I found myself quite disappointed with most punk releases this year. Maybe my expectations were too high. I doubt it though. Get ready for some pop.

Notables:

• Paramore - Bright New Eyes. First and foremost, fuck y'all. I'll put up whatever I want. This shit is catchy as hell.
• Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You. A fantastic follow up to her great debut album Alright, Still. Unconventional lyrics and a very airy sound for a pop star.
• Cold Cave - Love Comes Close. I saw this group not too long ago and I thought I'd hate it. I was so wrong. Although I was the only person not dancing (of course I wasn't dancing. That's what the third X is about), I loved every second of their set.
• Gucci Mane - The State Vs. Radric Davis. Top 40 rap at its best or worst depending on how you look at it. The first track is a serious banguh.
• Cult Ritual LP. I encourage everyone to go a couple posts back and look at Adam get called a Cult Ritual dick rider. Hilarious.
  

On to the meat:



10. Trapped Under Ice - Secrets Of The World

The first five tracks are quick, hard, and bro-as-fuck (should've stayed Gemini and not The Gemini). As 95% of hardcore LPs go, should've been a 7". Wignorance everywhere.




9. Lady Gaga - The Fame

Technically this is 2008, but it didn't catch fire until 2009 and the deluxe edition that has the best tracks back to back to back to back to back came out in 2009. Just dance, it'll be okay.



8. Tegan and Sara - Sainthood

They don't stop. Third album in a row that doesn't really have a song that doesn't hook you like a catfish.



7. Nomos - Demo

I really don't get why this band is grouped with the hip hardcore crowd. This shit is short and sweet straight hardcore. It's a bummer that I only saw them once during my month long stay in New York.

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6. Lil Wayne - No Ceilings

I was referred to this mixtape after I posted The Dedication 2. Ever since then this hasn't been too far from my ears, much to my last.fm's dismay.

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5. The Ambulars - Summer Of The Ambulars

Let's add to the hype. This band is fucking great. They take their collective love for Alkaline Trio (the clavicle cover was great) and go places with it. Stoked for the new line up and more shows in 2010. Andy bangs the drums damn well.

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Get this in your hands by emailing michaeldcantor@gmail.com



4. The-Dream - Love Vs. Money

Terius Youngdell Nash is a force to be reckoned with. His lyrics dominate the pop world. This album has a slight lull in the middle, but opens and closes perfectly. Still jocks Prince, but definitely does his own thing. The song "Fancy" is definitely the song of the year. The beat is flawless.



3. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. 2

Holy Shit! When I heard he was doing a sequel to my favorite hip-hop album ever, I was really worried. He had put out shit since the first Cuban Linx, so who would've thought he would come out with an instant classic? Not a single song on this is bad. Jadakiss and Styles P probably have the best verses of their fucking awful careers. Get this shit or die.



2. Turboslut/Pygmy Lush Split LP

Really, Catherine? Just Turboslut's side? Pygmy Lush's side massacre's Turboslut's side. PL is the only post-pg.99 that I have ever really enjoyed. Mount Hope was perfect and their side of this split takes it a notch. PL's schtick is that they have soft songs and then fast, hard songs. Normally, this is a terrible formula because the band is simply not in touch with one or both of the genres they are attempting to do and then inevitably mixing the two and making a big mass of recorded garbage. The Lush boys just don't do that. Their hard shit is in the vein of pg. 99's fast non-clappy stuff. Their soft stuff (my fav) is just incredible. I don't even know what to call it. They invented their own sound during Bitter River and have perfected it with their last two releases. The best damn track on this whole release is "Affluence At The Altar," PL's grunge-ish song. It rules.

Turboslut was awesome. I know it was made for the ladies, but I enjoyed it anyway. I really think if the adult contemporary [read: hip] hardcore crowd wasn't such a dudefest (not unlike all other hardcore) that this band would've taken off more then they did. Slower and better then their first jam.

Can you tell which side I like more?



1. Slices - Self Titled 7" [16oh]

It's fucking perfect. There isn't a single bad thing about this 7". Speechless. I'm so bummed I missed them when they came to DC. Poor planning on my part and it took Adam fucking forever to get out of his room and onto the bus.

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Punk really disappointed me this year. I wasn't into P.S. Eliot's new jam and Cheeky's What The Heck 12" left me completely unfulfilled. However, I did really love the shows this year. I saw EyeHateGod on a booze cruise. I saw Life Of Agony play River Runs Red in it's entirety. And this year will be no different. Seeing EyeHateGod again and road tripping with people I love to Atlanta and seeing Floor. And Timber is back together. Fuck yes.

