A Lot Of Little Things To Kick

so...?

2012-01-31T07:51:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been just under two weeks and it seems our section of the blogging world hasn't quite shut down yet. Some lost everything but that doesn't seem to be as prevalent as was originally thought. Granted, we still don't know what's around the corner, but for now it seems like business as usual. I don't really have any advice or contingency plan, but as shown in the previous post, we've got a man on the job should any future bullshittery arise.

That said, I do have a couple of suggestions: Idle Genocide posted something from Nigel Pepper Cock, who are/were something of a 'super-group' if you will. I'd liken them to an American Turbonegro circa Ass Cobra, perhaps a little more unhinged.

Second: Found this while searching for an NPC song ('How 'Bout A Massage?') and have been slowly reading my way through it. Thumbs up all around.

I won't say it's a return to business as usual, but the crackdown seems to have shifted into a lower gear. Don't be surprised if shit pops off again, but for now, just roll with it, I guess.

So, fellers, what's good?

Martha Stewart's Joy of Living Changed My Life

2012-01-28T14:42:00.000-05:00

Here's a little something I cooked up at the dope house...

Get it while you can

2012-01-24T18:18:00.001-05:00

"Mediafire was called to testify in the next 90 days and will open its doors to the FBI."

Shit is definitely hitting the fan. As of right now all the links I've shared are still operational, but I can only speak for myself. Toxicbreed's Funhouse, SGM and Angry Chairs have all been hit. Its only a matter of time.

Grab everything you can and fucking run.

<3 Charlie

Noise Annoys

2012-01-23T14:53:00.004-05:00

Defense Authorization (LRAD Mix)

Any/all collaboration welcome. Charlie said it needs more wipeouts. *hint* Nick *hint*

Update: Nicks' Redux
Defense Authorization (Never Surrender Remix) by Omaha Industries

It's the suede-denim secret police!

2012-01-20T06:02:00.004-05:00

I take it you've heard the news?

A bunch of blogs I frequent have basically gotten ass-jammed, this one is no exception. Word on the street is Mediafire is next.

It seemed to me that the newest crop of bands, whoever's big right now, just kinda accepted that sharing music, while not immediately profitable, was a boon to their cause. Sure, there's a certain percentage of assholes who just hoard music and offer nothing in the way of support, but it seems that there are still a large number of people who are willing and perhaps even eager to support their favorite bands. I mean, didn't Coachella sell out? Isn't MDF pretty close to selling out? Of course, these are huge package deals, but that's still a point worth noting. Didn't musicians have to rely on some sort of network of other musicians way back when, to help with orchestrating shows and getting the word out? That should be easier now than ever before. Granted, the life of a touring act can be quite haggard, but isn't that just part of the job?

Anyway...we'll have to wait and see what comes of all this. I get the feeling that it may be the beginning of a domino effect, not just for uploading sites and music sharing, but for the internet in general.

I had read somewhere that in response to MU getting shut down, Anonymous attacked a couple of government websites. The ease with which Anonymous seems to be able to shut down government sites is almost alarming. Perhaps there's a few in high places? Hard to say, considering how divided they come off as most of the time.

In regards to the article, it's kind of a bummer that the prosecution is referring to the company as 'Mega Conspiracy' because, really? Is that how you choose to perceive this? Still, though, to be entirely honest, I don't want some federal shit-head kicking in my door.

Fuck. I don't know what this means for Team Little Things, or any number of the other blogs of our ilk. I plan to keep writing (and hopefully getting better at it) and hopefully the other dudes on deck will, too, but it's hard to say where things are headed.

In any case, I hope that despite what happens, the few people who do read this shit decide to stick around and converse and trade ideas and all the other stuff that the internet affords us.

Should everything go south and the whole game is changed, thanks for reading this meandering rant. I hope that in the short time we've been around, someone somewhere discovered something worthwhile. If nothing changes, thanks still anyway, and hopefully there will be even more stuff to dig on and enjoy.

Bong rips and bacon strips to our blahg-roll and to the handful of followers we've accumulated. No love for the prosecution (eat a dick).

xoxo

Czar Nicholas
CEO and God-Emperor of Little Things, Inc.
a subsidiary of Omaha Industries

The 90s...who knew?

2012-01-18T21:42:00.006-05:00

Points awarded to whoever gets the reference in the title of this post.

I was a dopey kid in the 90s. In 1990, I was six. 90% of the music I was exposed to up to that point came from my pops, who has a pretty eclectic taste as it were. I remember getting my first stereo in '95 or so, which was a huge deal to me. It was finally possible to try out stuff on my own, make mixtapes, and most importantly, to do so at high volumes. The first two albums I owned were Mellow Gold by Beck (which is still pretty killer, if you ask me) and Superunknown, which might have been Soundgarden's high point.

That stereo lasted me through most of high school, and was a pretty crucial element in my progress as a musician. If I could count how many hours I put into learning all my favorite songs and albums note for note, well, it'd be a ridiculous amount. While most of the dudes my age were listening to radio rap and getting busy with chicks, I was hunkered down in front of my stereo, learning from Cliff Burton, Geezer Butler, Steve Harris, and so on and so forth.

I didn't appreciate the pop music of the age, and while I'm not nostalgic for the 90s like some pansies seem to be, I certainly appreciate it a lot more now. Here's some choice cuts courtesy of screwtube. Without further ado:

Chick vocalists didn't used to do anything for me. Most still don't. This song stood out to me because it may have been the first time I'd heard a girl scream in a musical context. Prior to that, it was all domestic violence charges and footie pajamas.

The pedigree of this band was lost on me until way later. This album was a lot of weird fun, from what I remember (which is, admittedly, spotty at best).

dedicated to my nigga Grimmdale:

The big single from this cat's breakthrough album; I'm pretty sure it was nominated for some big award but under the rap category. I still get an itch every once in a while to play this album (and record a cover of 'Mutherfucker').

one for my dude T-Diddy:

Punk, as a genre and lifestyle, hadn't really entered my scope until a few years later, when it was of the utmost importance to be a dyed in the wool 'trve' punk, complete with stupid hair, eyeliner, pre-fab weirdo suit, the whole nine yards. What a stupid little prick I was then. Me now would stomp the shit out of me then, provided time travel were possible.

One of my step-sisters got this album on tape, and we used to hang out and talk about stupid people at school and listen to it. She was/may still be a pathological liar. It's cool, though, God kicked her right in the baby-maker.

I don't give a fuck, I still dig on the album this came from. Also, there seems to have been a pretty distinct shift around '94 and shit just got angsty. I mean, the whole point of mainstream music is to move the product and who's more gullible than dumbass teenagers? Still, I followed trends and bought embarrassing albums because this was pre-internet, so it was a lot harder to buy into a sub-culture. I was a stupid teenage consumer in gigantic fucking clown pants:

I had a major boner for goofy mainstream industrial pop shit. Part of it had to do with my absolute love of Ministry, as Psalm 69
was downright frightening to listen to when you're entirely too high to deal with life or your parents. The other part, I guess, was the correlation I drew between shit like this and the Cars. It had something to do with embracing technology and expanding one's sound with the aid of new programs and synths and whatnot. Thinking about it now, there isn't much that separates 80s New Wave from 90s mainstream industrial swill, except for a little macho posturing. Shit.

