Strawberry Story - Clamming For It

Artist: Strawberry Story
Album: Clamming For It
Release: 1993
Label: Vinyl Japan

Tracklist:

1. Gone Like Summer
2. Pushbutton Head
3. I Still Want You
4. Ashland Road
5. Close My Eyes
6. Kissamatic Lovebubble
7. Chicken Bisquit
8. Buttercups & Daisys
9. Made Of Stone
10. Caroline
11. Twenty-Six
12. Shame About Alice
13. Behind This Smile
14. Freight Train
15. Midsummers Daydream
16. Tell Me Now

Strawberry Story are yet another fuzzed-out pop band that I find myself listening to way too often. Buzzing guitars, cherub-sounding female vocals, and pleasant organs all duke it out in a cage match of twee-pic proportions. Clamming For It is a CD comp of their best material, which is comprised of a bunch of early 7" singles, splits, and flexis from various labels. While there is no particular rhyme or reason to the actual tracklisting (it's far from any chronological order,) it starts off quite strongly with "Gone Like Summer," which is one of their finest, as well as loudest, songs. The comp itself is somewhat frontloaded with 'hits,' such as "Pushbutton Head" and the beautiful "Ashland Road," though that could just be me feeling exhausted by the end of this CD. These were meant to be absorbed as singles, so when compiled together like this, the sweetness begins to wear on me, at least. Still, hits are hits and this comp has a plethora of them! Yay!

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-Adam

Grids - White Walls 12"

Artist: Grids
Album: White Walls 12"
Release: 2010
Label: Inkblot

Tracklist:

1. Locals Only
2. Bonnie
3. Home By Ten
4. Allergies
5. Erotic Love
6. Gone Soft

Records like this get me so pumped. I first heard Grids maybe a year ago when Colman reviewed their first 7" on Lunchbox and was not into it at all. Their brand of Jesus Lizard-worship was less impressive to me than even Young Widows and that set of songs was quickly forgotten by me.

Gently take my hand and time warp with me one year into the future: I'm told that Pollution (my favorite live band) is playing a show and, as a devoted follower of their live art, I blindly attend without even knowing who else is playing. I get to the popular-yet-shitty South Side Williamsburg, Brooklyn venue the show is at to find that Grids from North Carolina is playing right after Pollution. Pollution opens and plays an incredible set, as always, and I am ready to head home. Unfortunately, there aren't that many people at the show, so I feel pressured into staying so as not to be a jerk. Grids begins playing and I'm totally caught off-guard. I think, this band no longer sounds like generic Jesus Lizard worship, but instead is playing something far more intense and interesting. After their set, I make awkward small talk (the only kind I know) with the band, and manage to get myself a copy of their new 12", White Walls.

Enough of my uninteresting narrative, though, and more about this record. As I previously stated, the band as abandoned their old sound and has been rearmed with a new lineup and a new style much in the vein of 90's noise rock like Cherubs and Hammerhead, which in a time when noise rock takes itself way too seriously (i.e. abandons its punk roots in favor of an "edgy" art school angle,) is quite refreshing! Homeboy in the band who is responsible for this deserves a great, big hug. These six songs stomp, crush, swing, and pry their way through my skull and this 12" has been on constant rotation since I got it. Everything is heavier, more dynamic, and far better written.

Really, it's astonishing how the band has become so exponentially better and this is why I'm so excited about this record and any other with a similar backstory. If you heard the band awhile ago and, like me, thought the 7" wasn't your thing, then please give this record a chance. The band won't disappoint you this time [Note: This is not a guarantee.]

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-Adam

ICDT Is Two Years Old!

A few days ago, Asa alerted us that the two year anniversary of I Could Die Tomorrow was fast approaching. We got excited and were about to contact more of the contributors about planning something fancy to do for the "special" occasion, but, unsurprisingly, we just found out that our birthday was actually five days ago. Whoops! All you get is this shitty quality Altered Images YouTube video. Dammit!

Love that song [Edit: only Adam does]. Anyway, thanks for sticking around for all this time. Hopefully this thing stays afloat (we're all either super busy or have broken computers) and sorry we didn't do anything that is either special or requires any effort for y'all.

Thank you,
I-C-D-T

The Cherry Smash - West Coast Rip-Off 7"

Artist: The Cherry Smash
Album: West Coast Rip-Off 7"
Release: 1995/1996
Label: Candy Floss

Tracklist:

1. Nowhere Generation
2. Californya Bum Trip (You Made Me Hate The Beach Boys)
3. Airport Girl

What a mess of a release this is. The Cherry Smash's lone solo effort, the West Coast Rip-Off 7", is bound to remain shrouded in mystery forever. On top of being virtually unknown outside of a bunch of overweight thirty-something males (something I aspire to be,) the actual release itself doesn't seem to help its case much. It doesn't say when the record was actually put out (someone knows!), hence the 1995/1996 above. The sleeve of the record lists the second track as "You Made Me Hate The Beach Boys," yet the labels on the record has it as "Californya Bum Trip." I don't know who to trust!

