https://youtu.be/eTpiZwO8mgQ?si=PZ3vkUeEw_lYftss
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Todd 1 Featuring Doctor Dre And Ed Lover – Down Wit' MTV 12"
https://youtu.be/eTpiZwO8mgQ?si=PZ3vkUeEw_lYftss
Monday, December 9, 2024
Superchunk / Quivers - Split 7"
Merge (2024)
I love me a good split 7" and I also do enjoy it when bands have exclusive merch when they tour. But when that exclusive merch becomes impossible to obtain unless you happened to go to a show at a very specific time in an extremely specific geographic region, I'm not as into that. That's where this split 7" comes in. Sold only on the briefest run of tour dates in the center of America, had it not been for the tremendous kindness of my buddy Danny, I would have been shit out of luck. Nary a copy has shown up anywhere on the internet since this tour happened, not even on eBay or Discogs. Again, I like cool merch, but some of us have been collecting Superchunk records for 30+ years. I would have been most distraut to miss this.
Anyway, the Superchunk song is a fun little cover of Dead Moon's "Fire in the Western World." I can't say that I'm familiar with the original, but Superchunk have turned it into one of their standard, upper-mid tempo numbers. I really enjoy it and for me it's miles better than a lot of the mopey songs they've been slinging the past couple of years. Give me more Superchunk like this!
I had not heard of Quivers prior to the announcement of this 7" and I don't know the Yo La Tengo song they are covering, "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind." This one is slower, dreamier and for me kind of fades into the background a little bit. It's good, but it's nothing that grabs me and makes me think that I must track down more music by this band.
I'm very grateful to have this record and again send many thanks to Danny. I had a complete Superchunk 7" collection prior to this release (including a longtime omission that's sitting in a stash of records another friend is hording for me in the UK) and I thought that once I had this 7", I was set again. Then Discogs alerted me to another regional exclusive. But that's a story for another day.
Superchunk / Quivers - Split 7":
https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/album/fire-in-the-western-world-pass-the-hatchet-i-think-im-goodkind
Friday, December 6, 2024
Sicko – Chef Boy-R-U-Dum - Blue Vinyl (/250) & Yellow With Red Splatter Vinyl (/250)
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
The Troubleneck Brothers - Love/Hate 2xLP
Monday, December 2, 2024
Fig Dish - Feels Like The Very First Two Times LP & Flexi 7" - Green In Clear Swirl Vinyl
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
D-Nice – To Tha Rescue LP
Jive (1991)
Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.
I have been after a copy of this on vinyl for quite a few years. It took a while to find one in as good condition as I needed, while not also being prohibitively expensive. This copy found that sweet spot and as I am pretty doubtful that To Tha Rescue by D-Nice is very high on any label's reissue list, it was time to grab it.
When I was a much younger man than I am today, I was pretty obsessed with the first D-Nice album, Call Me D-Nice. In particular the title track was (and still is, if I'm being honest) on of my favorite hip hop tracks. As 1991 hit, I was really starting to get obsessed with hip hop and was either buying or Columbia House/BMG scamming as many CDs and cassingles as I could get my hands on. I was really excited that D-Nice had a new album out and I'm pretty sure I got my copy from a BMG six CDs for a penny or something like that.
When I got it, I listened to it a few times, but was kind of disappointed in it. I think hip hop was just moving so fast at that time that it kind of passed D-Nice by. I moved on to other things and at some point, sold my CD copy during a purge. However, many years later I went back and revisited. With hindsight and not being as concerned about the newest, freshest thing, I was able to appreciate this album a lot more than I did when I first got it.
There are a handful of truly great songs on here. "25 Ta Life" is excellent, "And There U Have it" has a rugged, aggressive feel to it and "Time To Flow," with an appearance from Treach of Naughty By Nature is probably the album's highlight. Why there is a second version of "Time to Flow" that doesn't have Treach on it is something of a mystery for an album that only has 12 songs on it.
