The Jesus And Mary Chain - Honey's Dead

I really shouldn't have to be doing this post, the same way I shouldn't have had to of done posts for The Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. But yet there are a large number of you out there who've never heard this band and in my closed minded, unpleasant little world, that will not stand. The Jesus & Mary Chain are held as one of the two ultimate shoegazer bands along with My Bloody Valentine. Personally I'd add Slint to that list but the shoegazer obsessives wont have it. They were arrogant, overly-cool people who's influence will be remembered for a very long time.

So why do I love this band so much? It's the way you must give their records you full attention to get everything out of it. A lot of records you can just throw on and have some pleasant background music to what ever you're doing. Not The Jesus And Mary Chain. If you take that approach with this band, sure you get a nice fuzz in your ear whilst you're doing whatever you are dedicating your time to. But to realize why this band is so essential and amazing, you have to just immerse yourself in it. You'll realize that under each layer or distortion is this fantastic melody. You'll notice just how well the vocals blend in to the guitar & bass. You'll realize why I've been rambling on like an idiot, telling you exactly how you should listen to this band.

I've given you three tracks from my favorite Jesus & Mary Chain LP, "Honey's Dead". This record just manages to out do "Psychocandy" in my opinion. But after listening to the songs below, you should probably go out and get both. Hell, get the whole back catalogue, they don't have any duff records so it's money well spent.

Teenage Lust
Sugar Ray
Tumbledown

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Sigur Ros - Takk

I think this may be the 5th update in one day on Big Static. Woah! Today I sat all day at work thinking about what record I would like to write about for my next post, and then it occurred to me that since I had this album on repeat all day, as I have done for much of this week, it is only common sense that I focus in on the latest Sigur Ros release.

I almost feel as though I shouldn't say too much about this band. I'd like to use words like "experimental" and "soundscapes" and "minimalist" but I might end up sounding like a total dick because there's not much you can say about this record to sum it up. Sigur Ros, apart from Bjork of course, are pretty much Iceland's biggest musical export to date. Their latest album, Takk, came out last month and I personally think it's the greatest album Sigur Ros have produced. The title means "thankyou" in Icelandic (oh, and the whole album is sung in the band's home tongue), and I think that is pretty much all the background information you need know.

Band member Georg Holm said, "for us, music is the magic that happens in a moment. If you start dissecting it then you might spoil it."

I cannot stress to you how in love with this album I am. Even the inlay artwork is of Constellation Records standards. I'll stop talking and just let you all listen. Because you really need to listen to this, honest.

Glósóli
Meo Blódnasir

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Weezer - Pinkerton

You know, I actually felt you cringe as you read the title of this post and to some extent, I can completely understand why. Weezer, that shitty band that gets plastered all over MTV and released that god awful "Beverly Hills" song earlier this year. Yeah, I couldn't stand it either. After I heard that song I was scared to listen to this record incase they did actually suck all along. But back in the day, Rivers Cuomo was the prince of insanely bleak, woman fearing pop-rock songs. This record was the result of his fame scaring the shit out of him and the fact that despite being presented as some kind of pop god, he was still just a disturbed little geek under it all. The product of his misery was one of the finest commercial records of the last ten years.

This point of view has become the biggest clique imaginable, but every Weezer release after this one was just audio cancer. Rivers would go back to his life of groupie shagging and cocaine rodeos. Good for him. Problem was, he only had any point as a song writer when he was writing about how much everything sucked. I figured he was either going to cheer up or top himself and the more music the guy makes nowadays, the more I wish he'd gone with the latter.

Anyhow, before you laugh at me for posting this, I've given you three tracks from the album to prove my point and because, well, this blog's all about music I dig anyway. If you can't get in to these immensely bleak little pop gems then you're either a complete prick or you're too happy to let some twat in a sweater-vest depress the hell out of you.

