Urfaust- Urvaterlich Sagen

Sorry about the tiny picture, but that's all I could find. But don't let what you can see of it mislead you. These Dutch ones may associate with the darkness of black metal, and this demo certainly has the right cover for it, but this is really quite pretty. This three track demon consists of a long, droney piece of bliss. The second track would be perfect if you wanted to recreate the mask scene from Eyes Wide Shut. And it all concludes with another spacey piece of darkness. Lesson of the day: don't judge a metal dude by his corpse paint.

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Undor

Ever wonder what a mummy fronted black metal band would sound like? Look no further. These German dudes sound like they raided some ancient tomb, removed the corpse, revived it weekend at bernie's style, and made it sing. This guy sounds as upset as I recently was when an entire jumbo box of nerds proved to have only one oversized nerd. What a gyp. Crazy ineptitude.

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Mayo Thompson-Corky's Debt to his Father

A quick post before I return to my dissertation. As leader of the Red Krayola, and later member of Pere Ubu, Mayo Thompson has always been, and continues to be, a pioneer of weirdness. The free form freakouts of R.K. influenced so many, from Spacemen 3, to Galaxie 500, to basically anybody nowadays who explores the edges of the cosmos. Their clanky clatter transmuted into fractured pop songs challenged traditional notions of structure and form. Here, Thompson composes in the traditional pop medium yet produces some truly strange sounds. Like a cousin to Skip Spence's Oar, there's certainly identifiable pop songs, but all are tempered with an edge of madness. A true, one of a kind classic.

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Electric Wizard-Dopethrone

I normally go on about how I like this or that album cover, but fucking christ, look at this thing. Satan smoking a bong. I don't think an album cover could possibly explain a band's sound more clearly than this. The whole stoner rock genre can be real tired and repetitive, but this one stands out to me. The Sabbath worship is present, but unlike other bands, these Brits add plenty of their own vision, creating a heavy as shit psychedelic morass. You almost feel high just listening to this. Smoke It.

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Catholic Discipline-Babylon Underground

After watching Decline of the Western Civilization, I'm sure there were many others who tried to track down this band to find virtually nothing. It wasn't until many years later that this compilation surfaced and made my year. Fronted by Kickboy Face (Claude Bessy), mostly known as the editor of Slash Magazine, Catholic Discipline deserves the accolades so many of their L.A. peers unfairly receive. Songs like "Culture Sluts" (originally the tentative name of this blog), "Whip Them Lord," and nearly all the rest here have an unusually buzzy synth sound paired with Face's broken English stutter for a unique take on punk. There's even a Modern Lovers cover (though not a very good one, unfortunately).

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Fraser & DeBolt-With Ian Guenther

Canada, you so rarely disappoint. While your gypsy, psych, folk scene might not have been your greatest export in the early '70s, you still offered us this beautiful gem. No joke, this is one of my all time favorites too. Despite it's major label release, this never received much attention, which is really unfortunate. They had a second (less interesting, but not bad) album and then called it a day. I think the lack of Guenther's violin stripped them of that edge that made the first so vital. Anyways, they'll always have this album. And now you can too.

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George Coleman-Bongo Joe

If ZZ Top loves this guy, I see no reason why you shouldn't. They're definitely cooler than you. You didn't record Rio Grande Mud. Now, Bongo Joe doesn't have a weird beard, never shot himself with a Derringer he had hidden in his boot, never extolled the virtues of a nice set of gams, but he did write songs about dead dogs and that's always cool. This is mostly odd vocal chants accompanied by oil drum percussion. Dead for almost ten years now, I'd guess his nightly street performances are still missed by the folks of San Antonio. Definitely a weird one.

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Jimmy Page-Lucifer Rising OST

The third Kenneth Anger soundtrack I've posted so far. This was the original soundtrack, but it was later replaced by Bobby Beausoleil's (of Manson family fame) work. It has nothing to do with the Led Zeppelin sound. There really isn't anything rock here at all. Instead, this keeps with the ritualistic tone of the film. Inspired by the Aleister Crowley, both film and soundtrack explore the mysteries of magick and ritual. While I've read some Crowley, most of it is lost on me, but the soundtrack is a trancey pleasure even if it wasn't completed.

