Current 93- All The Pretty Little Horses

And yet still I wish I could dream as when young

To welcome myself back after a somewhat brief absence, why not continue on the saga of Current 93? All The Pretty Horses is another album that distinctly stands out within the Current 93 discography. Many regard it as the group's best output. Once again you get David Tibet's excellent songwriting played over bleak and sometimes frightening melodies

You ever get depressed sometimes to the point where you can't even do things you like? That's how it's been with music for the past few weeks. I've downloaded a lot of stuff but haven't even gotten started on any of it, I can barely even stand to listen to a full album of a band I love. Winter's here, it's really cold outside and the sky is always gray. For some reason, I just prefer silence lately.

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Finals are coming up so I'm going to be super busy. I may not have the time or the motivation to update the blog so just stay tuned 'k?

Ghost Mice- Collection One or The Fairy War

Ghost Mice and This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb were staples back when I was in high school. I played Front Seat Solidarity by TBIAPB so much that I nearly had to buy another CD player just so I could have one to put something else in it. I had a burned CDR of Ghost Mice material that I played and played until I had memorized every song from front to back. Ghost Mice are a strictly acoustic folk punk band who can write some really, really great songs. They're one of the "rock star" bands of the Plan It X record label who have released a lot of great albums over the years while sticking to a strictly non profit ethos. The best part is the work ethic they stick to, CDs are sold for a measly $5, so quit being a miser and go buy something (lol irony). Collection One collects a lot of the band's early material from various splits. I'm pretty sure it's out of print, so that makes it alright to download this. Ghost Mice are one of those bands that stay in my constant rotation.

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Right Away, Great Captain- The Bitter End

I don't like to double post but I've been listening to this and really enjoying it. Right Away, Great Captain is a concept band who write songs about a sailor far from home, broken hearts, and a dishonest mistress. Supposedly every song is a journal entry in the sailor's journal to his family back home or his captain. Sad melodies and heart breaking lyrics with that trademark indie "fuzzyness" to the music that sends the panties right off of those cute coffee sucking indie chicks. There are a some upbeat numbers too that will get your head bobbing. A great night time album that you put on before you go to bed. Disregard the fact that Andy Hull plays in a shitty band(manchester orchestra) and looks like a huge douchebag.

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Hammerhead- Into The Vortex

Hammerhead were yet another one of those great AmRep bands during the label's golden age. While Ethereal Killer saw the band playing a more standard set of noisy, post hardcore, the band switches gears on Into The Vortex. The entire album has a great outer space vibe to it and the dense, heavy noise rock will crush your face in. There are some doom metal albums that aren't as heavy as this.

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Master- On The Seventh Day God Created Master

I like to think that Master sounds like Slayer if Slayer played Death Metal. Master is another one of those long running, consistent old school death metal bands that have somehow remained under the radar. The songs are fast and have that thrashyness to their sound.

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Die Hard- Evil Always Returns

If you're anything like me you probably read that title and was hoping that I would be posting a leak to the next Die Hard movie where Bruce Willis fights his old German nemesis Hans Gruber who has risen from the grave and been given cybernetic implants.

Well I don't have that but I do have something that's almost as good.

Die Hard are a thrashing outfit from Sweden who lay down some serious Sodom worship on their Evil Always Returns EP. But hell, if you're going to be inspired by a band it might as well be one of the strongest metal outfits out there. Some great thrash with that extra dash of black metal. According to their myspace they have a new album out which I do not have. So check that out after you download this and maybe buy something while you're at it.

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Tiger Uppercut! and something about a pokemon themed hardcore band

At the risk of sounding incredibly smug and hipster like, I'll say that I've listened to quite a lot of different music. I've listened to an accordion Phillip Glass cover artist, a Soviet Yiddish tribute album, authentic Steppe People's yodeling from Mongolia, and even an album just of a person taking a shit. But last night I heard something I never expected.

Graveler, the pokemon themed power violence band.

Yes you read that correctly.

Addiction growing
Gameboy glowing
Deep into the night
Insomnia settles in
Patience wearing thin
Just one more trainer fight
Fuck all the rest
I need to be the best
With my pokemon squad
On Victory Road I stand
Things got out of hand
I am the pokemon god
Crushing the elite four
Trailing paths of gore
Now it's more than just a game
Killing with a grin
No choice but to win
They will all know my name

Now anyone who listens to powerviolence or "thrashcore" knows that the genre is no stranger to gimmicks and themes. You have a whole crop of bands devoted solely to writing songs about wrestling, action movie stars, misogyny and political incorrectness. Hell, Anal Cunt built a career and a legacy out of being ridiculous. Even the mighty Charles Bronson is attributed with being the "best worst band." There are no boundaries in this genre.

