Concerts Of The Year, Attended By Me

In no particular order:

Anthrax, Circo Volador: Before they once again became the metal Journey, i’m glad i got to see them with John Bush as their vocalist, and even though Scott Ian was not feeling well, they gave classes. Bonus to hear amazing versions of “Walk” and “Fucking Hostile”

Peter Murphy, Salón 21: Demonstrating that he’s still the best frontman in black, Murphy gave a hard rock concert like few solo artists can, in fact, he didn’t need to reunite with Bauhaus and still showed that there’s a big gap for all the H.I.M.s and My Chemical Romances

Nine Inch Nails, Palacio de los Deportes: They might have become new wave on their last record, but live, they became a truly good arena rock band

THC, Papa Bear: Crimson, Can and Lightning Bolt came out of their amps, before a steakhead metal crowd in a place that looked like a play room with a pool table. Feeling how the volume of the music incresed in mass was impressive

Tristeza/Austin TV/Hummersqueal/Sad Breakfast, Club Vintage: Sad Breakfast served screams laced with interstellar delays, Austin gave me hope for rock in my country with mellanchollic, kinetic post rock (and that instrumental music can inspire brutal slam dancing and screams), and Tristeza sent us into one circular, very intense trance

Dinosaur Jr/Broken Social Scene/Radio 4/Magik Markers, Central Park (NY): Definitely, it was not the right stage for Magik Markers and it bummed me out that Bardo Pond opened on other dates of their tour and Broken Social Scene are ok and Radio 4 are horrible, but none of this mattered after after listening to the roar of J Mascis’ amps and the energy of a band that appearantly found that the edge doesn’t have to come from hate. A show with lots of smiles.

Judas Priest/Whitesnake, Palacio De los Deportes: Because sometimes a show (especially Whitesnake) can be so bad and funny that it becomes a great concert experience. Spinal Tap is still alive and knows how to play for sure

Orquesta de Animales, Tysha Club: A very jump cut&paste improvisation, but still covering more ground than most bands’ entire careers

Morbid Angel, Hard Rock Live: This band is getting closer to facing Slayer mano a mano and giving them a hell of a fight. Still one of the raddest live bands.

Dillinger Escape Plan, Salón 21: After the ultra shitty multinational emo freakshow, DEP took the stage by the balls and smashed it to the floor the whole time. It’s amazing how crazy they can get and still play their Mahavishnu psychotic metal note for note perfectly

Oscillator in MySpace

Oscillator now has a page in MySpace, add us to be your friends

www.myspace.com/oscillatorzine

Still Living

So it's been two months with no postings and already most of the blog is spammed, yep, that's the way it's been here lately. Finishing college can take some time you know, but now that's over so is the year, almost, so yeah, i do have some reviews sitting plus an excellent interview with Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart, and above all, i'll, sometime early next month, be posting my best of the year list. Don't worry i'm back and it'll be cool

yarraw

PS: I'm thinking of changing the name of the blog
PPS: Check out the new song i upload to Myspace by I/C/O/C: www.myspace.com/icoc

Interview: Hair Police

Harsh, abrupt glitches of thundering humming and car factory rhythms or long and droning soundscapes of evil and bad trips, Hair Police are masters of both. Their albums like Blow Out Your Blood, Obedience Cuts, more recent offerings like Constantly Terrified and Drawn Dead plus splits with Viki and Dead Machines are punishing, brain-bashing concrete banging slabs that can either be long and painful or ADD-short painful. But we all know the pain that comes with enjoying quality noise is a good one. I spoke with Mike Connelly (who’s currently replacing Aaron Dilloway in Wolf Eyes) about the finer points of enjoing noise, his thoughts on rock n’ roll and the new punk.


Marcos Hassan (Sweet Disonancia...): Please introduce yourself

Mike Connelly (Hair Police): I am Mike Connelly and I play guitar, tapes and vocals in Hair Police.

Could you give us a little history of Hair Police?

Hair Police started in 2001, it was 5 of us at that time, we were all in different bands, and one day decided to combine them all together and make one; we have since slimed down to 3 members: Myself, Tervor Tremaine and Robert Beatty.

What makes Hair Police stand out from other bands doing what you do, in your opinion?

Fuck...can’t really answer that one without sounding weird, huh?



Do you consider what you're playing as "rock n' roll"?

Nah...i wouldn’t say that. There is certainly rock elements and energy, but when i think of rock n’ roll I think of the Cramps and AC/DC, not really us. But you can call us whatever, i don't mind.

Do you think your albums or releases are conceptual pieces?

No, not really. i mean, like any album, a lot of thought goes into the order and flow of the thing, but thats just basic shit. No, we dont really have overriding conceptual agendas.

What impresses me a lot about your music is how you can play very short and consistent stuff or longer, looser pieces; do you have to change gears, physically and/or mentally, to do so or does it come naturally?

