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Classic Review: Locust Abortion Technician

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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

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Album Review: The Long Haul

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Album name: The Long Haul

Band: eating alone

Released: 2010

The Long Haul is an album by electro-acoustic band eating alone. The band is made of only multi-instrumentalist Matt Cameron. Matt Cameron blew me away with his debut album, The Long Haul. The album deals with the subject of Cameron’s estranged father and the various feeling, thoughts and emotions he went through dealing with it. The sound of the album is very dreamy and very atmospheric with acoustic guitar throughout. The lyrics pull on your heartstrings, as they are blunt and to the point on some songs and poetic on others. The production is great seeing as the record was completely produced solely by Matt Cameron. Overlapping vocal tracks and glass crashing are really cool tricks used on the songs. Overall, I highly recommend this album.

P.S Look at the names of the songs in order. Kinda cool, eh?

Song By Song:

The Long Haul- A-/B+. Great production

When I Was A Kid– B+. Indian-sitar feel to this.

You Were Never Around- B

I Though If I Had Been Better- A. Heartbreaking.

You Wouldn’t HAve Given Me Up- A-

And I Wouldn’t Have To Pretend To Forget About You- A-/B+

Whoever You Are- A. Great little song.

Over The Years I’ve Wondered Where You’ve Been- A-. Nihilistic.

And Tonight, In This Hotel Room- B+/A-

I Wonder If I’ll Ever See You Again- A-/B+

I Sent This In A Letter- B

But It Got To You Too Late- B+

And Came Back Crumpled, Saying- A. My favorite track on the album.

Person Unknown, Return To Sender- A-

Overall Grade: A-/B+



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Concert Expectations: Arcade Fire

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I am lucky enough to have tickets to the sold out Arcade Fire show at the Bank Of America Pavilion this Sunday. With their new album The Suburbs getting generally pretty positive reviews, here are some of my expectations.

Expectations: I expect, first of all, to have a soar throat the next day. I will be belting every song (except the ones off The Suburbs that I haven’t heard yet.) Next, I expect a lot of people there to be there just because of Wake Up. There will still be die hard Arcade Fire fans, like myself, there just there will be a bunch of people who got turned onto them because of Where The Wild Things Are. Finally, I generally expect a mind blowing-ly good show. Arcade Fire is one of the best live rock acts going today and I want them to live up to their reputation. I’ll see if the Canadian Septet can blow me away.

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THE LAST FEW POSTS

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Yeah, it’s SATURDAY NIGHT what do you think I’ve been doing? Twiddling my thumbs and reading twitters? NO, far from it. I’ve been ranting. I’ve been in the mood. I should probably stay away from message boards because I’m going to make some posts that are going to make people wonder if I am truly a reatard. And yes, matter of fact, they would be right, but you know, matter of fact, I don’t care. I love when my fingers type without any regard to what I am actually thinking. IN FACT, I am thinking this. Screw those posers who say they lose control. THAT doesn’t happen! You have to be simply dumb. DUMB.

Books, Crime, Culture Jamming, Drugs, Entertainment, Politics, reviews, Uncategorized

Recommended Literature

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I plowed my way through Lies the Government Told You: Myth, Power, and Deception in American History (Andrew Napolitano, 2010) a little while ago and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the read. I was a bit judgmentally skeptical at first considering Napolitano is a Fox News pundit and all, but I’ve honestly never watched him on TV. I read on Wikipedia that he is a pro-life Catholic Constitution junkie kind of like someone I know. Napolitano points out events in American History that exhibit governmental failure. He does a great job of describing why government has innately been an institution that’s been working against the Constitution by being paternalistic, wastefully bureaucratic, and pathologically dishonest with the citizenry.  Napolitano stands up without reservation for civil liberties: the right to free speech, to privacy, to property, and to bear arms. I especially like his little rants against the utterly useless and pathetic War on Drugs. He basically says, “yeah, a lot of Americans are afraid of drug use and don’t want it to be a part of society, but let’s get something clear right now: individuals are solely responsible for whatever kind of drug, food, or drink they want to enter their body. No one else is. THE END.” Once Napolitano starts making proposals to end Social Security, the Federal Reserve, and agencies like the FDA, he might lose some people. He does make some convincing arguments on these matters. I’m a little hesitant to let private business run completely wild, but we have to remember that government usually isn’t much better with its regulatory mechanisms and inefficiency. This isn’t A People’s History, but it sure will initiate some brain activity.

Recommended: Yes.

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Album Review: Night Work

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Album name: Night Work

Band: Scissor Sisters

Label: Polydor

Released: 2010

If the album cover hasn’t given it away, Scissor Sisters are very sexual. On their third outing, American glam dance pop band Scissor Sisters explore the 70s and 80s pre-AIDS gay scene, it’s fun and it’s excesses. I will say this now, if you don’t like house music, dance music or Lady Gaga, you probably won’t like this. For me, this is an indulgence that I take from time to time. I listened to this a few times and I find new subtle nuances in every song. Producer Stuart Price does a great job making this really danceable and yet somehow you can still just sit and listen to it. The songwriting doesn’t really differ in subject matter granted every song is either about sex or partying. However, songwriter Jake Shears writes about sex and partying using endless innuendo to make it “radio friendly” even though Scissor Sisters have gotten little to no radio play in the U.S. A great buy that will give you tons of fun.

P.S. On “Invisible Light,” listen for a Vincent Price-Thriller style rap by Sir Ian McKellen.

Track-by-track:

1. Night Work- A-/B+

2. Whole New Way- B+

3. Fire With Fire- A+

4.  Any Which Way- A

5. Harder You Get- B

6. Running Out- A-

7. Something Like This- B

8. Skin This Cat- B-/C+

9. Skin TIght- B+/A-

10. Sex And Violence- B

11. Nightlife- B+

12. Invisible Light- A

Overall Grade: B+/A-. Fun record, some of the best production I’ve heard in a while.

Downloads: “Whole New Way,” “Fire With Fire,” “Any Which Way,” “Skin Tight,” “Invisible Light”

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CD Review: Electric Toys [2010]

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Band: The Dig
Release: 6/2010
Label: Self-Released

1. “Carry Me Home” – B+
2. “Two Sisters in Love” – B+
3. “You’re Already Gone” – A
4. “She’s Going to Kill That Boy” – A-
5. “Penitentiary” – B+
6. “Sick Sad Morning” – A-
7. “He’s A Woman” – B
8. “Look Inside” – B+
9. “For All Your Sins” – A-
10. “Shadow” – A-
11. “I Just Wanna Talk To You” – B+
12. “Feel Like Somebody Else” – B+

Comments: The Dig is at their best when they’re crafting straight-up rock songs. While the more atmospheric numbers are a nice little change-up once in a while, tracks like “You’re Already Gone” and “Shadow” are more immediately engaging. At any rate, The Dig are way bigger than their unsigned status indicates. This LP isn’t ordinary self-released fare.

Grade: B+ (88)