Still, being the product of constant fucking up often makes a release endearing, and this 7" is no different. While I may seem a bit hypercritical above, the record actually one of my favorite indie pop releases of the 90s. From the opening chords of "Nowhere Generation," one can tell that the band is MAD California. The song is a classic pop gem if I've ever heard one and it lays out the blueprint for the band's fuzz-drenched 60s pop worship. If you didn't hear the Cali connection on that track, you'll be sure to on the next song, which begins with an extremely lo-fi and intentional mangling of "Good Vibrations" before segueing into a boombox-recorded and female-sung little ditty of an acoustic jam. The band returns to its more established sound with "Airport Girl," a song reveling in both its fuzziness and its thematic twee naïvety.

I know there are some avid followers of the indie pop way, so this is for you. Everyone else will probably hate it. I don't care. Well, I care a little.

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-Adam

Adramelech - Psychostasia

Artist: Adramelech
Album: Psychostasia
Release: 1996
Label: Repulse

Tracklist:

1. Heroes In A Godly Blaze
2. Psychostasia
3. Seance Of Shamans
4. The Book Of The Worm
5. Thoth (Lord Of The Holy Words)
6. Mythic Descendant
7. As The Gods Succumbed
8. Across The Gray Waters

Adramelech's debut album Psychostasia stands as a benchmark for Finnish death metal and stands as one of my favorites of the genre. Coming at an important time in between old and new school death metal, the album is the perfect balance of classic and tech death. Before being scared away by the "T" word, it can be said that the band is technical without sacrificing both the feeling and primitive onslaught of more classic material.

These eight tracks are uniformly excellent in both the way they flow together with one another, as well as their ability to stand on their own. And stand tall they do. Ripping solos, driving, headbanging parts, and even doomy moments abound on Psychostasia. And the riffs. My god, the riffs. I don't know where the guitarist pulled these out of, but almost every single riff on this album knocks me on my ass, every time. The only real downside to this album that I can find is that if you don't play guitar (like myself), it's nearly impossible to successfully air guitar to this one. Bummer. Still, I'll let that one slide since I can still convulse around in my bed to it.

Psychostasia is an underappreciated classic and one that demands your attention. What it doesn't do is demand too much effort, though, as its both accessible and its eight tracks and ~35 minute running time are more than manageable. You have no excuse.

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-Adam

The Ambulars - Nothing To Say From Miles Away 7"

Artist: The Ambulars
Album: Nothing to Say from Miles Away
Release: 2010
Label: Cosmic Debris

Tracklist:

1. Pilot
2. Marianne and Ferdinand
3. Ghastly District

After last summer (a summer that apparently belonged to them), the Ambulars took a school break. Jen, their bassist, goes to grad school in Chicago while Andy and Mikey held down the fort in DC. Well this summer got them active once again. With a fresh-ass EP for your ears and a slight change in line-up, they were ready for tour. Andy moved to the drum box while Danny joined up and took over the open string box position.

This EP is a slight change. First thing you'll notice is the soft-yet-blazing pop jam "The Pilot". My fav of the record by far. Very reminiscent of the style of "Daily Inheritance" from their acoustic EP, but better recorded (duh). The rest of the record gets progressive more like the pop-punk Ambulars we've all come to expect. "Marianne and Ferdinand" is a kind of cut that could easily blend in an indie-pop or pop/rock record and you wouldn't question it at all. "Ghastly District" is the closest you're gonna get to vintage Ambulars on this one. (Also, I agree Mikey, DC does suck. Move to Braddock!) The last thing you will notice is that you've listened to the whole thing and have only heard one vocalist. That's because of the move in line-up. All the songs are sung by Mikey with back-ups from Jen. I'm definitely a fan of the move. The one time I've seen them since their line-up change I was pretty stoked on it (though they weren't playing any new stuff). Don't worry kids, they still play the other songs.

Holler.

