Minoru sato (m/s, SASW) + Asuna - Texture in Glass Tubes and Reed Organ

This album was created with math and science, as far as I can tell from the flowery yet technical liner notes. Really minimal ambient stuff from this sweet Japanese label called Spekk that has the coolest packaging for their all their releases. They're all cardboard, DVD height instead of CD height, and are really pretty and a wonderful addition to any pretentious book/DVD/CD/record shelf.


http://www.spekk.net/

Stuck - End of Days

Stuck (2009-2010) was a Bellingham's broest female-fronted hardcore band. I picked this up at Yellingham last weekend, which was fucking amazing.

The liner notes explain the band better than I can, so here they are:
"Stuck is Dooger, Justin, Drew and Casey.

This EP was recorded at Mac n Mac Electric. Thanks to John Brooks for all of his hard work.

Track 1: A Gift
Track 2: Fuck You
Track 3: End of days

We started this band in the spring of 2009 to have fun and make some noise. We feel very privileged to have had the support from the community of Bellingham and the Northwest. So many friends have been made during this time and experiences shared that we will never forget.

This EP debuted at the Toy Haus during Yellingham Fest on April 17th, 2010 for our last show. The fest was created, ran, and attended by youth wanting to create excitement. Anyone can make a difference in their community."

http://www.myspace.com/stuckbham

Posted with permission!

Forest of Grey

The first time I saw Forest of Grey I was young, about 19, but they were even younger (16 or 17?). While their age was physically obvious, one definitely couldn't tell from their musical abilities; Forest of Grey shredded that night and have continued to do so at every show I've seen them play. For years now, Forest of Grey has not only the youngest, but the most talented, and hardest working band in Seattle metal. I was lucky enough to have Tannoth send me their first record so I thought I would share it on here. Forest of Grey plays black metal that reminds me of early Enslaved, Darkthrone, and Abyssic Hate. They currently have the best lineup yet, so if you like these songs go out and catch them laying down the grimm and unholy riffs at venue near you.

Seattle Kvlt is Alive

Still Down

The other day I accidentally listened to the opening track of Give up the Ghost's (aka American Nightmare) "We're Down till We're Underground." The track, aptly titled "(It's Sometimes Like it Never Started)," is one of the best intros to album I have ever heard, and is ultimately Give up the Ghost's mature farewell to hardcore punk. Give up the Ghost uses cleverly constructed hardcore riffs and unparalleled lyrical content to convey all the frustration and angst of being young and in love. I truly miss Give up the Ghost (AN, American Nightmare, whatever) because they brought energy back to hardcore, but they also called the genre to task with Wes Eisold's brilliant lyrical ability. As far as I know, no hardcore punk band has come close to touching Give up the Ghost's work; furthermore, the whole genre has become so bogged down with suburban sweatshirt jocks that you would swear it is MTV hip hop.

"We're Down..." is the most fitting album I can think to post on this commercial, pro-consumerist, shit show of a holiday. So if you're anything like me, pull down the blinds, put this record on, and forget that it is February, 14th and the whole world has gone fucking mad.

Love American

The Shit

In 1990 two of the Bay Area's best punk bands got together and released a split so offensive and disrespectful that it reach legendary status. The Shit Split, a 12'' LP featuring Blatz on one side and Filth on the other, was originally released on Lookout! records. Blatz and Filth were born out of the East Bay scene at 924 Gilman, which is longest operating DIY venue in the United States. 924 Gilman was also the birth place of notable bands such as Operation Ivy, Rancid, and Fugazi.

Put this noisy and chaotic split on while drinking with your friends and soon you'll be screaming "tonight we're gonna fuck shit up," and reveling in the genius of Blatz's cover of Fear's "I Don't Care About You." I've been disappointed lately because a lot of my friends have never heard this punk rock milestone, so no fucking excuses, download this shit!

Fuk Shit Up

I Mississippi You

I decided to post something different today. Punk and metal are great, but it's important to be diverse, and the punk and metal spirit flows through the veins of many artist outside those somewhat restrictive genres. There are many great folk punk bands out there (Defiance Ohio, This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, Ghost Mice), but Rosa is the only one that I still find myself listening to on rainy nights in February and hot nights in June.

