Aeges- Above & Down Below

Do you like "Alternative" rock? What I mean, and what's meant by the quotes- there's a type of rock music that's hard to pigeonhole- so, in the late 1980's some genius PR dude came up with Alternative to cover it. Suddenly, there was a label that encompassed everything from Jane's Addiction styled Goth-Cock Rock to the mannered psyche folk of REM. It never meant anything, of course, but it was a useful false flag in the same way that "New Wave" was- it's not punk, it's not fueled by rage, and reaction, but does have the iconoclastic spirit of exploration.
So, what Aeges does is an "Alternative" for today. It's got elements of more metallic grunge ( Soundgarden, maybe Alice in Chains) and exploratory Nu-metal ( Tool,  Barkmarket) but isn't afraid of a pretty, shoegazer styled shimmer ( My Bloody Valentine, Catherine Wheel, and early Smashing Pumpkins), or the greasy thrill of Stoner Rock ( QOTSA, Torche, Etc) but it builds all this around a post-hardcore framework ( Quicksand, Cave In) . Got that? It puts them as contemporary to Pelican, Baroness, Boris, and precious few others. This is straight up Rock, not punk or metal, but it's dedicated to a very loud iteration of the rock gene- basses get distorted here, and feedback occupies a sacred place.
So, I was a little late to their first record "The Bridge", but I've corrected that, now. I am right on their new one. I'm not going on about every track, but on first blush, the tracks  "Echoes" "Parasite" "my Last Words" "Halos" "Wasted Time" and the Cheap Trick cover "He's a Whore" are getting multiple repeat listens out of me.
Expect me to babble more about it, but if you're one of my friends more on the Heavy Stoner/ Big Block Rock side than the Shellac-y mannered noise rock end- you already have this. For the rest, look into it. They have the Rock, for real.

Shellac Dude Incredible

So, it's been seven years. So, Touch and Go "retired" back in 2009. I can understand why folks might be excited at a new Shellac record on Corey Rusk's label. It is a good record, yes. I like it, but a few things nag at me about it. I want to just say " It's awesome, you need this", but that doesn't feel honest. I've seen the positive reviews, and they seem a bit forced and hyperbolic to me.  I'm not saying that I hate it. I've listened to it about six times already, and I just got it on Saturday. But, like I said, something about it nags at me.
One thing, right away, is that I'm just not in love with the sound of it. The bass is too clean and rubbery- like a jazz bass sound. The guitars are a bit too stately, with just a "tasteful" amount of distortion. I'm willing to bet it's the usual  guitar, into pre-amp, into tube amp. The microphone placement is superb, like Tony Visconti's on Bowie's "Heroes"- and creates an atmosphere that's both "dry" and ambient at the same time.
There are some new elements- a bit of country blues pedal tones on some tracks, some Jazz time signatures on others, and things keep on getting clearer to me- I have  heard this sound, Thirty five years ago, I heard a band that sounded a lot like this, only they played with fire, passion, and a steely eye on cutting out all distractions. In 2014, Shellac sounds like a jam session I heard the Minutemen playing in 1979. Only slower, and more academic, and dry.
Now, don't get me wrong, The Minutemen were glorious. Quite possibly the best American Punk Rock band, ever. But, after you've seen Dennes and Mike and George lay down the law- effortlessly fusing the British Art Punk of Gang of Four and Wire with Creedence Clearwater Revival roots, and Steely Dan  pop jazz, and doing so while stoned and spouting poetry that cannot be repeated- it's like a Sunrise over the Vermilion lakes in Banff National- the world comes alive in a way it never will again, and somebody pointing out another sunrise to you, and saying "See? See? Isn't this like it?"- you have sympathy for them, because they weren't there, but you just smile and hide your annoyance, and say "Yeah, that's kinda like it". You realize that it isn't fair, and that your experiences are yours alone, but it's hard to generate enough enthusiasm to  cover up your wistful nostalgia.
So, yes, it's a good record, but no,  I cannot play along to the hype. It's just a good record. A pleasing combination of notes. No Satori to be found here. My favorite tracks are " The People's Microphone" and "Gary". But, really, if you want  slightly mathy, slightly rootsy, super precise but noisey rock, with some punk, and post punk Aesthetics? Get some Minutemen records. Sorry to be such an old hipster about this, but truthfully, it's like the difference between glimpsing something  sublime, and seeing something pretty.

Marquee Release

So, as I type, I'm watching last night's Colbert Report, with his opening bit about Hilary Clinton's obnoxious "I'm Baack"- and it dovetails into what I want to talk about: We've got a new U2 and a new Shellac record this week.  I've heard, and enjoyed both, but I've got reservations about both, and those reservations have to do with fame, expectations, and hype. See, U2's new record came bundled with the new Apple's product, and the new Shellac record came out on a "retired" record label.  In both cases, the attempt is to create a "marquee" release- the assumption is "Hey, you like this band, and therefore you'll like us". That rankles me a bit. I won't do Apple products, and Touch and Go is just a record label to me, not a mark of quality. Still, I did get both, and I do like both. I'm not going to automatically do anything- I won't judge based upon anything other than the quality of the music. So far, both have some strengths and weaknesses. Neither one is what I'd call "10 out of 10"- both feature some coasting on the part of the band, and both follow some worn out tropes. But, I'll actually go over what I think of each a bit later- right now, I'm talking about the machine behind either release.
So, the point is?
Here's my point: I don't care that U2's record was auto-bundled with the new I-whatever, and I don't care that Shellac are "Indie Stalwarts", coming out on a hoary old label. I don't think anyone should care if U2 are this or that, or if Shellac are comprised of Uber producers, or whatever- the ONLY thing that should matter is if you dig the music. That's it. It's disheartening how little the actual music matters, whether people hate the machine ( U2) or love it ( Shellac).
This where Hilary comes in- people are talking about whether she'll run or not- but it's based upon her "profile"- just once, I wish it would be about her policies, instead.  Once again, it's about the machine, which is narcissism disguised as news. That has infected out discussion of art, philosophy, and aesthetics for too long- so, yes, I still want to know how long must we tolerate mass culture?

