Lot of great things have passed through my ear ducts since we last had our brief encounter. I'm not going to waste any time bullshitting around. Here's what's good…
The James Gang
I'm not even gonna explain this one. Rip it, foolio. Most recently, I've been enjoying Miami, but hell, you start anywhere you like.
Hoax's new LP
This album sounds and feels very important. Whatever the fuck that means. It's the best music I've heard from Hoax. It starts off with a track cultivated by Pharmakon that sets the tone beautiful for this brash, rugged chunk of hardcore. While this is a raging battering ram of aggression, the album is very dynamic and the lyrics are brilliant. Peep this.
Dreamdecay's Tape 2011
I spoke on these cats last time, namely their LP N V N V N V. I made mention of earlier works with dreamier atmospheres, but at the time I hadn't let those releases saturate my brain yet… Now I have, and let me say. This release fucking ripped me to shreds. While the N V N V N V LP was great because of its brute-strength and bone-marrowing sucking density; I love this release for the exact opposite reasons. This is still heavy, packing weirdo repetitive riffs, but there's a true haunting tone to this entire thing. There's some elements of shoegaze – a word I feel has almost a naughty taboo to it – but mostly it's just very blissful, while maintaining that primal, sinister sort of spirit. Highlight tracks include “!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” and “THEREISNOSUCHTHINGASHOME,” but really the entire chunk is perfection.
Download it here.
Tim Hecker's “Virginal II”
Let's be real. I've heard this entire album. It smokes. A different vibe than Ravedeath, to me… It's a bit more haunting and dreary, but it's so fucking beautiful. Reality is: Hecker can do no wrong.
Tim Hecker's Virgins is out October 14 on Kranky.
Lee Hazlewood
One of my favorites, here's just a handful of the many reasons why:
“My Autumn's Done Come”
“The Nights”
“Summer Wine”
“Dirtnap Stories”
“Pray Them Bars Away”
The Language & Music Of The Wolves – Narrated By Robert Redford
I don't really know what to say about this, other than you should just give it a whirl. It's pretty gorgeous, and kinda primal, and in a weird way maybe even a bit sensual. I don't know.
High Aura'd & Blood Bright Star Split
I was lucky enough to have the H.Aura'd Headnaut himself, John Kolodij, send me these tracks, and I was very, very excited. I was excited because since the release of the Sanguine Futures LP last year, I've been carving my arm, dripping deep dark blood for new High Aura'd recordings. The fact that this is a split release with Blood Bright Star, moniker of astral insignia head-guru Reuben Sawyer is just a massive big-boner bonus. High Aura'd of course brings an entire pasture's worth of heavy buzz and strings – breathtaking, slow-paced; orchestral and sprawling. Kolodij, you did good my brother. Blood Bright Star brings to the table a heavy stomper of Dylan Carlson's Earth proportions, some sinister riffs coil around like vipers, fangs out, and the groove just clicks. While these two sounds are pretty dissimiliar, there's a vein connecting them, and they gel with a passionate glance to each other. Homeboys found the savage light. XO to them both.
Damien Jurado's The Ghost Of David
THIS ALBUM IS ALMOST TOO HEAVY TO MANAGE. Some of the most lovely music, but there's a deep sense of despair thoughout, and the way Damien carries that through is similar to your Kozelek or your Molina, but there's this weird vulnerability Jurado possesses that sets him aside. There's an “everyman” aspect that sets him apart from other singer-songwriters of his ilk, though obviously the way he spins his tales and crafts the melody is nothing “everyman,” it's competely his own. Goddamn, intense.
Stream it on Spotify.
Lil Ugly Mane's “On Doing An Evil Deed Blues”
This new burner from the one and only Lil Ugly Mane is a class-act work of art. Weirdo hip hop that pulls from a different angle than what you would expect from most modern hip hop, but really what does that even say? Lil Ugly Mane has always had his own recipe, a cocktail melange of slowed, syrupy drum machine cruise and sampled bliss. It's a style he's perfected and no one can really tough. This new 7+ minute banger rips and roars and makes you nod and nod off.
Charles Manson's “Peace in Your Heart”
What a weird jam…but…perfect. Listen to Manson get mega weird. It's all sick as hell, but I have to say the last, like, 2 minutes are the best… It's killer when he starts really ripping the shit to shreds and clawing maniacally at the guitar, losing his marbles all over the track, but then that last minute just turns to pure shamanic bliss, oozing into the ether as some sort of sprawling golden mass. I cried a little.
Rolling Stones' “Heaven”
I will melt beside you into a pool of exotic pink fluid. We will become one and the universe will cease to exist as we mold ourselves into tandem surges of magik. Fuck everything else.
And there's a lot more shit I could mention, like a whole hell of a lot of Dennis Wilson, The Repos, Cheech & Chong records, George Carlin records, Brainbombs, Corrections House, Unwound, and a billion more… But just ride on these partners.
All my love,
WCW