Rosa was a special band, a folk four piece with banjo riffs and lyrics so contagious that I spent most of 2005 humming them under my breath. I'll probably always be able to recite the lyrics to "Hitched up Kids" and "Starch and Carbohydrates." I never saw Rosa live, but I'm sure it would have been awesome.

"I Mississippi You," Rosa's only full length release, is 12 anthems for traveling, riding bikes, getting your heart broken, and staying up all night. For me this album encapsulates a time in my life that is gone forever, but also a time that I can always go back to every time I put Rosa on and peddle to the top of the highest hill in town.

Rosa released "I Mississippi Yo" on Plant-It-X Records, the hardest working labeling in folk punk, so don't be a fucking leech and buy something from them.

GET IT

Sleepwalker

Hi, my name is Brett Purchase. Forrest asked me to contribute to this blog while we were drinking over the weekend and I thought "Why the fuck not?" I have played in the Seattle area black metal bands Scatha and Addaura and I'm currently working on a new metal project in Bellingham. I mainly listen to metal (black, doom, thrash, and everything in between), punk (crust, hardcore, old school) and some post-rock.

Sleepwalker – Demo 2009

This demo came to me by way of Aesop Dekker’s (Ludicra, Agalloch) prolific music blog The Cosmic Hearse. Sleepwalker is the mysterious side project of southern California’s Fell Voices, a black metal band that has garnered a sustainable reputation after their first crushing release. Sleepwalker’s three song demo, clocking in at just over twenty-three minutes, mixes clean chanting vocals with distant sounding black metal vocals. Throughout the demo hardy amounts of guitar feedback are utilized, and mixed alongside reverberating keyboards, they create a soundscape like fog building at the bottom of an empty valley. Sleepwalker’s demo perfects a sound I didn’t even realize existed, noise that is so overwhelming and intense that it conveys a feeling of emptiness and desolation.

What I appreciate most about this release is the secretive nature surrounding the project: no website, no myspace, no facebook – just three relentless tracks of low-fi atmospheric black metal. In an age of almost complete transparency between bands and listeners, Sleepwalker brings the unknown back to metal. Rumors are going around of a full length release in the works, but it is unlikely that Sleepwalker will ever be a touring band, and this listener is perfectly content with that.

Get It

Encyclopedia of American Traitors - Discography

Broke up 1999, CD came out 2002. Penn. political skramz. You'll like it if you like Orchid. Album includes a weird Black Sabbath cover.

geocash - kish gremlins

Crazy shit. Sample based? Sounds a little like crunchyco stuff but FROM HELL. I forgot how I got this originally but I think I'm gonna buy the rest of their albums.

http://geocash.biz/
http://www.myspace.com/geodesicdogs

ALSO BREAKING FUCKING NEWS: This blog is soon to have more contributors and will actually be updated regularly. Expect crusty shit, doomy shit, metal shit, anarcho, Seattle Straight Edge, skramz, drone, black metal, no wave, etc.

total slacker - demo

Yo yo yo yo yo. It's been over a year so time to post.

Brooklyn-based Total Slacker is one of my main bro's bands so this is posted with permission. They got that dope "old Fender amp" sound. Slow pop that sings about stuff all us total slackers can relate to in our hearts.


Check dem out:
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/totalslackerband
Interview: http://thefmly.com/2009/11/15/going-full-slacker/

Yeah yeah yeah.

these arms are snakes - tail swallower and dove

I don't need to say anything about this because it's These Arms Are Snakes, the central nervous system of this blog. Check 'em on their west coast/Europe tour this fall. Produced by Chris Common. To be released October 7th.

Tracklisting:
1 Woolen Heirs
2 Prince Squid
3 Red Line Season
4 Lucifer
5 Ethric Double
6 Seven Curtains
7 Long and Lonely Step
8 Lead Beater
9 Cavity Carousel
10 Briggs

Ceremony - Still Nothing Moves You

The new Ceremony leaked and it's the only album I'll remember from this year. Seriously. It's an anarcho-tinged Jane Doe circa 2008. FUCKING AWESOME. I mean Jesus fucking Christ. This shit is POWERFUL.