Getchoo
No Other One
El Scorcho

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Jeffrey Lewis - It's The One's Who've Cracked That The Light Shines Through

This is another classic from Rough Trade Records - a truly inspired piece of antifolk hilarity. Folk music is rarely linked to New York City, and when on the rare occasion it is, most people remember Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie and little else. Jeffrey Lewis on the other hand, alongside bands such as the Moldy Peaches, is a Lower-East Side kid playing hysterical punk-folk songs on a battered acoustic guitar, and then drawing comics of his songs alongside them. In fact, Jeffrey Lewis is primarily a comic-book artist, who has since moved onto writing songs and performing live with his brother Jack.

It's hard not to imagine little cartoon people running around when you listen to his lyrics. If You Shoot The Head You Kill The Ghoul makes me imagine Shaun Of The Dead, only acted out by hyperactive Myspace 'zombie' scene kids on acid trips, being drawn as a Pinky And Perky cartoon. Yeah, picture that. Ouch. I Saw A Hippie Girl On 8th Ave could equally be almost any Robert Crumb comic ever drawn, and No LSD Tonight is almost anti-drugs but isn't quite convincing... Jeffrey Lewis has created a masterpiece of hyperactive tongue-in-cheek teenage anti-folk songs, complete with every underground horror movie, Nintendo game and 80s punk band reference he could possibly squeeze in. I love it, and I don't think anybody can listen to "that Dawn Of The Dead song" without singing along, or at least cracking a smile. Every song on this album is brilliant - I picked it up cheap on Amazon. Make sure you get a copy because it will have you jumping around and singing along to songs about dinosaur names and pizza before you know it. Well, it's late, better get some sleep. Work tomorrow morning, or this morning should I say? Enjoy!

No LSD Tonight
If You Shoot The Head You Kill The Ghoul
I Saw A Hippie Girl On 8th Avenue

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Shellac - 1000 Hurts

I'm well aware of the fact that I've already done a Shellac post. In fact, it was the first post I ever did. But who cares right? I've just got a huge boner for this band in general. Might even call them my favorite band, at the moment. I can also understand if you're an Albini obsessive and are wondering why I haven't posted anything by his other two bands Big Black and Rapeman. Well, I'll probably end up posting them too some time. Look forward to it.

So, what's so great about this band that the music would grab me so strongly? Everything about it to be honest. The heavy as hell guitar, the dark and powerful bass, with Albini's cold and awkward vocals over the top. The perfect recipe for a dark, sarcastic math-rock band. This record is a concept album of sorts. Albini's lyrics tell the story of a man who caught his wife cheating on him. Slightly bland plot you may be thinking. Well, that's what I was thinking until about twenty seconds in to the first song "Prayer To God" where Albini's character asks god to kill his cheating better half and give a more brutal death to her lover. The realism in his voice really makes the skin crawl. I've given you two other tracks from the album and damn it was hard to choose just two. Well, enjoy them and if you do go to the September section in the archives and you can get a few tracks from Shellac's "At Action Park". We're good to you.

Squirrel Song
Watch Song

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Big Youth - Screaming Target

Man, this blog is getting updated a lot this week. That's probably for the best. It's more free music for you lot to get in to and then go out and buy. Two off topic things to say with this update. 1) "Oh, Sweet Nothing", a fantastic mp3 blog just went back on line and has started being updated again, everyone here should go and give it a try. It's in the links section on the right of the page 2) You see that little google banner at the top of the page? Well if you've been enjoying all the free shit that we've been throwing your way, give it a click. It takes you to a google page and I get a little money for it. My hosting isn't free and if you could help out, I'd be ever so thankful. Anyway, on with the update.

I really know fuck all about dub so explaining anything about the history and the importance of this record on the genre is some what hard for me. I will however say that I love this record. The way the dubbing and Big Youth's vocals bounce off each other so well is always a joy to listen to. A record to sit back and chill to. If you're in to drugs then weed goes perfectly with this. It's also impressive that this record is thirty two years old and I can still here other dub artists today trying their hardest to recreate the sound and power of this record and failing miserably.