So while I'd love to dedicate more space to it, this seems like the proper place to close:

Most 90s nostalgia confounds me to no end, as it seems those who worship at it's altar are kids who were born then and fail to recognize how much different the world was (not to sound like an oldfag); Rolling Stone and MTV were the biggest sources I could think of to cull music from, and not being able to drive really put a damper on expanding beyond that. Still, I was inspired enough to start a band that lasted a while and got some recognition and got laid for the first time back then, so it wasn't all bad. Considering how retro-trends tend to cycle, aren't about due for a JNCO revival?

Speaking of which, I leave you with what may have been the heaviest thing I'd ever heard up to that point. First time I heard it was on this late night radio show on 106.5 THE BUZZ (or some other such stupid extreme 90s nomenclature, ask Tron, he might remember...):

Cars and Girls

2012-01-18T12:53:00.002-05:00

Well shit-goddamn, it took some doing, but I finally figured out what was up with this machine that prohibited me from uploading anything (had to change browsers and resort to MU, but still, bitch about it, will ya?)

Anywho, what I present to you today is an album near and dear to me: Go Girl Crazy! by the Dictators.

For those of you not in the know, they were part of the early punk scene in New York, and totally overlooked; how often do "punks these days" name-drop the Dictators? This is a snotty record with songs about girls, cars, food, and just generally being a bored individual in the Big Shitty, all of the issues pertinent to a young Rock and/or Roller. Interesting factoid: Ross The Boss went on to play in fucking Manowar, of all bands. Weird, no? The guitars are pretty great, Handsome Dick Manitoba is great, the whole fucking thing is just a blast. If anyone digs this, I have Bloodbrothers, their next album, which is also pretty killer.

My favorite tracks are 'Cars and Girls' and 'Two Tub Man'; the lyrics are what does it for me. Dig in already, what are you waiting for?!

There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight

2012-01-17T11:17:00.000-05:00

Long Live Diamond Dave

2012-01-13T15:57:00.000-05:00

We're all friends here and I assume we all have a undying appreciation for Van Halen. Hell, even the Van Hagar days had a few jams that I can get down with.

Recently while our fair lad Jules was in town hanging out we decided to listen to the self titled album. Everyone should have been stoked right?

Wrong.

A bunch of the turds that live around here consider themselves to be pretty "varied" in music tastes, but to them that just means they switch between grindcore and fastcore.

See, me personally, I really don't dig faster jams. I've tried, but I really can't get into it.

"Oh, you have a 30 second song? How much effort did you really put into it, honestly? Why does it sound like the other 15 'songs' that you have?"

Maybe I'm just one of those dudes that don't "Get It".

Anyways, we were listening to VH and one of the local dudes defiantly proclaims "Van Halen fucking sucks". This combination of words evoked a deep and bitter rage that can easily cause me to create a hate crime. Me and Jules immediately replied with a jubilant "Fuck you, asshole" and the dude just kept going on stating that he hates Van Halen without giving any real reasoning behind it. Then one of the other dudes chimed in and jumped on the "Halen Hate" bandwagon. I made a remark that if you don't like Van Halen, you don't like music in general. A pretty bold statement I know, but I stick by my words. Then Jules began to ask the dude:

Do you like to party?

Yeah!

Do you like pussy?

Yeah!

Do you like coke?

Fuck yeah!

Then you like Van Halen, dipshit.

Needless to say that put a end to all faggotry.

Now to get to the reason why I'm writing all this bullshit. As some of you may know, the original VH lineup is back together (Minus Michael Anthony) and are touring/releasing a new album. They have released a new single and made a new video which you can watch below.

The original news of the kinda-classic lineup had me both weary and stoked at the same time. But after watching/listening to the new song, my heart was in shambles. I mean, yeah, I should have expected it but a dude can have DREAMS, right? (seewhatIdidthere)

Anywho, even though this new single blows pretty hard, I still respect the shit out of them (minus Wolfgang. Get fucked, dude. Bring back Michael).

During my daily messageboard asshole-ery, the topic of new VH came up and this is what conspired:

horseheadxbookends 1/13/2012 3:03:28 PM
hagar > roth

CharlieBiller 1/13/2012 3:05:29 PM
I will meet you anywhere in NYC right now and kill you for that comment.

Long Live Diamond Dave
/Rant

Don't Work Hard

2012-01-12T20:15:00.000-05:00

Okay, so, the usual upload sites I use are being sketchy as fuck. I'll get some shit up soon.

In the meantime:

ladies and germs, may i have your attention.

2012-01-12T09:34:00.002-05:00

Word has just gotten to me about my dude Julie starting his own blogging venture: peep that shit here and help a fledgling blog out.

I can't vouch that you'll dig all of what he posts (I thought the post tagged Harm's Way was about the hardcore band, not some nerd metal shit, BOOOO.) but there's always that chance you'll strike gold and dig on some stuff you've never heard of before.

Anywho:

Yeah, there's some jams queued up, and more general weirdness on the horizon. No excuses, just busy with some shit. Total dog shit, I know, but I've been listening to more new stuff, so, at the end of the day, everyone will benefit, or something to that effect.

Peace and bacon grease

the follow-up.

2012-01-08T10:09:00.002-05:00

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on the last post. I don't intend to make my personal shit known to the whole of the aether, because, honestly, it doesn't concern anyone else, although, again, thanks to all who responded.

It just really feels like stupidity became airborne and contagious last month; a bunch of my friends and acquaintances are making really dumb decisions, most of which don't affect me in the slightest, but there are a few that do, and, of course, no one listens to a goddamn word I say.

Anyway: I never got a chance to talk to my dude. Word on the street is he had to move out of his apartment due to some unforeseen circumstances and had to be out yesterday sometime. Haven't heard a peep. From what I figure, his phone is turned off and he's out of town. After dwelling on this bullshit for entirely too long, I've set aside whatever I need to say for when/if the time comes and have decided to just move forward.

Over the weekend, I have managed to find some great records (actual records, mind you), pick up the sticks and wail on the kit, and correspond with some local dudes about starting yet another band. I full intend to start tinkering with electronics soon, pedals and whatnot, so that's on the horizon. Ideally, a spot will open up for the night shift at the Circle K and then I can get paid to stand around and be bored. Wishful thinking, I 'spose.

Anywho, fuck this rambling bullshit. I'll do my best to keep my shit under wraps and make with the fucking jams already. As for all the positive shit I've spewed, I'll probably update y'all (even if you don't care) so...yeah.

Seriously, though, thanks for all the help.

In the meantime, until one of us here at Little Things figures out something to post, y'all should check out that Death Grips joint over at Throat Burned Out, who are one of the most consistently good music blogs out there. After my first listen through, I had to play it about 3 or 4 more times, it's that good.

So this is your pal, Czar Nicholas, signing off...til next time motherfuckers, bong rips and bacon strips for all!

i need advice.

2012-01-06T00:13:00.002-05:00

How do you tell someone that they're a chronic fuck-up and their current plan of action is absolutely the wrong idea?

My drummer and good friend has decided to marry a girl he met on Craig's List a month ago. She's got a kid from her previous marriage and from what I've heard, she has a stalker. I guess they're talking about having a kid together, which horrifies me to no end. He proposed the idea to me saying "doesn't the world need more people like us?"

No, not really. I can barely take care of myself some days; there's no room for another chronically depressed agoraphobe with poor hygiene and substance abuse problems.

Anyway: he's my dude, so it's difficult to find a diplomatic way to put it. At the same time, though, he's been increasingly flaky, which is affecting the band, or, more directly, me, personally. I'm alternately pissed and bummed out.

Do I just let it ride out and blow up in his face, or is there some way I can phrase this without sounding like an asshole?

Paul Is Dead.

