Picked up a bunch of stuff today.
Pyramids ~ s/t
I have no idea what to say about this band, other than the fact that I have absolutely no idea how to classify them. It's an album I want a lot of people to hear, but I'm afraid that it's something no one will like. I suppose it's a combination of ambient bliss and black metal (a la Xasthur or Blut Aus Nord), with emphasis on abstraction, acoustics, and recording technique. Their debut is a double CD consisting of a remix disc (with a remix by Jesu!), and the band features no one from previous acts. They just sorta happened, and it's freaking weird. Regardless, as soon as I finished listening to the album, I started it right back up. This is one of the more astonishing albums I've heard in a while. Chalk one up for Hydrahead, I suppose. And James Plotkin, who produced it. mattm and estrogen, if you guys read this, check it out; I'd like to get your impressions.
The Mae Shi ~ HLLLYH
I mentioned it before, but it deserves another. This record has the strange ability to put me into a great mood no matter what. This is a great thing for a guy who's been a depressed motherfucker for too long. What's more, right in the middle of the album, they make a song using nothing but samples from the rest of the album. It sounds goofy, but it fucking works. Easily one of my favorite albums this year.
Portishead ~ Third
Another one I mentioned. Okay, I was wrong. This album is brilliant. And Machine Gun is an incredible song. Fuck, they all are. Just not what I was initially expecting. I guess I can thank an interview I heard on NPR for the re-evaluation.
Boris ~ Smile
Fuck yeah. I was expecting more distorted garage metal. Instead I got an experimental album that made me smile out of pleasant surprise a handful of times on the first listen, while revisiting the awesome noise of their first record. Can't wait to see them in Tempe in June, and again in Chicago in July.
Cephalic Carnage ~ Conforming to Abnormality
Great grindcore that likes to experiment with its presentation. I'm seriously impressed with this record thusfar.
Charles Bronson ~ Complete Discocrappy
126 songs in about 80 minutes. I haven't had this much fun since I listened to my first Anal Cunt record. Thanks for the namedrop about 6 years ago, chad.
Skinny Puppy ~ Spasmolytic
Great single. Fuck you, I was goth industrial growing up.
Oh yeah.
Ministry ~ Cover Up
Cover album featuring old and new stuff. Better than his last 2 albums combined. Ministry doing "Radar Love" is really fucking cool.
And AJM:
No Mazzacane, Fire Engines or CCCC. The first two look easy to get by mail order, so I might just do that. The CCCC record, on the other hand, has an asking price of around $60, so I'm hesitant. Also, have you heard about the Mister Lonely soundtrack? J Spaceman and Sun City Girls. From the looks of it, it's original Spaceman stuff intermingled with existing Sun City Girls stuff. I'm trying to get my hands on that, because Sun City Girls records are fuckin' hard to find and 'spensive. And cuz I love J Spaceman.
Sorry about the long post. Haven't had one of those satisfying, pensive music days in a while. I've been living in my headphones for the last 4 hours, and it feels good.
