Record Review: The 4onthefloor-4x4

The 4onthefloor-4x4(independent)
By Nathan G. O'Brien on Scene Point Blank

There is a type of rock & roll that is very, well, American—thunderous, hard-driving, electrified rhythm and blues with greasy guitars. Music that evokes a variety of American imagery—an oversized, gas-guzzling pickup truck covered in mud barrels down a gravel road; the driver—sporting a camouflaged hat and a farmer’s tan—rides shotgun with a six pack of beer and an actual shotgun. Or a group of bearded, pot-bellied men on a mid-summer motorcycle run up Route 66—nights spent drinking whiskey and slapping waitresses on the butt in roadhouse bars; mornings at the truck stop, refueling with large plates of biscuits and gravy and pots of black coffee. And my favorite; a couple of heshers working on a rundown car in front of their trailer house—a girl with bad tattoos and Daisy Dukes sits on the steps a few feet away, smoking cigs and hollering out unwarranted advice. You know; hog farmin’, flame-print skull caps, muscle cars, sleeveless tees, choppers, double cheese burgers, leather bikinis, manual transmissions, and suckin’ on chili dogs outside of the Tasty Freeze—the good ‘ole U.S. of A.  ...read entire review after the jump.

Record Review: Iceage-New Brigade

Iceage-New Brigade (What's Your Rupture?)
By Nathan G. O'Brien on Scene Point Blank

Like any self-respecting, ego-inflated music snob, I hate it when a good band gets huge. And these guys are totally capable blowing the F up.

Iceage pits gothic-tinged post-punk against discordant no-wave with angular hardcore attributes tossed in for good measure. (If you didn’t hate me by now, that sentence should do it for ya.) ...read entire review after the jump. 

Scene Report: The Dwarves Live at the Triple Rock Social Club

The Dwarves live, Triple Rock Social Club, Mpls, MN, 8/18/11
When Dwarves lead singer Blag Dahlia told the audience at the 3-Rock tonight that, "Rock legends stand among you" I thought to myself, Okay, so he knows the Dirty Biker and I are here, but who else is he talking about?  No, srsly.  After 25 years of pounding laughable statements like, "the Dwarves are the greatest rock & roll band in the world" into the heads of gunk punkers and sleazebags the world over, Blag Jesus' over-inflated ego might actually be justifiable.  Not just because of his relentless dedication to tall tales, bold statements, and songs about sodomy, but because their latest release, The Dwarves Are Born Again (and I know I've been saying this about a lot of records lately) is one of the better albums to come out this year.  And they are backing that up with a great live show, even in the absence of (for the third time in the TC in a row, I might add) the mysterious axe-wielding luchador known as Hewhocannotbenamed.  Also missing was bass player Nick Oliveri AKA Rex Everything.  He's got a good excuse though; he's too busy having standoffs with police and shit.  The set was a mix of classic jams from albums like Sugar Fix, Thank Heaven For Little Girls and The Dwarves Are Good Looking and a healthy dose of stuff from Born Again.  To my surprise and delight they even played a couple from The Dwarves Come Clean, including "There Better Be Women"--a song in which, Blag The Ripper professes, "I don't party with just anyone.  There better be women."  In the bar after the show we would learn that is not just something he wrote a song about.  He had no interest whatsoever in speaking with the dudes that would approach him, but he worked hard, and I do mean hard, at picking up the chicks...young chicks.  In particular, a quartet of crusty bicycle babes sitting next to the Dirty Biker and I.  Anyway, the show was good but I was kind of hoping for some violence.  Not the kind where anyone gets seriously hurt or anything; but you know, maybe some pushing and shoving, someone gets a bloody nose, someone gets thrown out, some broken glass, etc.  In between conversations with our new friend--an energetic barber shop owner from Lakeville--and trying to navigate the drink-getting pecking order of the bar staff, we had good laughs at the expense of the lead singer of Nashville Pussy.  Let me tell you, that dude is pathetic.  Kind of like his band.  Kind of like the opposite of the Dwarves.  Then we drunkenly stumbled down the block to the Cabooze, where we snuck in for the last song of George Clinton and P-Funk.  My gawd, what a bunch of snoozefest going there.  Pretty much exactly like the opposite of the Dwarves.

Scene Report: Iceage Live at the Triple Rock Social Club

Iceage live, Triple Rock Social Club, Mpls, MN, 8/4/11
Iceage play 'core-tinged gothic post-punk and they doing it really fucking well.  Their debut album, New Brigade is one of the best records of the year so far.  If it's not on your summer playlist, add it like, now, because you will probably hate them next week when they get huge.  And who doesn't get off on playing the I-liked-them-back-when... game?  I love it.       