2012-01-03T14:12:00.003-05:00

I went through a phase where anything even remotely "old" was derided as useless and irrelevant. Boy was I a dope.

I remember ranting against any form of Beatles worship, saying something along the lines of 'they made rock and roll safe, it's like pulling teeth from tigers.'

The early stuff serves as a starting point for all the shit that came later. It's not my favorite, but it's the beginnings of something that went on to influence countless people to form bands, write songs, embrace art, and that's still pretty fucking amazing to me. Once they started to get weird, that's where I start to pay attention. The White album is probably my favorite, but, I mean, did they ever write anything out and out horrible? That's subjective, don't answer that.

Anywho: If you can't tell, this is the moments before snapping the picture for what would become the cover for Abbey Road. Kind of interesting, if one is into that kind of thing.

Crappy Nuge Year

2012-01-01T00:00:00.003-05:00

Slayer for Christmas

2011-12-24T06:57:00.000-05:00

Every year, I try to remember to do a Christmas post of some sort, usually posting an album that has little to do with the nature of the holiday.

About 4 years ago, I played this song at midnight, while me and RJM hung out and got high. It's played every year since, and I intend to play it tonight after I get home from all the family bullshit. Don't get me wrong, love my family, just in small doses. Anyway: join me in celebrating this year by blasting Slayer at (in)appropriate hours, at inhuman volumes, and enjoy the holiday proper.

Gatronomy Grab-bag

2011-12-21T14:42:00.001-05:00

I got this unsolicited message on my last.fm earlier; "...If you like Hunab Ku, Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Mr. Bungle, etc. give it a try. Cheers! PS: please, share it if you like it! Thanks." I can get to that.

As far as I can tell the sender used to be in this band, they were from Croatia, and they really liked Mr. Bungle.

Also, Danzig?

Hesus Attor - Sonic Gastronomy Volume 1

Check it out. I did.

2011 can suck my dick.

2011-12-21T10:03:00.002-05:00

I have seen countless year end "best of" lists, and with greater frequency as the year winds down. Depending on the source, there are varying numbers of albums worth rating and compiling into lists. How in the hell does one listen to so many albums in a single calendar year?

Whenever I try to put such a list together, most of the albums worth ranking have been out for at least a year. While there are some albums that really do deserve the praise heaped on them, sometimes it takes a while for their greatness to shine through, especially in this era of immediate access to all music from anytime forever. Surely you've noticed the glut of music pumped out every year since access to the internet became widespread and recording software has become cheaper and cheaper?

Still, there are some albums that successfully caught and held my attention this year. Atma from the mighty Yob was pretty excellent. Said album was also my first exposure to them, which makes me feel like a goon for sleeping on it for so fucking long. It's hard to explain why, but it makes me think of Vitus on cough medicine; perhaps it's the bowel shaking riffage paired with a decent set of pipes?

I really dug Bermuda Drain, an offering from Prurient, another one of those artists/albums that should have been in my listening queue a long time ago. It's not your typical heavy metal vomit party (although those are certainly enjoyable when executed properly); this one's a bit more of an acquired taste, I'd say. Gutter caviar, maybe? Whatever, shit rules and will dominate my playlist for a while.

The Atlas Moth put out an album that was pretty heavily acclaimed, but once it finally came to my attention, it turned out to be kind of a clunker. It wasn't all bad, certainly, but after seeing them live, the document offered seemed to pale in comparison. They opened for Eyehategod (who used footage of the show in Cleveland for a dvd), and were a part of the Metaliance tour, and both times they were tight as fuck and presented themselves really well, just really bombastic heavy metal psych-screech, so when news of an album came about, I was pretty stoked. When various metal sites gave it sturdy and consistent reviews, I was even more stoked. Then I sat down to listen to it and it was just okay at best. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I'll give it another couple spins just in case it was me who dropped the ball and not them. Entirely possible.

I haven't heard any Mastodon since Blood Mountain, and probably won't check out the new one. Just sayin'. I would honestly be more apt to check out the Lou Reed/Metallica album first...just kidding, I'd rather slam my dick in a car door about ten or eleven times. Let's go with eleven, for posterity's sake. Goddamn if some goofy shit didn't come out this year.

What else did I have a major rager for this year? How the fuck could I forget HARM'S WAY. After seeing pictures of their infamous frontman and seeing some pretty baller live footage, it behooved me to check out some of their stuff, and goddamn it I'm glad I did; it's music for flipping cop cars and calling out assholes while jamming your thumb firmly into their eye-sockets. Holy fucking Hell, the shit makes me want to rip a phone book in half and stuff it in someone's ass, then kick open all doors just because I fucking can.

Now seems like a good time to mention the new Weedeater. This one seemed to be kind of divisive, but really, who gives a fuck. It's fucking Weedeater, just shut up and hit this already, dude.

Generally speaking, there was a lot of stuff that was just okay, namely Today Is The Day's new one, and Ringworm's new one. I love the fuck out of both bands, but they didn't really pack the proper punch. Same goes for Rwake's new one,Crowbar, Big Business...the list goes on, and we've all picked out the stinkers, so I'll leave this list alone. Maybe I was just burnt out on music at the time each of these came out, so it's not really prudent to out and out forget about them, but it was pretty underwhelming overall, especially from bands that are so fucking capable of being absolute killers.

Another thing I noticed this year that got old real fucking fast: black metal and the plague of mainstream attention. Now every stupid fucking thing under the sun is capable of being black metal or "blackened." I was never the biggest black metal dude to begin with, but what the fuck. It's existed for how many years now, with all this mythology surrounding it, and one faggy band drags it kicking and screaming into the spotlight? Shit. I'm not saying the genre isn't deserving of some level of recognition, but does it really have to be because of a shit-storm over one hipster's misinterpretation of it? Praise Jesus and pass the ammunition. Also stirring my ire are hardcore bands being referred to as powerviolence. A blip on the radar back in the 90s that influenced a fuck-ton of bands is now one of the biggest trends in hardcore, but it seems insincere. Eh, whatever. There will always be stupid shit like this in said scene, hence the continual spew of straight-edge bands, and so on and so forth, ad nauseum. Even further still: I don't give a shit about old school death metal. Or new school death metal for that matter. Basically, people went fucking insane with their descriptions of heavy music to the point of it being kind of embarrassing.

Shit, there's entirely too much dogshit to sift through, so I'll leave you with this:

Ghost fucking sucks. #realtalk

Bong rips and bacon strips, let's hope next year isn't so fucking aggravating!

noise, pt. II

2011-12-13T06:13:00.001-05:00

noise as a study of character flaws

2011-12-05T22:31:00.002-05:00

Been listening to a fuck-ton of noise (check here to see what else I'm into lately), particularly that of the Harsh Noise Wall variety. It's quite a thrill to reach that moment of stillness and for one fucking second, just have time to think and breathe. Been meaning to put a bunch of shit on a batch of tapes (namely 'One Week In A Tomb'). Have plenty of ideas for newer stuff, too. There aren't many noise freaks here in Kent, but I guess in Akron there's some semblance of a scene (god I hate that term), although from a distance, it seems kinda hippie/hipster. I don't want to watch you play with your mac, brah, just make with the wall already.

As for the video: read about it, saw various stills of it, but it's much different when there's some semblance of activity involved. One of those ideas I wish I'd have come up with. I would have made fun of the hippie types; fuck your good vibes, maaaaaaan.

Still taking submissions from potential collaborators (hit me up: nicholas.panic@gmail.com)

The end of everything to come

2011-12-05T00:17:00.002-05:00

how i do enjoy to watch them squirm.