That said, there are some moments that aren't as great. "Straight From the Bronx" is excellent for most of song, but there is a wacky keyboard-synth-horn-solo thing at the end that isn't really needed. "Get In Touch With Me" is the worst of that R&B tinged crossover style that ruined the flow of a lot of records of that era. And "Check Yourself" has Too Short on it and sounds like a Too Short song. I don't like Too Short, so I'm not super into D-Nice rapping over beats that sound like that.
At the end, there is more good than bad on this record for sure and it's an album that I really didn't give a chance to when it came out in 1991. While I still prefer D-Nice's debut, I'm glad to have this one on the shelf next to it.
D-Nice – To Tha Rescue:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lwfFA3Gd_PWhY0G_UFACAJ3vpJ2EIbybo
Monday, November 25, 2024
Four Lights - Four Lights LP
Friday, November 22, 2024
Sicko - Laugh While You Can Monkey Boy - Green Vinyl (/250) & Green w/ Black and Yellow Splatter Vinyl (/250)
https://sicko.bandcamp.com/album/laugh-while-you-can-monkey-boy-remastered
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Saafir - Boxcar Sessions 2xLP
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nF_92fKa1mZnO-YO4kHnbOg0UeA8AZFGo
Monday, November 18, 2024
Pinhead Gunpowder - Unt LP - Yellow w/ Red and Teal Splatter Vinyl (/1000)
1-2-3-4 Go! (2024)
I certainly wasn't expecting a new Pinhead Gunpowder album as 2024 started wrapping up, but here we are with Unt. Yes, Unt. I've read more than a few 'hot takes' on this album in the last few weeks since it has been released and there are definitely people with opinions. Shocking for the internet, but true. I do realize that by writing this I am adding to it, but I'm not sure my take is as hot as most others.
What it boils down to is that I like this record. It's fun to listen to and it has good songs on it, for the most part. Is every song on it a smash hit? No, but there's much more to like about this album than to dislike about it, I think. It starts off particularly strong with "Unt," "Difficult But Not Impossible" and "Scum of the Earth" being particularly strong. Maybe I don't like songs like "Oh My" or "Green" quite as much. And while I can understand the sentiment behind "Hola Canada," it's a pretty goofy song.
I lot of what I've seen is from people saying that this album isn't as punk or aggressive or angsty as their albums from 20-20 years ago. That's true. But I'm also not as punk or aggressive as I was 30 years ago either. It feels like a record aimed at someone a little older, like me. And for that reasons I can relate to it more as a new album that's being release now as opposed to something being released purely to try to drum up feelings of nostalgia. I have plenty of records from that era that make me feel nostalgic, I'm perfectly happy with a new record that's just fun to listen to with 2024 ears.
Pinhead Gunpowder - Unt:
https://pinheadgunpowder.bandcamp.com/album/unt
Friday, November 15, 2024
Sicko - You Can Feel The Love In This Room - Red Vinyl (/250) & Red w/ Black and White Splatter Vinyl (/250)
Top Drawer (2024, Reissue)
In the 90s, Sicko was part of my holy trinity of pop punk bands. The Mr. T Experience, Zoinks and Sicko were always the ones that I was constantly obsessing over. I spent so much time in a pre-Discogs world hunting down records by them. The fact that so many are now available with the simple click of a mouse is as exciting as it is unfair.
30 years after their first full length was released, Sicko is reissuing all of their albums on vinyl and CD. These boys have put out some really important records to me and over the next four Fridays (fingers crossed that I can stay on schedule) I'm going to be writing about each of them. Maybe not on Black Friday, but we'll see how that goes.
First up is the first Sicko full length. You Can Feel The Love In This Room was originally released in 1994 and I was completely unaware that it came out. My entry point to Sicko was their next album Laugh While You Can Monkey Boy, but we'll talk more about that next week. I had to backtrack and pick up You Can Feel The Love In This Room a year after the fact. I think for that reason I honestly never really bonded with it as strongly as the others, which always felt more 'current' to me. It's kind of absurd to say that about a record that came out 30 years ago vs. the next one that came out 29 years ago, but again, during the time it felt different to me than the other three.
