Did you know that Baroness (#1, 2007) has a new album coming out on July 17th?
Following the Red Album (2007) and then the Blue Record (#7, 2009), I'm hoping this will be pretty nice.
More John Dyer Baizley album art [click to embiggen], so it's definitely Baroness again.
"Take My Bones Away" from Yellow & Green (2012)
O yeah, that's the name of the album - two colors this time! It's supposed to be a move away from metal, towards something more... pop? Notsomuch.
"Eula" from Yellow & Green (2012)
Is "Eula" supposed to be like an End-User License Agreement? It's gonna be a double-album, and I'll probably pick it up. But so far, it seems a bit straightforward with some cool bits thrown on top. There's another preview tune out there, but I don't think I finished it.
Pre-order at Relapse!! The 1-time Deluxe packages actually look pretty tempting...
Young Mammals (Best local debut release of 2006, non-Top 10) are playing tonight at Walter's... no longer On Washington. 7" single release party!!
They used to be called The Dimes back around high school - at the time that self-titled debut was out (2006). It's been awhile since the last release, Carrots (2010). And they're still playing the power- noise-pop -thing.
Guess you'll have to pick up a copy to hear the B-side, or buy the download from Bandcamp...
This was the 'single' off that first album, 2007 video! In a convenience mart!!
"Delilah" from The Dimes (2006)
And ~
"Dragon Wagon" from Carrots (2010)
That's from the second album, once they'd changed names - probably after realizing the number of Dimes out there already...
See you there.
"Gag Reflections" from new 7" (2012)
O! and while I have the "Local Music, "Pop Musik" and "New Release" tags handy, Wild Moccasins also have a 7" out just recently.
Track #2 comes from Primordial Undermind, a band/artist that I have actually heard OF... but have never heard before (that I know OF).
Based on Wiki-info, [t]he[y] seem(s) pretty nomadic - including a stint in Austin, with membership including Tom Carter (ca. 2000-2003). Current base of operations might even be Vienna, Austria.
The comp track is mostly almost missing audio for quite awhile, and then kicks up a slight ruckus. But I found some more stuff laying around the internet. Check out this 1999 interview for one thing...
"Ten Toes, One Soul" from Thin Shells of Revolution (2003)
I believe this to be one of those early-'00s records that Tom Carter played on. MP3 download of a different song over at Emperor Jones Records. Lotta sounds going on there! [Must investigate why EJ mp3's are hosted at latinobuggerveildotcom...]
It's a bit odd that I really can't find any of the earlier music from the '90s anywhere to include here. They do have a SoundCloud, which mostly streams a few more recent live recordings.
"Blinding Stars" from Loss of Affect (2006)
See, the intro there had me thinking more of Tom Carter - but according to September Gurls, no. This band definitely 'jams out' more than my earlier basal impressions would indicate. I thought they were pure noise, maybe harsh dissonant electronics - rather than extended guitar/band psychedelic freak-outs.
Wasn't expecting the free-jazzoid elements neither. A different tune from this one is up on the Free Music Archive.
"Non Servium (Undermind)" from Hall of Mirrors (2005)
This comilation also looks pretty sweet! Once called "the Reign in Blood of modern space / psych rock compilations" (admittedly by the label itself), it features: Kinski, Circle, ST 37, Farflung, Acid Mothers Temple, Abunai!, Bardo Pond, and some random number of others. No apparent relation to the Kraftwerk tune, though.
Recorded live in December 2008 in front of a live studio audience ... soaring cello ... proto-Japanese psych-rock textures ... interwoven with electronics... [T]he astral moon-scrape ... what an unholy matrimony between Einstruzende Neubauten and Guru Guru ... heady collision of Amon Duul II (circa Phallus Dei) with classic Austin TX-style garage-psych like ST37... In all [] of its consciousness-elevating glory ... blows the doors off of most acid/experimental/free-rock acts rattling on the cellar door today.
And so, one track from the last album made available at the label site.
The Soundcloud labels say it all: "The lost Byron Bay mix, over 3 hours of astral space music .... enjoy!" Dungen (#5 of 2008), Floyd (all time), Boards (Broads of Canada?), Vangelis, FSOL, etc.
If but to download, perchance to zone out. Astral... space... muuusic!
