Ulver – Shadows of the Sun

A friend recommended Ulver with the sort of intensity one finds in the transmission of those things that touch our innermost light in the most intense ways.
It is important to be respectful of these moments and feelings.
La la la la, la la dee dee daaaa…
What?
Um…hmm.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed – Frozen Corpses Stuffed With Dope

In the world of absurdist comedic grindcore, there are really only two heavyweights – Anal Cunt (AC) and Agoraphobic Nosebleed (AN).
AC fans will dispute this, claiming the two acts are nothing like each other, but while it’s true that AN features drum machine workouts and – as far as I know – doesn’t have any [...]

Coil – Time Machines

I would like to think that among friends and neighbors my odd tastes are balanced by the acceptance that I know some of what I talk about – at least some of the time. So when I say unto you, dear people, do not listen to this album while driving, I am not merely engaging [...]

Eno/Budd – Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror

There are two kinds of people in this world – those who like Brian Eno’s ambient and soundscape works, and those who like his glammy escapades with Roxy Music or his own arty outings. I don’t mind some of Here Come the Warm Jets – the title track is pretty neat – but for the [...]

Box Your Ears #2 – The Eyes of Stanley Pain vs. III

Continuing our theme of the Heroin Olympics, we examine two essential Download releases.
The Eyes of Stanley Pain – along with The Process – is the last real taste of Dwayne Goettel’s work before he died of an overdose in his parents’ bathroom; the sound pallette is heavily techno, but the construction is far more Puppy-oriented. [...]

Gym Class Zeroes: Point/Counterpoint on The Decemberists

There are few musical acts on this Earth who inspire my active scorn, rather than smug dismissal – The Decemberists being first and foremost on that list. To give credit where credit is due, to make a career writing songs about always having been picked last at dodgeball is an impressive feat, in the same [...]

Box Your Ears #1 – Too Dark Park vs. Last Rights

Welcome to the first installment of “Box Your Ears” – it’s the Heroin Olympics down here on the ranch and I’ve come here to snort Xanax and chew bubblegum – and I’m all out of Xanax. Sadly, this year’s dental derby means no gum either.
While VIVIsectVI has its moments, and i think one can make [...]

Today is the Day and Wetnurse Live @ Knitting Factory, November 5th

Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want them to.
Weedeater cancelled from this show, leaving Wetnurse and Today is the Day. Despite the tiny crowd that had come out of the rain, Wetnurse really tore it up. They play an interesting mix of NYC hardcore with a lot of thrash influence and odd melodic [...]