2011-11-29T22:08:00.002-05:00

Hag

2011-11-29T01:35:00.002-05:00

Well, I won't beat around the bush: here's a slab of rage in slow motion. Caught the first track via some youtube video and was pretty blown away; enough so to seek out the rest of this album. Solid stuff. I'm pretty amped on a lot of the slow shit that's been coming out lately, which is saying something. Between this and the band Laudanum (which will probably be another post), everything feels like sinking in quicksand (I mean this in the highest regard.) Thanks to shitty Ohio weather, every day is bleak and aimless, which is right up my alley.

What else can I say about this album? It's heavy as fuck, came out last year, kinda wish I'd found it sooner, sounds great maxed out (as all great albums do.) and works well with bullshit surroundings. Don all black and grimace.

poor taste?

2011-11-27T23:38:00.001-05:00

post 666

2011-11-16T04:15:00.004-05:00

I had this plan for a mega-post, since it's our 666th post here at Team Little Things, as well as today being my 27th birthday, but my trusted upload sites are all being stupid gay balls. So I got nothing.

Now, some of you may be thinking of the Patton Oswalt joke about birthdays, which is all well and good.

I am of the LaVeyan school of thought that one's birthday is one of the most important holidays one can celebrate. As long as I don't die by aspirating vomit or dog shit or something stupid like that, it should be alright.

Hold on a minute, it's 4:20 AM...(cue Jeopardy music)

Okay, now that that's out of the way...where was I? Oh yeah. I got nothing for this post, other than an appreciation for numbers and to point out how old and out of touch with the kids I am. Get the fuck off my lawn before I go get the snow shovel and make like Conan the Barbarian.

Anybody that wants to celebrate with me should start by mixing a glass of Pretendo and watching The Devil Rides out (one of my favorite Christopher Lee movies).

Bong Rips and Bacon Strips (here's to another 27),

xoxo

Czar Nicholas

665

2011-11-15T06:24:00.002-05:00

I awoke a little before five. This has been happening a lot lately. The past few days have been spent watching the sun rise. Even if I go to sleep early, I'm up by five. It's weird. Because sleep is such a prized commodity, I tend to keep very quiet in order to allow the world around me to slumber onward in peace. While everyone else is asleep, I'm drinking coffee and listening to music very quietly and contemplating the oncoming day ahead. The cars that drive by are louder than I am; sometimes I wonder if their day is beginning or ending. If you lived on our block, you'd understand.

This morning I am listening to this, the album Dawnbearer, from the band Hexvessel. Folky stuff, I guess you could call it mellow, I prefer to think of it as calm. Language can be a tricky thing sometimes. The song titles suggest that this is an esoteric affair, one that I can get to for sure. I have to be honest, though: the first time I listened to this, I wasn't that into it. However, after another spin, it really caught on. Reminds me a little of stuff like Woven Hand (another recommendation, certainly).

Great stuff for mornings like this, when you don't need a wall of amplifiers and Tom Araya blowing your eardrums out.

Nothing's Changed Here

2011-11-11T10:35:00.000-05:00

Dwight Yoakam - If There Was a Way (1990)

even better than the original.

2011-11-02T10:17:00.001-04:00

Professional Wrestling Black Metal

2011-11-02T09:08:00.003-04:00

It's hard not to notice the recent rise in popularity of black metal. To me, it reeks of that store bought lifestyle symbolism bullshit, or like that recent divorcee who "loves and lives" Metal \m/!!!!!!

You know what I'm talking about, right?

Anyway, I hate most of the shit that's big right now. I don't claim to be trve or kvlt or transcendental or anything of that nature. I'm the type of nerd that enjoys Immortal. They have always struck me as being more than just a black metal band, though. It's ridiculous but in an enjoyable way. And for as popular as black metal may be amongst hipster beardo types, it's not prevalent enough to garner mainstream attention, at least not beyond the internet, thus, it still scares some squares, which is always a plus in my book.

The music? If you've listened to Immortal before, it's pretty much what you'd expect. If you never have: there's blast beats, blurred guitar, croaked vocals, sometimes there's a clean segue. I don't know how to explain it to anyone that's not at least peripherally aware of what it is in the first place. Your best bet is to just dig in and find out for yourself.

This particular post goes out to my good friend Grimm Dandy, who got me into black metal in the first place. If I recall correctly, this is his favorite Immortal album (unless it's Blizzard Beasts, in which case, listen to that one, too).

Side note:

VDO got shut down, which would blow if they hadn't already set up shop again. Go check out their new setup and dig on some quality jams, hm?

Ohio fucking rules Vol. II

2011-10-29T21:44:00.002-04:00

I did a post a while back about some of the sweet bands that have come out of Ohio. My inspiration was based on the sheer volume of bands I love coming from my home state. The Mid-West is generally regarded by "hip" media as being rather dull, bordering on stupid. As a lifelong resident of the Mid-West, I take a bit of umbrage with this. Cultural centers on the coasts receive much higher regard and that's acceptable to some degree, as there are simply tons of fucking people there. However, to disregard specifically Ohio's contributions to musical culture is, frankly, fucking dumb as Hell. Yeah, sure, Cali gave us Flag and New York gave us Wu-Tang, but I stand by my assertion that Ohio has thee absolute best Rock and fucking Roll bands around, hands down.

Admittedly, my initial Pro-Ohio post was rather narrow in its scope. Thankfully, Wikipedia has done most of the work, so go forth and check it out. Honestly, there are quite a few mentions that threw me for a loop. Maynard Keenan is from Ravenna? Holy dogshit. I live a stone's throw away from Ravenna and it's a total shit-hole.

I suppose on some level it gives me hope that maybe one day I'll be recognized for my own contributions to the music scene at large. The likelihood is questionable, sure, but a boy can dream, no?

Yes, I have been drinking; what of it?

bowel shakingly loud

2011-10-27T19:36:00.005-04:00

Pretty rad documentary on Sunn, if you're into that sort of thing. I know they're regarded pretty divisively. The criticism of what they do is usually reduced to something as simple as "it's just guitar noise", which I don't think anyone denies. The other thing that's kind of off-putting is the rabid fanaticism they inspire in some nerds (search for the ten minute show review by the douche in the glasses). It's hard to deny those common complaints, but further dissection of their act reveals details that some, including myself, find redeeming. I find them to be interesting, particularly Monoliths and Dimensions. I enjoy most of their output, but that particular album was head and shoulders better than anything prior. Anywho, enough of my rambling, enjoy:

chronomancy vs. titties.

2011-10-25T14:58:00.002-04:00

It ain't often that I extol a female figure (because internet porn has ruined me) but after watching this, well, holy goddamn dogshit. Maybe it's the slow motion, maybe it's the impeccable rack but...just...wow.

Observe:

Miss Tahiti shot@ 1,000 FPS www.chrisbryanfilms.com from Chris Bryan on Vimeo.

Prog as a four letter word.

2011-10-21T21:50:00.004-04:00

I can recall my first time listening to Yeti: it was flabbergasting. There are bleeps and blips, a cosmic guitar, thick bass, propulsive drumming...it's akin to kraut-rock, but without the propensity to meander and leave the rhythm section to do all the heavy lifting. Some of the changes that occur can be downright threatening, but that's part of the allure; it's kind of nerdy music, frankly, but it's well composed, or at least I find it to be so. You could call it prog, I just call it good. It's weird and spacey, lots of odd changes, and no pesky vocals to clutter it all up. Give it a listen and decide for yourself. If you appreciate technicality that's not overt wankery or just odd sounds in general, this should be right up your alley. I'm not entirely sure what to compare it to but that shouldn't be a deterrent. Seriously though, give it a spin. SERIOUSLY.