Screaming Target feat K.C. White
The Killer

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Saetia - A Retrospective

Good evening from another newbie, and another girl! Sorry to jump back into the pot of scary screamy music that Eugene just posted, but it has to be done. Speaking of which, you should all check out Captain Beefheart before you even think of reading the rest of this entry. I saw the Magic Band play live, sadly without Cap'n Beefheart himself, a few months back at the Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms and it really was a life-changing experience. So if you haven't already, stop reading now and scroll down and listen to some of Trout Mask Replica - arguably one of the strangest and greatest albums of the last 50 years.

For those of you who have already done so, here's a little something else that everybody on the planet has to hear before they die. Saetia were a NYC screamo band that lasted barely two years, and only ever released one full record. In their words, "2.5 years, 170-something shows, a demo, 2 7"s, 1 comp track and a full length. Hopefully it was more than 5 guys screaming and flailing about and breaking things." Oh, it was. Saetia are undoubtedly one of the most defining bands within the screamo genre, and with ex-members now playing in Off Minor to Interpol, their influences have spread into many other genres since.

Painfully grating screams, intricate guitar patterns, beautiful melodies, smashing cymbals and the most incredible lyrics of almost any band I've ever heard - Saetia's Retrospective album is truly mind-blowing - perhaps ear-blowing for those who can't take their screaming, though. This is a must for any Circle Takes The Square fan and a learning curve for anybody who thinks Taking Back Sunday is classifiable as screamo because occasionally "there's screaming". Here's three classic tracks from the record, although I strongly recommend buying the real thing because choosing any track apart from "the weaker tracks" is in fact a near-impossible task.

Notres Langues Nous Trompent
Closed Hands
Venus And Bacchus

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Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica

Woah, more posters have arrived. Below you can see a post from Marissa. She's arrogant and loud but she's fourteen and has better taste than most of you, thus why she is posting. She'll grace you with more cool shit so don't complain. We also have Alice who hasn't posted yet but I'm sure she'll do a fantastic job. We may also have one more guy on the way and he's a bit more knowledgeable than the rest of us so I'm looking forward to seeing what he posts, if you're a regular reader, you should be too.

I figured I'd give you a break from the scary, screamy music we've been throwing your way over the last few days with a little Captain Beefheart. Now, what do I love about this record so much? Well besides it's influence and it's impressive ability to push music concepts forwards. I guess what's so special about it is the way Beefheart crafted his magic band in to the images in his head. Every song here sounds completely jammed out but it was anything but. This record took a very long time with the good Captain laying out every track and telling the band exactly how to play it. It was rumored that he'd write every song as a diagram and then have to explain what it meant to the band members. Just imagine months of trying to explain how a circle should sound. He must have been a man of incredible patience.

Well, what came of this bizarre musical technique? A mind boggling explosion of free form poetry over disjointed yet carefully practiced musicianship, that's what. Perhaps it wasn't the bands finest work but it was their most musically progressive work. To add to this, it's a fucking delight to listen to, almost forty years after it's creation. The Magic Band still tour and Beefheart has gone back to his life as a painter. His journey in to the world of music is still very appreciated and he'll go down as a true forward thinker and pinnacle of respect for years to come.

Ella Guru
Moonlight On Vermont
My Human Gets Me Blues

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Agoraphobic Nosebleed/Converge - The Poacher Diaries

In case you haven't noticed from the last few posts, we've got a new guy on board. He goes by the name of Kieran and he's a sound bloke. He also has the rare talent of being able to weed out all the bad music you've never heard of and just leave the nice, underground, cult goodness. A few more posters might join soon so stay tuned.