That's certainly not to say I don't thoroughly enjoy this record and I've listed to it more times than I can count. Just not quite as many times as the others. It is jam packed full of hits and it's really hard to argue how great songs like "The Sprinkler" or "Wisdom Tooth Weekend" are. The times I've seen Sicko live, these songs sound just as great as the ones off of other albums that I have a bit more nostalgic feelings for.
Before I talk a little bit about this specific reissue, I do need to call out how absolutely, completely fucking insane it is that all four albums were rereleased AT THE SAME TIME. That is madness and while as a fan it's sure nice to get them all without having to wait, just thinking about the logistics of making that happen makes my head hurt.
You Can Feel The Love In This Room was remastered for this rerelease and you can tell the difference. I played the first few songs off of my original LP that came out on eMpTy before putting this new version on and it's a big improvement. First off, everything is a little bit louder and a little bit fuller sounding, but where this reissue really shines for me is how much better the vocals sound. They're a little more forward and it sounds great.
There are also two bonus tracks on here, "Pain in the Ass" from their first demo and "Kathy's Dance" from the Count Me Out 7". Where are the other songs from those releases? Who knows. Maybe we're going to get a fancy pants reissue of A Brief History... one day. Rather than have both songs at the end, "Pain In The Ass" is at the end of side A of the record, which is a little jarring as I'm not used to that song being their when I've listened to the record for the past 29 years.
This is the best that this record has ever sounded and even though I already had the original LP and CD, of course I needed to have both versions of the new vinyl. Here they are, in all of their glory. I may be in the minority (as I do understand that the splatter is probably more impressive looking), but I think the solid color is the winner here, it just looks the business to me.
Sicko - You Can Feel The Love In This Room:
https://sicko.bandcamp.com/music (I have been assured that the remastered versions are coming to Bandcamp imminently)
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Souls Of Mischief – 93 'Til Infinity (The Remixes) 2xLP
Monday, November 11, 2024
Lync / Pedro The Lion - Split 7" - Blue Vinyl (/300)
Suicide Squeeze (2024)
This is an odd little release. It's a split 7" with Lync and Pedro The Lion on each side playing the Lync song "b." This version is on blue vinyl and was limited to 300 copies. There's also a purple vinyl version, but I haven't seen that for sale online anywhere, though admittedly, I haven't really looked all that hard as I'm not sure I need another copy of this. Though the Lync collector in my head often disagrees.
The original Lync version of this is from 1994's These Are Not Fall Colors album. It's probably my favorite by Lync, which is saying something considering how much I love pretty much all of their songs. It's the one that grabbed me by the ears in 1994 and never let go, fully establishing that Lync wasn't 'a band with those guys on the Beck album.' Which was, of course, how I stumbled across them in '94. I can't ever say enough good things about this song, this album and this band. Sam Jayne forever.
On the flip is a newly recorded version of this song by Pedro The Lion. I've never really been a fan, their records have always been a little too slow and sleepy for me. Their take on "b" doesn't really do anything to change my opinion. It's a solo acoustic take that is so slow and has such low, deep vocals that I thought I was playing it on the wrong speed. To call it a melancholy take would be doing a disservice to melancholy things as it's just borderline depressing. If this means that more folks get to hear the Lync version of the song, then this 7" is a worthwhile endeavor. But for me, I don't really need a slower, sadder version of one of the great indie rock songs of all time.
Lync / Pedro The Lion - Split 7":
https://lync1994.bandcamp.com/album/b-2
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Master Ace – Take A Look Around 4xLP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvULvhZ5CXk&ab_
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
EPMD - Business Never Personal 2xLP
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lFTq20kYiq_JyLVJrG8qsHl5gV5HEN6Iw
Friday, October 4, 2024
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes – ¡Blow It…At Madison's Quinceañera! LP - Gold in Purple LP
Fat Wreck Chords (2024)
I have never owned a Me First and the Gimme Gimmes record before this one. They have always just been one of those bands that existed, doing their cover band thing and frankly, by about 1998 or so, I was pretty content with the number of punked up cover songs out in the world. I really didn't need a whole band that played nothing but them.