Quitarte sus problemas con Vicodin

2011-10-20T09:06:00.002-04:00

Septuagenarian Stew

2011-10-18T09:38:00.003-04:00

"Harry glanced at the drivers of the cars. They seemed unhappy. The world was unhappy. People were in the dark. People were terrified and disappointed. People were caught in traps. People were defensive and frantic. They felt as if their lives were being wasted. And they were right."
-Bukowski

Fresh.

2011-10-15T09:17:00.000-04:00

A while back, a friend of mine pointed this out to me. At first I couldn't place that sample, but, goddamn...Good motherfuckin' choice, motherfucka!

On that note: I'm working on some new stuff that's outside my normal scope of nerve eroding noise-doom, namely electronic stuff and beats. A dude I know wants to try his hand at rap, but we'll see how that goes. Regardless, I should have a few jams available soon-ish, ready made for rampant drug use and grindin' balls on bitches in 'da club.' HOLLA!

Invoke

2011-10-14T19:11:00.000-04:00

Holy mother of Kirk! Read about this band on Metal Sucks, looked up a few other jams, got pretty into it. I get serious Melvins and Burning Witch vibes from this. Great shards of noise, real plodding doom. God damn, I've been looking for something like this! SHIT.

BOOTSY'S BASIC FUNK FORMULA

2011-10-13T20:40:00.001-04:00

Free Charlie.

2011-10-12T08:45:00.002-04:00

On this day, way back in 1969, Charlie Manson was arrested for arson and jailed; the day after, Susan Atkins is arrested and subsequently coughs up info on the Tate/LaBianca murders. Charlie has been in prison ever since.

You can write to him at:

Charles Manson
B-33920
4A4R51
PO Box 3476
Corcoran, CA 93212-3476

Clean House

2011-10-11T09:26:00.000-04:00

Holy dogshit, this song is killing me.

If you'd like to peep other such jams, hit up Shiny Grey Monotone, one of my favorite blogs, and peep the post about Godstopper. Seriously, do it now!

Fall Fuck-Fest

2011-10-07T18:27:00.003-04:00

Since it's finally Autumn, I figured I'd throw together a playlist that is mood appropriate. Good for chilling on your porch in your favorite flannel and getting ripped out of your mind.

Fall Fuck-Fest

Track List:

1. Black Pyramid- Cloud of Unknowing

2. Death- Zombie Ritual

3. Elder- Gemini

4. Premonition 13- Senses

5. Hank III- The Devil's Movin' In

6. Iggy Pop- China Girl

7. Darkthrone- Where Cold Winds Blow

8. Junius- Stargazers & Gravediggers

9. Neurosis- The Web

10. Årabrot- The Wheel is Turning Full Circle

11. Lurker of Chalice- Spectre As Valkerie Is

12. Black Sleep of Kali- Big Sky

13. Dead Meadow- Let It All Pass

14. Demonic Death Judge- Fire In The Eyes

15. Earth- Lens of Unrectified Light

circle slash babies.

2011-10-06T11:16:00.002-04:00

Pictured here is Margaret Sanger, a noted eugenicist. She founded what became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Here's a little something I put together today. Enjoy.

oh shit.

2011-10-05T16:50:00.001-04:00

Steady As She Goes

2011-10-04T09:45:00.001-04:00

Shellac of North America

Grin & Bear It

2011-10-04T08:37:00.001-04:00

I know the dude on the mic. Solid cat.

Oh, rad.

2011-10-02T13:05:00.000-04:00

She deafened me with science.

2011-09-30T19:03:00.001-04:00

I don't know what reminded me of this, but allow me to the set the stage for my first exposure:

Night; earlier than you might expect. Thick smoke, poor light. Under-age drinking. Bacon grease? A time-out from The Allman Brothers, or some equally rad classic rawk radio standard, and BANG. Laughter, uncomfortable silence, more laughter, some groans. Nick had uncovered the scientifically determined "Most Unwanted" song, and we were enthralled in its essence (and probably dope smoke).

They had beat us. They blew the whole thing up. No busted stomp boxes, and resin soaked drone, no hangover-skronk could approach this delightfully un-listenable dreck that science had wrought. Dejected, we probably got higher.

(apologies if any of the events described above were fabricated. Seriously, drugs.)

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Stairway Hour.

Happy Birthday, Wino

2011-09-28T15:20:00.001-04:00

Let nature sort it out

cliff 'em all

2011-09-27T20:02:00.002-04:00

25 years ago on this day, Cliff Burton died. Total bummer, no doubt. Observing anniversaries of deaths always seemed kinda morbid fan-boy to me, but this one in particular was a huge inspiration during my formative years of playing, one of the few things for which I maintain a passion. Few play so wildly and with such vigor; surely many amongst us wonder what he would have done and how differently Metallica would have sounded had he lived longer.

A tip of the cap and a rip of the bong for this fallen headbanger.

MDF X

2011-09-25T21:50:00.002-04:00

HOLY SHIT. Just purchased our passes (all 4 mo'fuckin' dayyyz-uh). Beyond stoked. Who's going? We should fucking kick it and get shit-hammered (amongst other things, hm?)

Symbol Magic

2011-09-24T10:30:00.000-04:00

When this blog first got started, it was predominantly for sharing music. I had another blog which I used to post some techno-esoteric stuff as another outlet. But as this blog has evolved into more general sublime weirdness, it became a little bit more than just music posts. I made the decision to close down my other blog, for one reason being I never updated it, and another reason being that if I'm gonna post techno-esoteric weirdness then Little Things has become a more appropriate home for it.

One of the things I had been working on previously was a program for automatic sigil making. I came up with something that was a tentative success, despite the slight bugs it contains.

Fire it up and load a word or sentence into the program. It should produce a unique image representing that word that you can save. You might have to play with it a little bit to get a good image, the rendering code is a bit buggy, but it does work.

If nothing else, it'll make a symbol that can remind you of something dear or important to you, and nobody else will know what that is. There's a certain power to that in and of itself.

Download: Mediafire

Mandatory Suicide

2011-09-20T20:44:00.000-04:00

Y'know, I've been thinking: there isn't much in the Metal world that really gets my blood going anymore. Rarely do I come across something that whips me into a frenzy, that really drives me to circle pit into oblivion. That's fine. At least I still have FUCKING SLAYER!

The first album of theirs I had ever heard was South Of Heaven (the one that Kerry King himself deems as sub-par, a sentiment I more than disagree with). This happened after Metallica had dumped out Load, disappointing headbangers everywhere; my perception of them suffered greatly, as the first 4 were real killers in my young eyes. Anyway...after the intro, I knew right away that my alignment was askew: Slayer were the Real Kings of Thrash. As track after track filled me with a renewed vigor, Mandatory Suicide came on the stereo (my mom's; I was blaring it while she was away at work) and embedded itself into my brain. It contains That Riff. Every single hair on my body came alive and I ran around the house in a daze, barely able to contain myself. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised no one called the cops: with the double kick like a machine gun and a rambunctious youth jumping down flights of stairs and whirling like a dervish, it surely sounded like someone was receiving a beating (or worse). To this day, it remains my favorite song of theirs, and South Of Heaven is my favorite album. My favorite part of this song, to break it down even further, is the spoken word part at the end; I'll leave it here for you to mull over.

