Tuesday, January 26, 2021

closer - within one stem


Although readers of this here blog may not know it, closer's 2018 debut record, "All This Will Be", was one of my most unfuckwithable, favorite, most-listened to records of the past five years. No foolin'! It's tough to make a screamo record (or ANY punk record, for that matter) that makes me want to shake my ass and lose myself in the music, but a song like "Hardly Art" takes me back to the late 90s...to clap alongs and group leaps at the drop and mic piles in dim basements with shitty PAs. It evokes bands like Envy, Majority Rule, and Funeral Diner.

And, by Gawd, Ryann hits the drums so goddamned hard it almost hurts. Frontperson of the year, in my humble opinion. And I've never seen them live.

So I'm wrapping up my evening when an e-mail comes through. "New releases from closer", reads the subject line. Cue a badly Photoshopped meme of my head on Philip J. Fry's head, screaming at Bandcamp and the good folks at Lauren Records to take my money. "within one stem" is their new LP, a split release between Lauren & Middle Man Records here in the States, as well as five European labels. I respect the spirit of cooperation that brings this new record to me. The pre-order of 500 first presses on "natural" clear vinyl is live now, and available via closer's Bandcamp site. The full record comes out March 12, but the first song, Side B's "angry flood", is available for download when you preorder.

Get it, or regret it later.

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Rob Swift Presents Soulful Fruit

I don't typically hold onto physical copies that are missing pieces. Yet I've somehow managed to go a quarter century holding onto this bad boy. So I suppose it's time to kick it out there into the world.

That, and I still haven't found my fucking hard drive.

This was sitting in a long-departed Charles Street record store, missing its tray card, when I came across it in 1997. It was the golden age of turntablism, that time when the DJ was king. DJ Shadow, Invisibl Skratch Piklz, Mix Master Mike: all masters of the 1s & 2s, turning disparate material into beautiful, beat-laden melange. It was music to my ears. Literally.

Rob Swift was a member of the X-Men, soon to become X-Ecutioners, one of New York City's finest DJ collectives. I'm fairly certain this was one of those "read about it in CMJ" artists who'd I'd otherwise not really come across. So his name stood out when I came across this. It was $5. Who was I to say no?

Other than the circumstances of acquiring it, and that it serves as a decent precursor to that first X-Ecutioners full-length on Asphodel, I don't remember a damned thing about this. I think the artwork is still very off-putting; like some dirty Smith graduate, scion of a publishing company, thought they'd get big ups by channelling a Haight/Ashbury vibe.



Click here to download.

Friday, January 22, 2021

Flipper - Sex Bomb Baby

If you need Flipper explained to you, you're probably in the wrong location.

This is the first CD release of the original 1988 Subterranean record, released on ol' Hank Garfield's Infinite Zero Recordings. It compiled all of Flipper's early non-LP tracks, including the classic "Sex Bomb" and "Love Canal" 7"s, both of which serve as the Rosetta Stones to every bit of pigfuck I've been listening to over the past 25 years. It also served as a memorial to former Flipper bassist & vocalist Will Shatter, who had died in 1987 of a heroin overdose.

What's odd to me, when I look at the Flipper discography, is realizing how many of their records have entered and exited my collection. Selling your records off in your 20s and 30s might as well be a rite of passage, but it dawned on me that I've owned all of their Subterranean releases on vinyl at one point or another. Yet none still live in my collection. Such is life.

I've no clue why the cover art for this was redone by then-contemporary bassist John Dougherty, but I like it more than the O.G. Steve Tupper cover. It's heretical, I'm sure, but it's not like these guys ever stood on ceremony.



Click here to download.

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Sea Of Cortez - Age Of Anxiety

I don't have a lot to really say about this. Sea Of Cortez was one of those emo-bordering-on-math rock bands that existed all over the place back in the late 90s. Their name came from the old Spanish, describing what we know as the Gulf of California. Or was it after the Promise Ring song? I couldn't say. They came from the outskirts of Phoenix, made a full-length, a 7", and a split, and appeared on a few comps. I remember them sounding a fair amount like Unwound. The members have probably gone on to separate lives.

This is the sort of record one never expects to turn up in a Goodwill; after all, were there more than 1,000 copies pressed on CD or vinyl?

But that's been one of the nice things about living where I live. I see all these recordings I remember from the back pages of zines from 20 years ago, except now, it's there on the shelf for a few bucks, so why not give it a go? Multiply that by three records a visit, two visits a week, and...well, that's how I quietly crept over 7,000 CDs in my collection in 2021.