I'm always amazed that despite being the middle of summer here in the Midwest, there are still an astounding number of  people without at least some semblance of a tan.  Seriously, all it takes is to go outside for like, ten minutes once a week.  Other than that I don't really have any complaints.  Despite it being an 18+ show, judging from the amount of beers being drunk, I would say the majority of the folks in attendance were of the 21+ range.  Several older people as well.  Although going to rock shows and getting drunk is le statut supérieure of the young, it pleases me to see the old timers come out to play from time to time as well.

During the opening bands, it was easy to tell who Iceage were.  In fact, it's always easy to pick out the European rock dudes in the crowd.  They wear baggy sweatshirts over collared dress shirts, their pants are always too short for their lanky nonathletic build, and they have that swoopy-in-the-front haircut falling across their pasty faces.  Like a cross between Basketball Diaries-era Leo and made-for-TV artist, Miles Mendenhal.  So that's what the band looked like.  They are from Denmark, and you can tell. 

After their first song, "White Rune" which is also the opening track on their record, the lead singer Elias' guitar strap broke.  It appeared to be held on with athletic tape that was no longer working.  We were treated to a lengthy dose of feedback while the band worked feverishly to fix it.  In doing so, a string broke.  They went into the next song anyway, broken strap, string and all.  It was an almost-too-perfect moment, that, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought was planned.  It's the kind of thing "it" bands to that make them, well, "it." 

Initially I was surprised by the lack of the energy put forth by a band everyone from MRR to Vice to even the godawful, Onion is describing as "energetic."  That would change though, as eventually Elias ditched the guitar altogether and the rest of the band seemed to come to life.  The audience up front responded appropriately, as a smallish circle pit formed.  Unfortunately, it was all over too quickly.  Their set lasted all of 27 minutes.  Which is roughly 2 minutes longer than their record.  But it's not like they held anything back--they played pretty much every song they have.  I think everyone would have been happy if they would have just played the set over again as an encore.  In fact, New Brigade is one of the few records I will  listen to back-to-back so it would have been appropriate. 

Overall, Iceage is every bit good live as they are on record.  They very well may be "the next big thing."  And if they are, well...I saw them back when...

HDD reviewed by Randy Spaghetti

A little bit more press for Issue #2 of the zine, thanks to zine junkie Randy Spaghetti.  Check it out here:

http://sddzine.blogspot.com/2011/08/hot-dog-dayz.html

Thanks Mr. Spaghetti!  Very much appreciated!

We have a very small amount of these left.  If you want one, let us know:  bnb@hotdogdayz.com or thee.n.o.b@gmail.com.  Or, if you want to make a chaitable donation in exchange, simply follow the link on the top right hand side of this here bloooggayah.  Also available for trade.

Record Review: Buck Gooter-Devil Worship

Buck Gooter-Devil Worship (Flannel Gurl Records)
By Nathan G. O'Brien on Scene Point Blank

When I think of Devil worship I think of all the scary stuff from my youth. I think of serial killer Richard Ramirez. Also known as “The Night Stalker,” Ramirez is perhaps the most famous Devil worshiper of the era—famous for sporting AC/DC tee shirts, flashing the Devil horns while in handcuffs—a pentagram tattooed on his palm—and quotes like, “I love to kill people.” When I think of Devil worship, I think of King Diamond in Rip Magazine, Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan on the The Geraldo Rivera Show, and finding the remnants of Satanic ritual in the woods behind my house—a candlelit five-pointed star scrawled in ground, the mutilated carcass of a canine, and a forgotten weathered paperback copy of The Necronomicon. Yeah, good old Devil worship and I go way back. ...continue reading review here.

Scene Report: Art In The Streets at MOCA~Part 2: More Flicks

Part One: Bam!

Art In The Streets, Geffen Comtemporary at MOCA, Los Angeles, CA, 7/9/11

Steel reeling from this show.  Been having dizzy spells ever since.  It was a lot to take in at one time.  I lost a bunch of photos (47 to be exact) in the transfer from camera to storage space.  Good stuff too.  Oh well, I'm over it...sorta.  If New York gets their shit together, I'll go over there and check it out again. 