Lying, dying, screaming in pain.
Begging, pleading, bullets drop like rain.
Mines explode, pain sheers through your brain,
Radical amputation, this is insane.

Fly swatter stakes drive through your chest.
Spikes impale you as you're forced off the crest.
Soldier of misfortune
Hunting with bated breath.

A vile smell, like tasting death.
Dead bodies, dying and wounded
Litter the city streets
Shattered glass, bits of clothing and human deceit.
Dying in terror,
Blood's cheap, it's everywhere.
Mandatory suicide, massacre on the front line.

TRUTH.

2011-09-20T07:55:00.002-04:00

The lengths some people will go to...

2011-09-20T00:08:00.003-04:00

Numerous times have I driven past this exact porno store. Seems like Ohio has the most bizarre deviants. Some people just really gotta jack off.

A Giga-Volt Up The Ass.

2011-09-15T16:05:00.004-04:00

Whatever happened to Rock an' Roll? If you listen to the radio, it's a litany of slickly produced bands touting how fucked in the head they are, or how much they party, and while that seems like perfect subject matter for a rock an' roll band, there's this tedium about it because that's all they talk about. I'd name names, but it's embarrassing to admit I know more than I should about shitty radio rock bands. If you're really that curious, just turn on your radio and dial in any station that plays "all the hits from yesterday and today"; buckle in, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Well, I say fuck that shit. It's not supposed to have rounded edges, it doesn't always have that "warm yet full" sound, and there aren't near as many chicks as they'd have you believe.

It's upsetting, really.

Anyway, here's something from Electric Frankenstein. If you're into the Dead Boys, beer, the wee hours, switchblades, and disrespecting boring old people, you'll likely dig on this. Pentatonic as fuck, leads, just really catchy stuff. Honestly, I remember listening to these cats years and years ago and not really digging it, but a track of theirs showed up whilst patrolling the internet and it made me kick myself for not being into this sooner. I've listened to this album a few times in a row now, which says something, as that's not typical behavior for me. Anyway: get on it already, huh?

p.s. It's cough medicine season here at Compound North, so apologies in advance for any future weirdness. Don't judge.

BUSTED

2011-09-13T10:38:00.000-04:00

I know a lot of people who are quick to say "Fuck th' Police", a stance I more than agree with. However, few ever delve into why the pigs should get bent. Because of this willful ignorance towards law and pig behavior, those who get stopped end up taking more shit and giving up their rights, simply because they don't know and have never thought about the whys and wherefores of how the system works. It's kind of funny watching these idiots squirm, although, I have to admit, I get this feeling like a rancid beer shit is boiling in my guts whenever there is any sort of encounter with any officer, polite or not. Don't let their veneer fool you.

Although my perception of the ACLU is that they're kind of cry-babies, I can support anyone who opposes state sponsored bullying. Don't let idle threats and vague language fuck you over. Try to answer their questions with questions of your own. Refuse refuse refuse; the onus is on them to prove you did something wrong, so give them nothing.

While this does kind of come off as an after-school special, there is still important information to be gleaned from it. Watch and learn.

Iterative List of Today's Happenings

2011-09-12T16:22:00.000-04:00

8:51 - Clocked in on my phone on the Route 20 bypass.

9:03 - Pull into parking lot. Consider taking off sunglasses, but
decide not to.

9:15 - Check e-mail, no new messages.

9:20 - Decide to make a cup of tea.

9:30 - My cough is like that short wet dying cough in the movies. I
think my cubicle neighbor things I have TB.

10:00 - Decide to make another cup of tea.

10:30 - Fire open a remote connection to the development server.
Project leader is on vacation, and has blocked me from creating the
necessary classes to finish his architecture.

10:45 - Walk around like I'm doing something important. See that a
pizza delivery is being made for a lunch meeting. Make a mental note.

11:00 - Read BBC news for a half hour.

11:30 - Leave work for an early lunch. Purchase Cough Syrup and a Lunchable.

11:35 - Wave at someone I thought I went to high school with. It wasn't them.

11:45 - Drink a hefty portion of Robitussin. Float back into work.

12:00 - Stare at a screen full of code for 45 minutes in the midst of
a mild robotrip. Do nothing.

12:30 - Make a pass at the lunch room, pizza lunch meeting still going
on, decide to try back in another hour.

12:35 - Go to bathroom and play Peggle. (On my phone, not a
masturbation euphemism. Too tired to work up a boner.)

1:00 - Stare at computer screen. Decide to write code for an
inconsequential part of the system.

1:30 - Realize I've written it completely wrong.

1:45 - Go to my car and drink more cough syrup.

2:00 - Sneak by lunch room. Pizza still intact, every one else is
gone. Smash it like a boss.

2:10 - Someone asks if I got the memo about pizza. Reply that I don't
get memos, but I was a grad student for two years and if there's free
food in the vicinity I already ate it.

2:20 - Someone again asks if I got the memo about the massive
restructuring plan for the company. Pretend to act surprised and
concerned. Again realize that nobody really knows what I do, and most
probably forgot that I still work here.

2:30 - Attempt to write more code. Realize that there's a serious
problem in the stored procedure I don't have access to. Too
disassociative to try and debug. Leave a screen up with complicated
looking code on it so people assume I'm doing something important.
Stare at the screen hoping for an epiphany.

3:00 - Made a list of what I did today.

3:16 - Contemplate stealing a box of pizza from the lunch room.

3:30 - See that all the pizza boxes are in the trash. Start digging through

discarded pizza boxes. Man catches me digging through the trash. I

shrug to him and walk to my car.

4:00 - Arrive back home to nap for a 1/2 hour before going to my evening job.

Building 777

2011-09-11T09:37:00.001-04:00

The long and the short of it:

Shit's fucked. We live in a "Post-9/11" world. It is a defining moment for some. The police state grows.

Some are inspired. Like this guy:

Rubberneck

2011-09-08T14:11:00.000-04:00

"You kids don't know Grand Funk?! The wild shirtless lyrics of Mark Farner? The bong-rattling bass of Mel Schacher? The competent drumwork of Don Brewer?" The latex solar beef of Frank Zappa?! "Oh, man!"

Good Singin', Good Playin' (1970)

Feature Of The Day: Learn To Play Sitar

2011-09-07T09:25:00.001-04:00

there's a correlation here...

2011-09-06T11:14:00.000-04:00

But I'm having trouble describing it.

Anyway, enjoy.

I Manage My Anger Just Fine

2011-09-02T10:17:00.002-04:00

Go ask Alice.

2011-09-02T08:34:00.004-04:00

So where do I begin? A bunch of dudes really dug on the Detroit scene from back in the day, named themselves after a girl, were totally weird for the time-frame, and generally were pretty great for a few albums. My pops is a huge Alice Cooper fan, so it should come as no surprise that I am, too. I remember standing in the Sam Goody in the Tiffin "Mall" with Pops when he was trying to determine if he could get away with buying the box set that was out at the time. The way I remember it is that he wanted it because of one obscure song (Identity Crisis, which was featured in the amazingly bad/great horror flick Monster Dog if you're wondering); eventually he ended up snagging it and I was subjected to hours and hours of old AC jams.

Well, if you can't tell, I've been revisiting a lot of older stuff, namely the Alice Cooper band albums. I prefer them over the later stuff, some of which can be pretty rad, but it's hard to top the first few albums. Out of all the band albums, this one is my favorite. The opening strains of 'Hello, Hooray' set the tone for what amounts to a pretty entertaining album. The track after that, 'Raped and Freezing', is my favorite, though; there's something about the lyrics that put a slightly disgusted smirk on my face. Even the radio friendly tracks are still great, particularly in the framework of the whole album (which is how it was meant to be heard, right?) Speaking of the radio...

