Christian Fitness - You Are The Ambulance (Self-Released, 2019)

Christian Fitness
You Are The Ambulance
Self-Released
2019

Rating: 7.5 skull tongues out of 10

It’s pretty exciting to come across an album from a new band that immediately sounds familiar – it sounds like a record you might already have in your collection, only you don’t know these particular songs.   I had that feeling with the ridiculously named Christian Fitness and their newest release “You Are The Ambulance.”  As is typical for me, my very next thought is who does this new band sound like?  I hear elements of PIL, some Devo for sure, the Fall in their quirkier moments, but what it sounded most like was McClusky – a little less agro than McClusky could sometimes be, but the comparison was undeniable.  Now, being a learned man of science, my next step was to do a little research on Christian Fitness (aka punch their name into Discogs) – it appears this is a solo project (it doesn’t sound like it), or they were just too lazy to list the rest of the band.  The one member listed?  Andy Falkous… and if that name sounds as familiar to you as it does to me, it’s because he used to be the frontman of… McClusky.  I’m not sure If this means my band comparison skills are incredibly accurate, or it’s more of a “no shit they sound the same you simpleton, it’s the same dude playing basically the same type of music just under a different name.”  Regardless, I like it, it scratches that spazzy/post-punk/angular/noise rock itch that I pretty much always have in the back of my brain, and that’s good enough for me.  Also: apparently this is Andy’s sixth album under this moniker (all of which seem to be self-released & digital only), so not only is the artist not new, this particular outlet for him isn’t new either.  Well it’s new to me, dammit!

Skull Cult - New Mutilator EP (Self-Released, 2018)

Skull Cult
New Mutilator EP
Self-Released
2018

Rating: 8 hearing aids for lions out of 10

I didn’t know a single damn thing about Skull Cult going into this, just one of the many punk and punk-adjacent releases I often download from the glorious giving basket that is the internet.  I still don’t know a ton, they don’t hold a huge web presence – they’re a scuzzy synth-punk band from Bloomington, Indiana, they’re allergic to long songs, and the keyboards they’re using sound chintzy as hell.  Also, this entire EP is super catchy and rules.  RULES!  Male and female vocals, very distorted – it’s like if the Booji Boys sounded more like Devo (yes, Skull Cult sounds way more Devo than the band named after a Devo character).  This whole five song EP ends before the clock reaches ten minutes – it opens with a scorcher called “Braindead” that sounds like a modern KBD classic, and ends with a (not particularly faithful) cover of the Talking Head’s “Psycho Killer” called “Cyco Killer.”  As near as I can tell this is web only, at least for now – but I really hope this gets a proper physical release because I would love to own it.  Listen goddammit, I’m old and I like a physical manifestation of my musical tastes!

Cold Cream - Cold Cream (Self-Released, 2018)

Cold Cream
Cold Cream
Self-Released
2018

Rating: 8 simple beans out of 10

Cold Cream is a supergroup, so long as you consider a local band made up of other established local bands “super.” Since I love all the bands these folks are from, it certainly qualifies as super to me!  The line-up of the band is: Clarque Blomquist (Kingsbury Manx) on drums, amazing drummer Laura King (Flesh Wounds, Bat Fangs) for some reason on bass, Ronald Liberti (Pipe) on guitar, and Montgomery Morris (Flesh Wounds, Last Year’s Men) on vocals.  Pipe is one of my favorite bands of all time and Bat Fangs put out one of the best records of the year, so I was particularly excited about hearing this release.  It measures out at 10 songs in 20 minutes, and is the poster child for the phrase “all killer, no filler.”  With Montgomery on vocals, it’s impossible to ignore the Flesh Wounds comparisons, as both bands definitely have a somewhat similar sound, but this feels…more fun than Flesh Wounds maybe?  Looser, more adventurous, crazier lyrics – Flesh Wounds always felt so angry and serious, so perhaps injecting local poster king (and master of stage banter) Ron Liberti into the mix results in what we have here.  If there is such a genre as “feel good hardcore punk,” I might file this in that section.  There are also plenty of moments that aren’t hardcore at all - my favorite track, “See You On The Somme,” reminds me of Eddy Current Suppression Ring – a high compliment in my house. 

