Thrashin' The Night Away

If this blog was a child I'd be in prison for locking it in a closet and never ever feeding it. It would have survived on the spare cockroach that found its way into the closet. I'm going to try to be more regular and do at least a weekly post. Not that it matters since exactly zero people read this.

Last night (Thursday August 30) I went to a pretty kick ass show. Merciless Death, a thrash band from California, played at Ramalama Records in Toledo. I'll be honest, I haven't listened to much metal that isn't black metal in a long time but as I'm typing this I have an old Slayer demo on and am going through every cd I have to find more thrash. These guys really put me in the mood for thrash. They played for an hour and a half and I'm guessing played every song they've written from what I've heard. We missed the first few songs but caught 90% of the set and it was great. The transitions within songs were awesome and these guys really know how to write a good metal song. My head was banging and I couldn't help but throw up the horns. Their sound was very much 80s thrash and I mean that in the best possible way. These guys wouldn't be out of place playing a show with Death when they first began or playing a bill with Slayer. Seriously, buy the cd (or vinyl if you're really cool) and put it on for a fellow metal head. Ask them to figure out when the thing was recorded. You could have them thinking its some lost thrash classic when in reality it was recorded 20 years after. These guys looked like a 80s thrash band brought forward in time to rock the world today even. I couldn't make out most of the lyrics but most of what I heard seemed to be about zombies, Satan, maybe even nuclear war, all of which are great topics for a metal band.

Talking to the guys afterwards I found out this was their first actual tour in their four years together. Hopefully I get a chance to see them again as they were really great. After the show I picked up a copy of their LP and I'm glad I did. Its limited to 50 copies on this picture disc and lo' and behold, the artwork is a Ed Repka piece. For those that don't know, Ed Repka is an amazing artist who has done artwork for some great albums. Everything about the record is cool and it now has a proud place in my living room. I'm going to go ahead and post the rest of their tour dates as well as a link to their myspace and hopefully someone will read this and check these guys out.

31 Aug 2007 19:00	Jigsaw Saloon	Parma, Ohio
1 Sep 2007 19:00	Casa Del Kotex - House Show!-	Indianapolis, Indiana
2 Sep 2007 19:00	Legends Music Cafe	Addison, Illinois
3 Sep 2007 19:00	Mac’s Bar	Lansing, Michigan
4 Sep 2007 19:00	Station-4	St. Paul, Minnesota
5 Sep 2007 19:00	Vaudeville Mews	Des Moines, Iowa
6 Sep 2007 19:00	The Static Bar	Topeka, Kansas
8 Sep 2007 19:00	Club Vegas	Salt Lake City, Utah
10 Sep 2007 19:00	Studio 7	Seattle, Washington
11 Sep 2007 19:00	Satyricon	Portland, Oregon
12 Sep 2007 19:00	Samurai Duck	Eugene, Oregon

Merciless Death Myspace

As always, thanks for reading and comment if you wilt.

This is the part where you say, "I don't even know you."

So..I'm hoping to update a little more often here but who knows what I'll feel like now that I'm going to be working. On the personal front, Exploding Fetus played a show about in Toledo at Mickey Finn's Pub. It went well as far as I could tell. Some people liked it, some considered it "psychedelic."

Now, for a feature I'm hoping to have weekly: a list of the different albums, bands, and songs I've been digging on this week. Lately I've been in a weird mood and have really mostly listened to black metal, doom metal and pop-punk. Weird combo I know but hey, it works for me. So without further stalling, here is what I've been digging on this week.

Monarch!- 666, Hell, and Dead Men Tell No Tales 2xCD--- First off, if you haven't heard Monarch! (yes, the ! is needed) well, I'm sorry for your soul. It seems like every band on Myspace that Exploding Fetus feels is good has them as a friend and so should you. Crushing doom with vocals that should terrify you. If they don't you're lying to yourself. The best part? Those vocals are provided by a small French woman. Yes..this woman is very pretty and very petite and yet she summons these demonic vocals that most men would have a hard time performing. "666" and "Hell" are available in one release which you can buy from Crucial Blast Records along with the just released "Dead Men Tell No Tales". "Dead Men Tell No Tales" is a CD collection of two of their recent LPs that are very out of print by now. I just got word they're trying to get a small east-coast tour set up for this winter so check them out.

