Tag Archives: Goner Records

Best of 2010, Music, Record Labels

Glen’s Best/Worst of 2010: Record Labels

Leave a comment

Congratulations to Matador Records for taking the cake in this one. The three Matador/True Panther albums that I noted below were securely in my Top 10 Albums of 2010 list. So, good job, Matador! Keep it up and here’s to 21 more years! Sub Pop and Fat Possum, two other large independent labels, put out some great records as well. On the smaller scale, Goner Records, based in Memphis, released a handful (probably even more) of quality records and I can only guess that 2011 will be another great year for that label and store. Burger Records, which has garnered national attention for its release of cassettes, is small as well, but their devotion to music and the bands that they put out is overwhelmingly large. As far as “better luck next year” labels go, we’ve got In The Red. In The Red has been a consistent favorite for me, but nothing that they put out this year really floored me. It was a bit of an off-year for Domino Records as well. Of course, that can go out without saying the year after releasing two stellar records, Merriweather Post Pavilion [Animal Collective] and Humbug [Arctic Monkeys]. EMI did pretty awful, but that’s expected too…it is a major label after all. Warner Brothers was a mixed bag; Devo’s LP was pretty good, but nothing else really tickled my fancy. I know a lot of people were feeling Dr. Dog and the Black Keys (especially) this year. 

Top 5!
1. Matador/True Panther Records – Notable Releases: Hippies [Harlem], Gay Singles [Hunx & His Punx], Memphis [Magic Kids]
2. Sub Pop – Notable Releases: Teen Dream [Beach House], I Will Be [Dum Dum Girls], Everything In Between [No Age]
3. Fat Possum Records – Notable Releases: King of the Beach [Wavves], Lisbon [Walkmen]
4. Goner Records – Notable Releases: First Blood [Nobunny], Melted [Ty Segall]
5. Burger Records – Notable Releases: Cum Stain [Cum Stain], Shame, Shame [APACHE]

Worst!
1. EMI – Un-notable Releases: Of the Blue Colour of the Sky [OK GO], Sea of Cowards [Massive Attack]
2. Domino – Un-notable Releases: There Is Love In You [Four Tet], Hidden [These New Puritans]

Entertainment, Music, News, Nobunny

New Nobunny LP: “First Blood” !!!

Leave a comment

Previously Known As: ONO

Track Listing:

1 Ain’t It a Shame
2 (Do the) Fuck Yourself
3 Blow Dumb
4 Gone For Good
5 Pretty Please Me
6 Breathe
7 Live It Up
8 Motorhead With Me
9 Never Been Kissed
10 Pretty Little Trouble
11 I Was On (the Bozo Show)

Release: September 21, 2010

Label: Goner Records

Midheaven Description: Hail! Hail! America’s favorite loopily leporine rock ‘n’ roller, Nobunny, is back with a new album, First Blood, and it’s his catchiest batch of tunes yet. The melodious masked man kicks it off with “Ain’t It a Shame,” a bittersweet tale of a rocky romance in which Nobunny’s lover has no choice but to endure his frequent indiscretions. He’s just that damned charming. “Blow Dumb” is a Velvet-y tribute to all the things that make life worth livin’–“smokin’ Copenhagen,” make-out sessions and “burger breaks.” In fact, First Blood never overstays its welcome and lasts about as long as a particularly adventurous mid-party burger run.  “(Do the) Fuck Yourself” immediately jumps to the top of the list of onanistic rock songs along with the Who’s “Pictures of Lily,” Devo’s “Praying Hands” and the Gizmos’ “Pumpin’ to Playboy.” Have fun trying not to sing this infectious little number in inappropriate situations. Sure, we all know that Nobunny can deliver a raunchy, good-times number like no one else, but can our floppy-eared fop get sophisticated? Let the contemplative vibe and beautiful strings on “Breathe” answer that. “Live It Up” is the most optimistic of a collection of upbeat songs. Nobunny is so happy, he makes the 1910 Fruitgum Co. sound like Joy Division. On “I Was On (The Bozo Show),” Nobunny dreamily recalls a moment from his childhood where he actually shared the stage with the late, great clown-god Larry Harmon. In under half an hour, Nobunny goes through every worthy rock ‘n’ roll subgenre–bubblegum pop, garage, rockabilly and psych–and still beautifully articulates every single human emotion with ease.

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Melted [2010]

Leave a comment

Band: Ty Segall
Release: 5/2010
Label: Goner Records

1. “Finger” – A
2. “Caesar” – A
3. “Girlfriend” – A
4. “Sad Fuzz” – A
5. “Melted” – A-
6. “Mike D’s Coke” – B-
7. “Imaginary Person” – A
8. “My Sunshine” – A+
9. “Bees” – A-
10. “Mrs.” – A-
11. “Alone” – A-

Comments: With such a soft beginning, I’m sure you got a little bored with “Finger” at first. Next thing you know, the song becomes a noisy medley of effects and distortion. “Caesar” stuck out in my mind as a top-shelf single and my thoughts on the song haven’t changed much as I’ve been listening to it on a fairly regular basis. “Sad Fuzz” is this album’s most overt attempt at a ’60s psychedelic-pop retrospective. It’s a success. “Melted” ends rather abruptly…aka the point that I was about to get into it. “Mike D’s Coke” seems a bit unnecessary and…filler. Filler alert. Segall’s best attempt at trying to sound like Jay Reatard — songwriting and actual voice/instrumentation — comes on “Imaginary Person.” Of course, Segall is a great songwriter himself, so he adds in a few solid touches of his own. The four chord dirty sound of “My Sunshine” is engaging. I really love the wet lead guitar riffs. This “sound,” if you will, continues onto the next track and, of course, folks, that means we have a great song on our hands. When the Strange Boys esque (minus the vocals) “Alone” speeds up…damn! Awesome. Besides a few bumps in the road, this LP contains plenty of exciting tracks. Listen!

Grade: A- (92)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Rush to Relax [2010]

Leave a comment

Band: Eddy Currant Suppression Ring
Release: 3/2010
Label: Goner Records

1. “Anxiety” – A-
2. “I Got a Feeling” – A-
3. “Tuning Out” – B
4. “Gentlemen” – B+
5. “Walked Into A Corner” – B+
6. “Second Guessing” – B
7. “I Can Be a Jerk” – B+
8. “Burn” – A-
9. “Isn’t It Nice” – A
10. “Rush to Relax” – B+

Comments: Goner Records, like In The Red Records, is given a preferential option, so to speak, in terms of record reviews like this one. Why? The reason is because Goner has a history of putting out excellent discs. About a month ago I discovered this band after hearing the song “I Got a Feeling” played on WMBR. It stuck out enough for me to quickly jot it down. It’s a very good song that didn’t immediately win me over, but after a few more listens I’ve liked it more and more. $30,000 richer after winning the Australian Music Prize for 2008 LP Primary Colours, the band, I’m sure, tried their best to get out an equally awesome product. While I’ve never listened to Primary Colours, I must say this record sort of gets lost in garage rock obscurity. “Tuning Out” is cool until the boring two minute instrumental jam session kicks in. “Walked Into a Corner” is the perfect short-story of social shyness: “I was feeling anti-social/I didn’t feel like talking/I walked into a pah-tee/A pah-tee full of people.” This is one of the better 59 second songs I’ve heard. Nice Australian accents, by the way. They are very intense. Don’t touch me here. The short track “Isn’t It Nice” is my favorite on here. Check it out. Don’t be deceived by the 24 minute title track. Gentle ocean waves make up a good 75% of the track.

Grade: B+ (88)