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-Trey

The Stuyvesants - Brooklyn's Finest

Artist: The Stuyvesants
Album: Brooklyn's Finest
Release: 2010
Label: Self-Released

Trackisting:

1. Brooklyn’s Finest
2.The Stuyvesant Swing
3. Keep Dreamin’
4. Bring The Horns
5. Roosevelt Projects Jam Session
6. Nyeemah’s Pocket Groove
7. There’s So Many
8. Soul & Tell
9. Do Anything
10 .W.O.M.A.N.
11. Liquid Love (A Sophisticated Meeting Place)
12. Panty Dropper
13. Took Her Curls Out
14. Seldom Seen
15. Greene Ave. Anthem
16. The Fire (Untrue)
17. Oooh Baby
18. Coming Around
19. Hustlers
20. Jefferson Ave. Theme
21. After The Rain
22. Softer Side
23. Breakfast
24. Sunrise In The Stuy
25. Pookie’s Gone

I am anything but a hip-hop scholar. Especially around these parts, where the breadth of Trey’s knowledge and writing about the genre could, in my opinion, land dude a gig at a magazine like Vibe, or at least a sweet blog.

I do know, however, what I really enjoy about the production of groups like Wu-Tang Clan, and that’s sweet, warm samples from old R&B, soul and funk records. Brooklyn’s Finest is the work of two dudes, one a DJ and the other a gigantic music aficionado, paying homage to their favorite records of the olden days and creating atmospheres of what their hometown was like back then. In doing so, they amply liberally pick, choose and rearrange from numerous works of the aforementioned genres. The record is entirely instrumental, but there’s plenty of humanity added in the regal horns, sizzly basslines, soulful vocal melodies and clackly drums-- certainly moreso, I’d argue, than in newfangled radio hip-hop’s low-ass-kickdrum-with-clicky-snare-and-viral-hook-melody formula that’s seemingly been the longtime standard. Apples and oranges, sure, but...Trey’s the expert, not me.

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-Asa

X-Ray Spex - The Day The World Turned Day-Glo 7"

Artist: X-Ray Spex
Album: The Day The World Turned Day-Glo 7"
Release: 1978
Label: EMI

Tracklist:

1. The Day The World Turned Day-Glo
2. Iama Poseur

I saw White Lung play recently on their tour with Pollution and the moment they started their awesome set, the vocals immediately reminded me of Poly Styrene's in X-Ray Spex, which leads us to this post, as the latter has been my most played band of the past two weeks for me, along with My Dad Is Dead. "Where's Our Reason Now? is such a good song!

With the blistering, feminist-tinged single of "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!," it's easy to see why X-Ray Spex's lone album Germ Free Adolescents is often one of the first albums for whom many young, female punks find themselves attached. Or so I'm told. I wouldn't REALLY know. All-man here. Still, I find myself mad obsessed with that album and their previous singles, always! The CD reissue of that LP (which includes their early, classic singles) is one of the first U.K. punk albums I ever got into and it's held a secure place in my heart ever since. The band's two unique strong points lie in the powerful, caterwauling vocals of Styrene (Somalia represent!) and Rudi Thomson's tasteful saxophone flourishes, making the album standout amongst its peers.

Yes, the aforementioned single is one of the defining moments of that era, but I find myself more enamored with their sophomore single, The Day The World Turned Day-Glo/Iama Poseur, than the first. With their first single, it was apparent that the band was clearly able to churn out high-octane, punk anthems, and "The Day The World Turned Day-Glo" is a perfect example of that. The song features one of Styrene's most powerful (or, on the flipside, annoying) vocal performances atop squelching sax and quality rock 'n' roll. It's one of the band's most well-known songs, but I actually prefer the b-side of this single to it.

"Iama Poseur" is one of the few X-Ray Spex songs in which I would say the guitar plays as important of a role as the saxophone, thanks to Jak Airport's most driving guitar work. All of this is a perfect match for Styrene's howling. Styrene's lyrical content on these two songs (as well as a huge majority of X-Ray Spex songs), which centers around what she saw as a vapid and overly commercialized Britain (and British punk scene) at the time, is both still very much real and relevant, while also (in 2010) seems to feel a bit outdated and romanticized.

I just can't get these two songs out of my head! I'm sure most of you have heard this stuff before, but for those who haven't, I hope it's as magical for you as it is for me. Big ups to Thatcher for making this band possible! Or something. I won't pretend to understand the U.K.

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-Adam

OTAN - Sociedad Desperciable 7"

Artist: OTAN
Album: Sociedad Desperciable
Release: 2009
Label: La Vida Es Un Mus

Tracklist:

1. Siempre Quedan Cicatrices
2. La Nueva Inquisición
3. No Refugio
4. Esto Es El Punk
5. Barrotes
6. Qué Días De Mierda
7. Sociedad Desperciable

Back in 2009, I had heard such incredible things about the second 7", Sociedad Desperciable, by Barcelona's OTAN, but, due to my semi-crippling laziness, never got around to listening to it until the beginning of 2010. What a herb I was, as this is definitely one of the best hardcore records last year (though, it was apparently recorded in 2007) and has been on constant rotation on my turntable for the first half of the year.