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Stick Men With Ray Guns-Some People Deserve to Suffer

I live in a horizontally split duplex. Previous tenants have prided themselves on their discreetness to the point that it was difficult to tell when they were home. Not so with this current clan of sub-mongoloid, big foreheaded chuds. So this year's thank you goes out to them. Firstly, to the mom: thank you for keeping your loose flaps open long enough to pump out six future gas station attendants. I'm so glad that they never let me sleep for more than 4 hours a day. The constant, synchronized cry sessions are always a joy. This weekend the normal three miscreants are away, so the b team (seen only once a year, mind you) is in town. One of these kids (hope someone breaks your face soon) was playing a god damn saxophone. A fucking saxophone, at like 8 in the morning. Don't get me wrong. I know kids are kids and they need to do kid things. It's just that these kids are actually lousy kids. Genuinely stupid cry babies. Kids who think throwing a rock at my window (didn't break (nice arm pussy)) is a form of entertainment (again, while I'm sleeping) make me wish a mating license was required. And more thanks goes to their stupid hick dad. Everyday, you remind me of just how stupid a goatee looks. Why not have your slut take a dump and then sit on your mouth? Really, it'll look about the same.

So here's some Stick Men With Ray Guns. Slow, hate filled punk of the Texas persuasion. It makes sense that these guys were familiars with Butthole Surfers. Bobby Soxx always ruled.

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The Flesh Eaters-A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die

One more all time favorites before the day is done. Punk in a liberal sense, if you're idea of punk includes marimbas, voodoo imagery, and sax skronk. Kinda comparable to the first Gun Club record, this dark, bluesy punk mix goes beyond categorization. Singer, Chris D. might best be known for his production work (The Misfits, Dream Syndicate, Gun Club, Germs) and fictional works, here dials in a performance of anguish and horror. Also, includes members of X and the Blasters. I think I read that this is Byron Coley's favorite album of all time, and I can see why.

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Philemon Arthur & The Dung- Musikens Historia del 1 och 2

Oh boy. Definitely in my top 5 records of all time. Again, there probably isn't much out there that sounds like this. So fucking weird, yet still nominated for a Swedish grammy. I have no idea how that happened. It's a odd, acoustic, folk mess. A Clanking, chanting, strumming pile of fun. This mysterious duo's identity still remains unknown. But look at the art and tell me that that alone doesn't make you want to give it a listen. What's that baby doing with the telephone? It's my favorite album art ever. Shame it made it onto the back.

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Psi Com

Keeping in tone with the last post, I thought I'd put up another album by a band mostly known for a member who later became famous. In this case it prime idiot Perry Farrell (nee Bernstein) of such clasic bands like The Satellite Party and Porno for Pyros. You can say what you will about Jane's Addiction and I won't hold it against you, but don't expect that sound here. Instead, this is more of the L.A. death rock scene sound. Influenced by Bauhaus, Joy Division, and other pasty Brits, this an enjoyable piece of gloom.

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Fecal Matter - Illiteracy Will Prevail

I'm posting this in light of the recent Nirvana reissue and the fact that now I'm really starting to feel old. I can't believe Bleach is older than some of my students. Nirvana has been a band that I liked, then hated, then liked again, and being so nostalgic recently I thought I'd post this demo, which documents some of Cobain's earliest work. I think the set up is basically him & drum god, Dale Crover (Melvins). Some of these tracks later found their way into Nirvana's repertoire. Not the best sound quality, but an interesting piece of the puzzle.

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Departmentstore Santas – At The Medieval Castle Nineteen 100-Year Lifetimes Since, D.S.

This has always been a hard one to find. It took me forever to track it down, but I think, once again, Mutant Sounds came through with the goods. Well, this is a pop album I suppose, but it's so much weirder than what you'd probably expect from such a bland genre label. Songs about babies taking acid, and other odd topics abound. There's definitely a great sense of humor and play here, but it's certainly not a joke record. Get hip.