Sorry about the lack of links. Since most of my list is pop, we run the risk of getting this operation shut down if we post the links. And some people don't want their entire releases up for free. I'm sure youins are smart and already know that if you type "site:mediafire.com [name]" into google that you can find basically anything you want.

Hey punk. Get your weight up.

-Trey

Favorites of 2009

Here are some of my highlights of music in 2009. I'll try to keep it pretty short & sweet.

Starting the year off with Cheeky and Screaming Females in January in Brooklyn... one big awesome pop-punk dance party. (Plus this is the first time I met Adam, so that's probably really what this is one is really about.)

P.S. Eliot, Little Lungs, Hop Along, and Foreign Objects in July... an awesome show followed by drunkenness, a silent dance party, and lots of other things we probably can't remember.

The Record Hospital turns 25! Teenage Cool Kids, Failures, Dead Dog, and Daniel Striped Tiger show in September... insane dance party for TCK and a special Harvlard rendition of "Write Back Soon. Is it cheating to add the vinyl release of Queer Salutations to my favorites of the year too? I'll just give a shout to it here instead since the album really came out a couple years ago. Failures live is not so much my shit (sorry). Dead Dog were great and I got an awesome t-shirt and beer cozy! Daniel Striped Tiger's last show before hiatus- miss you guys! And then an orgy in December- lots of old DJs visiting (Fat Day, Pissed Officers, oh my!), revisiting our predecesor (Plastic Passions), and culminating in doing some favorites of '08 & '09 with Milli and Christa while somewhat delirious from 3 to 5 am.

Kamikaze Tailspin- the best blog while it lasted.

Lots of reissues- maybe some of these were in 2008, but highlights include a lot of the Frontier catalog (especially Dangerhouse, Vol. 1) and the Bloodstains compilations.

And my top 10, in no particular order...



P.S. Eliot- Introverted Romance in Our Troubled Minds

After picking this up at their aforementioned show, it scarcely left my turntable this summer (or even this fall really). I've raved about this on end before, so I'll spare you, and just direct you here. And guess what- they're touring again in March with Virginia's the Two Funerals!

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Punch - Self Titled LP

You'll probably realize that my list doesn't really include a lot of hardcore; while I do love it, it's not the shit that really gets me jazzed for the most part. When I first put on Punch's LP in the hallowed halls of WHRB's rock lounge at the beginning of last summer, however, I couldn't help but fist pump. Furiously fast, fastly furious.

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The Diamond Sea - Slow Signal 10"

I managed to see this band three times in four days at the beginning of their East Coast tour this summer, and I instantly fell in love with this record. Sleater-Kinney meets Gang of Four from this Australian band, who are unfortunately about to call it quits.

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The Men - We Are the Men 12"

"EVERYTHING'S SO SPECIAL, EVERYTHING'S SO FUCKING SPECIAL!" "Ailment" is definitely one of my favorite songs of this past year. Despite the fact that it surpasses the six-minute mark, I played it on my show just about every week this fall. I think the A-side takes the cake in my book, but the grungier B-side slays as well.

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To buy, Paypal $12ppd to markperro@gmail.com



Brilliant Colors - Highly Evolved 7"

I think "Highly Evolved" made it on just about every mix I made this year. Brilliant Colors' lovely post-punky pop would probably do it alone, but then lump it in with a bit of queer love nostalgia... I'm pretty helpless.

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Turboslut- their side of their split 12" with Pygmy Lush

And another one bites the dust... This material gets even darker than their Order of the Turboslut tape with doomy hardcore tracks like "Speed" and "Eulogy" and even more samples. My favorite, though, is the faster "Exorcism."

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Cheeky - What the Heck? 12"

So maybe this is a little bit of nostalgia since Cheeky are no more. I saw them three times in 2009- at the show I mentioned in January, at their last show ever Thanksgiving weekend, and my personal favorite, their set at April's Record Hospital Fest- awesome pop-punk played at hyperspeed! Anyway, Cheeky do pop-punk right. I don't think What the Heck? quite reaches the standard of Choke on a Cheeseburger and their Art of the Underground Singles Series 7", but a best of 2009 list would be seriously lacking without this record. Just as snarky as ever.