Click here to download.

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Vinegar Syndrome in January

From "Cthulhu Mansion" (Juan Piquer Simón, 1992)

I feel a bit bad, because I missed writing up Vinegar Syndrome's November and December releases. As a result, I didn't get to talk about what I got in the Black Friday sale (a lot more porn than I would have expected, for one), and I didn't cover what I didn't pick up. But here we are, in January, and there's a solid slate of new releases coming at the end of the month, so no need to kick ourselves in the ass for the past when the future is so near.

Take, for instance, our first film of the month, 1978's "Satan's Blood" ("Escalofrío"). If you want to grab my interest entering the new year, then put "Satan" in the title and let Earl Kessler Jr. put together some runes and a shirtless dude wielding a sacrificial dagger. It's a great take on the original Spanish poster from director Carlos Puerto. It sounds like a rad bit of Eurosleaze, with a young couple getting drawn into a secluded mansion, only to be set upon by horny devil worshippers. A new 4K scan means this will probably look better than anyone has seen this since its late 70s debut. We get both the Spanish- and English-language soundtracks, as well as a commentary track from V.S. mainstays Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger. I'm really digging this focus on Spanish-language exploitation from Vinegar Syndrome; it's an era I'm not super familiar with, but I enjoy watching. I like simple things, like butter in my ass, and blood orgies; that's just me.

From Lucifer to Elder Gods: Spanish director Juan Piquer Simón put in some uncredited work on "Satan's Blood", as well as helming one of my personal favs, "Slugs". His 1992 movie, "Cthulhu Mansion" ("La mansión de los Cthulhu") gets a 2K restoration for its North American debut on Blu-ray. And while the title doesn't really sync up to the storyline, I doubt anyone who hasn't seen this will be disappointed. It's got punks on film, evil magicians, spooky amusement parks: it's a "Scooby Doo Mysteries" episode, done in hard-R fashion. I'm really in love with Richard Hilliard's cover art/slipcase for this release; the Chthuluized skull reminds me of a lot of the mid-Atlantic tattoo aesthetic that came out of hardcore/metal in the past 15 years. There's also a full-length documentary about Simón's career. It's in Spanish, but should come with subtitles.

Something sinister is happening in a newly-opened Barcelona apartment skyscraper. Michael Moriarty plays the hard-boiled security consultant hired to uncover the mystery behind an on-site death. Is he ready for something more than simple murder? Joined by Jenny Agutter, can this duo solve matters before another death occurs?
And that's 1988's "Dark Tower" in a nutshell, originated by Ken Weiderhorn and finished by Freddy Francis in the director's chair. The cast is deep, with the likes of Carol Linley, Theodore Bikel, and Kevin McCarthy all making appearances. I passed up a VHS copy of this I saw in a suburban Atlanta thrift store a few years ago, because I was probably being a ding dong or something. I can now rectify that mistake with this debut on region A Blu-ray, featuring a 2K scan and restoration. The interview with Steve Neill should be interesting; the former Corman and Cohen collaborator worked on a wide range of awesome movies in makeup and effects, including "Ghostbusters", "The Stuff", and "Galaxy of Terror".

Every time I decide to wait to buy a Vinegar Syndrome Archives title, it immediately sells out. It's enough to make a fella feel like a real screw up. But 2021 will be different; this year, I'm won't make the same mistakes. I know how much time that wastes. So it is with cash and hand that I happily preorder the January VSA release of 1989's "The House Of Usher". I don't know a ton about Australian director Alan Birkinshaw, other than his work on "Killer's Moon", which I'm pretty sure I saw a third-gen dub of sometime in the late 90s. But 1989 was an incredibly productive year for him, between this, another Poe inspired film in "The Red Masque Of Death", and his adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians". The latter two featured...you guessed it, Frank Stallone! VS says this is the first time "House Of Usher" has been released on disc; I believe them. Oliver Reed and Donald Pleasence star alongside TV mainstay Romy Windsor. You get a limited to 4,000 piece, Region A Blu-ray with 2K scan and restoration and the always enjoyable bottom loading slipcase. A bargain now at $27.99, compared to what we'll be paying in six months on eBay, no doubt.