The Unlovables- Heartsickle-- Do you like pop-punk? Do you like female vocals? Then get this damn album already. Easily one of the best pop-punk albums I've heard in recent years. Nothing is as good as "Feelin' All Emo (Since I Broke Up With You)" but that's ok. I mean, that song's one of my favorite pop-punk songs of all time. Seriously, anyone who considers themselves a pop-punk fan needs this. I got it and listened to it about 4 times that day.

V/A- Pop Punk's Not Dead comp.- Oh my fucking God! You need this. Your grandma needs this. Your mom needs this. 30 great pop-punk songs from some bands you know (The Queers, Squirtgun, Teenage Bottlerocket) and some bands you need to know (The Ergs!, The Unlovables, The Manges). I must say, I was really into this track by the Last Chucks. It reminded me of an old Green Day song or even an early Ataris song.

Mayhem- Ordo Ad Chao-- Wow!..I didn't know Mayhem had it in them but here we have an amazing true Black Metal album. Ultra low-fi recording with great vocals from Attila. If you liked "De Mysterious...." you should check this out as its the best thing they've done since.

Sunn0)))- Oracle--ok This is a leaked copy but what the hell, it's amazing. At first I said "Wait, I want Black 2," but after listening I realized it was damn close to "Black 2." There's some cool vocals over top this rumbling droney doom sound and it really gives off a great claustrophobic feeling when listening to it at full volume, which honestly is the only way. Remember :Maximum Volume Yields Maximum Results!

Gods of Thunder: In Defense of KISS

It seems like its uncool to be a KISS fan these days. Those that proudly proclaim their status as a member of the KISS Army seem to get laughed at by fans of so-called "real" music. What I want to know is, what the hell is wrong with KISS? Why can't a guy listen to The Smiths and enjoy rocking out to "God of Thunder"?

When you ask people why they hate KISS you'll likely hear a few reasons. A) They're silly. B) Their music is simple. C) They play the same thing over and over.

First off, of course they're silly! Everyone knows this, including the band. Do you think Paul Stanley has never realized that going on stage and calling himself the Lover (or even Starchild, they're both silly names) and perpetually pouting is somewhat silly? Honestly, Peter Criss had his face made up as a cat. If he didn't think it was slightly silly then he's a god damn fool. The fans also know its silly. Those that don't are exactly like the Morrissey fans who think he's always being serious: seriously delusional. The silliness is what attracts many fans to KISS. As kids we think its slightly evil but once you hit like nine or ten you should realize its really just silly but its cool because its that type of silly that is endearing.

On the second point, sure the music is simple but KISS isn't just about the music. In all honesty, The Stooges play simple music too but I don't see anyone saying you shouldn't like them. KISS gets the raw deal because of the makeup. Angel is a band from the same time period who didn't have makeup and no one knows them unless you're a burn out or obsessed with glam rock. Many bands copy the music but they don't have the charisma to pull off something so simple. Ace's solos aren't too difficult but it doesn't matter because his guitar is smoking while he does it thus making it the most awesome thing you can be witness to.

Many people seem to be bothered by the fact that KISS repeatedly does the same thing. To these people I pose a question: Have you heard the times that KISS have tried to do something different? They don't work. KISS knows that they're good at and does their best to be the best at it. I don't see anyone giving AC/DC shit for writing the same song a million times (not counting the horrendous power ballads that they did when Bon Scott was around, but please never talk about those) and no one should be giving KISS shit either. They rock, they know it, and you should shut up and enjoy it. I mean, "I Was Made For Loving You" is a great song, but really the rest of Dynasty isn't that great. Music From The Elder? Give me a break. I keep it around for laughs. KISS Unplugged? Let's just say, I only own it because I stole it and even then I feel like I should throw it away. Taking off the face paint? They learned and now its back. KISS does what they know and they do it better than any other band can.

I think a lot of people dislike KISS because they're parents may have enjoyed KISS and their dislike is a reaction to their parents. You know, its the typical "Oh boo, I don't want to be like my parents so I'll dislike KISS." Well guess what Harry Hateshisparents: You're wrong. KISS is great and you should stop resisting. You know deep down you want to rock and roll all night and party everyday.

Today I made you a mix tape to say exactly how I feel inside

Most people who know me know I have an obsession with making mixes. Tapes, CDs, Eight-Tracks, Reel-to-Reel recordings, you name it I'll mix it. I once made a mix for the 25 minute ride to Bowling Green that took me longer to assemble than the ride did. I always tell people I'm making them a mix and then like 4 months later they finally get it. Its a labor of love. I wish I could make a mix for everyone who reads this (and I probably could considering there is likely to be exactly 1 of you) so I thought I might try something monthly or maybe more frequently. It'll really depend on when I have free time but I'll post my mix and write a little about each song and hopefully provide a download link to the entire mix. It'll be in a Rar format so those without WinRar or some other such program you're S.O.L. So stay tuned for my first post because it'll be coming soon here.

