Category Archives: music video
Mark Sultan – ‘Calloused Hands’ + News
Mark just posted a slew of things on his newly re-designed website:
1. His new song “Calloused Hands,” which is reminiscent of the greatness of $. Speaking of that…
2. $ should be out on vinyl in record stores sometime in September.
3. There’s a Vimeo video for “Status,” which keeps getting banned from YouTube.
4. An explanation about the last days of The King Khan & BBQ Show. A couple of months back, I posted what Mark briefly clarified, but he details what exactly transpired.
5. The Jumbo Lions. An evolution of The King Khan & BBQ Show, or in Mark’s words: “A new, hyper-surrealist, psychedelic, rock’n’roll mindfuck…”
And finally:
BBQ is playing October 17 in Boston at the Homegrown Fest. The huh? Exactly. Apparently it’s a 21+ festival that takes place at a venue called Church. It’s a one off a thing, I gather.
Classic Review: Locust Abortion Technician
Artist: Butthole Surfers
Full Title: Locust Abortion Technician
Year: 1987
Label: Touch and Go/Latin Buggerveil
Tracks:
1) Sweat Loaf– 9
2) Graveyard- 8
3) Pitsburg to Lebanon- 7/8
4) Weber- 5
5) Hay- 7/8
6) Human Cannonball- 8
7) U.S.S.A.- 8
8) The O-Men-7
9) Kuntz– 9
10) Graveyard- 8
11) 22 Going on 23- 8/9
Comments: Early Butthole Surfers equals Music made for, by, and of heavy psychedelic drug use and Locust Abortion Technician is no exception. This is the pinnacle of the Buttholes’ highly experimental music. They dabble in Punk, Heavy Metal, Noise Rock, and definitely psychedlia. Without a doubt this is the group’s best offering up until then and since. I really dig the humor and chaos of “Sweat Loaf,” it is certainly a fantastic opener and really sets you up for what is to come. “Kuntz,” a remixing of an old Thai song and “22 Going On 23,” a disturbing/awkwardly amusing recount of a sexual assault case and its effects on the victim, round out my favorite tracks on this record. Overall, this is the kind of album that should be heard for its experimentation and the overall sound collage, oh and yeah, also for you and your pals to giggle and say “WTF?!!!” Turn it up at loud volumes, blast it as high as you can and freak out the whole neighborhood! In short, I feel like this serves better as a handbook for those who want to make experimental music, rather than an album you listen to again and again. With that being said, it is quite listenable and worthy of praise for it’s somewhat brave and unquestionably unique style. Basically, the Buttholes entered the studio and fumbled around with what they had (which was limited), took tons of acid (amongst other substances I can imagine) and ultimately created a really cool, trippy experience for all of us music lovers.
Grade: B
Maine Coons Motherfucker!
Classic Album Review: Dreamy
Artist: Beat Happening
Full Title: Dreamy
Label: K/Sub Pop
Year: 1991
Track List:
1) Me Untamed- 8
2) Left Behind- 8
3) Hot Chocolate Boy– 10!
4) I’ve Lost You- 8
5) Cry For a Shadow– 9
6) Collide- 6
7) Nancy Sin- 8
8) Fortune Cookie Prize- 8
9) Revolution Come and Gone- 8
10) Red Head Walking– 9
Comments:
Beat Happening strikes again with their fourth album, Dreamy, their most polished sounding record yet. But, don’t worry it’s still the same minimalist, amatuer sounding Beat Happening you know and love. With this release, it seems like BH matured a bit in their subject matter, especially with tunes like “Me Untamed,” (a far cry from Johnson’s usual coy, lovey dovey lyrics) “Cry For a Shadow,” and “Revolution Come and Gone” (as Michael Azzerad cites, a clear reference to the sudden, apparent, demise of the underground movement). With that being said, there’s plenty of fun, adventerous (at least lyrically), creative, and ultimately joyful numbers. Chiefly, “Hot Chocolate Boy” fits this category; it is by far my favorite in their catalog and one of my all time beloved songs! Just, simple, but enthusiastic playing. If I had to choose one BH number to show to newbies, it would absolutely be HCB; it has nearly everything that made BH excellent. I really dig the line “He’s a sensation, Hot Chocolate Nation.” Overall, I like this album, but I do not favor every track. “Collide” is too repetitive and I often like repetitive songs, even for BH, but this time it’s just annoying. This album is filled with good songs, but only a few great ones. The higher quality production ameliorates the recording, but clearly isn’t the most important ingrediant in audio magic. As I said before, this is a good album, it just lacks an album feel to it, but all in all it is certainly KLYAM Recommended.