AGFA has a pair of releases in January, the first of which is inventively named "The AGFA Horror Trailer Show". And, because they are big believers in truth in advertising, what viewers get here is, indeed, a big ass Blu-ray, chock full of horror trailers. Normally, I'm a bit dubious about collections of trailers (smut comps being the exception). Here, however, I'm absolutely intrigued what the kids at AGFA have dug out of their archives. They describe it as "the most spine-ripping, slime-slinging, soul-shredding horror trailers that you’ve never seen." After watching their trailer, I'm inclined to believe them. And if that weren't enough, there's the bonus feature of "VIDEORAGE", which is nothing but direct-to-video and shot-on-video horror trailers. Slice me off a hunk of that and serve me a pair of biscuits to mop it up with.


As for "The Curious Dr. Humpp", I can only say that I must have it. A true Argentinian curiosity from 1969, this was originally shot by Emilio Vieyra as a straightforward horror film, only to mutate into a pretty legendary blend of Italian horror, Buñuel-esque surrealism, and late 60s grindhouse smut. As they'd say back in the day, "far out!" Not only do you get a 2K restoration of the film that Something Weird has been sharing on DVD for years, you also get Vieyra's "La venganza del sexo" cut, also with a 2K restoration. It even gets English subtitles for the first time ever. "Basket Case" & "Frankenhooker" director Frank Henenlotter, whose ouevre owes a bit to "Dr. Humpp", provides commentary on "Humpp". I'm sure that's going to be worth the price of admission. There's also a line on the VS website stating there will be "brain damaged shorts and trailers from Dr. Humpp’s laboratory" on this release. I don't know what that implies, but I'm dying to find out.

We end our January lineup, as we normally do when we have the opportunity, taking a look at the classic pornography whose preservation Vinegar Syndrome has built their business upon. It's worth mentioned (to me, at least) that regardless of the sexual nature (and politics thereof) of the films, these are as worth studying and discussing as any lost film or indie curiosity. To say they don't make them like this anymore is an understatement; it's a lost era of filmmaking that's never coming back, sadly.
Take, for instance, this double film Blu-ray release in the Peekarama series. "Taxi Girls" and "Heavenly Desire" are a duo of sex comedies from the Israeli-American director Jourdan Alexander (directing under his birthname of Jaacov Jaacovi here), who had a reputation for making these sort of things. His trademark was casting talent that resembled Hollywood starlets, then letting them fuck on film. What you end up with are movies that are both arousing and, dare I say, pretty damned funny. "Taxi Girls" is led by Nancy Suiter in one of her iconic roles, Seka headlines "Heavenly Desire", and Serena stars opposite both in each film. Add in appearances from John Holmes, Jamie Gillis, Aubrey Nichols, and Johnny Keyes, and you have a pair of movies well worth watching.

From "Satan's Blood" (Carlos Puerto, 1978)

So, what am I buying? I think I'll cop that "Taxi Girls"/"Heavenly Desire" 2-pack, as well as both AGFA releases to start. If I'm feeling real frisky (aka I come into some loose money), I'll add on "The House Of Usher". As always, if all four Vinegar Syndrome/VSA titles float your boat, you can save some serious bread ordering the the January 2021 Package, at a relative bargain price of just $99.99 (with free shipping!). I promise to be back in less than 30 days with the February lineup. Until then: be easy, and don't go blind.

Saturday, January 16, 2021

various artists - Pump Up The Volume (Complete Soundtrack & Score)

I'll own up, on this Day of our Lord, Saturday, January 16, 2021, that I wanted to grow up to be Hard Harry.

What right minded pre-teen/post-adolescent wouldn't be drawn to Christian Slater in the 1990 cult film "Pump Up The Volume"? By day, a meek, withdrawn student; by night, a foul-mouthed, truth slinging, chronically masturbating pirate radio DJ. AND he ends up getting with Samantha Mathis. Hey, when you're 14 and you've switched schools three times in as many years, there's not much about Mark Hunter's life that you can't relate to. All that pent up frustration and hormonal imbalance gets filtered into music fandom and diving into Beat poetry and maybe, just maybe, you'll meet a girl who doesn't find you repellent and will drive around town listening to They Might Be Giants and the Clash and actually be into it.

But I digress.