Just a mention because we're old

In a way, it hasn't been fair for new music. With the advent of digital music becoming acceptable, it's easy to find almost any recording ever, and listen, if not own, within minutes. So, with every great recording ever standing against, who can be for the untried, and untested new thing?
Well, I  do look for the new, all the time. But, I cannot ignore the old, either. Two recent classics have been given the delux treatment, and I must admit, they have been dominating my time, recently. You already know how I feel about them: Coliseum's first record, and Clutch's Earth Rocker. If you don't already have them, having missed them when new, I'd suggest you rectify that.

Moutheater Passing Key

I've had a little bit of a rough summer. I've had friends, family, and pets die. I've had a moderate depression, and lost friends because of that. I've had car problems, broken stuff in the house, and even a few minor ( or maybe not minor, we don't know, yet)  neurological issues . So, yeah, a bit rough.
However, Andrew Aircraft had a really rough time, at some point, because these are some seriously depressed and self- excoriating lyrics- like, even I am impressed enough to mutter "Dude, you need help" at certain points. So, please understand, despite the ridiculous name, and the type of music, this stuff is serious business.
So, what kind of music do Moutheater make? I think the shorthand would be "Grunge"- but that sells it short. A better descriptor would involve "Led Sabbath" style early 70's hard rock,  "Unsane Lizard" noise rock, with a large amount of Melvins at their most metallic. Soundgarden, this is not.
So, everything I've said so far makes it seem pretty harrowing, right? Why would you want to hear that? Because, as Bauhaus would have it, they "swing the heartache"- they make the anger, depression, and self recrimination ROCK. It's post modern blues- you go through the pain to overcome the pain. At least, that's the function it's serving for me.
So, just to do my usual thing- I'm hearing a fair amount of Gibson on this- probably a Les Paul of some description, but there are bits that sound distinctly sweeter with a more focused gain structure, so possibly something with a mini humbucker. There are bits where the feedback and hum overcome the signal completely, so I don't think we're talking about modern amps- I'm thinking more 1970's Fender, or Ampeg to get what the kids call a "bitcrushed" sound ( really it's just completely saturated on the even harmonics, but why bring sound engineering to a metaphor party?) The bass is your standard  Jazz bass into Ampeg- I don't think there's any doubt on that, and the drums, though close-mic'ed are ye olde trap set- no Neil Peart-isms here. Just hit those toms with clubs...

Bereft- Lost Ages

Hey, while I'm not strictly into Doom or Death or Black Metal- I'm aware of the stuff, and even like a few things on the periphery of those genres. If, however, you're more into blackened Doom, with a small side of Post-Metal, I think you might dig Madison, Wisconsin's Bereft. They have a new one/debut coming out named "Lost Ages" that comes to me highly recommended.  I have to admit, the aesthetics lose me, a bit- but I'm impressed with the sincerity and passion for the form- so, yes, I'd still consider it valid, and worth your time if that's your thing...

Yob- Clearing The Path to Ascend

So, I've heard of YOB before, but I've never heard a full length by them. I heard they signed to Neurot, and got interested a lot more. So I was really happy to see this in the mail. I think I understand what the hype is about. Much like Baroness, Boris, and Neurosis, they play metal devoid of the genre restrictions- and, paradoxically, fulfill the genre requirements. These are 10 minute plus songs, with tempos that rarely get up to a heartbeat, yet there's power, beauty and excitement in them. Bottom line- yes, it meets the hype.

I'll be back

Sorry I've be quiet. I did an experiment that failed, and I'll be back to the known, soon. As was said a generation ago- "A man's got to know his limitations."

This is just for me

I just want to remember these links. You might like them too:
AMREP TV
and again
AMREP TV

Drones of North America

I don't entirely know what to make of this band. All I can say, with any certainty is that I think like minded individuals should get on this. 

But what do I mean by "Like minded"? I  mean people who like very loud guitar rock that dips into hybrid pools. There are post-hardcore elements, there are metal elements, there are even a few noise and punk elements. 

To describe them, I want you to imagine a country. Call it "Outoftheloopistan" or "Backwardia", but the idea is this- imagine a place where they have no first-hand knowledge of all the minute subgenres being purveyed on Bandcamp. All they have is a music shop that sells  only punk rock instruments, and they can recall hearing some doom metal, and and a math metal track or two, when they were visiting friends in more civilized places. Got that? This is the noise they would make. From video evidence, there are Rickenbacker and Telecaster instruments, and they're a three piece. While I can hear that, there are also sections that sound, for all the world like an Ibanez guitar with a humbucker, and a Fender P-bass- so, I don't know how to give you my standard spiel- the overall impression is that unlike others who talk about torturing their instruments- these guys have made their instruments dance in ways they weren't meant to. I think it's in Exodus, somewhere : "Thou shalt Not maketh thy Telecaster to play Doom Metal melodies". I could be wrong, but I think it's there, in some translations. The vocals are in the Fugazi school of yelling in ways that approximate being in key, without ever being in key. 

What I'm saying is that it's really good stuff, but it blows out my mind, by defying my expectations in multiple ways- much like Tyranny is Tyranny- it defies both the band it comes from ( members were in straight metalcore bands before) and my preconceived notions of what are logical progressions. So, I'm still processing. But, I think you should process it, too.