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Axemen-Big Cheap Motel

Just saw these guys last night, and thought some of you who went with might want the album. I have to say, seeing a band where every member looks older than my dad and yet they can still rock is always impressive. I never did think I'd catch a kiwi band while living in West Virginia.

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Dobri Isak-Mi Placemo Iza Tamnih Naocara

One last bummer before I wrap it up today. So, I know very little about this Yugoslavian group aside from the fact that they made this tape some time in 1984. The few things I've read about them claim they are the Yugo Joy Division, and I'll agree with that. That's it.

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Spires that in the Sunset Rise

More gloominess from Illinois, but it's not metal at all. This is more like Comus or other weird pagan folk strum making for the perfect soundtrack to stir your witch cauldron. These ladies really create a racket that could have been recorded at any time. Certainly, there's a reference to the odd, British acid folk of the late '60s, but this could have fit in the 1460s as well. And the cover is really cool too.

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Trouble-Psalm 9

Dooooooooooooooooooooooom. A stone classic. Coming out of fucking Aurora, these dudes drew from Sabbath & Priest to create a solid, doomy monster. Unfairly hyped as a Christian metal band, Trouble garnered respect but not too many fans. Yes, there are Christian elements, but it's not overwhelming. And Eric Wagner's vocals might turn people off, in that they're a kinda '80s, but don't let that scare you off from this work of brilliance.

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Dead Raven Choir-My Firstborn Will Surely Be Blind

It's a grey, dull day around here. Thankfully, most of the students are out of town and you can actually drive now. But it's overcast and grim. Lots of leafless trees and barrenness. And this is the perfect soundtrack for such a day. Dead Raven Choir is basically one Polish dude (Smolken) who I think now lives in Texas (why?). There's a lot of droney cello, which perfectly fits the noisy grimness herein. And the song choices are fairly atypical. Fairport Convention, Townes Van Zandt, and I think even Neko Case (though I don't know that much about her). Definitely not your grandma's black metal.

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Solger-Codex 1980

An utter classic. This slab of lo-fi noise punk came and went with little acknowledgement. I guess Seattle wasn't all that hip to this type of punk at the time. But years latter, and hype from people like Thurston Moore, this reissue demonstrates just how awesome Solger truly were. Look, songs like "Raping Dead Nuns," will certainly be classics just by the title alone. So prick up your ears.

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Thai Elephant Orchestra- S/T

Fuck Yes! Elephants are definitely the best. So imagine how awesome it would be if they decided to jam. Playing custom made instruments, these two elephants get odd and spacey. Funny how humans make music that sucks so much more than this. Maybe their huge ears help. Who knows. But there's little doubt that this destroys.

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The Misfats-Misfits Tribute E.P.

Get a load of these beauts. America's fattest Misfits cover band comes on strong with parodies that would make Weird Al cry. C'mon who doesn't want to here "Mommy, Can I go out and Grill Tonight?" This e.p. crushes that Pajo covers album like these dudes' asses crush toilet seats.

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Rema-Rema-Wheel in the Roses

Although this was released on 4AD, don't expect anything ethereal. Instead, this e.p. has swelling dissonance mixed with simple tribal drums. Featuring a pre-Adam & the Ants Marco Pirroni on guitar, this album (all they released) proved influential with both goths & punks though sounding like neither (well, maybe a little punk). Big Black even went on to cover "Rema-Rema." See, post punk even had it's Bad Company moments of bands singing about their name.

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Deep Purple-Machine Head

For Tress. You'll always be my Highway Star. Maybe this will cheer you up as the Bears prepare for another loss.

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Rolling Stones-We Love You 7" (plus bonuses)

People not in the know tend to shit on the Stones doom psych masterpiece "Their Satanic Majesty's Request," claiming it was simply a bad Beatles imitation. However, these people forget that the Stones outdid the Beatles with that release. They brought a dark creepiness that the Beatles could never attain. This single (from '67) shows just how wigged out they could get. Some of this sounds like it could be recorded tomorrow. It's that relevant.

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