While I'm talking about themed bands, why not discuss some Tiger Uppercut!


Tiger Uppercut! were a hardcore band with an awesome street fighter theme. The lyrics are goofy, but in a really awesome sort of way. But just because they're a "joke" band doesn't mean they can't play. Tiger Uppercut! serves up some mosh friendly hardcore that's just as good as any "serious" band. I prefer their demo to their Till My Last Fucking Quarter EP because I'm a big fan of that shoddy, garage production that fits a hardcore band like a glove. Plus the demo has my favorite song, I Could Never Pull Off The Piledriver

EDGE!
MOSHER!
Break on through to the other side

You think you're pretty tough, you think you're the shit
Too bad Zangief would destroy you in the pit
His piledriver devastates any of his foes
Windmills and spin kicks, you don't have any throws

EDGE!
MOSHER!
Break on through to the other side

You mosh and hit 'em in the face, they push you back
Then you fight 'em, cheap like kick to nut sack
You say it's the way it's always been
Well I say it's time for a fucking change

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Bones Brigade- I Hate Myself When I'm Not Skateboarding

Here's some great crossover skate punk from a gang of Boston shredders. Not much else. I've been really busy lately and I wish I could type up a description that would give this awesome band justice.

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Whiplash- Power And Pain

YOU KNOW YOU'RE DEAD
WHEN YOU'RE
NAILED
TO
DA
CROSS

Jet Set Radio Future OST

Ah Jet Set Radio Future...It's the perfect example of a timeless game. It came from a period when developers weren't afraid to take major risks. This game was made back when cel-shading was an emerging graphic style, one that sadly doesn't exist anymore.

The premise of Jet Set Radio Future revolves around the player's gang of rocket powered roller blading hooligans in their fight against rival gangs and the typical futuristic dystopian government using the power of, what else? Graffiti and music. This is another one of those rare games that has so much style. Everything about the art direction and the presentation were spot on. The graphics were great and still look good for an xbox launch title. Everything looked like it was taken out of a some trippy manga. There was nothing like blasting through a futuristic Tokyo trailed by policemen while some awesome dance music blared in the background. The game was fun. Simple and pure. Everything about it was just so great. It was such a major improvement over Jet Grind Radio.

Why is there such a focus on realism in newer games? Yes, I'll admit that new games do look impressive and I'm astounded at the further level of detail they manage to cram in each time, but the problem with realism is that it's so...boring! As technology advances, even games like Uncharted 2 and Crysis will eventually look dated. I'm not saying that new games are bad, but we've seen this happen before. Remember when Gran Turismo 2 was considered the ultimate simulation? Games that put the emphasis on the HOW of graphics instead of the WHAT will live on forever.

Anyways, the soundtrack is full of pulsing electronic music and hip hop that fit the electricity fueled landscapes of the future. Drop that top and bump these funky jams

UNDERSTAND UNDERSTAND

Andrew Jackson Jihad- Only God Can Judge Me

This weekend is Halloween, I hope everyone gets to dress up, eat candy, drink beer, get stoned, look at girls dressed like sluts, fuck said girls, and wake up in the morning saying FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH before returning to their bleak and uninteresting lives where they do things like earn money to pay bill or write papers to satisfy teachers. We often wonder why we go nuts on holidays like this. Holidays are the one moment in modern human life where we can truly break away. For just one day, on Christmas or Halloween or St. Patrick's Day, we forget about our routines and responsibilities and we become children again.

For a small moment, we regain those things that we once had. Daresay we have fun. We don't have enough fun in life. Lack of fun is probably the cause of most wars.

For the rest of us losers who will be stuck inside posting on the internet about how they don't care how much fun all those conformist sheeple are having, here's a post for you!

Only God Can Judge is a pretty different Andrew Jackson Jihad album. Thrown away are the upbeat singalongs in favor of a more personal sound. This album is like the songs or poems you used to write for yourself, that you would never want anyone to find and threw away some days later to make sure. A good album to listen when you're alone at night and can't sleep, and all you can do is crunch numbers and think. This album always reminds me of the things that are important.