I haven't the faintest remembrance where I initially downloaded this version, but I've owned, in some form, the official soundtrack to "Pump Up The Volume" since I saw it on VHS sometime in early 1991. I definitely remember it being part of the first purchase I made at Record & Tape Traders in Roanoke, along with a Pink Floyd CD and Soundgarden's "Ultramega OK". I was always bummed that there was no Leonard Cohen on that tape. Nor were the Beastie Boys or Descendents present, or that "Hi, dad, I'm in jail" jam. What the shit, MCA Records? BUT it was my first exposure to the Pixies (via a superior version of "Wave of Mutilation"), Henry Rollins, Bad Brains, and the MC5 (a still fun cover of "Kick Out The Jams"). I even got to sneak some Dr. Dre beats into the house; the likes of NWA wasn't exactly allowed at home at that point.

I found this expanded version, which has never been officially released, on the internet sometime around 2009. As I stated above, I can't recall the website I initially downloaded it from, but [sgm] did their own writeup a few years back. So I'm in fine company, I suppose. This includes every song that appeared in the film and on the soundtrack, as well as the entirety of Cliff Martinez's excellent score, which never got a release of its own. This, along with his score to "Sex, Lies, And Videotape", are an amazing first and second recordings for the former Weirdo/Dickie turned film composer.

It's worth downloading because you get "Everybody Knows", "Love Comes In Spurts", and "The Scenario" all in one place. Respect to Kathy Nelson, who served as music supervisor here, and whose credits include "Repo Man", "Pulp Fiction", "Grosse Point Blank", and approximately 200 more movies whose soundtracks you bought at the mall in the 90s and 00s.


Click here to download.

Friday, January 15, 2021

Sailor Moon & The Scouts - Lunarock

Here's another shameless grab at clicks and downloads, featuring the late-90s voice talent from the English language "Sailor Moon". It should not surprise you in the least that this is a North American-only release; no Japanese company would record and release something like this.

I'm no great expert on anime soundtracks or video game music, but I come across a fair amount of it in discount bins and thrift stores around these parts, so I guess I have a greater than average familiarity, because I'll be damned if I can pass it up. I think it's great that the best in that industry have gained worldwide recognition in the past two decades, thus negating the need for a market specific release like this. It never ceases to amaze me how content providers will underestimate the tastes of their audience, dumbing it down while localizing while neglecting what makes an IP interesting in the first place.

Anyhow, here's the second North American market Sailor Moon release. It's a far cry from the Takanori Arisawa composed and arranged from the original Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn series, but it worth remembering, I suppose. But it does combine English language music recorded for DIC's localization with Japanese songs from idol group DALI and vocalist Yoko Ishida. It gives it this weird mix of second-rate Stan Bush vibes with the occasional Harajuku outburst.

Hell of a week to misplace my main hard drive, is really what I'm getting at.



Click here to download.

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

various artists - Solid Gold, Coxsone Style

I found myself a fine little find today, amidst a post office/Starbucks run. This here is a 1992 expanded CD release of a 1971 Studio One compilation, all featuring tracks produced by Coxsone Dodd. For $2, I got myself a healthy dose of John Holt and Jackie Mittoo, of Alton Ellis and the Freedom Singers. Hell, I even got extended mixes of songs by Dennis Brown and Delroy Wilson, and didn't even have to pay extra for the privledge.

This is, by far, my favorite era of reggae. Whether it's releases on Trojan that were recorded with the export market in mind, or the antecedent to lover's rock, or just monster sounds from the island, there's just SO many qualities tracks and singles, leading to banging comps like this one. It's unfortunate that there's a ton of Heartbeat releases that have gone out of print; as I've gotten older, I'm really drawn to their reissues, even with the shitty replacement artwork. It makes a body want to work out a licensing deal or three...really restore and reissue some of Sir Clement's deep cuts.



Click here to download.

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Iggy And The Stooges - Metallic 'KO

I typically wouldn't post or write about "Metallic 'KO", because what's more to say about one of the all-time great live records, and the onstage meltdown of one of my favorite bands? I can only jump on top of a pile of great reviews and dry hump my way into the legacy, you know.

It's worth me sharing this, though, in case you're one of the heads who've never received the sacrament of Iggy and his Stooges getting pelted with loose change, threatened by bikers and giving back twice as much hate. And the reason is that Jungle Records just put out a collection of all their Ig releases over the years, starting with this here classic as disc #1. Some kind soul sent me a copy, and it's all I want to listen to. The collection also has both sets (October 1973 and February 1974) that make up "Metallic 'KO"s contents in remastered forms, as well as a number of other cool live and studios rarities.

This, tho...the "Raw Power" lineup of the Stooges, plus Scott Thurston on piano...phew. Give me all the medium drugs and set me loose. It's almost 50 years old and it's still an incredibly sexy, dangerous record.



