Steve Albini is as important to the music I love, grew up on, and that I molded my tastes from as much as any other person involved in the music creation process in the 1990s. This includes any of the bands that put out their classic records back then, because the Albini sound pretty much sums up that era. It was not just then, as Albini continued to innovate and influence up until sis untimely death at age 61, days before his legendary band, Shellac, released their first album in ten years, To All Trains. To lose him hurts, especially given what I have been though lately, on a truly personal level. So, at this point all we can do is look back on all he helped create and marvel in the new Shellac record which is worth any praise that it will get.
Shellac gets the noise rock categorization, but to me the easiest way to describe them on To All Trains is a combination of Mclusky and The Jesus Lizard. If this comparison doesn’t help, go find the works of those bands, specifically the material he helped create for both of them. The difference is the minimalist approach that Shellac brings, of which you can hear on tracks like Girl From Outside and Tattoos, both of which will stand up to any other Shellac track out there.
The nonconventional time signatures the band is known for are ever present, partnered with Albini’s talk-singing on Wednesday, another standout track. The drums are right up front in the mix (go figure) and lead the way on the killer song Scrappers. Days Are Dogs sounds like if Cake was being covered by the aforementioned Jesus Lizard, and it works perfectly. How I Wrote How I Wrote Elastic Man (Cock & Bull) is the most real singing you will get on To All Trains, and may be my favourite track on the record, and for some reason the one that makes me the saddest.
It is impossible to listen to To All Trains without the lens of sadness regardless of what else is going on in your life. This one hurts, especially the timing both personally for me and for the world who loved the man and the work that he did. Let’s just be glad we have what we have, especially this last Shellac record that will stand as a fitting tribute to his incredibly important body of work. 8/10
Mutes - …Buried Where You Stand (No Sound Records)
Writing a review about a band that compares themselves to The Pixies and Sonic Youth after writing a review for the final Shellac record after Steve Albini’s death is not ideal for anyone involved, so let’s just say the new record from the U.K.’s Mutes is some solid 90s alt love mixed with some early 2000s out there indie combined for a pretty solid showing on their fourth album, …Buried Where You Stand.
The Pixies love shines on the opener, Transparency, and I love when the band just kind of goes off on this one. That early 2000s indie stuff I spoke about is up next with the quick blast Televangelist. A jangly Sonic Youth shows up on a track like Spiders Again. The boss of this blog threw the band Deerhunter out there, and I concur on songs like Barely Living Proof and Another Moon Song to double down on the 2000s indie rock comparisons. To give a more recent comparison I look to the band In Technicolour on a song like Dewired, but maybe with a more punk vibe.
It is impossible to listen to To All Trains without the lens of sadness regardless of what else is going on in your life. This one hurts, especially the timing both personally for me and for the world who loved the man and the work that he did. Let’s just be glad we have what we have, especially this last Shellac record that will stand as a fitting tribute to his incredibly important body of work. 8/10
Mutes - …Buried Where You Stand (No Sound Records)
Writing a review about a band that compares themselves to The Pixies and Sonic Youth after writing a review for the final Shellac record after Steve Albini’s death is not ideal for anyone involved, so let’s just say the new record from the U.K.’s Mutes is some solid 90s alt love mixed with some early 2000s out there indie combined for a pretty solid showing on their fourth album, …Buried Where You Stand.
The Pixies love shines on the opener, Transparency, and I love when the band just kind of goes off on this one. That early 2000s indie stuff I spoke about is up next with the quick blast Televangelist. A jangly Sonic Youth shows up on a track like Spiders Again. The boss of this blog threw the band Deerhunter out there, and I concur on songs like Barely Living Proof and Another Moon Song to double down on the 2000s indie rock comparisons. To give a more recent comparison I look to the band In Technicolour on a song like Dewired, but maybe with a more punk vibe.
I love the track Great White Nothing and its unabashed love to late 90s alternative rock in all the right ways. Same goes for Perfumed Corpse with those echoed vocals. The challenge I have with …Buried Where You Stand is that it doesn’t really stick with me. The songs are solid and the playing is good but there is not a lot that makes me want to go back for seconds or thirds, with some exceptions, Mere Slaughter being one of them as this one is pure Pixies/SY energy and the song with the most going on amongst the twelve tracks.