What changed my mind? Well, it was the fact the the Swami himself, John Reis, joined the band for touring over the last couple of years. He's manning the guitar on this album which was recorded live at an actual quinceañera. While this record is never going to be a gateway drug to launch me into the band's entire catalog, it's a fun enough listen and it being a live album helps quite a bit - despite me not being a fan of live albums in general.
There are songs like "Love Will Keep Us Together" and "Dancing Queen," which are the sort of things I expect when I imagine what the Gimme Gimmes would be playing. But an unexpected highlight are the five songs sung in Spanish. Some have horns (with Jason (JC2000) Crane on trumpet) and a more dynamic approach to the songs. I dig those, they're genuinely fine. As a frontman, Spike has a really good, self deprecating/self aggrandizing schtick that makes for some fun banter.
Swami on guitar is fun. I'm not used to hearing him in the Fat Wreck style, but he pulls it off effortlessly and you can hear his influence on the guitar sound in places. But this band isn't really a showcase for John. It's a showcase for Spike, a showcase for a band having fun and hopefully a showcase for Madison having a great quinceañera.
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes – ¡Blow It…At Madison's Quinceañera! :
https://gimmegimmes.bandcamp.com/album/blow-it-at-madisons-quincea-era
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Nice & Smooth - Nice & Smooth 2xLP - Green & Yellow Split Vinyl
Priority Records (2017, Reissue)
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nBpWc5eL9OffVT9zwE9olWLCADOld0S7I
Friday, September 27, 2024
Autobahns - First LP
Feral Kid / Legless / Phantom / Magüt (2024)
I have a little pile of records people sent to me to review that's building up, so I'm trying to get through some of those. Autobahns are from Germany and four labels went in on putting out this album. Other than that I don't really know anything else about them other than the music that is on this LP. I'm not sure I have that much to say about it.
It's fast punky rock with something of a Marked Men style guitar attack, if the Marked Men only recorded their albums in the sea and didn't have interesting chord progressions. The guitar tone on this record is pretty silly and I can only describe it by saying that it wounds like a cartoon version of what a guitar being played underwater would sound like.
The vocals are ultra distorted to the point of being incomprehensible and they're pretty much screamed on top of being fuzzed out. Is this better than your run of the mill hardcore band? Yes, absolutely. But it's not really good either.
Autobahns - First LP:
https://feral-kid-records.bandcamp.com/album/first-lp
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
MF911 - Idol, The Bloodsport LP
Next Plateau (1993)
https://mf911.bandcamp.com/album/idol-the-bloodsport
Friday, September 20, 2024
Teen Cobra - Buzzkill LP - Yellow Vinyl
Big Neck (2024)
There's lo fi and then there's no fi. Teen Cobra fall in the latter category and that just makes this album even more fun. Buzzkill is an LP full of loud, fuzzy garage stompers. As far as production goes, the album is certainly rough and ready. The vocals are fuzzed out and constantly in the red, the guitar is also ultra-distorted, but still manages to maintain an element of jangle to it and those components are fueled by a primitive, primal drum beat. It's a lot of noise out of two people.
I think the thing that I like the most about this album is how it feels like a sister record to something that Doo Rag or The Black-Eyed Snakes would have released decades ago. A lot of that is the percussion and the way the deceptively simple sounding drums add an energy and propulsion to every song.
It also helps that the vocals aren’t the standard garage snarl posturing. I mean, there's a little of that, but you've never heard an album trying to cram in so many vocal harmonies while keeping the vocals so intentionally blown out. It's really unique and makes Teen Cobra stand out from the pack. I dig this.
Teen Cobra - Buzzkill:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/buzzkill
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Brokin English Klik – Brokin English Klik LP
https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCEd3MBPzpj3e7DXr04ocErg
Friday, September 13, 2024
Reduced - Reduced 7" - Yellow Vinyl (/265)
Brassneck (2024)
I've written more than a few old man screeds on this site over the years. The older I get, the less in vogue the sort of things I like to listen to tend to be. I'd like to think it's less me being a cranky old guy that is falling out of touch and more about how bands just flat out sound different these days. They have different touchstones and inspirations than I do. I don't begrudge any of them, it just feels like I'm not the target for what they are doing, and that's fine.
