R.I.P.

Well, given that basically all the old stuff is gone and putting up anything new is pointless since it will almost assuredly meet the same fate, this is over as a sharing blog for older records. I'll still share the occasional obscure or local effort but don't come around expecting much anymore. I still have all the old posts on my computer so if you want something, send me an e-mail at camborthwick@gmail.com and I can send it to you. It's been fun I guess

WEAKERTHANS- LEFT & LEAVING

It's been too long! I make no promises about posting more but hey, I'm like a streaky hitter. I'm .224 for my career but I've been known to go on 15-game stretches of .376

This is a good post to come back with though! For those who don't know, The Weakerthans are the product of John K. Samson. Samson got his "start" (quotations since I doubt he was planning to stick around or was musically fulfilled) in the 90's band Propaghandi as their bassist. After leaving that band he started focusing on his own material and formed the Weakerthans. The rest is Can-rock history.

Musically, this is hyper-literate, soft-spoken pop-punk with a lot of mellow songs and all-around fantastic songwriting. If you like Jawbreaker but wish they sounded more like Yo-La Tengo then this is the ticket!

HERE

HUM- YOU'D PREFER AN ASTRONAUT

Just some more Hum. Good-ass spaced-out alt-rock. Pumpkins with more of a shoegaze/pink floyd influence!

HERE

IMMORTAL- AT THE HEART OF WINTER

Black Metal, like pretty much every other sub-genre of extreme music, constantly sparks debates about sincerity within the genre. These kinds of debates almost always touch on some set of arbitrary rules about something as significant as songwriting or something as trivial as how the band members are dressed. One common debate I've seen on message boards and in reviews is how much "rawness" (the extent to which the recordings are made to sound intentionally lo-fi) is important to the music being "true" or sincere.

While a lot of classic black metal is very raw in its production, so what? Keeping both feet constantly in the philosophies and practices of the people who inspired you can lead to not only your own artistic stagnation but also increases the likelihood of your music sounding like a poor imitation of those bands. Which is why I'm glad this album exists.

Immortal were one of the first-wave Norwegian Black Metal bands and their early recordings were very raw but album to album the production, not to mention the musicianship and songwriting, took incredible leaps and bounds. This is my favourite of their albums and while this is undeniably a black metal LP in terms of the music, the production makes it sound as crisp and clear as Ride the Lightning! Sadly, Immortal will always be more remembered by hipsters as the band that made ridiculous music videos and wore a ton of makeup and medieval armour... at least people who actually like music for music's sake can enjoy this!


HERE

GLOOM-Vokusatsu, Seisin, Hatansha

Hey everyone, remember me? I forgot my gmail password for 3 months or more, but I have it again and I've got a lot to share.

Here's the band that burst my crasher crust (blown out Japanese d-beat) cherry and still remain my favorite practitioner of the genre. Listen to Wargasm and Decay and pump your fist.

DOWNLOAD

CRYSTAL SWELLS- HARSH SIDE/SLUDGE FREAKS 7"

This is the perfect acid-fried, garage-pop, speed-trip for your summer! Four jams in seven minutes, oodles of reverb on the vocals, drums that sound like Chuck Biscuits backing Dick Dale and some truly killer guitar playing! This band has been at it for a few years and they always rule! You can download the individual tracks on the bandcamp... ohh, just got to track three and it's a fucking anthem! this band is too good!

HERE

THIN LIZZY- BLACK ROSE

This is a fucking great record. If you like guitars then you'll dig this... if you don't like guitars, go to a different blog.

HERE

MONOMYTH

Monomyth are a new band from Halifax making great shoegaze-surf-jangle-noise-pop... Now, of course that sounds like a million other trendy bullshit bands that currently populate every music scene in the western world BUT these four dudes have the edge. Great musicianship, songwriting and a fuck-ton of charm. I had the honour of meeting and sharing a stage with these guys last night and needless to say, they were the highlight of the night by a Texas mile. They're touring Canada right now and are all the way from Halifax so if you live on Vancouver Island or in Vancouver, go see them this week before they go back to their crab fishing jobs.


HERE

CRIME DESIRE - IN LUCIFER'S GRIP

I think the cover of this album says it all really.

DOWNLOAD

HUM- DOWNWARD IS HEAVENWARD

Well, what to say about HUM? a cult act if there ever was one. Spacey (but not shoegazy) alt-rock with lyrics about girls and astronomy. When I say "alt-rock" I worry it conjures memories of Pearl Jam or Stone Temple Pilots or something else that sucks but I'm thinking more along the lines of Smashing Pumpkins' heavier songs circa 95! This is very blissful music with the occasional crushing guitar part and feedback-laden lead melody. I feel like by describing it, as I'm trying to do right now, I'm over contextualizing it and not getting to the point. This band is really good and sadly forgotten in comparison to other bands from the era. This is their last album but it's a good starting point!


HERE