Click here to download.

Sunday, January 10, 2021

The Third Sex - Card Carryin'

Here's another one of those records I had in the 90s, sold off or lost or gave away, then recently turned up locally for a couple of bucks. I heard about the Third Sex via a pretty great 7" (their first) they released with Kill Rock Stars in 1995. When I heard they'd made a full-length for Chainsaw, the home of Team Dresch and Sleater-Kinney, I dutifully sent off my $8-$12 in carefully-hidden cash, and six weeks later, I was the proud owner of "Card Carryin'".

Portland lesbians were a mysterious breed, making a better racket and fiercer sounds than any guys I knew at the time in the state of Maryland, so, yeah, I dove headfirst into that scene, despite being a straight, cis, white dude fresh out of high school with a shaved head. "Why are you into those dyke bands?" otherwise progressive buds would ask me. I don't know; like so much other art, I'm drawn to the things on the outside. I mean, yeah, I probably would have fit in better at an Earth Crisis show, but this just made more sense, had greater appeal.

Even 25 years after the fact, I maintain a big soft spot for romantic, political music, of which this has in spades. There's a strong surf sound here, with the requisite energy that comes around with that sort of influence. And the vocal interplay between Trish & Peyton definitely reminds me of Sleater-Kinney from the same period, although there's a lot more weird, silly play going on here, which of course I dig. It's a good old spin, from a time where it was really daring to be queer and play even DIY spaces without getting fucked with. The Third Sex kept it fun, sounded like there was a bright future ahead, and it still sounds great.



Click here to download.

Saturday, January 9, 2021

Yah Congo Meets King Tubby & Professor At Dub Table

I spent my time yesterday that I'd normally blog working for a client, so not only did I miss a day, this one will also be short, which is fine, because I'll be damned if I can find out much more about this other than what it says in the liner notes.

It's a set of King Tubby and Professor mixes, featuring the likes of Larry Marshall and the Gladiators, produced and arranged by Glen Darby, aka Yah Congo. While the liners don't give a specific recording period, I'm guessing this happened right around the same time Darby produced the under-heard Skatalites reunion session later released under "Heroes of Reggae in Dub": so right around 1975-76. Darby released some cool sides under his See Yah Me label, including Delroy Wilson's "I've Been In Love" and Calvin Stewart's "Bablan Turn", both of which have these great Black Brother versions on their B-sides.

So what do you have here? Just some real solid riddims, with heavy monster dub production courtesy of the late King Tubby and Professor, who was acting at Tubby's assistant during this period at King Tubby's Studio. I don't love this so much as some of the Scientist records I've shared, but it's a strong enough rarity that I'm kind of shocked it's never been reissued before. It's cold and it's wet outside, and I give 3:2 that the world might come to an end in a few weeks, so something appropriately apocalyptic and spiritual in right in my wheelhouse.



Click here to download.

Friday, January 8, 2021

Robert Mitchum - Calypso - Is Like So...

I've been planning for months to start a new series, focused on the 90s reissue label Scamp. Scamp was an imprint of Caroline Records, focused on easy listening, lounge, bossa nova, middle-of-the-road, tiki, and other 50s and 60s curiosities from the greater EMI label family. Why, you might ask, would a blogger of punk and reggae be drawn to lounge music? Probably for the same reason why these reissues came into existence in the first place. You get older, and no matter how much you might love three chords and the truth, you just don't necessarily want to listen to it all the time. Not to mention it, but I, like most of you, have been stuck inside for most of the past ten months, and you gotta collect something, right?

I'll be sharing these passports to excitement weekly, according to catalog number, every Friday, just in time for you to pull out the liquor and mixers, put a new download on the speakers, and enjoy your own throwback happy hour. If nothing else, I've committed to 23 more blog posts. It's good to set goals.

First up is SCP 9701: the 1995 reissue of Robert Mitchum's 1958 debut, "Calypso - Is Like So...". Originally released by Capitol Records, the record was inspired by Mitchum's interactions with the calypso scene in Trinidad during the filming of "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison". As far as actors making records goes, it's in my top five all-time. Whereas this would sound like crass appropriation in someone else's hands, Mitchum obviously gives a shit, and sounds so smooth doing it. It's clearly a white guy singing a white version of calypso; there's little to no innuendo present, something that makes listening to the likes of Mighty Sparrow so much fun. But there's real passion present, and Mitchum's singing voice is so strong.