Dragline just posted this MySpace bulletin:
"aaron is going head to head with the drummer of ceremony to see who can play a thrash beat faster.

it's gonna be sick ;-)

Sunday August 10th

CEREMONY
WAIT IN VAIN
WOLVES AND THIEVES
DRAGLINE
ON

@ West Seattle Legion Hall
3618 SW Alaska St
Seattle WA


7pm

GET INTO IT."

I'll be in New York, but go so I can vicariously witness this shit. Dragline put on a good show last Sunday for their 7" release, which unfortunately I didn't pick up to put here.

Brigitte Bardot - Best of BB

Change of pace. I've been listening to a lot of older music lately. Snag this best-of from the girl from Contempt. It's in French. Music by Serge Gainsbourg.

Animal Magik - The Wedding

The Um...Killa hiatus is over. Now, it's Animal Magik follow up time! I haven't had the chance to listen to this yet but I'm sure it's grand. I'll probably update this when I do.

Enjoy and enjoy your summer.

Past Lives - Live January 29, 2008 at the Showbox

Past Lives is H - A - W- T hot. They still ain't got no studio recordings but as soon as they do that shit'll be right here meng.

<3 TBB side projs. Cum see dem w/ TAAS w/me!!!11 feb 22 bby

Myspace

Black Eyes and Neckties - Live on 107.7 The End

Hey, it's everyone's favorite Murder City Devils tribute band. Mitch recorded it. Lowish quality. One long track with interviews and live stuff.

KNDD Website
Black Eyes and Neckties Website
Their "Space"

Animal Magik - Unreleased

I actually got permission to put this one up. Second time ever! Speaking of seconds, this is the second in a row with no album art! Holler!

This is music that isn't hardcore and is from LA so I hate it. LOLJK. Is good.

Myspace

UPDATE: These posted in the wrong order so this is actually first in a row with no real album art.

Undertow - Demo '91

Pre-Pettibone vox, first demo blah blah blah. You don't have it already. Hard x Core x shit, meng.

Thank you Mitch bby.

First post in hella, so I'm keeping it familiar by still writing terrible descriptions.

REUPPED

pedooobear - pokemon ep

Pedooobear is a guy named William who makes 8-bit/drone/glitch/noise stuff. This is five minutes of his dronish stuff.

This is his Myspace, give him an add and a listen.

state route 522/lying on loot - split

You may not have heard of these artist but I guarantee you've heard of their descendants. State Route 522 is a post-emo band that broke up and 3/4 went on to form Sharks Keep Moving, which broke up to form Minus the Bear. Lying on Loot is very early Rocky Votolato and this is his first actual "solo" recording (except that he is accompanied by violin. It's his first sans Waxwing.). Legend has it that this release (which is the only one under the Lying on Loot name) is the one that made him want to start a solo project.

I have one of the 800 black ones.

Excursion Records

Sorry about the album art, I don't have a scanner.

top ten albums of the year that weren't on the pitchfork list

and that I didn't upload already. No M.I.A. or Jens Lekman or Justice is on this list. Neither of these might be true, I didn't check too thoroughly. I don't have my hard drive so I Sordo'd/Shareminer'd these links.

10:

Celeste released this for free, because they're siq. Members of Mihai Edrisch so you know it's hot. Technically this is an '08 release because you can't get a non-digital copy yet, but I don't give a fuck. Check out their Website and Myspace.

9:

Wooden Shjips. Myspace, website. Not my usual genre of music, but I liked this a lot. Psychedelic stuff. You can't not like a band that mailed away copies of their LP for free until they ran out. I really would like any of their other stuff so if you have it, hook me up. Link to come when I get my hard drive back

8:

The Raveonettes put out a new album that everyone ignored this year despite how good it is. This one is much more Jesus and Mary Chain than Ronettes, but not in a bad way. Site, space.

7:

The Cromatics put out a record with absolutely no resemblance to their early work and managed to pull it off. Chillout discoish tunes and the hottest singer in the world. Site, Myspace.

6:

Chinese Stars. Official Website.