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Evil Army- S/T

There's been a sort of thrash metal revival lately. Bands like Municipal Waste and Toxic Holocaust have gained some major attention and acclaim in the past few years. Maybe it's the much needed breath of fresh air for people who wondered where all the metal went after Metallica released The Black Album and death metal became king of the American metal underground pushing thrash and heavy metal into the background.

Evil Army is a thrashing Memphis outfit that put out this great debut back in 2006. The singer is real good and the album has that dirty raw production that I like to hear in a young band. Also they're from Memphis. Think of how many metal bands have come from Memphis? Yeah that's right, so after you download this album why not shoot on over to their band page and buy something. Do you know how many good metal bands Tennessee has? Not that many.

We have to put up with these faggots

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Wingnut Dishwasher's Union- Burn The Earth, Leave It Behind

Today marks the second week in a row that the college DJs I intern under canceled the show. I'm pretty bummed about that because it's one of the small things that I really enjoy in my dreary and miserable existence.

Anyways Wingnut Dishwasher's Union sound like what Against Me! would if they never started sucking. It's folk punk. You get songs about hating cops, smashing the state, banding together against the government, jacking off, and a touching 6 minute long medley marking the end of a great album with some funny and thoughtful songwriting.

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Cencoroll

Looks great. The DVD drops over in Moonland in 5 days. I can't wait to download it. It looks really good and the soundtrack is banging from what I can tell in the trailer.

Anorexia Nervosa- New Obscurantis Order

Since I have a French midterm tomorrow that I'm currently not studying for, why not post some French music?

Anorexia Nervosa are pretty much symphonic black metal all stars, up there with mighty outfits like Emperor or Limbonic Art. The songs speed along relentlessly, showing off some serious chops, especially on the drums which must be manned by some sort of robot designed to hit drums incredibly fast. While they may look like the kids you make fun of at Hot Topic and sound more polished than your typical recorded in the woods black metal, make no mistakes, this is a vicious album. Also there's a bad ass Candlemass cover on there. Fuck yeah Candlemass.

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Shadow of the Colossus OST

Imagine for a second utter, inescapable loneliness. Not the kind of loneliness that we manufacture in our minds and self pity, but true loneliness. That's what this game is like. It's been a while since I've played a game that really made me feel something and words could hardly describe the feeling you get when you descend those giant steps from the starting temple and see the vast empty wasteland that seems to stretch on forever. Instead of being treated to the uplifting sound of adventure that accompanies traditional RPGs when you step out onto the world map, you are met with nothing. You hear nothing but the footsteps of your horse, the panting of your breath, maybe the far off call of a solitary bird or the tinkle of a waterfall.

That is, of course, until you come across the Colossus. They are huge moving monoliths that arise out of the horizon. The creatures are seemingly benevolent, some little regard you as they march about naturally, and often times I was met with the awe inspiring and somewhat frightening moment when one of the massive beasts would bend their head downward and gaze at the main character with curiosity. It is then that the music starts. You don't know why you have to kill them, you don't know what they've done to deserve being killed. The only thing you know is that you have to do it.



A great game all around. And a great soundtrack to boot.

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The Lord Weird Slough Feg- Down Among The Deadmen

Slough Feg is one of those bands that I have difficulty talking about because I like them so much that I could talk about them all the live long day and night. I was struggling to decide on which album to post first, but I recently discovered, much to my delight, that they have a song included on the recently released Brutal Legend vidya gaem among other great soundtrack choices. The song happens to be Warriors Dawn off of Down Among The Deadmen, which is a fine choice. I haven't played the full game but the demo looks like a damn fun button masher. And I like button mashers.

Anyways, this album delivers up all the signature Slough Feg goods. Mark Scalzi is probably one of my all time favorite singers in metal. Slough Feg play an incredible form of traditional metal in the vein of older greats like Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road. If you don't know, now is the time to find out.

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Eureka Seven OST

I'll admit that I haven't finished Eureka Seven yet. I got about halfway through the series before life caught up to me and it just slipped by me. I recently started it up again and I'm glad that I did. I forgot how good this show was.

My first reaction to it was, "gee, for a show about surfboarding robots this sure is boring." But as the episodes pressed on the characters and the subtle nuances of the show began to grow on me. Nothing is more tragic than seeing Renton and Eureka's pure innocent love play out in the background of brutal ethnic cleansing and war, or more heartwarming than Charles and Ray, Renton's parents who never were, or the cute interplay between Dominic and Anemone, who develop a romance rivaling that of the main characters. While there's considerably less action than would be expected of a mecha show, even when there isn't much going on something memorable manages to happen.