Say what you will about the music, but don't you dare front and act like Robert Mitchum doesn't look like the coolest motherfucker alive on that cover. I've had two drinks all year, and I'm ready to climb off the wagon and onto that stage to split a rum and get eyebanged by the star of "The Friends Of Eddie Coyle".

You'll still find this regularly in thrift store bins, although I've never seen a Capitol pressing that hasn't been beat to hell. The Europeans are much more hip to what a great record this is; if you're looking for a vinyl copy, I definitely recommend snagging the 2010 Bear Family pressing, who cut a DMM disc on 180g wax. It sounds hella good. Surprisingly, this Scamp release is the last American release to date of this underheard classic, and one of only a handful of CDs that have come out over the last 40 years. But that's the point of writing about it, right?



Click here to download.

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

The Wrens - Abbott 1135

We have now entered the 18th year of our interminable wait for the new Wrens record. Little fucker can vote, buy porn, make fun of dad's music...the whole nine yards. If only it'd show up.

I owe my fandom to the thankfully still active Wilfully Obscure, who, in 2008, blogged a wonderful write-up on the Jersey quartet's 1995 7", "Life Stories From the Union". I didn't know these dudes from Adam, but the 7" was on Sonic Bubblegum, who'd released a few Tugboat Annie records over the years. I figured, why not, it's just bandwidth. It easily turned out to be one of my all-time favorite discoveries, the kind where you wonder just how your head ended up so far up your own ass that you'd only come across it that day. They had to have played shows I could have attended, right? Surely they played with the Oranges Band or Candy Machine or any number of Ottobar/Memory Lane/Talking Head bands in the late 90s and early aughts, just $15 in tolls and a three-hour trip from the Tri-State to Baltimore. So how was it that I missed them, yet caught Lifter Puller and Karate and Chisel and the Karl Hendricks Trio? Life moves in mysterious ways, I suppose.

I made up for lost time, in the end. One could turn up nearly their entire discography for less than $100, the exceptions being the really limited CD-Rs and that goddamned split with Park Ave., an early Saddle Creek joint that probably goes for so much due to one Conor Oberst's appearance on the flip. "The Meadowlands" is every bit the rock classic that better scribes than I have been saying for almost two decades. Their earlier records, "Silver" and "Seacaucus", deserve better than a footnote in the catalog of the label that brought us Creed and Drowning Pool. And the singles! Every time I spent actual money on one, then cursed myself for buying one record for what I could have spent elsewhere on four, the package would show up and I'd hear something quite unlike any other band.

"Abbott 1135" came out the year after "Seacaucus". Was it an addendum to the 19 songs that'd come out on the LP? Was it a demo, casting about for a new home? Who the hell was Ten23 Records? It has that sense of immediacy that makes the Wrens so great, but none of the polish present six years later when "The Meadowlands" came out. Which is fine; the Wrens must have been one hell of a bash-em-out band back then. Six songs, 20 minutes, 17 seconds. I can only imagine their taking a weekend or two to knock the whole endeavor out.

Anyway, I ordered this right before New Year's Eve, and it arrived yesterday, the first mailorder of the new year. Three of these songs showed up on the legendary "Overnight Success" tape; "Pretty O.K." came out in some form via a Magnet Magazine sampler, "This Machine" would get tacked onto the 2006 double vinyl reissue of "Meadowlands", and "North To Nothing" is exclusive to this CD. You could (and probably will) do worse things with your day than give this a spin.

Oh, and Spavid, if you're reading, thanks for hipping me to one of my favorite bands. Here's hoping we get that record before I turn 50.



Click here to download.

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Żegota - Movement In The Music

When people in 2021 say, "Gee whiz, where was the punk resistance during the Trump adminstration?", like a goddamned DIY band is going to organize people like Pete Seeger did, they're probably looking for something like Fat's "Rock Against Bush" compilations. Which, you know, fine, gotta give the kids at the Hot Topic something to listen to. It's better than nothing, right? But, to tell the truth, I prefer my aural resistance a lot crustier, more abrasive. Something like Greensboro's Żegota.

This was John Ericsson's new band after he left Catharsis, another outstanding political HC band from the late 90s. Named after the Polish Żegota Council to Aid Jews, there's no confusion where they were coming from politically. The final track on this, their first record for noted hard left label CrimethInc., is titled "Open Disobedience; Bold Resistance". They were pro-bikes, anti-cop, pro-organization, anti-melody, pro-hollerin'. It's a perfectly good soundtrack to Food Not Bombs, Black Bloc, and chaining oneself to the doors of an international bank.