5:

Sword Heaven. Myspace. Noisy fucking shit right here.


4:

Modern philosophers spend most of their time contemplating whether or not it is possible for Akimbo to rock so hard that they rock harder than themselves. This album has a drum solo as it's own track. Imagine if Botch and Led Zeppelin teamed up then merged into three people. livetocrush.com, Myspace.

3:

I liked everything they put out this year. They keep on getting better. Site, Myspace. pass: nodatta.blogspot.com (which is an amazing blog)

2:

The Pack. Duh, this one HAS to be on the list. Site, Myspace.

1:

Wolves in the Throne Room, because there was this one time where we were in the car my friend's girlfriend was complaining that she wanted to listen to some stupid song and we agreed that she could listen to it after we listened to one more song. So we played a WITTR song, and 20 minutes later arrived at our destination with the song still playing. PWN'D! Myspace.

The list is in reverse chronological best to worst alphabetical order.

kill sadie - a new make

This is the first time this has been on the internet; I can almost guarantee that. This is also my first vinyl rip in a rather large series of mostly Seattle based artists I'll be upping from my collection. There will be much shit you haven't heard of from people you have heard of.

Anyways, the music: Kill Sadie is a Minneapolis post hardcore band that moved to Seattle before breaking up and forming Minus the Bear, These Arms are Snakes, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Jaguar Love, and some others. This is only two tracks, and yes, the second track is supposed to sound like that. Much more to come by them. Sorry about the hiss and pops, I'll get better at this.

In Blood Brothers news, the smart money's on Past Lives.

UPDATE: Fuck you Lobortis. I'm calling this off. We're through.

a gun called tension - a gun called tension

A Murder City Devils hip hop/electronica/dub side project? (Slash Modest Mouse and a bunch of others). What? Shit's good, son. Spencer Moody even makes an appearance. HAWTT!

I gotta get me the new shit they got out, you should too.

Myspace
Their very, very noisy website

p.s. This is aac 128, sowwwie. I should up some MCD at some point.

nineironspitfire - seventh soul sacrificed REUP

RE-UP.

And someone let me know a better source for album art. I don't have a scanner.

The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower - INRI EP

Discordant jazz punk (I ganked this exact phrase from somewhere, I know it.). This release (which is really more a single than an EP) has my favorite Bowie cover of all time. Just three tracks but a good three tracks. Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fame remixes the title track.

This band is also broken up as of '06 but may have another release coming out. It's called Saviors and Suckers and the only news on it is that it isn't coming out on Three1G like originally planned.

Also, Lobortis is the best file host out there right now. Get into it.

arab on radar - Yahweh Or The Highway

Same band. Same singer as The Chinese Stars, who have a new release coming soon.

arab on radar - Rough Day At The Orifice

Noise rock. Broken up. 1998. Or 1999. I don't know.

sinaloa - footprints on floorboards

Modern emotive hardcore at its finest. Best of the year list is coming soon.


Myspace
Website

xbxrx - sounds

To be honest, I haven't listened to this yet but xBxRx is the shit. All I have to say. except: aac 128. And that I love Sendspace.

Edit: this is real good. It's more noisy, experimental etc. than their earlier, more straightforward stuff. There should be some links to that in an earlier post.

envy - abyssal

I wanted to share this while it's still fresh. Easier to find than most of what I share; link are all over the internet. Four songs over twenty-five minutes of the only band from japan with not-annoying vocals. Post rock/skramz but you should already know that. Not my ups.

Sonzai Records Envy Page
Myspace
Mirror, thanks to Sordo, my bffl. ILY BBY <333
Mirrror #2

trainwreck - s/t

Is it skramz-influenced hardcore or hardcore-influenced skramz? If you're into either, Germany's Trainwreck delivers. 2006 release on yskalnari records. They also have a split out with Comadre and are going to be touring with MOTHERFUCKING AKIMBO.

Myspace
Website (sort of incomplete)

I didn't rip this. If you know where I can get larger album art, let me know.

Die! Die! Die! - Promises, Promises

Die! Die! Die! is a New Zealand 3-piece that sort of sounds like a lot of Seattle noise/no wave punkish bands if they put more emphasis on rhythm. Blogspot wouldn't let me use exclamation points in the tags so the band name is slightly incorrect there.