Record Review: Backslider/Nimbus Terrifix split

Various Artists-Backslider & Nimbus Terrifix split (Give Praise Records)
By Nathan G. O'Brien on Scene Point Blank

The vinyl comes in a deep shade of purple with specs of other colors marbleized in.  The album artwork—a Pusshead-inspired drawing of a hand with eyes and a teeth—elicits nostalgia for a bygone era: ‘80s Thrasher Magazine, Metallica before the black album, Vision Street Wear, and hangover-curing breakfast burritos. 
...read the entire review here.

2011 Mid-Year Best-Of: Albums

Top 5 Albums of 2011 So Far
An Excerpt Form 2011 Mid-Year Review
By Nathan G. O'Brien on Scene Point Blank

Beastie Boys-Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Old-School hip-hop…scratch that, rap music resurfacing at a time when contemporary hip-hop is in dire need of actual rappers. Complete with all the obscure cultural references (Kenny Rogers Roasters, André Leon Telly, Jerome Crooks, Splenda, etc.) and witty humor you’ve come to expect from the Beasties. Sample Adrock lyric—“The proof is in the pudding/And the pudding is in my pants/You’ve heard me rap/Now watch me dance.”

Mauser-End Of The Line
Out of Gainsville, FL comes a band of punks whom seem hellbent on injecting a much needed shot of adrenaline into D-beat. This 7”—a superbly executed raw and noisy affair—affirms there is still plenty of originality left in the genre. That being said; those who fell in love with the self-titled EP by Japan’s Mörpheme would be equally as enamored with this record.

Sims-Bad Time Zoo
More than a half-decade since the release of his debut album, the veteran Minneapolis MC returns with venomous tongue-lashings directed at both the over-caffeinated, plugged-in, self-serving masses and the man in the mirror—all laid upon some of the most innovative and hard-hitting beats this side of the Mississippi, courtesy of fellow Doomtree member, Lazerbeak.

Cülo-Toxic Vision
Five songs of angry hardcore punk rock, brought by four white dudes from the suburbs, whose band name means “butthole” in Spanish. Seriously, what’s not to love?

Random Axe-Random Axe
A project several years in the making Random Axe finally surfaces to much deserved fanfare. Random Axe is an all-star trio consisting of Guilty Simpson, Sean Price and Black Milk—three men who have earned their stripes in the fiercely independent hip-hop underworld. On their self-titled debut Simpson and Price lay down verses of gritty street life on top of Milk’s electrified boom-bap—resulting in a product worthy of the anticipatory timline.

Read our entire 2011 Mid-Year Review on Scene Point Blank.

2011 Mid-Year Best-Of: Slept On in 2010

Top 5 Records We Slept On And Missed in 2010

An Excerpt from 2011 Mid-Year Review

By Nathan G. O'Brien on Scene Point Blank.

Ghostface Killah-Apollo Kids

Dropping in right at the end of the year (released on 12/21), Ghost returns with an album of bangers not heard since 2006's Fishscale—gritty, graphic, passionate, and, well, real. Guest spots from a bevy of storytellers, including Busta Rhymes, The Game, Redman, and fellow Wu members and affiliates, matched with soul and funk-sampling production from the likes of Jake One, Yakub, Pete Rock and others make for an undeniably true hip-hop album. Standout tracks are “In the Park”—a back-in-the-day jam that features the Roots’ Black Thought spitting rhymes harder than you’d think he’s capable of—and “How You Like Me Baby”—which has one of the best Ghost choruses since Fishscale’s “Be Easy.”

Kylesa-Spiral Shadow
Another late year release (10/25); Spiral Shadow shows Kylesa picking up where they left off on Static Tensions—continuing to shed the crust-tinged edges of their past; delving further into progressive and psychedelic areas. This is the third and cleanest-sounding Kylesa record that has been produced in-house by guitarist Phillip Cope. While an emphasis on flawless production often times produces disappointing results in the world of sludge and doom, it’s a totally natural progression for Kylesa. And if you have any doubts as to whether they can still bring the lumber, one listen to this record will prove otherwise. Aside from including Kylesa’s most palatable song to date— “Don’t Look Back”—Spiral Shadow is quite the thunderous project; thanks in large part to the dual drum attack of Carl McGinley and Tyler Newberry.

Men’s Interest-More War
Shaun Dean, of Cold Sweat and Repercussions fame, returns fronting a new band—the menacing Men’s Interest. More War is somewhat mysterious, as there are no song titles—just numbers, and very little information other than the name of the band and the title of the record. Dean’s vocals are more penetrating and maniacal than ever before—imagine GG Allin and H.R. tongue-kissing each other, with melted cheese stuck in their throats. If that description makes you feel queasy you might want to take an antacid before listening to the record because it doesn’t get any less forbidding. More War is seven songs of raw, noisy hardcore that will leave you feeling sketched out yet yearning for more—the vinyl equivalent of methamphetamine.