I'm not certain why I never owned a copy of this up until last year, but when I came across a copy in a Half Price Books "fill a shopping bag for $20" sale, I couldn't pass it up. Its digipak is printed on recycled material, doncha know? It's weird and jammy and dirty and smells funky and it makes me want to run thru a brick wall to punch a Proud Boy. Viva la resistance!

Discogs


Click here to download.

Monday, January 4, 2021

various artists - Let There Be Doom II (A Kult Collection Of Massive Sub-Harmonics)

It's Monday. "Happy first Monday of 2021," says I. How about some doom metal?

What you have here is a sampler from the good folks at Southern Lord, circa 2004, of some of their finer doom metal bands. Now, I'm not nearly kvlt enough to offer some new and interesting insight into what you'll hear here, should you wish to download and listen. But I've found Greg Anderson to be an arbiter of good taste, it's his label, and he has half a dozen songs here, so I'm guessing that's why I snagged this when I did. Wino also appears a few times here, via songs from the Obsessed and Saint Vitus, and a guest appearance on a Place of Skulls track. Hell, things wrap up with a cut from Dave Grohl's Probot project, featuring Lemmy on vox. Skål!

So if you're feeling some bass-heavy sounds on this Monday morning (or whenever you happen to read this), then dive right in. I find this to be an excellent set of recordings to read e-mail and write white papers to. But I have issues that I solve with prescribed pharmaceuticals, so take that with a grain of salt.

Discogs


Click here to download.

Sunday, January 3, 2021

Shout! Factory in January

From "They Live" (John Carpenter, 1988)

Like December, January is a light month for Shout! Factory releases. A mere five films/shows arrive on 5" discs in the first month of 2021. HOWEVAH! Two of these are must haves for the Ultra High-Definition collector. What, you didn't get a 4K TV and UHD Blu-ray player from Santa this Christmas? Well, maybe yours is on backorder with mine, sure to arrive within the next 12 to 24 months. Never mind that: let's look at what's coming.

January 12
I know I'm not the only person confused or intimidated by all the various "Lupin the Third" manga and anime releases over the years. No less a master than Hayao Miyazaki made his directorial debut on the second "Lupin" feature film, 1979s "The Castle of Caligostro". There have been a total of six anime series and six theatrical releases over the years, the newest of which, 2019s "Lupin III: The First" gets its home release via GKids today. It's the first 3D and first CGI release in the series and, frankly, looks like a good place to jump in for yours truly. There's options for fidelity and packaging: you can choose from the DVD, the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, or the steelbook Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. The steelbook features that attractive cover to the left; all three versions come with a lithograph if you order them direct from Shout! Factory. As for bonuses, look for Blu-ray-only interviews with director Takashi Yamazaki and the Japanese cast, as well as animation breakdowns, a CG model gallery, Japanese- and English-language trailers, and a featurette on the "yellow" carpet premiere. No need to steal this one.

January 19
Everything else is coming this week, with a couple of real bangers leading the pack. I'll get to those shortly, after I dispatch with the direct to Blu-ray and DVD release of "Dead Reckoning". Andrzej Bartkowiak is a long way from directing "DOOM" and "Exit Wounds", now helming this action thriller starring K.J. Apa from "Riverdale" and India Eisley from "The Secret Life of the American Teenager". It was originally shot back in 2016, and finally came to VOD in November. The most interesting parts of this to me are Scott Adkins as the lead antagonist, and James Remar serving as what I assume is some sort of law enforcement officer, preferably grizzled. I do love a meaty role for a favorite character actor, and Scott Adkins is always threatening. Light pass from your favorite Ape.