There are two important things to note about Cold Cream and this particular release…

The good news: you can download this for free at the link in the band name right up there!  Well, technically it’s “Name Your Price,” but we all know what that means, you cheapskates!  There are also cassette versions floating around out there at some local stores (All Day, Bull City, and Sorry State would be your best bets), I’m sure you could mail order a copy if you wanted from one of those stores or just contact the band.  As I no longer possess a car with a cassette player I would gladly pay for a vinyl version, so cross your fingers that will happen someday. 

The bad news: Montgomery is moving across the country and I have no idea what that means for Cold Cream.  On their social media posts they just say it’s his last show with the band before he moves, but I have no idea if that means they will continue without him, or if the band only exists sporadically when they can get together…who knows.  Time will tell I suppose.  I would certainly hate for this to be the only Cold Cream release, that’s for sure.   

No Sister - The Second Floor (Self-Released, 2018)

No Sister
The Second Floor
Self-Released
2018

Rating: 7 fantastical gourds out of 10

There have been somewhere in the neighborhood of a bazillion bands influenced by Sonic Youth since they came into existence nearly four decades ago, but leave it to Australia to finally give us a group of kids who apparently have decided to just become Sonic Youth, called No Sister.  And you know what?  It’s totally fine that No Sister sound exactly like them, because the kids need some Sonic Youth in their lives, and the chances of the real Sonic Youth reforming after that tumultuous Kim Gordon / Thurston Moore break-up are next to nil.  Sure, what Moore and Lee Ranaldo are still doing sounds Sonic Youth adjacent, but it doesn’t have the fire of their late eighties/early nineties material, and that’s the area No Sister are exploring.  Is it a coincidence their name is almost identical to one of the most important records from this era of Sonic Youth ("Sister"), the exact era they sound like?  I highly doubt it.   

I honestly don’t have a lot more to say about this.  I like it.  I don’t care if it’s sorta kinda basically a rip off of someone else I love.  My heart has room for both.

Run The Jewels - RTJ3 (Self-Released, 2016)

Run The Jewels
RTJ3
Self-Released
2016

Rating: 9 dizzy eardrums out of 10

Hey look, another middle aged white dude who loves Run The Jewels!  That's definitely a unique thing that warrants further investigation!  Seriously, no one needs to hear another dipshit like me expound on the awesomeness that is El-P and Killer Mike.  They manage to feel both old school and modern at the same time, which is probably exactly why RTJ appeals to people like me.  There's about a million well written reviews already out there if you care to read such things, but here's the deal - if you're on the fence about Run The Jewels, they make it easy for you: go to the link above and you can download their album for free and decide for yourself if this is the best hip hop group of the last decade (hint: it is). 

Side note: this came out so late in 2016 I'm probably putting it on my best of 2017 list because fuck it why not.  It's probably going to be better than almost anything released in 2017 anyways. 

ISS - Studs (Self-Released, 2016)

ISS
Studs
Self-Released
2016

Rating: 8 glasses of frozen hamburger juice out of 10

ISS is Rich from Whatever Brains (now of Bodykit) and another dude from Brain F≠, and together they make this industrial punk that's got kind of a...dance pop vibe too it?  Because Rich is singing it's impossible for me not to automatically compare this to Whatever Brains because I've listened to them so damn much, but it's as if the goal here was to write the songs in the style of Le Tigre, and this is what came out.  I hear this particularly in the first two songs "Part-Time All the Time" and "Five Hours to Midnight."  Possibly thecraziest track is "Peniss Envy," where I guess they decided they wanted everyone to think they were a Revolting Cocks cover band.   

Only fifty of these tapes were made, so if you see one grab one.  It's only ten minutes long (six songs total), so you'll never get bored.  According to Rich/Sorry State, "some of these songs will be on the new FULL LENGTH TAPE on NEW BODY TAPES out later this year. that will be pro dubbed. These kinda sound shitty. Sorry!"