OFF!-First Four EPs
A hardcore punk rock supergroup of sorts, OFF! Features members of Red Kross, Burning Brides and Rocket From The Crypt, fronted by former Black Flag/Circle Jerks front man and current punk historian/know-it-all, Keith Morris. With no song clocking over the minute and a half mark, Morris has never sounded more urgent, and dare I say, youthful. The production of these songs strikes a perfect balance between old and new—the guitars are clean and loud, but Morris’ vocals are allowed to crack and pop the microphone in a way that recalls the raw energy of early Black Flag. First Four EPs is just that—a collection of four different EPs. They come nicely packaged, complete with artwork courtesy of Raymond Pettibone, who is responsible for creating much of the iconic imagery of the era of hardcore that the members of OFF! first cut their chops in.

Unperson-Demo
Out of Boston, MA comes yet another bad-ass hardcore band. Short, fast, loud, heavy, raw, noisy, ripping, raging, yada-yada, you know the drill—there are only so many ways to describe this stuff; all of them fitting for this six-song demo by Unperson. Their tunes are quick, fevering jaunts, done in less than a minute, with vocals that are more shouty than they are screamy. Think female-fronted Capitalist Casualties or Dropdead. If you look up “hardcore demo tape” in the encyclopedia, you’d find this. By the time you read this Unperson may have disbanded. But fret not; Krystina and another member are in a band called Curmudgeon, which is in the same vein, and have already released a demo.

Please continue to Scene Point Blank to read the rest of our 2011 Mid-Year Review feature.

Record Review: Random Axe

Random Axe-Self Titled (Duckdown)

By Nathan G. O'Brien on Scene Point Blank.

As the record progresses it becomes clear Guilty Simpson— although the lesser known of the two MCs— is the star of this show. In terms of scope, his topical range reaches further and wider, while Sean Price seems to suffer from an apparent lack of subject matter. Most famously known as a member of the Boot Camp Click, Price is the most gangsterish of the crew and he makes no bones about it. Although his delivery is effective, he doesn’t offer up much other than gun-clap raps. In “Monster Babies” he spits, “I am the pick of the litter/You are the bitch the gets hit and starts snitchin’ on Twitter/Tweedledee-Tweedledumb niggas/When you see P you better have your gun, Nigga.”  ...continue reading after the jump to SPB.

Scene Report: Art In The Streets at MOCA

Art In The Streets, Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, Los Angeles, CA, 7/9/11

From the MOCA website: "Art in the Streets is the first major U.S. museum survey of graffiti and street art...the development of graffiti and street art from the 1970s to the global movement it has become today...paintings, mixed media sculptures, and interactive installations...will emphasize Los Angeles's role in the evolution of graffiti and street art, with special sections dedicated to seminal local movements such as cholo graffiti and Dogtown skateboard culture. A comprehensive timeline illustrated with artwork, photos, video, and ephemera will provide a historical context for the work."

From the first time I heard about this, I knew there was no way I was going to miss this show. Words can't describe how much stuff is up in here.  Just amazing.  It's like, everything I love about...I don't know...life.  All in one place at one time.  I can't imagine the amount of work that went into putting this together.  Every time I turn the corner, there is something new--something or someone I recognize, some artifact from my youth, something I've only heard about or seen in magazines.  Its like constantly trying to catch your breath but never being able to.  The poor GF is dizzy within' minutes of being in here and it's going to take hours to get through.  There is literally no escape from the imagery--explosions of color, dirt, grime, sound, words, debauchery, etc.  It's swirling all around us. Haze's original sketch of the Beastie Boys Check Your Head logo, Jaime Reid's original Sex Pistols collages, Jean-Michel Basquiat, cholo lettering, Neckface, Craig Stecyk's Dogtown photos, Fab Five Freddy, Bozo Texino, Dash Snow, Rammellzee, Terry Richardson photos from his punk rock teens, Raymond Pettibone, Thrasher Magazine, Estivan Oriel, motorcycle gangs, Banksy, Fairy, McGhee, Os Gemeos...ugh, too many to name.  It's fucking U N B E L I E V A B L E!  Seriously.  I'm having a hard time comprehending it all.

We are being mind-fucked to death so hard that we are coming back to life...

Here's a few thirty some photos so far, but this won't be the last you'll see of Art In The Streets on HDD...

Art In The Streets, Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, LA, CA, 7/9/11