I'd already promoted this great benefit comp, but now I'm going to dig deeper - starting with band / track #1...
Abunai! submitted "Time of the Funk-Lords (Flash Forward)" to the For Lee Jackson in Space album.
They were active from 1996-2002, and apparently reunite from time to time to bring the psychedelic space rock. I'd never even heard of them, although they were on Camera Obscura. Maybe because... Massachusetts?
"77 Gaza Strip" from Universal Mind Decoder (1997)
Hey, I like that kinda thing. According to the album cover, that was the 6th release overall from the Camera Obscura label. A quick comparison shows that 4 of the first 6 Obscura albums' artists are on this complilation: Stone Breath, Azusa Plane, Green Pajamas, and Abunai!
"Learning to Ask" from The Mystic River Sound (1999)
Quite different from the space rock of that first tune, but another thing I also like: pretty, not-quite-sunny, but not-too-heavy psych-pop. O, maybe that's because "[i]nstead of taking on the identity of another band, Abunai! take on the identities of a dozen different bands, each with a different style" (per All Music Guide).
I've never seen that movie used for the video... any good?
"Motorcycle Boots" & "Rolling of the Stones" from Round-Wound (2000)
Yeah, that's the jammin' I've learned to expect of Abunai!, over the course of writing this blog post. This album also has the original studio version of their less-hippyish "(Flash Forward)" compilation edition [live 2010].
I'm not sure that instrumental version is actually the original. Also, AMG says that this album was originally packaged in one of those guitar-strings plastic bags, and the cover art does look like the labels that come with those. Niiice...
"Two Brothers" from Two Brothers (2003)
Video description says "[i]nfluences: Spacemen 3, Hawkwind, UK trad folk & 60s folk-rock, Amon Düül II, Fairport Convention, The Byrds, Can, Funkadelic, Syd Barrett, Galaxie 500, good skunk" - hey, those are some of my influences too! Whenever a band name has an exlamation point in it, I always end up subconsciously wanting to add exclamation points to their song names and album titles as well. How about you?
The actual Zombi full-length represents their first official release since 2009. O sure, there's been some side-project action, but this is it - and whatta difference a coupla years can make! Well, maybe it's more of a synthesis (ZING!) of previous styles than an all-out change.
"Shrunken Heads" from Escape Velocity (2011)
Just as the album prior was their most proggiest (with added guitars), this one's the most Italo disco (with subtracted live drums). The rhythms drive like the '80s, and the spectre of Moroder haunts most every nook & cranny. I don't remember exactly how synth music became more acceptable to me, but I don't necessarily think this would be how you adapt from the rock. I dunno... Zombi's been on a metal label for the last 8 years! Maybe start with the innovative sequencing of the title track, or the more traditional downbeat soundtrack of "Time of Troubles?"
Or maybe the sleek sound design on "DE3." But one way or another, we're almost all the way into post-modern cyber-analogue nostalgic retro-futurism. The "Slow Oscillations" remix EP is free at Amazon. These versions were all 'winners' of a remix contest, and they're generally worth a free download - at least for the fun of it.
"The Visitor" by Miracle, from Fluid Window (2011)
Miracle, a new-ish duo with Steve Moore (Zombisynth) and Daniel O'Sullivan - from AEthenor (#7, 2006) and Guapo (#2, 2006). They're doing the '80s, uhh... differently. I only occasionally find myself listening to this one. I think I like "Sunstar" best, with guitars & psychopathic drum-machine freak-out.
They also did a cover of BÖC's "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" for the B-side on their "Good Love" single. But I can't find it to share with you...
The Majeure releases were very good as well. It would seem the physical copies of "Ben Nevis" 7" and Synthesizer of the Gods tape cassette are all sold-out. Keep up with the Majeure Bandcamp... Looks like there was a live recording last year that I missed, and so far already 2 digital releases this year (separate from the split-LP). One of which (2002) claims to be "my first attempt at songwriting outside of Zombi. Written and recorded in my kitchen, Pittsburgh, PA."
Cool!
Genre - Neo-Italo disco / Electro-Prog Official - zombi.us/ Myspace - myspace.com/zombi Location - Chicago, IL? NYC, NY? Pittsburgh, PA?