Mutes have put forth a solid effort with record number four. If you like 90s alt/2000s indie stuff, this one should gel with you nicely. I am just not sure how many times I will go back to the well on …Buried Where You Stand outside of a few of the tracks I mentioned. 7/10
Mutes have put forth a solid effort with record number four. If you like 90s alt/2000s indie stuff, this one should gel with you nicely. I am just not sure how many times I will go back to the well on …Buried Where You Stand outside of a few of the tracks I mentioned. 7/10
Various Artists - Brown Acid: The Eighteenth Trip (RidingEasy Records)
I am going to start this review like I did the last four additions to this collection; I love the Brown Acid series that has been curated by the great RidingEasy Records.
If you are not familiar with the set the basic concept is that Lance Barresi, owner of L.A.-based Permanent Records, searches the far corners of the US in dusty record store bins, garages, attics, and confirms musical urban myths to bring us lost and the most underground of underground songs from long forgotten bands that in some cases may have only release one song on a promo single.
These songs come together to populate the now eighteen volumes of some of the best 60s and 70s proto metal and psych rock that you have never heard before. Never ever do these comps disappoint. This one is no different, with another ten lost treasures for your listening enjoyment, with a surprise tenth track not on the promo to build even more of the intrigue for this set.
Highlights include the Grand Funk like styling of Back Jack on he opening track, Bridge Waters Dynamite, which would make a top ten Brown Acid comp for sure. RidingEasy just pressed the whole original Back Jack record that is worth your time as well. The Zeppelin-y Hot Love by Smokin’ Buku Band with its killer bass work and I love the organ on Tommy Stuart and the Rubberband’s Peeking Through Your Window. You want cowbell? Well, Ripped Off by Chicago Triangle is for you. I really dig the middle instrumental part in this one too. I love the funkiness and proto heaviness of Parchment Farm’s Song Of The Dead and the killer drumming and evil heavy psych of Nightmare, by Glory.
I am still amazed at volume 18 we are getting sets of songs that have no clunkers or skips amongst them. I have no idea where these songs keep coming from, but RidingEasy is doing us a major solid by bringing all this great stuff to light with the Brown Acid Series. 8/10
Bongfoot - Help! The Humans… (Self Released)
North Carolina has a pretty sweet heavy music scene, and recently we have heard some killer stuff from Karl Agell’s new band Lie Heavy. Bongfoot is definitely not Lie Heavy, but they do play a version of stoner rock that incorporates punk and sludge into their new record, Help! The Humans…that is full of energy, force, speed, an occasionally cringy lyric, but mostly killer heavy rock and roll.
The opener, End Times, rips it up from the start, even if the vocals boarder on annoying on this track. I dig the pace and the heavy riffing that never lets up. Miss Merica’ is straight up stoner punk rock, with some of those cringy lyrics I mentioned, but hey, it’s punk rock, man. The singer seems to be channelling Jello Biafra vocally on many of these songs.
Environmental Gaslighting is both heavy and catchy and reminds me a bit of Orange Goblin, which is never a bad thing. Acid Rain is another absolute ripper that boarders on crossover thrash and is about two minutes too long but rips nonetheless. The middle part that slows it down all the way is cool, but maybe where some of the time on this one could have been cut.
The track Kill The Hippies has been out there for a bit and is one of their best songs, giving us under three minutes of ideal stoner punk rock goodness. Bad Man is another fun track, ripping at the front and bluesy at the back. Krakatoa shows these guys can create a riff and build some killer heavy stoner rock around it. I actually would have been good to stop there and make this record about 35-40 minutes. The 53-minute run time is a lot, but I still enjoyed the Slayer-like riff and pace of Hot Grease Pt. 2 and the frantic yet a bit too long Amazon Death Factory/Spacefoot.
There is some really fun stuff on Help! The Humans… I would call it more stoner thrash punk than anything else. Besides it running a bit long, the new Bongfoot record is a fun, frantic, thrashy listen. Check it out. 7/10
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