Luckily my desire for music is satiated by reissues, lost recordings, new discoveries of old bands I missed the first time around and old folks that are still making music. Much more rare is a new band that I'm not familiar with coming out of nowhere and hitting that sweet spot of upbeat and energetic punk with hooks and vocals that don't sound like a band started by a former Decepticon. Enter Reduced.
This is a UK punk band that is probably a little more aggressive than the Choppers, Broccolis and Hooton 3 Cars of the world, but I still hear a kinship to that scene which is something I don't get to hear anywhere near as often as I'd like. The music drives forward, but is still catchy. But it's not as straightforward as you might think as I find the chord progressions veer off into unexpected places not unlike something you'd expect from Red Dons or maybe the first Estranged album.
And unlike so many No Idea/Hot Water Music growly vocal folks that seem to inhabit the bands that I would probably listen to if not for the vocals, the singer from Reduced sounds like someone singing. There's a slight raspiness to his voice that I'm pointing out as a compliment because if it was too slick, I wouldn't like that either. It threads the needle perfectly, meshing with the rest of the band and carrying the hooks. This is a band that is playing loud, fast music that is catchy, has hooks and generally is the sort of music I want to listen to. I hope they're working on a full length.
Reduced - Reduced 7":
https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/reduced
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Mad Flava - From the Ground Unda 2xLP
Monday, September 9, 2024
Trenchkoat - Apocalypse Hits LP
Big Neck / No Front Teeth (2024)
If we're going to venture into judging a book by its cover land, I had an inkling while looking at this album by Tenchkoat that it might not be up my alley. But with the minimalist design and the straight lines, I figured, who knows - maybe there's a chance it's gloomy but not super evil. I was wrong, Apocalypse Hits is, in fact, super evil.
I feel bad when I write about records like this, because I'm never quite sure what to say about a band that sits so far outside of the scope of what I tend to listen to. I can say that from a music standpoint, the band is certainly tight, it's not a sloppy hardcore crew. The guitar work has some interesting riff and lead work and the drummer is absolutely pounding the hell out of the kit. If you are looking for aggressive, dark music, this could be for you.
That said, I absolutely cannot understand the appeal of vocals like this. They are so shredding, and cartoonishly dark. It sounds like an orc from Lord of the Rings in the midst of some sort of incantation. Lots of yelling, lots of reverb. It just sounds kind of insane to my ears, but I'll say again - I am definitely not the target demographic for this sort of thing.
I dig a lot of what Big Neck sends my way. Even the stuff that's not always in my wheelhouse is usually interesting or at least a top notch example of the band's given genre. This is one of those rare bands that just completely puzzles me. I'm sure it makes sense to someone, but it's not for me.
Trenchkoat - Apocalypse Hits:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/apocalypse-hits
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Digital Underground - The "Body-Hat" Syndrome LP - 2 Versions
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Rough House Survivers - Straight from the Soul LP
Relativity (1992)
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nu-P0iHFdiBhPRqlciuz6O-Gvz2vb0QXo
Monday, August 19, 2024
Sprocket Wheel - Stand By Me 7"
Brassneck (2023)
When I first discovered Snuffy Smile records in Japan it felt like the marquee bands were Lovemen, Blew, Navel and Sprocket Wheel. At least, that's how I saw things. I started off buying split 7"s they had with other bands that I liked such as Hooton 3 Car, Chopper, Goober Patrol, Travis Cut and Less Than Jake. Blew and Lovemen also both had full albums on Snuffy Smile (Navel;s would follow a couple of years later). Sprocket Wheel didn't have that Snuffy Smile full length, and after a while they sort of faded out of my view since I wasn't seeing anything new from them.
At the time, I didn't know they had released a full length and an EP on their own. It wasn't until many years later that I got a hold of those songs. So while I was not as familiar with their discography for as long as some of those other Snuffy bands, I caught up eventually.
And that's why I was pleased as punch to see that Sprocket Wheel had started playing some shows in Japan over the last couple of years. Though I was pretty shocked to find out that they were putting out a new 7". I mean, you can't even get The Urchin to put out more songs, but now we have new stuff from Sprocket Wheel? Crazy.