Wolf Parade - EP 4 (Self-Released, 2016)

Wolf Parade
EP 4
Self-Released
2016

Rating: 8.5 drippy bottles out of 10

Hey, Wolf Parade is a thing again!  Color me glad, because I'll finally get to see them later this summer at Hopscotch after missing out the first time around.  During their hiatus or break-up or whatever the hell it was, I listened to a lot of the excellent solo efforts of the two frontmen: Dan Boeckner's Handsome Furs (as well as Divine Fits) and Spencer Krug's Moonface (as well as Sunset Rubdown).  So now when they get back together and come out with a new Wolf Parade EP, it no longer sounds like Wolf Parade to my ears but rather their solo endeavors, depending on the singer of the particular song playing obviously.  But...I don't really fucking care.  All four tracks on this EP are fantastic no what act they make you think of.  It's actually quite impressive that nearly everything either of those dudes touch sounds like gold to me...usually a split means weaker output, but somehow both Dan and Spencer have tapped a bottomless well of catchy goddamn songs.  Friggin' Canadians right?

American Aquarium - Wolves (Self-Released, 2015)

American Aquarium
Wolves
Self-Released
2015

Rating: 7.5 green goats out of 10

American Aquarium are well loved here in Raleigh where I live and where they hail from, and I've known the singer BJ Barham for a number of years now.  In some ways that connection actually plays against them for me, because it's kinda weird to critically write about people you've played basketball and shot the shit with...then again I'm not much a of a critic so I'm not sure it matters.  

Anyways, blah blah blah, this record is damn good.  I find more often than not I prefer a band's earlier output to their later work, but AA has grown steadily into their sound over a few records, and without a doubt "Wolves" is their best album.  I'm sure getting Megafaun's Brad Cook didn't hurt (content aside it sounds amazing), but I think the real credit just comes with age and maturity and the band growing into the professional musicians they are today.  They also play 300ish shows a year, so I'm sure that hasn't hurt either.  Their music floats somewhere on the spectrum of shit-kicker alt-country, but somehow that seems a little too limiting for what they are trying to do.  If I were to give a specific comparison I would say Bruce Springsteen with more slide guitar and less saxophone...and knowing BJ, he'd be more than happy that someone compared him to his idol Bruce.  "Man I'm Supposed To Be" is one of the best songs to come out this year and the title track "Wolves" is very strong, but there isn't a bad track here.  Nice job fellas - now get back to town and let's play some basketball. 

We Ragazzi - I Shot the Future 7'' (Self-Released, 1997)

We Ragazzi
I Shot the Future 7''
Self-Released
1997

Rating: 7.5 shot down planes out of 10

We Ragazzi never got the respect they deserved - guess the world didn't need synthy Italian art rock nearly as much as I did.  Both songs here, "Skinny Fingers" and "The Active" are also on their full-length "Suicide Sound System," a damn good record.  This band really should have been on Dischord. 

The Autumn Defense - Ten Full Paces (Self-Released, 2013)

The Autumn Defense
Ten Full Paces
Self-Released
2013

Rating: 7 humble birds out of 10

The Autumn Defense is a side project of Wilco players John Stirratt and Pat Sansone.  They don't particularly sound like Wilco though; well, maybe "Summer Teeth" era Wilco, but I'd put their sound closer to Big Star or The dBs or other quality pop acts of that ilk.  They released this sampler called "Ten Full Paces" that pulls tracks from their other albums and throws in a new song on top of it.   This is a handy collection if you're like me and have meant to check this band out for years but you keep forgetting.  Best of all, this sampler is free, you can go here and enter your email and they will send you a download link.  Use a garbage email address, get some quality pop music for free, the end. 

Bill Janovitz - Walt Whitman Mall (Self-Released, 2013)

Bill Janovitz
Walt Whitman Mall
Self-Released
2013

Rating: 7 king sized candy bars out of 10

I grabbed this Bill Janovitz album on a whim - I'd loved his band Buffalo Tom since I was in high school, even saw them live right around 1992 (and still have the t-shirt from the show!), even if I hadn't listened to them much lately.  I had next to no expectations but this is a solid, well-written pop record.  He didn't do anything new and exciting, but he did a whole record's worth of songs that are well crafted and worth hearing.  It's a record by and probably for the older set like me, mature pop songs with just a tinge of roots/folk/alt-country...honestly, if you called it a Buffalo Tom record instead of a solo Janovitz record I doubt anyone would even notice.  And now I'm feeling a strong urge to bust out my copy of "Let Me Come Over"...