Well anyway, on to my update. We have hear the fantastic split between two of America's best metalcore/noise bands. I'm sure most of you are well aware of who Converge are, they've made some what of a name for themselves. Agoraphobic Nosebleed however you probably won't have. A set of three musicians with only a drum machine for support, doing their best to completely lay waist to your ear drums. Each of their songs is about a minute long and in that respect could be seen as taking influence from the grind pioneers, Napalm Death. Converge's track on here is slightly different from their frantic, violent LPs. The track is slowed down and melodic yet still haunting and heavy as hell. I recommend you go out and get this split, plus Converge's back catalogue if you don't already have most of it, and what ever AN stuff you can round up.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Center Of The Hive
Converge - My Great Devastator

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Sikth - The Trees Are Dead And Dried Out Wait For Something Wild

I really can't be bothered with those insanely long write ups I've been doing over the past few posts. I'm pretty sure no one bothers to read them and as long as I'm giving you good music, I can't imagine why you'd care about much else. If you really have to know a bands history, just use Wikipedia or google the band or something. It's not hard and it hides the fact that I rarely know what I'm talking about. Oh and on another note, I'm looking for more contributors, maybe two or three. If you're interested send me an e-mail at jesus_sunbeam@hotmail.com.

Here's a schizo UK band for you. I've really been liking this lot for the last few years and figured it was about time that they got a post. They're one of those bands that have way too many ideas to fit in to an hour long album yet they decide to pack it all in anyway. What comes from this is an album that goes through insane noise metal, melodic soul singing and spoken word poetry. Rarely coherent and rarely focused. Maybe that would put some off but they still come through as a band that really set out to achieve something. Of course we all have no idea whether they did achieve what they wanted but we can still enjoy the experience. I've given you two of the noisier tracks below, give 'em a spin. They have a new record out soon and it's going to be hot shit. If you live in America, prepare to pay import costs.

Hold My Finger
Such The Fool

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Boards Of Canada - Music Has The Right To Children

Some huge major label just released a "tribute to John Peel" double disc compilation. As dumb a concept as packing that mans fourty years worth of played music in to two discs, the people in charge managed to exceed my expectations for the disc's suckiness by packing the whole thing with really obvious, well known bands that give little display of the eccentric and beautiful music taste that the man had. Yeah "Teenage Kicks" was his favorite track of all time and I guess The Fall, Captain Beefheart and The Jesus & Mary Chain deserved places in there too. But where are most of his proclaimed favorite bands? Where's the reggae, death metal and folk that he was such an avid supporter of? The only real variation from the slew of big name rock acts is the electronic act Orbital and that's hardly essential.

So I figured I'd give you some tracks by a band Peel championed very strongly and give some variation from, well, rock music. That band is an ambient electronic act that recorded a number of sessions with the man himself. I do have a copy of their Peel sessions but I don't have it to hand and this record is fucking tight so what does it matter? Go out and buy the sessions if you want. Amazon has them pretty cheap.

Boards Of Canada, despite their name are from Scotland and have been making music since the mid 80s. However it wasn't until this, their break through album that they got any kind of serious recognition. They do very few interviews and little advertising so their success is strongly attributed to DJs such as Peel and word of mouth. They've released two more full lengths (one was released yesterday) since this record and they've shown that "MHTRTC" was no fluke.

Their ambiance draws strongly from the warm fuzzy feeling of 80s TV and the band confesses that their music was strongly inspired by such sound. Weird place to draw influence? Yeah, but it worked so who are you to question that. The sound is always somewhat haunting and shares a bit in common with Richard.D.James' ambient work in tune structure and the haunting voices that can be heard on many tracks. The music on offer is a fantastic soundtrack to a very bleak relaxation period. Give it a try kids and then buy the record. Get their others too.

Eagle In Your Mind
Turquoise Hexagon Sun
Rue The Whirl

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Sebadoh - Bakesale

As much as he'd like to think he was, J Mascis was not the only musical genius behind Dinosaur Jr. There was also his nerdy, inward thinking bassist, Lou Barlow. Many would argue that Mascis wrote most of Dinosaur's best work, and to some extent they would be right. However Barlow gave the band's essential release and resident on this page (check the archives), "You're Living All Over Me" one of it's finest tunes in the shape of the acoustic yet powerful "Poledo". I really can't imagine that record with out it and it also showed that Barlow was no mere support musician.