And I'm pleased as punch to report that the songs on this 7" are absolutely fantastic. Aside from the recording quality being improved a little bit, the three new original songs sound like they could have been plucked from the band in 1995 at the height of there powers. There's also a fourth cover song on the 7" of the Christmas so.g Feliz Navidad which is fun, but can't hold a candle to the originals.
Those originals are exactly the sort of melodic punk rock that I live for and that I rarely hear any more. It hits that sweet spot that I'm always looking to hit ever since finding this music back in the 90s. I cannot possibly say enough good things about these songs and I hope against hope that it's just the first in many new recordings that the band puts out.
Sprocket Wheel - Stand By Me:
https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/stand-by-me
Friday, August 9, 2024
Swami & The Bed of Nails - All Of This Awaits You... LP
Swami (2024)
Swami & The Bed Of Nails is the latest incarnation of John Reis' "solo" endeavor. "Solo" is in quotes because this isn't a solo, singer-songwriter exercise. It's a full band experience, but there's something of a rotating cast of characters helping out release to release, song to song. The last time he put out a record like this it was released under the name Swami John Reis. No matter what this band or any other band of his is called, I've been one of the world's biggest John Reis fans ever since first hearing Rocket From The Crypt in the 90s. For me the Bed Of Nails is just another great band to add to his catalog.
The thing that strikes me most about All Of This Awaits You.. is that it's fun and joyful. The songs are upbeat and catchy. Even the songs that have negative lyrics (like hating a hardware store) are done with an exuberance that still makes it feel like a positive song. I'm not going to pretend to be smart enough to dig down for deep meanings in most songs. It's possible there's something about the lyrics of these songs that I'm missing belying a motive I can't see. But for me, I'm typically happy enjoying things at the surface level most times and boy do I enjoy this record.
The LP is a very economical nine songs long, with three of the songs having appeared on 7"s leading up to the full length. I think it raises the bar higher than the previous Swami John Reis album, Ride The Wild Night, though there are similarities to that record on here. There are also times I hear echoes of the Night Marchers and Rocket. Ultimately, it's a tight, fun record that whizzes by pretty quick, but also never fails to engage me.
I really dig the aforementioned hardware store song "Harbor Freight." "Ketchup, Mustard and Relish" is an unexpected entry into the "_______, _______ & _______" song title pantheon that the Swami has been contributing to over the years. "Lost In Bermondsey" hits even harder than the version played on cardboard instruments that's been floating around on YouTube for a bit. All in all, I just really like listening to this record. It puts me in a good mood and if I have anything resembling a complaint it's just that I want more and wish it was longer.
Swami & The Bed of Nails - All Of This Awaits You...:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kMQmWp8SuqpiOBLIwY5LzpG0c-STNyR3M
And yes, I got the bundle with the T shirt...
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
WC and the Maad Circle - Ain't a Damn Thing Changed LP
Priority (1991)
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k5QYp2eKxOlkQQGSH7uUscLReKma4KsKw
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Masters Of Ceremony – Dynamite LP
Traffic (2005, Reissue)
Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.
The first and only Masters of Ceremony album, Dynamite, came out in 1988. Slightly before I started digging into the world of hip hop and a year that was so full of absolute classics that some of the other albums released that year faded into obscurity. I never heard of Masters of Ceremony back in the 90s, but had I know that they were the first group that Grand Puba was in before Brand Nubian, I'm sure I would have went out of my way to track down a copy.
And that's exactly why I tracked down a copy many, many years later. I've always been a big fan of prime era Grand Puba. His work on the Brand Nubian debut, his first solo record and the myriad of guest appearances he made in the early 90s was a hell of a run. It's interesting to go back a few years before that to see how he came up.
In no way is Dynamite anywhere near as good as any of Puba's early 90s work. It's from 1988, so it has an older school feel, especially production-wise. Most of the beats are OK though. While the production certainly sounds dated compared to other golden era releases, even those that came out in 1988, Masters are definitely taking advantage of some of the new tricks and techniques that were starting up. Yes, a lot of it sounds a little hokey, but the bulk of it just sounds like good, early hip hop. Aside from the song "Redder Posse." That song is just straight nonsense. The group comes off like a bunch of sappy R&B clowns with horrible synth and the worst crooning in the hooks. Luckily, this song is an anomaly.