Recently, we have been doing only songs off Constantly Terrified which are all pretty long; I think its just because we’re more patient these days. Before, we were spazzes, we just wanted to freak out, I think we could balance the two nicely nowadays, so we'll see. We haven't talked about doing shorter songs again, but who knows.

What aspect of noise do you find the most fascinating?

I know this may be like "duh!!", but for me the whole fucking sound of it is what gets me. To throw on Macronympha Pittsburgh, PA and just lay on the couch and let the thing slam into your brain and take over for the duration--there's really is nothing like it.

How important is the specific gear you use in your music?

Robert is the main gear modifier in the band. I’m too stupid.



You're a very physical band onstage, are you playing angry music?

No, I never think of the music we play as angry. I think the whole thing is just a fucking insane gathering, so everyone can just flip out; get what you want out of it. Maybe you want it to be angry, thats cool; it’s release, however you want it to be. Anger, sexual, or just plain drunken release, that’s all fine with us.

Do you have many cases of people not "getting it"? like hearing them say stuff like "this is the worst music i've ever heard!"?

Sure, but i could really give a shit.

Would you ever work melody into your music, even as an experiment?

No, not in Hair Police. Trevor and Robert are both very interested in melody in compostion, and they have another band Eyes And Arms Of Smoke that partly explores that. I love music with melody, but not for me to play. I have zero interest in that.

How important is improvisation to you?

Very important, and it can be very killer as long as the people playing are fucking in tune with each other, you know. You have to be comfortable and listen to everyone else. That is why i hate sets when people who have never played or talked get together and have a big ol' freak out jam. That to me is very boring...i'd rather it be people who are really fucking listening, not just freaking out. The Carlos Giffoni Death Unit at No Fun this year was a very good big ol' jam thing. But i've seen pleny of that shit go awry, all in the name of improv.



If someone wants to get into your music, but they're totally unprepared for it, what are the artists and records you recommend to listen so they understand where you're coming from?

Nothing that we checked up pre-Hair Police up until now is really any easier! When we started, we were really into bands like Macro, Prick Decay, To Live and Shave in LA, shit like that. Now we still like all those bands, but throw in some Prurient, Pengo, C Spencer Yeh, Corsano/Flahery, Sick Llama and we're pretty good. There's a million more bands of course.

Spin did an article about "noise punk" and you were in it, how do you think it came out to be? do you think the bands covered in it are really THE bands, all contemporaries? have you seen a backlash or a boost in sales/concert attendance?

I don’t think that article did a damn thing, I forgot about it until now actually! They listed a lot of bands that are definitely down, but some I had never heard of, like Mars Volta?! Who are these people? But i dont really thing people got into the music through that article. Maybe though, who am i to say?. The article itself was pretty funny i thought.

Is there really a noise movement or does the media, meaning the internet, make it out to be more than it really is?

I always say its just a huge fucking crew of friends who are into and play fucked up music, It’s really great. Every state, every country you go to, you can find a few of these freaks hiding somewhere. I was talking to a dude who used to tour manage a huge modern "hardcore" band, and he was saying how noise now is so much like early days of hardcore. Friends setting up shows, letting anyone stay at your house 'cause you know those people are gonna respect it and shit. He says "hardcore" now is a rock star jock infested scene. The noise scene is just a lot of people who wanna get together, get messed up and check out some fucked up tunes. That rules.

Do you think noise or whatever you want to call it that you do is really the new punk?

I would never make such a statement, but i do see what we are doing to be very related to early 80’s hardcore, much more than any current "punk" bands. Our approach, attitude, they way we do things are very much in line with all the early hardcore shit. But really, isn’t like Green Day the new punk??!! I think Gwen Stephani is the real new NEW punk.



How important is playing shows for you?

Extremely, though HP have been on a little show break, due to me being in Wolf Eyes now and Trevor and Rob working really hard on Eyes And Arms Of Smoke, who are so great. You gotta hear them. Playing live is the best part of being in a band i think.

What can we expect from your live shows? Ever had any weird/funny/great experience while playing?

Every show is a great experience, or that’s the goal at least. The best one recently was our set at the 2005 No Fun. The thing turned into such a fucking riot. So many people came up to me after the set showing me their injuries...it was great! The whole crowd was onstage by the end of the set. Truly what I love to see happen live. People just let go and flipped out...fucking brilliant.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would that be?

We've gotten to collab with a lot of great people, with HP and for me with Wolf Eyes... i am talking to Joe from Macronympha about jamming with him, which obvoiusly excites me to no end. We love playing with other people...what’s better than making fucked up music with your friends?

Do you think that somewhere along the line in time, this kind of music you play will crossover to the mainstream?

Fuck...i can’t imagine it, but why the fuck not? This is the music that i love to hear and play, why shouldn’t a million people feel the same way? oh yeah...because those people are fucking lame.