Although the radio has adopted a meager handful of their jams and largely ignored the rest, it only serves to make the lesser known stuff more poignant. At some points, it's a rejection of typical 'adult' behavior, in others, it's a fascination with the bizarre, the horrible, and overall there's an embrace of that youthful vigor as kind of a finger to established norms. For example, 'Elected' isn't so much a political song, rather, it's the campaign promise of a young man, his platform being all about fun and fucking off rather than some sober and serious old man who will probably lie to you just to get into/stay in office. I feel like that kind of dissociation with adulthood is a running theme throughout those first few albums as a band.

In any case, this is my favorite Alice Cooper album. Recommended if you're not familiar (and goddamnit, you should be) or if you just haven't partaken in a while. What's another word for classic? I feel like that's too old people for this album. It's a solid as fuck soundtrack for late-night capers and high weirdness, something involving free beers and bottle rockets and flipping off old people.

So [sic] (Bro!)

2011-09-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

I told Charlie I would upload this Teeph album forever ago, but browned it out. I finally got around to it, and realized at around 80% completion, that it was free on their bandcamp page. D'oh. Check it out one way or another (throw them some bones if you can), it rules.

leck mich im arsch

2011-09-01T10:02:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I just found this and thought that I was suffering brain damage.

This is a collaborative effort from Jack White and the Insane Clown Posse utilizing the Mozart piece 'Leck Mich Im Arsch' as played by some band called Jeff The Brotherhood.

Yeah.

Insane Clown Posse - Leck Mich Im Arsch by Third Man Records

I'm alone in my room, but I'm not by myself

2011-08-31T12:59:00.004-04:00

So having a sweet internet connection at work rules. Today I got American Hardcore and pretty much the entire Rollins discog in under an hour.

Stoked.

So today I figured I'd throw up the Rollins Band End of Silence Demos. I dig these alot, they have a more raw feel to them and are a bit faster with a few lyric changes.

Totally worth the download.

Rollins Band- The End of Silence Demos

Often is a word I seldom use.

2011-08-31T11:19:00.002-04:00

I just found some stuff I had .rar'd and forgotten about a couple of computers ago. Some of the first titles I recognized were these John Prine albums. Nick posted his self titled '71 debut a while back.
I figured "what the fuck?"
It's possible I'll continue to posit that query with more regularity as I find worth-while shit.

Diamonds in the Rough (1972)

Sweet Revenge (1973)

Have you seen junior's grades?

2011-08-31T00:47:00.001-04:00

DRUNK POST.

AM Edit:

When we got back from the bar last night, I went on a tirade about fuzz pedals for about half an hour, citing various examples, jumping around Youtube, clip by clip, until this came up in the sidebar and that pretty much sealed the deal. No real logic other than I just really fucking love Van Halen.

If this were the House of Hair, Dee Snider would be yelling 'CRANK IT UP!'

p.s. Charlie does a really great impression of Dee Snider, ask him about it next time you see him.

Okay, so...

2011-08-29T11:38:00.002-04:00

Updated our linkage; if you notice your b-log in that list, congratulations, I (Czar Nicholas, CEO of Little Things, Inc.) think your taste in music/art/movies/whatever is top-notch.

Feel free to snag whatever links are pertinent to your blogging game.

Anyway: expect more/new/better music/news/etc. in the near-ish future.

swish.

2011-08-28T15:44:00.000-04:00

Alot of Little Chicks to Dick Vol. 4

2011-08-28T01:16:00.001-04:00

My latest conquest from OkCupid, not the greatest but whatever.

NETWORKING.

2011-08-27T12:05:00.003-04:00

Achtung!

I plan on updating our linkage in the next few days. If anyone has any suggestions, submit 'em and if they cut the mustard, they'll be in our esteemed sidebar.

Also: I'd like to post more than just music, so feel free to link up whatever weird shit y'all can find; outside submissions will be considered and are totally appreciated. BOOM.

Hobo Humpin slobo babe

2011-08-26T19:43:00.001-04:00

I've noticed that there are a number of 90s nostalgia blogs out there in the ether. Despite not being old enough to do any of the cool shit that was going on at the time (the first Lollapalooza, party drugs, etc.) I do recall a lot of the weirder aspects of the time. This is where I take umbrage with these 90s-lovers: they always focus on the stupidest mainstream shit. Where's the hipster bands aping Deee-Lite? Does anyone know any Presidents jams besides Peaches? What about Green Jello(/y)? Fuck.

Anyway, enough of Grandpa Buzzkill. I was reminded of this little ditty via Idle Genocide, which is a total gem of a blog.

Swan Dive

2011-08-25T14:46:00.000-04:00

I know at least one of you will appreciate this.

I have nothing better to do at work

2011-08-22T12:52:00.004-04:00

Work is slow and boring, I have pretty much nothing else to do other than listen to jams and dick around on the internet. So I figured I would take advantage of the decent internet connection and throw some stuff up.

Rwake- Hell is a Door to the Sun

Neurosis- Souls At Zero

Spartacus Review

2011-08-16T15:59:00.007-04:00

Good one, Stanley.

More boobs, and monoliths next time.

Overall: 2...

out of 3...

THNX, DUDE. Love you, lol.

P.S. Colour Me Kubrick is a pretty neat movie also.

Screwed

2011-08-06T19:31:00.001-04:00

Man, I've been having issues trying to get a band up and running. I'm a hair away from just giving up and making beats. Slow, loud and bangin', bitches.

Death is not the end.

2011-08-04T23:37:00.001-04:00

Found a copy of Murder Ballads while cleaning out the closet earlier this evening. This jam in particular is going on all foreseeable future mix tapes.

Gentlemen, I raise my glass to thee.

Bare handed!

2011-08-03T10:13:00.001-04:00

how to examine your breasts

2011-08-03T10:10:00.001-04:00

Breastfeeding at 8.

2011-08-03T09:53:00.001-04:00

Trajedy

2011-08-01T10:23:00.000-04:00

I was looking for any information I could find on the possibility of a new Tragedy record this century, and I came across a reference to a Spanish band called Ekkaia. When I looked them up, I found people describing their earlier work as "screamo," and their later material as decidedly Tragedy-esque. I got this album that I couldn't begin to pronounce the title of (along with a few others, re-blogged out of laziness), and what do you know? Derivative? I'd say.* Killer? Fuck yeah, dude, abso-G.D.-lutely. I'd been scouring the internet for Tragedy, and all I had to do was check Spain. Always the last place.

* Note that there's actually some subtle experimentation going on, that could be argued as being beyond what Tragedy has done to date. No homo.

mankind is unkind, man.

2011-07-30T11:16:00.003-04:00

I have an aversion to most bands with names involving drugs and/or paraphernalia. That said, I've been listening to a fuck-ton of Weedeater lately. There's an intense groove that holds everything together, even when things pick up the pace. I love the vocals; it sounds like dude's got a case of strep throat. There's so much low-end fuzz that the guitar and bass meld into one gigantic riff machine. Honestly, I passed over these guys for the longest time, simply because I thought the name was hokey. What the fuck was I thinking?

What Are You, Queer?

2011-07-20T21:30:00.000-04:00

Whilst fucking around a bit ago, I caught a glimpse of Elizabeth Daily and while perusing her entry on IMDB, it mentioned her being in the film Valley Girl, for which I harbor a certain fondness.