The Rosebuds - Love Deluxe (Self-Released, 2012)

The Rosebuds
Love Deluxe
Self-Released
2012

Rating: 8 ordinary loves out of 10

I love the Rosebuds and I love Sade.  But Ivan from the Rosebuds really really LOVES Sade, so much so that he decide to record a cover of her "Love Deluxe" album in it's entirety.  I sorta went into this from a novelty perspective, but it actually works pretty well.  It probably helps that I listened to this Sade album a lot in high school (an album I came to from skateboard videos of all things), so all of the songs are incredibly familiar.  The best part - it's free!  Maybe you're a Sade fan who doesn't know who the hell the Rosebuds are, or a Rosebuds fan wondering what the hell they are thinking, or even someone like myself who is a fan of both...it costs the same for everyone.  Grab it here. 

Centro-Matic - 24 Songs (Self-Released, 2012)

Centro-Matic

24 Songs

Self-Released

2012

Rating: 10 electric knives out of 10

This isn't a real review of a Centro-Matic album as much as it is a (tardy) notice that they put up a free record consisting of 24 songs (hence the name) on bandcamp.  It's basically a self created sampler of all of their albums spanning their entire career, and a great place to start listening to this enjoyable group of Texans.  The music would get a pretty damn high rating - the fact that it's free makes it a can't-miss if you don't already have all of the band's records. 

Grab the album here. 

Lambchop - Democracy EP (Self-Released, 2012)

Lambchop

Democracy EP

Self-Released

2012

Rating: 7 difficult births out of 10

Tour-only CD release.  Now I recently went and saw Lambchop play, but as I never bother looking at the CDs anymore, I totally missed out on a physical copy of this.  What you have here are demo versions of many of the tracks found on their most recent masterpiece "Mr. M."  The recordings are still great, just more stripped down and maybe some slight changes in the instrumentation.  Not a crucial release, but if you loved that last record as much as I did, you'll definitely dig hearing these versions of the songs. 

Heyward Howkins - Hale & Hearty (Self-Released, 2012)

Heyward Howkins

Hale & Hearty

Self-Released

2012

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

I'm sorta struggling to come up with a simplistic comparison for this Heyward Howkins record.  I like to keep my reviews simple (to match my brain power), but the best I could come up with here is "orchestral pop folk".  Despite not being from here he most closely reminds me of a couple of well known NC bands, Bowerbirds and Lost in the Trees.  The songs have sort of a mellow, baroque vibe; the vocals are almost overly enunciated, with a slight bit of vibrato; and the time signatures are all over the place...these aren't your typical 4/4 beats.  Some of the songs almost feel like a bunch of tiny songs smooshed together into something larger.

I'm completely on the fence with this record.  At a base level it sounds very good and I'm very intrigued by Howkins' voice, but I'm not sure how excited I am about the actual songs.  Not a lot of hooks and sing-a-long moments with this music, which is what I'm always drawn to the most.  Honestly, I may not be smart enough for this record. 

Asap Rocky - Goldie EP (Self-Released?, 2012)

Asap Rocky

Goldie EP

Self Released?

2012

Rating: 7 braided hairs out of 10

I'm sure I'm not the target market for this Asap Rocky release, but fuck it sounds really awesome to me right now.  Note - this "EP" is fifteen tracks and over fifty minutes long, so someone involved in making this has no idea what an EP really is.  This cat seems to walk a fine line between the money/bitches/bragging version of rap that makes up what rules the airwaves, and the more intellectual/conscious side of things.  A lot of the songs remind me of that slowed down "syrup" rap that Houston was putting out a few years back...it often feels like you're listening to a dragging record, but somehow it works.  Like on any hip hop record made these days, tons of well known guests - David Banner, Swizz Beats, Paul Wall, Bun B, Lloyd Banks, and more.  

As an added bonus, this appears to be a free, self-released mixtape - search by the name, plenty of links should pop up.  But this shit is good enough to pay for. 