Avril Lavigne: Universal Queen of Pop?

Yes, you read that title correctly, I'm declaring Avril Lavigne the new Queen of Pop. Now many people would question this but those who know anything about anything will realize its the complete truth. Case in point: Girlfriend, her new single. Now, not only is the single available in English, Avril has gone the extra mile and recorded the chorus in seven other languages. Now these might seem like cheap gimmickry to some cynical minds but in reality this is the best move she could make. The single is endlessly listenable because, honestly, what's funnier than listening to Avril singing in Mandrin?

Separate languages alone do not an awesome single make however. The single itself boils down everything that makes a great pop song into one great tune. Clocking in at just over three minutes, it's the perfect length for a great radio pop hit. The thing features hand clap breakdowns for pete's sake. Basically this is the equation for this song: Baycity Rollers + Ramones+ The Go-Gos= Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend."

The Smiths, Or Why Does A Fey Man From Manchester Know More About Your Life Than You Do?

Before this post begins, I have a confession: The Smiths are my favorite band in the world and for a while they were the only band that mattered. There, its out in the open and you can disregard the rest of this as the rantings of a biased, Smiths obsessive.

Formed in 1982, The Smiths cultivated a fanbase that, while smaller than many other bands, had more passion for the music and members of the Smiths than any other musical group. Though they only existed for 5 years, they left a legacy that continues to reach new fans all the time.

Their first album, 1984's The Smiths helped quench the thirst of an ever growing fanbase. Many fan-favorites come from this album, including "Hand in Glove." Their followup album, 1985's Meat is Murder continued to show off new influences including rockabilly and funk. The album is memorable for its cover art, showing an edited still shot of a Vietnam soldier from the film In The Year of The Pig.

The next recorded work from The Smith's is the album many fans and critics cite as their best, The Queen Is Dead. The album contained Morrissey's trademark black humor coupled with interesting arrangements. The recording of the album had increased tensions in the band which came to a head in 1987. The band released one last album, Strangeways Here We Come which was another fine addition to the Smiths catalogue. The album contains one of my personal top 10 Smiths songs ever, "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me."

I first came across The Smiths when I was 12. I heard "How Soon Is Now" in a movie and had to find out who sang that song. I then bought the Singles album and from there my life changed. Prior to this I'd been listening to mostly hip-hop and metal but here was a band that sang about things that actually went on in my life. Hip-hop spoke to me too but not in the same way. I'd had experiences with drug dealers and violence but it wasn't a part of my life. The Smiths weren't singing about having sex. Quite the opposite was true as it seemed Morrissey detested sex. As I grew up The Smiths went with me. When my first serious releationship ended, it felt as though Morrissey was there to comfort me. At first I felt depressed listening to The Smiths, but after a while I would feel happy because no matter what it felt like Morrissey understood. The Smiths opened me up to so many new bands also. I read about the Mozzer's (Morrissey) love for The New York Dolls and from there it was a hop, skip, and a jump into the world of punk rock. I discovered The Ramones, Black Flag, and eventually Rites of Spring and the other early "emo" bands, but through it all The Smiths remained my favorite band. When I meet someone who hasn't heard The Smiths, its hard to not go crazy and make them borrow every Smiths album at once. At first I thought the devoted Morrissey fans were a little crazy but I realize now that there's a good reason why these people devote their lives to obsessing over this fey man. He knows exactly what's happening in your life and he's there to take you in and comfort you. He won't judge you and, even though he's reclusive, he loves you and always knows how to make you feel better.

Another Fucking Blog?

...yes that's right; another blog wherein some snobbish people who think they know about music try to educate you, the music listener, about what you should put into your ears (soundwise, if you want to stick weird objects into your ears that's your fucking business, just be careful so you can still listen to music). what do we know? Absolutely nothing, except for the fact that we listen to a shitload of music on a day to day basis and, in so doing, have developed opinions about the proper way in which it should be made. feel free to disagree with us in the comments section wherein we can have lively civilized discussion and all that shit.

we'll try to post download links to everything we post about, but just remember, these links contain copyrighted material that is not owned by us. we're providing it for educational purposes so if you don't like it delete it and in the event that you do go buy a copy and support the people who made it. have fun. and always remember kids, Kick Out the Jams motherfucker.