Sebadoh was started as a side project between Barlow and guitarist Eric Gaffney. However when Mascis went control crazy and fired the entire band, Sebadoh went full time and Dinosaur Jr's quality of musical output went to hell. Thus more proof that Barlow had strong importance, if not musically then at least in keeping Mascis focused.

Along with bands such as Pavement and Guided By Voices, Sebadoh were the founders of a style of indy-rock known as lo-fi, in which the production is usually very simple and sometimes recorded on a four track. The band's early work was somewhat typical of this. By all standard it was fantastic, simple music with a strong eye for a good melody. However the best was still to come.

Eric Gaffney left the band and was replaced by the multi-instrumental Jason Lowenstein as well as Bob Fray. They would go on to release Sebadoh's most fantastic release to date, "Bakesale". The new approach at guitar was some what refreshing and helped breath life in to a band that was starting to loose steam, Just listen to the way the guitar makes "License To Confuse" take off. Yet little of this was treacherous to their lo-fi roots.

License To Confuse
Not Too Amused

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A Silver Mt. Zion - He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts Of Light Sometimes Grace The Corner Of Our Rooms

Godspeed You! Black Emperor going on "extended hiatus" was somewhat of a bummer. Just thinking we were never going to hear their nihilistic ambiance ever again put a shiver down the spine of post-rock junkies the world over. We were however given relief by a side project from three former Godspeed members. That side project was A Silver Mt. Zion and with this record, their sublime debut, they showed that their future in music was still going to be as dreary and bleak as before.

I've given you all a few tracks from this record but you can only really think of them as a preview. They stand out on their own, but for the full experience you really need to get this record and the two records that came after, they're somewhat of a continuation. There are some strong Godspeed elements in this record, most notably on "Angels Standing Guard" which is somewhat reminiscent of Godspeed's "Providence". But to consider them as an inferior carrying on would completely miss the point. Zion are not Godspeed, they've added and subtracted strong elements from their previous band and they've come out from it fresh and totally essential. Go out and get this bands records and Godspeed's as well if you haven't already. All of it is about as sublime as you can get.

Movie (Never Made)
13 Angels Standing Guard 'Round The Side Of Your Bed

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Jeff Beck - You Had It Coming

This one is for all those retarded little popular culture suckers who have been given the misguided thought that "insert shitty metal guitarist here" is some kind of god. Listen up people, Jeff Beck has been laying waste to all your dull idols for decades now with his effortless yet amazing guitar work. Whether it was his time with the Yardbirds or him ripping the shit out of his frets solo style, he's always shamed every other guitarist out there.

I've said before that by large, technical musicianship bores the hell out of me, Jeff has always transcended that thin line between guitar wankery and a catchy and interesting riff. All his music is basically impossible to play but the tunes still get caught in your head for days afterwards. On this record he also rarely feels vocals are on any level necessary as he thought the guitar was powerful enough with out accompaniment, he was right on every level. The three tracks below are perfect demonstrations. Little to no vocals, always done by someone else if any (he hates his singing) but some of the most fantastic guitar work you're going to here.

Dirty Mind
Rollin' And Tumblin'
Left Hook

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The Jesus Lizard - Liar

This band's singer David Yow is one gloriously fucked up human. Through his two seminal bands Scratch Acid and this band The Jesus Lizard, he has let out all the disturbed and sexually dark anger out for us to hear. He has one of the most demented screams that any one has been given, just check out the below tracks if you need proof. On "Gladiator" you get the ramblings of a man who at some point a psychiatrist gave up on, gave a microphone to and told him to let his anger out through it. Him being backed up by three raw and violent musicians helped out a fair bit too. However the sound that comes together through this madness has a bizarre melody hidden under the layers of depravity and fear. With audio engineering work from the always bleak Steve Albini, this record could be the finest demonstration of The Jesus Lizards work. They have been hugely influential to every disturbed band to emerge in the last decade and their music still lays waist to most of what has come recently.