But this is a music blog that's about music so I'll post the OST which is full of some excellent tracks.

download pt.1
download pt.2


yeah i stole these links off of google.

u mad?

Captain Lou Albano 1933-2009

Swing your hands from side to side
come on, it's time to do the Mario
one last time

Current 93- The Seahorse Rears To Oblivion

Oh stars of the evening
How swift you rush and roar away
Even Satan in his great power and great fury and great greed cannot stop them
So eager are they to dance and dim aways


This isn't much of an album considering that it's all one song and the three demo versions aren't even different enough to justify putting them all there, but the live track is a real treat. But that's not the point, hell it's not like we're paying for this or anything. This piece of spoken word poetry demonstrates David Tibet's talents as an artist. Very powerful and beautiful.

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Warren Zevon- The Wind

The Wind would be Warren Zevon's last album before succumbing to mesothelioma. Zevon disregarded treatment so that he could continue to tour and make music. This album holds all the power of a man's final words to the world. Bukowski said it best: when death comes for him, it should be ashamed



enjoy every sandwich

Drudkh- Songs of Grief and Solitude

Drudkh trade in their usual post rock inspired black metal shenanigans for an album of straight acoustic melodies that bring to mind the glories of mighty Ukraine and the eventful day when the white man shall overcome their Jewish tyrants and---

Oops looks like I'm getting my Hate Forest mixed up with my Drudkh.

While I joke about their politics, I can't deny that Drudkh can make some very powerful music. This album earns it's title as the songs evince feelings of utter loneliness and despair. You feel lost in the huge world that Drudkh creates, clinging only to the simple and haunting melodies that guide you through a grim and frostbitten land of loss. Meaning that you will feel just like you're in Ukraine.

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Behold! The Monolith- S/T

This is yet another one of those album covers that you look at and immediately know what to expect. Behold! The Monolith deliver up some groovy stoner metal in the vein of the mighty Sleep. You get all the goods here: catchy, heavy as fuck guitars, distorted vocals, and solos with a song called "Battle for Ball's Deep" thrown in for free. You can find out more about them at their website and purchase some fucking awesome tshirts.

website
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Andrew Jackson Jihad- People Who Eat People Are--God This Is Such A Long Album Title

So I went a week without my computer. That doesn't sound like a lot, but consider the monumental role your computer plays in your life. Odds are you are like millions of people who listen to music on their computer, get their news from their computer, watch movies on their computer, watch all their favorite TV shows on their computers, do important work on their computers. All the little things that we scoff at in life and say that we could do without are now contained in one fragile little device that, when taken away, leaves a huge hole in us. We're never the tough survivalist we want to be. We're all whores for convenience.

I'm such a sad person.

But anyways it was quite refreshing to be without my own computer for a week. Honestly the worst part was not being able to listen to music. So after a week without music, I considered what I would post today, and thought of one band that holds a very special place in my heart (but not enough so to keep me from shamelessly downloading their albums).

Last November when the whole world was glued to their televisions watching the results for an election that would change the world, I joined a bored, apathetic, stoned and drunk crowd of losers and hipsters in a little garage to see Andrew Jackson Jihad, the little folk punk band that could from far away Pheonix. It was an amazing night. Most of the songs they played were off of People Who Eat People Are The Luckiest People In The World, and I'll always remember the last song that was played, People, ironically enough the closing track off of this album, and how the entire room seemed to resound in one glorious voice. For that one moment our prejudices and pretensions disappeared, and, maybe it was the pot in the air or the beer that got passed around, we were all one people, one voice, united like no way other in that room, in that moment, during that song.

God I sound like a faggot. I've hyped this album to be some amazing life affirming catharsis that you will most likely be disappointed by it.

oh well


REJOICE BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING YOUR BEST



Thanks for the album Sean. I promise I'll never sell it on eBay.

Computer has been broke all week and I just got it fixed. Will post something later.

Triple Hardcore Jet Stream Attack!

9 Shocks Terror- Zen and The Art of Beating Your Ass

Top notch hardcore. The best thing to come out of Cleveland besides The Drew Carey Show.

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Hatred Surge- Deconstruct

Features ex members of Insect Warfare. They also put in some mileage with Mammoth Grinder. This shit is just as intense as those aforementioned bands.

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Duke Nukem Forever- Demo

Bay area thrash-y hardcore. I believe they're broken up now which is a shame because this is a damn good demo. The only other material I'm aware of is a split.

ALWAYS BET ON DUKE

Career Suicide- Anthology of Releases: 2001-2003

Couldn't find a proper album cover picture.