What have you been listening to lately?

Dude, i listen to so much shit, i can barely think on it. Actually, i listened to Donovan a lot yesterday. And i also listened to Big Joey, MSBR (RIP), Music Emporium, Christopher "What'cha Gonna Do?", Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center LP, the new Caroliner LP, All of Thus, a lot of black metal too like Watain, Black Witchery, Xasthur. And a shitload more LPs I cant think of at this time.

What's next for you?

Wolf Eyes is hitting the road for a while in Sept/Oct, then Hair Police will record a record for Eclipse Records and do some shows in the area. Right now, i am going to the pool 'cause its fucking hot.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


That's Not Blood.mp3 from Blow Out Your Blood (2002)
Not Raft, But Cage.mp3 from split with Viki (2003)
Let's See Who's Here And Who's Not.mp3 from Obedience Cuts (2004)
My Skull Is My Face.mp3 (excerpt) from Constantly Terrified (2005)

Hair Police: http://www.freedom-from.com/hairpolice
Load Records: www.loadrecords.com
Freedom Form Records: www.freedom-form.com
Gods Of Tundra Records: http://www.geocities.com/godsoftundra/
Trobleman Unlimited Records: www.troublemanunlimited.com
Eclipse Records: http://www.eclipse-records.com/
Buy Hair Police cds at Amazon
Photo credits (from top to bottom): first and third by Nuuj courtesy of Carbon Records, the rest by Bill T. Miller: http://billtmiller.com

September 6 de Septiembre Releases/Lanzamientos

*Bellini – Small Stones
*Between The Buried And Me – Alaska
*Black Dice – Broken Ear Record
*John Coltrane – Love Supreme Live In Concert
*Miles Davis – Miles Tone (reissue)
*Deep Purple – Who Do We Think We Are (reissue)
*Earth/KK Null – Tour split
*The Exploited – Beat The Bastards (reissue)
*Frantic Mantis – Data Is Not Information
*M83 s/t
*Bob Marley – Lively Up Yourself
*New Model Army - Carnival
*Pere Ubu – Pennsylvania (reissue)
*Pere Ubu – Ray Gun Suitcase (reissue)
*Ruins – Pallaschtom
*Sloan – Navy Blues (reissue)
*Sloan – One Chord To Another (reissue)
*Vibracathedral Orchestra – Tuning To The Rooster
*Muddy Waters – Muddy’s Blues
DVD:
*Punk: Attitude
*Saturday Night Live – The Best Of Dan Aykroyd
*Saturday Night Live – The Best Of John Belushi

August 30 de Agosto Lanzamientos/Releases

*Alabama Thunderpussy – River City Revival
*Daniel Ash – Come Alive
*Biohazard – Means To An End
*Johnny Cash – 32 Original Classics
*Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison/At San Quentin/America
*Cold – Different Kind Of Pain
*Brian Eno and John Cale – Wrong Way Up (reissue)
*Brian Eno – Music For Films, Vol 3 (reissue)
*Enthroned – Black Goat Ritual: Live In The Flesh
*John Fahey – On Air
*Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow (reissue Internacional)
*Mad Proffesor – Method To The Madness (reissue)
*Mercyful Fate – Melissa (25th Anniversary reissue)
*Nuclear Assault – Third World Genocide
*Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Free To Be Dirty: Live!
*Opeth – Ghost Reveries
*Lou Reed – Coney Island Baby (reissue International)
*Lou Reed – Live In Italy (reissue International)
*Patti Smith – Horses (reissue International)
*Sodom – In The Sign Of Evil/Obsessed By Cruelty (reissues)
*Soulfly s/t (25th Anniversary reissue)
*Spiritual Beggars – Demons (UK)
*Wu-Tang Clan – Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (reissue International)
DVD:
*ABBA – Waterloo
*Blues Brothers (25th Anniversary Edition)
*Great Women Singers Of The 20th Century – Chaka Khan
*Clueless (Whatever Edition)
*Curb Your Enthusiasm – Complete Four Season
*Devo – Complete Truth About De-Evolution/Devo Live
*Devo – Live 1980
*Garfield And Friends Vol 4
*20th Century Masters – The Best Of Joe Jackson
*Shaft/Shaft’s Big Score
*Tommy Boy (Holy Schnike Edition)
*Great Women Singers Of The 20th Century – Nancy Wilson

Voivod - RRRÖÖÖAAARRR: Disco Favorito/Favorite Record

Este es un disco favorito muy especial, ya que esto va en memoria de Denis D’Amour, también conocido como Piggy, guitarrista de Voivod, quién murió por cancer de colon el Viernes 26 en Montreal; esta es una gran pérdida ya que Piggy era un guitarrista con un estilo muy fuera de lo común en la escena metalera y una gran influencia para muchos.