Myspace
Website

(I shamelessly stole everything from this blog because I really wanted to share this right now.)

conflict - the ungovernable force [remastered reissue]

More anarcho punk. Came out in 1986, reissued 2006. This album is a lot more listenable that the last posted album. Just a good straight up punk rock album and is probably Conflict's best. It has 22 tracks as opposed to the 15 on the non-remastered version.

Conflict Website

Note to readers: The vast majority of the albums I post (namely the ones with album covers) are CD rips by me. These last two aren't. Everything is uploaded by me except where noted otherwise and some of the very early stuff. If you want a reup of anything because it's been taken down or you want it on a different host, just ask. If you're in a band or represent them and want something taken down, just ask. Also, if you know a better host for 100+ mb files than Megaupload, let me know.

flux of pink indians - the fucking cunts treat us like pricks

Sample/noise heavy early anarcho punk. Sort of different that what I usually post. Snag if you're into noise or punk.

Wiki article on the album

shoplifting - shoplifting ep

Noisy Seattle no-wavish band with members of The Gossip, Chromatics, and Soiled Doves. Very early Sonic Youth.

Myspace
killrockstars

UPDATE: Turns out I uploaded this a long time ago so if for some reason you need it, here's another download mirror.

jr ewing/this machine kills split

Bought this today. Skramz fo' days. Or 9.4 minutes. Hear Steve Akoi scream. Is good.

Dim Mak
JR Ewing
This Machine Kills

radio berlin - the selection drone

More Vancouver post-punk for ya. Get the other one first I'd say, but they're both good.

The back of the CD told me to go to www.yourbestguess.com, but it looks like they called it quits about five years ago.

Also, I've put this one on Sharebee because about 90% of the Mediafire links I've come across recently have been removed. If you know what's up, let me know.

radio berlin - glass

I'm not sure how this band got missed. This is another gem that never got put on OiNK (r.i.p.). Songs like these don't come along often. This is the home of one of my favorite songs, D.E.S. I don't know what it stands for.

Post-punk really doesn't get better than this. It's post-punk in the least She Wants Revenge way possible. More albums by this band to come. Also, I highly recommend buying this one for the fun time you can have finding errors in spelling and the tracklisting.

If I actually gave a shit about actually reviewing things, I'd use some words and phrases like "moody, but not Spencer Moody," "minimalist," or "hauntingly good"

Details: Vancouver based, broken up, again. In AAC if that's a problem.

the red light sting - we're the red light sting and our love is soaking in it

The Red Light String is essential. They're just so sunglasses and I-don't-give-a-fuck cool with their simple but distinctive riffs and Juno-60 synth lines that sort of twist around and make you want to dance even though that wasn't their intent. Their closest contemporaries are probably early Blood Brothers or the Spotlight Syndicate.

Details: Vancouver based, broken up.

"I'm saying hello to the boy that I love, and it's the boy that I see in the mirror."

Ache Records

secret mommy - plays REUP'd

Secret Mommy is the glitch project of Andy Dixon. Andy Dixon runs Ache Records and is in like a million projects but mostly THE RED LIGHT STING. Jesus, I don't have them up here. Next. This album is made up of samples of acoustic instruments and is much more listenable than the earlier ones. Sort of Dntelish at times.

Official Site
Ache Records

easter egg - wiggers and hipsters vol. 1

Easter Egg is a Portland based laptop DJ. I'm going to write this with no Girl Talk comparisions, but if I were to have any, I'd explain that there is an obvious influence but it isn't entirely derived; the style and presentation is done in an entirely different way. The true parallel between the two is a pace of the samples, other than that , this SAT style analogy will explain it best:

Girl Talk : Easter Egg :: Novel : Badass

"Is good."

chromatics - plaster hounds

natalie portman's shaved head - secret crush ep

Seattle dance band. Saw them only once and they were tons of fun. Opened for CSS but I didn't go. Sold out, you know?

I head a DJ mix with Atom & His Package in it the other day. Unrelated, but I had to mention it.

NPSH Myspace