Grade B/ B+
P.S. if you go bonkers for Calvin Johnson’s deep, baritone voice, then you will most likely love his vocals here, as they are baritone as fuck…. or you will think he has a stomach ache like my mother says.
Band Spotlight: Silhouette Rising
Artist: Silhouette Rising
Label: Self-Released
Year Formed: 2005
Members:
James DiNano- Drums/Lyrics
Cory Jackson- Vocals/Guitar/Lyrics
Dan Ward- Bass
Joel Ward- Lead Guitar
Rob DiNano- Piano/Vocals
Sounds Like: I can’t point to any particular artist that they sound like, which is a great and truly rare quality. If you have an open mind when it comes to music, then you can easily find something in their work that satisfies your ears. With that being said, on their Facebook page, they cite artists as diverse as Thrice, Bon Iver, Gonzales, and Pink Floyd as influences. So, if you are a fan of the above, then I’m positive you will dig SR.
Top Songs (In My Opinion!): Behind Closed Doors, Riverside, Perseverance, A Failed Attempt, Conversations
Top Album: Promises (2010)
Final Note: SR is playing a show in Salem on July 23rd, for more details, check out their Facebook page.
Website: http://www.silhouetterising.com/
P.S.: “Space explorations, bubble baths, So You Think You Can Dance competitions, and reenactments of “Lord Of The Flies”- “Band Interests,” from their Facebook Page.
TOS: “Meat Step Lively”
Watch Thee Oh Sees very shaky, epileptic music video below!
Gimmie Gimmie Back Your Love Video
These Hunx vids are always hilarious and queer as fuck, but what else would you expect? If they weren’t, it would be like seeing a bloodless Tarantino flick! For those unfamiliar with Hunx, you may have heard this number in a Lens Crafters ad. THAT WAS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT!
Enjoy
Classic Film Review: Shield Around the K
Full Title: The Shield Around the K
Director: Heather Rose Dominic
Year: 2000
Comments:
The title says it all. The metaphorical shield truly represented K’s mythical way of battling the corporate ogre in a unique and highly confrontational manner. For those sad souls out there that are unfamiliar with K, here’s a brief breakdown. K was and still is a defiantly and charismatically independent label; one of the greatest models for how an indepedent label can successfully operate. Calvin Johnson (K founder and Beat Happening frontman) challenged his audience and contemporaries by creating and documenting music that was unabashedly simple, coy, and as far away as possible from the mainstream. These kids challenged the mold of expecation of what a Punk band should look, sound, or act like. By making poppy, “twee,” love rock (as some call it), artists like Beat Happening distanced themselves from not only the corporate world, but also the oft-macho hardcore scene, which was dominating underground music at the time. All in all, this doc does a great job of articulating this important aspect of K Records as well as offering some great archive footage, interviews, and music videos and ultimately a detailed, informative backgound of said topic. One thing I (sorta) didn’t like was the fact that the film focused too much on Beat Happening; after all it was supposed to be about the K label and not about Beat Happening solely. Then again, they and their history are obviously vital to the K tale and since they are one of my all time favorite bands, I don’t mind seeing them on screen. Lastly, this doc features various key figures including, Ian Mackaye, Gerad Cosloy, Slim Moon, John Foster, amongst others. So, if you dig cutting edge (well, then cutting edge) Punk Rock or want to learn more about seminal, underground music then grab some black candy and check it out.
Grade: B+
Gay Humans Bones Music Video
Here’s the video that Glen linked to earlier by Justin Kelly. Might as well, just post it here lol. Notice the cameos! Speaking of which, I read somewhere that Hunx and Harlem will be touring together, what an excellent fusion.
Chris
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 