I've read that the band is of the anarchist persuasion. Normally, when I see the word "anarchist" attached to any contemporary punk made in the U.S., I often cringe and/or laugh. However, this is Europe we're talking about, a place where anarchy is not purely limited to the suburbs or Academia, so I'm guessing there is some actual validity to these claims and that the band is far from a joke.

The music itself is fast, raw hardcore influenced by both early 80s USHC, as well as southern European hardcore of the same era and is way more straightforward and to the point than this review. I actually prefer the recording of this 7" to the one that preceded it, as it has a fuller and cleaner (relatively) sound that gives it extra muscle. The band blows through these seven songs in about seven minutes, so, if you buy the record, you'll be flipping it back and forth endlessly.

Speaking of buying the record, it's still available (as far as I know) from the incredible La Vida Es Un Mus. Be sure to pick up a copy, as well as a bunch of the other gems they have put out. Also, be on the lookout for a Crisis reissue that promises to be amazing.

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-Adam

Eggplant - I Believe In The Loch Ness Monster 7"

Artist: Eggplant
Album: I Believe In The Loch Ness Monster 7"
Release: 1996
Label: Pop Candy

Tracklist:

1. No, I Don't Need The Change
2. No Hard Feelings
3. For You (I'd Build A Church)

I was one of those who fell head over heels for Eggplant when Adam originally posted their partial discography. Well here's the last little link- their one-sided 7", filled with fast-paced indie pop.

You'll recognize the first track "No, I Need the Change" from the Eggplant full-length, Catboy/Catgirl. Adam mentioned that he had been cautioned that some of the band's later material had adopted some "speed-punk" qualities. Well, I'm not really sure what that means in the world of wimpiness, but I think Eggplant's relative velocity is part of why I love them. Not like some of the super weighted down C86 stuff that gets pretty boring at times. And "No, I Need the Change" ranks among their faster paced songs and one of my favorites. "For You (I'd Build a Church)" keeps the same speed, but doesn't quite have the same pop behind it as some of Eggplant's earlier releases. Both it and "No Hard Feelings" chug along- good twee songs, but not the kind that might get stuck in your head for hours on end.

While I Believe In The Loch Ness Monster is certainly not their best release, Eggplant stick to what they do best-- three short and sweet pop songs, and I'm content to eat them up.

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-Catherine

Jeff Greinke - Cities In Fog

Artist: Jeff Greinke

Album: Cities In Fog

Release: 1985

Label: Intrepid

Tracklist:

1. Moving Through Fog

2. Urban Pasture

3. Crevice

4. Upwelling

5. Maintain Circulation

6. Scud

7. Foreign Corridor

8. Metal From The Sky

9. Offshore Search

10. Among Icebergs

While it may seem implausible to most, in high school, I had an insatiable thirst for more than just twee pop and bad hardcore. Of the countless hours I spent researching and discovering all sorts of new sounds, I spent a considerable amount of time with dark ambient music. The album that truly got me into the genre was Jeff Greinke's debut album, Cities In Fog.

Cities In Fog is one of the most chilling pieces of music I have ever heard, so much so that I once made the mistake of falling asleep to it, experiencing near-traumatic nightmares, and waking up drenched in my own sweat (and, potentially, my own urine), which places the album in very select company as an album to do this to me (if you're wondering, the other two are Lustmord's The Place Where Black Stars Hang and Lady GaGa's The Fame Monster).

Why does the album have such a profound effect upon me? It might lie somewhere in it being so naturalistic and possessing surprising depth and masterful texture. The album seems to be composed of sampled found sounds and other, subtle and metallic pulsation. If there ever was a soundtrack to a dead factory, it would be this. Many albums have postured and claimed to be soundtracks of an urban landscape or urban mold, but Cities In Fog is one of the few to actually have a right to the claim. When I listen to it, I find myself imagining myself from the third person in the sky, moving extremely slowly through, you guessed it, an empty and dead city consumed by fog. It's quite suffocating, yet strangely beautiful.

Greinke didn't pursue this sound much further than this album, though he did record a whole second part (appropriately titled Cities In Fog 2) of the album to coincide with the CD reissuing of this classic album, recorded almost exactly a decade after the original. Still, Cities In Fog is the favorite Jeff Greinke release of both Johnny B and I, and possibly my favorite dark ambient album, in general.

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-Adam