The Cellar Seas - The Cellar Seas EP (Self-Released, 2011)

The Cellar Seas

The Cellar Seas EP

Self-Released

2011

Rating: 7 slim jackpots out of 10

The Cellar Seas are a fairly new Triangle outfit playing what the kids call "roots rock".  Which is to say, pretty much straight-forward rock music, with a heavy influence of country and/or folk.  All four songs on the EP are quite catchy, with closer "Carousel" getting the highest marks.  Singer and guitarist Roy Bourne has a nice voice, especially when he really let's go with it and hits those long notes.  It's by no means a perfect EP, but for a debut it ain't too shabby.  Plus it's free, which automatically bumps the score up in my cheapskate world.  Grab it over on their bandcamp page, and check them out live as well if you get a chance.

And the Giraffe - Something for Someone EP (Self-Released, 2011)

And the Giraffe

Something for Someone EP

Self-Released

2011

Rating: 7 magic rats out of 10

When you write reviews, even shitty reviews like I do, you sometimes get random solicitations from bands.  And most of the time the music is...boring.  Typical.  Hum drum.  Sometimes it's shitty, which you'll at least take notice of, as it stands out from the rest of the field.  And then once in a blue moon, it's pretty damn good.  

And the Giraffe are a couple of young kids from Florida, or maybe Tennessee and Florida, or who the fuck cares really.  What you should care about is despite their young age they are crafting some really mature, beautiful blissed-out mellow pop songs.  A lot of music gets called "bedroom pop", but as this was actually recorded in a bedroom, I can't think of a better descriptor.  They really really REALLY make me think of Mojave 3, and I love the shit out of Mojave 3.  Everything about this sounds like it  should be coming out of a person twenty years older than these kids - the vocals, the delicate musical arrangements, the production, everything.  I suppose you could gripe there is a bit of sameness to the songs, but if all the songs are good does it really matter?  "Welshrats" particularly stood out for me as the best track, but there really isn't a weak duck in the bunch.      

If you're intrigued, you can download the EP on their bandcamp page.  It's available for whatever you want to pay - in other words, if you aren't their parents, you're probably taking it for free like some damn dirty freeloader.  Just like I did. 

Allo Darlin' - Darren 7" (Self-Released, 2011)

Allo Darlin'

Darren 7"

Self-Released

2011

Rating: 7 golden arms out of 10

I have a well established love of British music where you can hear the accents when they sing.  I've also got a well established love of twee music.  So Allo Darlin' fall right into my sweet spot.  This self-released seven inch is fantastic, both sides.  Side A, "Darren", is apparently about the singer of Hefner Darren Hayman.  It opens up with furious hand-clapping and is catchy as hell.  Side B is apparently an old song actually written by Hayman called "Wu Tang Clan".  It might be about the iconic hip hop group, but not surprisingly it sounds nothing like them.  It's about as white a song as you could ever come up with about rappers, and it's quite good.  I'd be curious if any of them have heard the song, and their reactions. 

Mahmoud Ahmed - Jeguol Naw Betwa (Mississippi, 2011 - Reissue)

Mahmoud Ahmed

Jeguol Naw Betwa

Mississippi (Reissue) / Self-Released (Original)

2011 (Reissue) / 1978 (Original)

Rating: 8 daktari dashikis out of 10  

Mississippi records continues their tradition of re-releasing obscure and out of print music from all around the world, this time tackling legendary Ethiopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed.  Apparently this album of blistering african pop had never been reissued since it's original pressing, so I'm quite thankful that Mississippi did the legwork and got this back out into the ears of everyone. 

I feel vastly under-qualified to talk about the merits and abilities of Mahmoud Ahmed, but I know I like them.  And I'm not someone who usually gets worked up over seventies African pop.  I've got a few of his records and a bunch of random songs on my computer, mostly because his haunting voice grasps hold of me within seconds of leaving the speaker.  The music is beyond bad ass too, but not too dissimilar to the rest of the music being made in that area in those years.  Hell, it's probably the same musicians.  But that voice...no one has that voice.  It grabs you in a way few other musicians to ever walk this planet have achieved.