One of the things I remember about said film was this song being part of the soundtrack. Catchy, no?

Welcome To The Retirement Home

2011-07-18T12:11:00.000-04:00

Axl needs to hang it up; these dudes make this song significantly more interesting.

obligatory band post

2011-07-15T16:25:00.002-04:00

This is everything my band has recorded to date. Nine tracks, about an hour and a half long, unedited, minimal fuckery, Me(nick) on guitar, various feedback, loops, etc, Danny on drums, vocals on BIYD. The track titled 'wray' is actually two different sessions balled into one 37 minute entity, no real sense of continuity or anything, just laziness on my part. About half-way into it, there's a very obvious break, so start there to skip to part B of that mess. The track titled 'K' has Danny's brother playing guitar. Uh...I think that's all the necessary credit to give.

Sounds like a lot of different things. Not many of our influences overlap but the results are pretty interesting, I would say. I try to make my guitar sound like a gigantic chainsaw (sometimes a flaming scimitar). Danny makes the most out of a piece of shit drum kit; sometimes it's not what you play but how you play it. Heavy jam based recordings, kind of shows how our band has evolved. I think 'frtlty' and the two parts of 'wray' will end up as official songs. It's a slow process. Anyway, enjoy this offering in its primitive state and patchy recording quality. It's admittedly a pretty big file, so I don't expect many people to get it based on that alone, but feel free to give me feedback if you do happen to check it out.

peace and bacon grease, yo.

The Holy Mountain.

2011-07-15T08:42:00.000-04:00

Finally got around to watching this; totally worth every second. I wrote what may become lyrics while watching this, about four pages worth.

I seriously am kicking myself for not watching this sooner. One of the most bizarre and fascinating things I have ever seen.

Dedicated to bummed out dudes everywhere.

2011-07-13T15:53:00.000-04:00

Who Can You Trust These Days?

2011-07-12T12:32:00.000-04:00

Uhh...

2011-07-09T02:10:00.003-04:00

Is it just me or have all the videos on the blog been changed to Okie From Muskogee?

EDIT: I guess it was a fluke, but for a minute I thought Jeannie Riley slipped me some PCP

Suicide Note, Pt. 3

2011-07-07T23:06:00.000-04:00

I just found this by chance, and started reading it. No real opinion as of yet, but it struck as me as something worth a look/sharing.

Stroking Out

2011-07-04T21:00:00.004-04:00

the star-spangled banner

2011-07-04T11:32:00.000-04:00

Today is Independence Day. On this date back in 1776, a bunch of colonists decided that living under the crown was total shit and formed a militia to back up their claim of independence. Great Britain thought they were a bunch of dumb rednecks and presumed that the whole ordeal wouldn't last very long. Casualties piled up on both sides but at the end of the day, they sent those goddamn limeys packing.

I'll be the first to admit, the way things are currently is probably not how the Founding Fathers foresaw them. Shit's fucked up all over and the people who are supposed to be in charge are finding new and exciting ways to butt-fuck the people. Mainstream media has effectively shaped some into insecure consumers on top of creating a divide amongst people of different classes. We're lead to believe that the most superficial things are what separate us. It's this unwillingness (or perhaps even inability) to notice this that keeps the nation split up and unfocused on what really matters: the people we allowed into office are ruthless sodomites of the most depraved order who count on bickering and in-fighting to line their pockets.

Ideally, people will recognize that if we unite across the board instead of up and down the scale real progress can be made. Instead, we get empty sloganeering and pandering to special interests.

Still, despite the ever expanding grip and view of the police state, the growing percentage of unemployment and constant outsourcing, the pointless squabbling over petty bullshit like gay marriage...seriously, this list could go on and on and on...despite all that stupid bullshit, I am still proud to be an American. 'Why?', some of you may be asking. Well, even though some do not appreciate their freedom and even still some abuse it, it's because we can say and do and be stupid shit (for now at least) according to our will. I shudder to think about living in a place where one's mind and the thoughts contained therein are subject to harsh punishment of any stripe. I mean, fuck, even in fucking Canada you have to watch your mouth.

Maybe it's too optimistic to think that the people of this once great nation will snap out of it and get their shit together and march right up to the hill and demand that shit be rectified. Maybe. All I can account for is myself. Still, in the face of all this adversity, I stand firm in my pride for this country.

Call me crazy, but there's nowhere else for me.

So remember what today really stands for, while you're pigging out on processed meat and cheap beer:facing your malefactors and tormentors and standing up for the values you hold most dear, goddamnit.

Rick Ross Moranis

2011-07-04T11:22:00.001-04:00

SLICES.

2011-07-02T20:11:00.001-04:00

I had read about these dudes for a minute before I bothered to give them a chance. As often goes with shit I sleep on, it turned out to be really fucking good. I mean really fucking good. Really.

Also of note: their full length was put out by Iron Lung Records.

Pretty much it's what I've been looking for in terms of new punk/hardcore shit. It's always kinda bummed me out that so many punk and/or hardcore bands nowadays are so clean sounding and polished. Wasn't the chaos part of the allure anyway? Maybe that's just me.

Shit's boss, I may post some later. Anyone else into these dudes?

Dear Hipster Scum...

2011-07-01T08:44:00.003-04:00

I've noticed a large section of you enjoy employing symbolism from various occultist ideologies, which is fine as long as you are willing to accept the reactions garnered by those symbols, as not everyone in this day and age is as 'enlightened' (a truly unfortunate fact of the information age, but that's another rant.)

Specifically, please read this wiki regarding the inverted cross. I know black metal is hip right now, and Christianity has been privy to some repugnant behavior, but, please, do some research for fuck's sake.

Next stop, Last Lights

2011-06-29T23:55:00.005-04:00

Last Lights are pretty fucking rad.

This is the only release by them since the lead singer died from an aneurysm right after they signed to a label, total bummer.

Angry melodic hardcore, definitely check this shit out.

Last Light- No Past, No Present, No Future

Carbo loading.

2011-06-26T21:33:00.003-04:00

A number of years ago, I was able to go to Cleveland to see Motorhead play at the Agora (one of the loudest shows I've ever been to, hands down)...while hanging out waiting for the show to start, we were wandering around in the lobby and stumbled upon a merch table where a gnarly dude in a vest was keeping watch over the goods. Turns out he was the singer for this band Ringworm; we didn't know it at the time, but those dudes have been around for a minute and were kind of a big deal in terms of Cleveland hardcore bands. He ended up giving us a free cd but none of us were into it at the time (I was probably listening to a bunch of Ministry and nu-metal at the time like the dipshit high schooler I was).

Lately I've been listening to a bunch of meat-headed hardcore. After stumbling across this again, it's been in pretty heavy rotation. I plan on making a weight lifting mix with this and Harm's Way and the song 'Separate Ways' by Journey.

Anyway...pop this shit on and get your fucking pump on, bro.

Sabbath but with horns

2011-06-22T13:04:00.002-04:00

A while back I read about this bootleg by a band called Afroskull where they did a whole set of Sabbath covers.

Tangentially, I should point out, that the horns on the newest Sunn jam were pretty horrifying, so logically, this could be pretty good, hm?

Judge for thyself.

I'm pretty into it myself. Some of their other stuff has recently crossed my path, so I shall report back with any future findings.

Wh...?

2011-06-15T10:21:00.000-04:00

Woke up slightly hung over, found a link to this in my inbox, submitted by my friend Jake (kudos, man).

Seriously, watch this.