Anime Limited is the latest label to join the Shout! family. This Scottish distributor is already pretty well established in the UK and EU, spinning out of the Scotland Loves Anime convention 9 years ago. They hit my radar back in May when they announced they'd be releasing "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and the two films from the series on Blu-ray for the first time ever. They'll be releasing Masaki Watanabe's adaptation of Araki JOH's manga "Bartender" ("バーテンダー") on Blu-ray on the 19th. Originally airing in Japan in 2006 on BS Fuji, "Bartender" centers around Ryu, a genius barman with a kind ear and a golden arm. It was only available on DVD in Japan, along with some unsubbed, undubbed bootlegs, so the announcement back in September that this would be appearing in Region A & B was welcomed. It's a cool looking set: along with all 11 episodes on two discs, purchasers will get nine recipe cards featuring Ryu's best cocktails, and four bar coasters. It's rare that anime inspires me to drink, so bottom's up to "Bartender" coming to Blu-ray.
Finally, a pair of John Carpenter classics come to UHD for the first time. I already own the Collector's Editions of "They Live" and "Prince Of Darkness" that came out in 2012 and 2013, respectively. And, as I alluded to above, I still don't have the 4K TV or UHD player that would require copping these immediately. But there's enough bonus material available as part of the preorder that I'm considering snagging them. Both films now come as a UHD/Blu-ray combo pack, with Dolby Atmos 7.1 soundtracks available on both for the first time ever. It appears that the Blu-ray portion of each release more or less the same of as their earlier releases; the most obvious changes being the 7.1 mixes being upgrades over the earlier versions. "Prince Of Darkness" is available as two different pre-order SKUs: the standard combo pack with poster, or a package including the combo pack, poster, and exclusive colorway of the new Sacred Bones 7" featuring Carpenter's re-recording of the film's theme. As has been the case with other Scream/Bones collabs, this 7" gets its own pretty rad slipcase illustrated by Chris Bilheimer.
As for "They Live", still my all-time favorite John Carpenter film (don't @ me), there are a lot of options. There's the UHD/Blu-ray combo pack, which, at one point, had a poster as a bonus, which is now gone. This is the one you'll see on the shelves of finer video retailers around the world. As with "Prince Of Darkness", there's also a package containing the combo pack, a poster, and an exclusive colorway of Carpenter's 2017 re-recording with his son Cody of the title theme. This also gets a dope Chris Bilheimer cover and slipcase. NECA has also recreated Keith David's Frank in their Mego-style 8" action figure line. The figure, limited to just 4,000 pieces, is sold out as a separate SKU, but is still available as part of a movie/poster/figure package AND/or movie/poster/7"/figure package. If Santa brought you a bit more holiday dosh, or you've got nothing better to spend your Trump bonus on, well...congratulations. You're in better waters than the most of us. Enjoy your giant stack of "They Live" gear!

From "Lupin III The First" (Takashi Yamazaki, 2019)

Things get back to normal in February, with a full slate of new releases, Steelbook reissues, another NECA action figure, and even a Shout! exclusive color of vinyl headed our way. I'll get back to normal by writing and posting this before the first of the month. Hooray! Be there...aloha.

Friday, January 1, 2021

Portishead - Live on Later...With Jools Holland, 15 April 2008

Beth Gibbons, Portishead, "Later...With Jools Holland"

Jesus. 10 years since the last Portishead release. 13 years since their last full-length. Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley are making soundtracks and guesting on other folks' records. I can only imagine what Beth Gibbons is up to; I hope it's something involving her, some folk songs, and an English cliffside. The magic, the mystery of how and when they make music. There's very little like it in this world.

Listening to a Portishead record for me is a bit like reading a Bible is to others. Seeing them live is church. It's a worship of sound, a spiritual experience unlike few others I've had. I'd see them anywhere, but I feel like the best would be to see them in a deconsecrated space, to keep with the metaphor. Give a holy sound a proper venue.

"Third" came out April 2008. I remember it being a really odd time, an odd sense of doom and hope permeating the air. The first single from Portishead in 10 years, "Machine Gun", had debuted a couple months ahead of the full-length; I think it was one of the last times I went to Pitchfork for any music news. It sounded like the end of world to me. I couldn't wait for the whole deal.

I wouldn't get "Third" right away, but I was more than satisfied by the group performing live on "Later...With Jools Holland" the week the new record came out. They played two cuts: "The Rip" and "We Carry On". Some soul during the heyday of music blogs kindly ripped both performances to MP3 for me; I share them here. These are, by far, my favorite versions of each song. "The Rip" sounds even more ethereal, Barrow's drums so thin and ghostly. "We Carry On"...it's a song that makes me want to run through walls, its motorik beat, slapped against metal, and Silver Apples-style keyboards offset by guitar that plinks and then EXPLODES! I can't hear it without imagining a music video, directed preferably by Ben Wheatly, of medieval soldiers, muddy from head to toe, fighting and dying.

There should be a new Portishead record in 2021, is what I'm saying.

Click here to download.

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