Gladiator
Slave Ship

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Spacemen 3 - Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To

Man, I neglected this. This fine slab of drone rock history has been sitting on my CD rack for months without a play. I only noticed it when I went to find my Stone Roses LP. I feel quite stupid now as the second I stuck this little bastard in my player, I remembered instantly why this was my sound track to summer 2004. Each song is buried under a thick layer of feedback with Boom and Jason's dry "too cool for you" vocals poured over the top. But under each mind bending level of fuzz was this fantastic little melody. As the album title would suggest, it's fantastic music to get absolutely twisted on. Thus, the sound track to my summer. Shit reminds me of those days when I didn't have to do any work and didn't have a fucking care in the world. Nostalgia at it's finest ladies and gentlemen.

Obviously I recommend you go out and get this as well as "The Perfect Prescription", another fine Sapcemen 3 record. Also go out and get all Spiritualized's records as well. If you didn't already know, Spiritualized is what one of this bands key members did next. Hell, just go out and get everything that involves this band in any way. Chances are it's all cool.

Losing Touch With My Mind
Mary Anne
Things'll Never Be The Same

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John Prine - Live

I figured it was about time I put some decent country music up here. Some country that wasn't Johnny Cash. Don't get me wrong I love Cash as much as the next guy but there are other great country musicians out there too. One of them is this guy, John Prine. I chose this live recording for you as I just find his relaxed nature with his audience some what amazing. It's just him on stage with a guitar yet he entertains everyone in the audience with the stories of how he wrote what ever song he's about to play and actually manages to keep them all interested. To add to that, he's one hell of a song writer. Quite basic and effective guitar but in his lyrics and melodic voice was something special. I love it, you should too.

Grandpa Was A Carpenter
Fish And Whistle

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Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity

I remember seeing this band at the Reading festival last year, the singer proclaimed them the only decent band there and tried to get everyone to destroy the stage and tent. It made me laugh. No one in the crowd had the guts to do it so they went about trying to do it themselves. It got so bad the festival organizer threatened to pull the plug. It was one hell of a show. Besides these fantastic theatrics they pushed out some of the most brutal, intense and violent music I'd ever heard. They finished their set with Sugar Coated Sour and the singer looked one scream away from an aneurysm. There just aren't many bands taking a stand against mediocrity in extreme music like DEP and more power to them. This is their first and best full length (Miss Machine gets on my nerves) and it's basically a thirty minute head fuck. Unless you've heard it before, there is no telling what's going to come next.

Sugar Coated Sour
4th Grade Dropout

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Slayer - Reign In Blood

This sucks so badly. I was just getting ready for a night of heckling the "Atreyu doing Nirvana covers" and "we really want to be Bloc Party" local bands. I was getting dressed and making sure I had my wallet when I realized I felt fucking ill. Then came the last four hours of up chucking and wishing for a peaceful death. Man life's a bitch. If this had been on Monday and I could have dodged a bit of college because of it then I wouldn't have been so pissed off. But it's the first day of the weekend and all I have the power to do is sit in front of my computer and update this thing. So you may be getting a fair few updates this weekend, depending on how I feel tomorrow.

This post is for that geeky little long haired thirteen year old that thought metal was the supreme form of music and went everywhere in his baggy Metallica hood. That kid still dwells in me somewhere. I may have gotten some clothes that fit but I doubt I'm ever going to stop thinking that this record crushes all. "Angel Of Death" is the finest metal song ever made and no, that's not up for debate. What separates Slayer from nearly every metal band around today is their sheer desire to tear everything up. If there's one thing I've noticed about metal nowadays, it's the genres dull slaving to technicality. Five minute drum solos might do it for those acne ridden jackasses at Dream Theatre shows but I can't think of anything more pointless. Thus why Slayer is great, four minute tracks, pure destruction, no bullshit.