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Boston Demos - Foreign Objects, Bloody Gears, Confines, the Waifs, and Libyans

I'm cheating and throwing in Libyans' Crash Course 7" here too as a short format release from my current hometown. Foreign Objects Wire-esque post-punk kept me dancing throughout the year, and they consistently are one of the tightest live acts. The Bloody Gears demo didn't really seem to get the hype that it deserves- five songs from a more hardcore version of Leatherface- hell yes. Confines features one of my favorite hardcore singers, Andrew from Cut the Shit. Their set at the Cult Ritual/Diamond Sea show at the end of June was one of the most energized I saw all year. The Waifs keep it short with three clean pop songs. I think I previously ranted about how I don't think all the Libyans-Dangerhouse comparisons are that accurate, but holy shit, Crash Course- riffs straight out of Los Angeles 1979! This 7" didn't grab me as much as their earlier releases at first, but I really got into it this summer.

Download Foreign Objects Here
Download Bloody Gears Here
Download Confines Here
Download the Waifs Here
Download Libyans Here



Fleabag - Demo

Cute as hell queer-lady-fronted pop-punk from Oakland, with a touch of '90s indie rock mixed in.

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Layers/Quake - Self Titled CS

With members of Mass Movement of the Moth and Lava Lava (among others), I kind of think of this band as a more frantic, grittier Brilliant Colors, but I think I like them even more. The thing I love about this band is a sense of urgency that is often lacking with similar pop/post-punk/art-punk/whatever groups. Whether it's the lo-fi recording or the sometimes shrieky vocals, Layers/Quake occasionally reminds me of Talulah Gosh's "Testcard Girl" or the Frumpies.

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-Catherine

Even My Favorite New Records Are Stuck in the Past: My Top 10 Records of 2009

General ICDT shit: Well, we've kind of lasted long enough to make it to two years worth of year-end lists, so this next week will be dedicated to some of our writers' haphazardly-concocted choices. After this, we will resume our normal programming. Until then, let's have Asa take it away for us:


Okay, kiddos, here tis. I'll be real with you-- I don't actively seek out new releases too often, mostly because I'm busy digging through various genres' respective goldmines of past releases. I got into a lot of these from friends' recommendation or stumbling upon the news of them during my interwebs travelings.

Free-thought association on the past year: Shoegaze, post-rock and metal just keep mixing. Swedish death metal is as tasty as Swedish fish. Dinosaur Jr can't do too much wrong anymore. Why are all girls who play in shoegazey bands really, really cute? Does Jesu being on Mark Kozelek's label mean he and Justin will collaborate?

Tribulation - The Horror

I've often stated that my love for death metal of the oldschool persuasion comes from the same place in my heart that my love for horror movies does. Tribulation, therefore, is basically my wet dream come true-- a band with a horror-film aesthetic that emulates the classic styles of Swedish death metal and its Tampa-based counterparts with superior musicianship, but never strays from the raw and dirty chainsaw guitar sound. Every superb, gore-soaked song is linked with stabs of creepy film score keyboard-- a perfectly tasteful meshing of mediums harkening back to when Entombed put the Phantasm theme in the middle of "Left Hand Path."

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Amesoeurs - Self Titled

Amesoeurs pull off an amazing feat with their self-titled final release: a record that follows in logical footsteps from their Darkthrone-meets-Slint debut EP Ruines Humaines but doesn't depend on it for reference. Sure, the aural black metal influences have been toned down some (Neige only shreds throat on a few songs) in favor of driving bass lines and post-punk clean guitar melodies, but the darkness inherent in the band's music remains unchanged. If anything, it's increased. Amesoeurs aimed to reflect the ills of modern society; here, they've managed to do so with aplomb. Sylvain's disorienting scream in the verse of the exemplary, "Heurt" is just as disorienting and menacing as anything Neige rasped previously, and proves even more powerful when contrasted with the cleaner moments of the song.

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Fen - The Malediction Fields

Amesoeurs masterfully mixed that controversially-termed genre, post-rock, with black metal on their debut EP. But that doesn't mean the parts making the whole weren't blatantly out in the open. Fen, however, masterfully mix both genres in an "unconscious way,"; dudes admittedly love some GY!BE, but aren't blatantly gonna stick a 12-minute Raise Your Skinny Fists-style valley in the middle of some icy, blasting Immortal peaks. Instead, they cover their tunes with equal parts haunting rasps, propulsive drumming, discernible melody, and lush keyboard ambiances. Most impressively, Fen know how to structure an atmosphere just as well as they do a song. The Malediction Fields is an almost-cinematic journey through a surreal, darkened pastoral world.