With so many hardcore bands incorporating eclectic elements into their music in order differentiate themselves from both past and present, it is sometimes pleasing to the ear to listen to some straight up, no strings attached, good 'ol hardcore. Career Suicide is a Canadian hardcore band that harkens back to ye olden tymes of the early 80s spoken often in our ancient bardic lore. Simple catchy riffs, heavy on the speed and short on the length. Sloppy, loud, and abusive, as any great hardcore release should be.

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Root- The Temple In The Underworld

Here's a real gem. Root were a czech black metal band and contemporaries of Master's Hammer. Similar to Master's Hammer, Root takes a left of center approach to the standard set by Bathory. I've been busy all day so I don't really feel like typing up an elaborate description, but this album deserves to be held up alongside such greats as Hammerheart or Ritual. Also, lead singer and band founder Jiri "Big Boss" Valter is a high priest in the church of satan. How metal is that?

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Windir- Arntor

One time I went walking around in the woods behind my grandma's house while listening to this album on my mp3 player. I found this little dried up pond with an old moldy dock stretching out into it. At this time, the beauty of this album really hit me. Contained were not just words and melodies, but landscapes morphed into songs and sounds. I don't think I've ever been more in tune with nature than at that moment. Shit was so grim and frostbitten.
Windir is a black metal band who sometimes get called Viking Metal or Folk Metal. Arntor is my personal favorite album mostly because it is heavy on the synths, accordions, and whatever instrument Valfar could cram in there creating an interesting collection of sounds that form a piece both aggressive and atmospheric.

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Current 93- Thunder Perfect Mind

Whenever someone asks me to describe Current 93 I'm always damned to think of where to start. Their comprehensive discography covers scores of albums, each of them unique in their songwriting, concepts, and little nuances. Thunder Perfect Mind is regarded as their finest work, though such a claim is hard to endorse when they have so many good albums. Thunder Perfect Mind is not my personal favorite, but that doesn't make it a bad album by any means. It's a great album full of Current 93's trademark dissonance. The depressing lullabies and surreal dirges are complemented by David Tibet and Co.'s bizarre and often unsettling lyrics. This a great album for those unfamiliar with the band. What better way to get your feet wet than by diving in up to your neck?

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Mammoth Grinder- Extinction of Humanity

Look at this album. I mean, god damn, look at this fucking album. See that cover? Doesn't that just look sinister? It's like the time your mom gave you money for the record store and you dug through all those shitty pop radio albums until you found that Cannibal Corpse album with the zombies fist fucking the disemboweled pregnant woman. Mammoth Grinder features members of the hardcore band Hatred Surge, and going into this I was expecting more of that sound. What I got instead was an entirely new animal. Extinction of Humanity is a pounding death metal crusher that pummels from the very first second. But in a way this album occupies a strange place. It's too hardcore to be death metal and too death metal to be hardcore. Fans of their previous albums might not like this, as it strays farther from their earlier, more hardcore and sludge influenced work. But who cares about those faggots. This album kicks ass.

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Sun Kil Moon- Ghosts Of The Great Highway

We've gotten battered with rain for the past two days here and I've been walking around in wet socks all damn day. Much like any other music fan, I have that oh so cliche "rainy day album" that I put on whenever it's dark and dreary outside. Sun Kil Moon is a project headed by Mark Kozelek of Red House Painters fame. With Sun Kil Moon Kozelek drops RHP's dank acoustic drone in favor of some Neil Young flavored Folk 'N Roll. Thankfully none of Kolezek's songwriting muscle is lost in this transition. I prefer Sun Kil Moon to Red House Painters, whom I found sorta boring.

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First Post! White Base Launch!

I figured that no other album would be more appropriate for the launching of this blog/trainwreck. This is Andrew W.K.'s long awaited (at least by me) tribute album to the very first Mobile Suit Gundam series. The album is extremely well done, a tribute album in the truest sense because it is a work that is very much Andrew W.K.'s as it was the original artists. Andrew translated the songs from their native Japanese into English in a manner that is both faithful yet flexible to song structure and the songs themselves are fused with Andrew's own personal touches that gives the album more grounding. It's an album made with all the childlike zeal that only a die hard fan of anything could give us. This album bleeds enthusiasm. It was only released in Japan and the audio is ripped from the stream on his website. If anyone has a proper album rip drop me a line.

STAND UP ON YOUR FEET GUNDAAAAAAAAMOOOOOOOOO