Lyrically Puba shares his time with another MC called Dr. Who. They do a lot of the Run DMC style of passing the mic back and forth, even mid sentence. Puba isn't rapping at the level he'd hit in a few years, but he is quite a bit better than Dr. Who. Again, none of this is bad, it's just a little simplistic compared to where hip hop and Grand Puba would end up in just a couple of years. This probably isn't the sort of record I would listen to as part of my regular rotation, but it's a decent enough change of pace when I'm looking to indulge in some of hip hop's earlier times.
Masters Of Ceremony – Dynamite:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3DTua2OfNY&ab_
Monday, July 22, 2024
The Stools - Live At Outer Limits 12-28-19 LP - White Vinyl
Big Neck (2024)
I'm never going to be a big fan of live albums. Even the live albums that I like aren't records that I play very frequently. For me, it's always just been one of those things where the experience of being at the show will always dwarf anything that gets recorded. Despite not being at this Stools show, or being super familiar with them in general, I have to think the folks who were at that show had a significantly different experience than the one that I have listening to the record.
Starting off with the positives, I really like the music and in particular the guitar playing that The Stools are bringing to the table (yes, that's sort of a joke about stools and tables, all apologies). There's a lot of blues riffs played at warp speed that makes me thing of that first Black-Eyed Snakes album, but with less of a Doo Rag feeling. The pounding rhythm section just further highlights this riff-a-polooza and I imagine watching it live was pretty incredible.
Where this album dips down for me a bit is the vocals. They're a little screamier than I usually like, but I think the main issue is this is where the fidelity of the live recording breaks down. It's all very muffled, particularly compared to the instruments and more than anything, it makes me feel like this is the recording of someone with a tape player in their pocket. I imagine that's not the case, but for me it's tough to get into the record when the vocals are so muted.
The Stools - Live At Outer Limits 12-28-19:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-outer-limits
Friday, July 19, 2024
Unwound – A Single History 1991-2001 2xLP - Black w/ Splatter Vinyl
Numero (2024, Reissue)
I wrote a lot about Unwound on this website many years ago as I picked up the various Numero box sets that came out. I love those records and they are the epitome of completeness and a well done retrospective. That said, there are so many great Unwound songs that are sprinkled throughout those boxes, which makes listening a little scattershot when you're looking at non-album tracks. Numero makes it easy for dummies like me and have put out a reworked version of the A Single History compilation.
This was originally called A Single History 1994 - 1997, was a single LP and came out on Kill Rock Stars. Obviously it didn't contain the entirety of Unwound's singles, but gathered up most of the early 7" songs. Numero took that ball and ran with it farther than a very far thing. This version is called A Single History 1994 - 2001. It boasts 23 songs as compared to the original's 16 and is a double LP set.
They also fixed one of the things I find most annoying on singles comps. The Numero version has all of the songs in chronological order and keeps all of the songs that were on a single together in the track listing. It's always been a pet peeve of mine when tracks aren't in order on singles comps and to me, this is a much more satisfying listening experience.
There's a ton of great Unwound songs here like "Mkultra," "Corpse Pose" and "Negated." All hits. Plus it has my very favorite Unwound song of all time, "Broken E Strings" from the Jabberjaw compilation. While my friend from high school Pat was super instrumental in making me pay attention to Unwound even before that Jabberjaw comp came out, that song is the one that really grabbed me and made me a fan for life. This is a great compilation and despite owning these songs on those Unwound box sets, I'm excited to have the easy listening experience of a proper Unwound singles comp.
Unwound – A Single History 1991-2001:
https://unwound.bandcamp.com/album/a-single-history-1991-2001
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Tha Alkaholiks – Coast II Coast 2xLP - Blue Vinyl (/500)
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lTxSE3V0satyB2fWTe_9AZ3UoreZdJbbo