Angel Of Death
Postmortem

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Explosions In The Sky - Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever

Does that album name want to be any longer? I feel like I aged just typing the fucking thing out. If this record was anything but the amazing slab of angular, interesting post-rock that it is, I wouldn't have bothered. Come to think of it, there band name is too long as well. Anyway, pointless rant over, here's the first track from this epic album and it's but a fragment of the majesty that is this record. I never really thought that an album could tell a story with next to no vocals included, this proved me wrong. Basically the opposite of that hippy who lives in a Winnebago near me who's convinced that he can tell the story of the Roman empire through the medium of blowing on bottles. Maybe in his head he can but to me it's just three hours of "phhht, phiiiiit, phhhhhhht".

This album also has a conspiracy theory linked to it. On the inside sleeve the words "this plane will crash tomorrow" are written. Guess when it was released? September 10th 2001. Which basically means either this band are terrorists, have bad ass ESP or it's just a big coincidence. I think this record got banned for a while because of it. Well as creepy as this may be, the record is still tight.

Greet Death

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Primal Scream - Screamadelica

Feeling depressed? The whole world against you? Well us lovely people have the all purpose inclusive cure for the post-summer depression. Three times as powerful as a big ole hug and about as good as a bag of grass. Screamadelica kids, a strong assurance that everything is going to be just fine.

After the break up of one of the supreme shoegazer bands, My Bloody Valentine, the good Kevin Shields and co decided to take their music in a whole new direction. Gone was the dark melodic majesty of albums like "Loveless" (Which you should own too) and in came record after record of tripped out party songs. Two years in to owning this record, I still get a huge smile the second someone puts it on. The two tracks below are really just tasters, try them out, if you like 'em, go out and buy this glorious slab of sunshine. You can get it on Amazon for like £4. If you don't like it then fine, be a moody bastard and cut yourself in the corner, you're not getting any sympathy from me.

Slip Inside This House
Loaded

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Hot Snakes - Suicide Invoice

Now might be a time to introduce you all to something quite impressive. It's called the archives section and it's on the right hand side of this page, through using it you can try out all the wonderful music that has been pushed off the bottom by new posts. Amazing science.

I got home earlier thinking "some people have never heard Hot Snakes!!" Which to me is about the same as not being able to count to ten or thinking babies grow in cabbage patches. Consisting of members of Drive Like Jehu and Rocket From The Crypt, the Hot Snakes were a band with a keen eye for melody whilst using elements of members other bands to create this whole new sound. Edgy, witty, powerful, melodic, you get it all.

Gar Forgets His Insulin
Unlisted

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Melt Banana - 13 Hedgehogs

You lot had better appreciate this, I just spent a painful thirteen quid on this digital pancake. Pancake as it it was basically today's substitute for lunch. Yep, I wanted this record that much. Fifty six tracks of a bunch of crazy Japanese people completely losing it with a singer that makes Karen O look perfectly normal. Music that puts acts like The Locust to shame with their shear musical anger and speed. A sound track to going schitz. If you like insane music that seems to have complete contempt for melody, coherence and the principles of song writing, then these guys will lay waist to your mind.

Mind Thief
Pierced Eye
Aquatic Bee

French Toast - In A Cave

A lot of people have proclaimed that next to no good music has been released this year, I'm not too sure myself, as far as I can tell, there's been some mind blowing good stuff and a load of audio cancer, like every year really. Maybe there's been less good shit this year but I haven't really been counting. However at the beginning of this year we did get the majesty that is French Toast.

Another two piece that create way more sound than two people should be able to. They have bits of Depeche Mode, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Hot Snakes and other such cool shit in their sound. Are they as good as any of those bands? Well not really but they're still tight. Hell, when I do the obligatory "twenty best of the year" list at the end of the year, they'll probably be right near the top. Really, it is fantastic stuff, mellow yet edgy, just how I like it.

Float Away
What I see
Lion's Den

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