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Weed Hounds - Demo

Weed Hounds, I have three confessions for you. One, these four cuts reference all the good My Bloody Valentine EPs for sure-- but never get too swathed in distortion, and with nice lil' solos! The guitars sound just sunny enough! Totally awesome. Two, will you please change your fucking name? Again, demo is rule, but do you want people thinking you're a bunch of 15-year-olds who just discovered gravity bongs and Sleep's Jerusalem? Finally, I totally have a crush on your frontwoman, and not only because her voice occasionally sounds like Bilinda Butcher. Sayin'.

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Dreaming Dead - Within One

Did you ever wish that a band could be as tastefully technical as latter-day Death, but maintain a good death metal darkness? Dreaming Dead are it, and while the spirit of Chuck Schuldiner is strong with frontwoman Liz Elliot, she keeps her songwriting-- anchored by the powerful blasts, fills and other drum moves of Mike Caffell-- super-tight without being super-derivative. A promising debut.

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P.S. Eliot - Introverted Romance In Our Troubled Minds

Okay, so the fuzz was totally wiped away from the band's Bike Wreck Demo. It was as if-- much to the chagrin of a considerable amount of ICDT staff-- these three girls and one dude took mad Dust-Off to their instruments and recording equipment. But you gotta ask yourself a serious question about this here slab of DIY powerpop. Is it any less honest? Is Katie Crutchfield's songwriting any less relatable? Naw, dawg. It's great. It's sweet. It's super cute. Most of all, it reeks of conviction. What more can you ask for?

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Nirvana 2002 - Recordings 89-91

Relapse Records gave me great fuel for my Swedish death metal addiction here. These dudes were way young and never played live while active, but damn if the content of this record doesn't measure up to classic Entombed, Dismember and Desultory. The remastered demos are given particularly boneriffic, album-quality production.

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My Bloody Valentine - Remastered and Unreleased

Not really a record so much as three leaked tracks, with one rumored to be post-Loveless. It's MBV, it's got them "glide guitars" goin' on...now if only Kevin Shields could recover from the ecstasy of being able to bathe in fresh British currency everyday as a result of the bands All Tomorrow's Parties paychecks, and deliver us an album.

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Dinosaur Jr - Farm

Dinosaur Jr operate in the same manner as Bolt Thrower, and-- at the risk of being offensive here-- AC/DC. All three pump out very similar albums on a periodic basis. Difference being, of course, that Bolt Thrower and Dinosaur totally rule. ZING! But, real talk, Dinosaur's consistency is reassuring. J Mascis' guitar playing still rips, Barlow's bass and especially his songwriting contributions keep getting more promising, and Murph still slams. Maybe Farm doesn't have as many highs as Beyond did, but it sure as hell has more consistent song-to-song quality.

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Jesu - Opiate Sun EP

Damn, I thought, throwing on the opening "Losing Streak," it's Jesu alright...and it sounds...er..LIVELY?! Don't get me wrong-- I've been addicted to whatever Justin Broadrick puts out under the band name since I heard Silver several years ago. One of the inherent traits of the tunes on that EP as well as the Conqueror full-length and most of the other stuff I've heard is a wonderfully stoned, not entirely bleak sort of greyness. And while that's still present here, and these four songs aren't anything wholly new for Broadrick, there's a new sort of energy subtley propelling them along. Also, it's on Mark Kozelek's label. Bonus.

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Download "Losing Streak [Jimmy Eat World Single Version]" Here
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2009 Albums I Should've Spent More Time With:

Absu - Self Titled - So epic! Nerdy! Dark! Plus...synths.

Adam Franklin - Spent Bullets - These songs are absurdly catchy, full of conviction and simply beautiful.

Asphyx - Death...The Brutal Way - As awesome and primal as their earlier 90s material. Can't wait to see them at MDF.

Bloodbath - The Fathomless Mastery - Swedudes worshiping Morbid Angel? CAN YOU GO WRONG? No.

Church Of Misery - Houses of the Unholy - 70s stoner jams and serial killers, two of my favorite things! But these guys' weed makes them angry, not lazy.

Cult Ritual - Self Titled - I finally listened two weeks ago, and uh...whoa. I TOTALLY believe the hype.

Dysrhythmia - Psychic Maps - I always loved these dude juxtaposed Voivodian riffage with ambient drone tracks. The latter is, for the most part,sorely missing on this release.

MF Doom - Born Like This - Not that bad, but some of the beats felt a little flashy and that one song "Batty Boyz" reeked of homophobia.

Subarachnoid Space - Eight Bells - And I have no excuse, because I was on tour with you guys.

Velnias - Sovereign Nocturnal - And I have no excuse, because I was on tour with you guys.

Zombi - Spirit Animal - I love Surface to Air like none other, yet I still have yet to buy this. Epic fail.

-Asa