Voivod se formó a principios de los 80’s en Montreal, probablemente gracias al underground y a la cultura de intercambio de demos por correo alrededor del mundo, por Denis Belanger, Michel Langevin, Denis D’Amour y Jean-Yves Theriault. Aunque para el tiempo en que sacaron su disco debut en 1984, War And Pain, la revolución thrash estaba bien puesta y la vanguardia parecía salir de California, la banda, probablemente por su origen tan lejano de esa escena, prefería tomar inspiración principalmente de bandas europeas como Hellhammer y Venom; especialmente sentían una gran conección con Venom, quienes eran probablemente la mas grande influencia directa en todo el thrash, Voivod adoptó la producción lo-fi (es decir, de poca fidelidad), los vestuarios (spandex negro, pintura negra en los ojos, picos) y los sobrenombres (transformando a Belanger en Snake, a Langevin en Away, a D’Amour en Piggy y Theriault en Blacky) de Venom pero su música tomó un giro muy particular, decidiendo experimentar con ritmos impares y con riffs angulares que eran muy característicos del jazz fusión y del rock progresivo, pero tocándolos con una intensidad y velocidad que podían rivalizar a los de cualquier banda de metal o hardcore punk de la época, ambos de los cuales estaban muy presentes en la música de Voivod.

Después de War And Pain y de tocar por todos lados, la banda no solo no comprometió su sonido para estar mas en línea con lo que era aceptado en esos tiempos, sino que decidieron llevarlo un paso mas al extremo; y eso es lo que es RRRÖÖÖAAARRR. Oír este disco es algo muy difícil; para empezar, la producción es asquerosa, es de calidad muy casera (pero ¿a quién le importa la producción cuando se trata de música agresiva, verdad?), lo cual no ayuda a que de por sí suena a que viene de otro planeta; hay veces que durante las canciones el bajo y la guitarra no coinciden con la batería, y casi no hay veces donde puedes headbangear a gusto porque los ritmos no cuadran bien. Riffs cambian sin aviso previo, la bataca sale de fase, o de repente se sueltan a tocar en chinga para el solo, el cual esta muy fuera de los basados en el blues o en modales neoclásicos de otros tantos pero de alguna manera se encuentra en algun lugar entre ambos, y para acabarla, está la voz de Snake, la cual es imposible de categorizar o comparar, ya que es muy particular y potente sin ser muy gruñona o siquiera estridente, pero aun así es demasiado bizarra, lo cual complementaba los temas de ciencia ficción que abundaban en sus letras. “Fuck Off And Die” es una especie de prototipo para el math rock de Slint, Shellac, Polvo, Unwound o Rodan pero en metal 100%; “Ripping Headache” es una thrasher que ejemplifica los cambios de ritmos tan de ellos, muchas veces demasiado sutiles para notarlos las primeras veces que se escucha; y “To The Death” es lo que se acerca mas en todo el disco a una rola mas convencional con un coro gritable pero aún con riffs característicamente fuera de lo común.

Después de RRRÖÖÖAAARRR, Voivod fueron explotando cada vez mas su lado Pink Floydiano, culminando en discos como Killing Technology, Dimension Hatross y Nothingface, los cuales les ganaron reconocimiento. Después se fueron Blacky y Snake, lo que los regresó a lo mas bajo del underground, con fans en disgusto por los cambios de alineación y de sonido. Su influencia es muy grande y amplia aunque a veces poco clara, muchas bandas y estilos han tenido una piedra estructural en Voivod y muchas veces no lo saben. Como lo mencioné antes, el llamado math rock como Slint, Rodan, Shellac y Polvo le deben mucho a la banda (¿no me creen? En la gira de reunión de Slint, David Pajo algunas veces se ponía una camiseta de Voivod mientras tocaba en el escenario), Dave Grohl no solo llamó a Belanger a salir en su disco Probot sino que también llamó a Away para que diseñara la portada del disco; sin Voivod y sus tiempos frenéticos pero impares, es imposible imaginar a Antioch Arrow de principios, Converge, Union Of Uranus o Saetia, quienes hubieran tocado en 4/4 con riffs de tres acordes sin variaciones; bandas como Dillinger Escape Plan o Dysrhythmia son también imposibles de imaginar siquiera sin Voivod, el grindcore de Napalm Death, Pig Destroyer y Discordance Axis esta muy influenciado por los riffs de Piggy en los primeros discos (sin mencionar los innumerables guitarristas de death metal); y Hella, Orthrelm, Flying Luttenbachers, Battles e inclusive Lightning Bolt le deben demasiado tanto a RRRÖÖÖAAARRR como a Dimension Hatross, con explosiones de guitarras técnicas (o bajo, nada mas oigan si pueden lo que hace Blacky) y ritmos angulares. Incluso, si no fuera por los valores de producción de War And Pain y RRRÖÖÖAAARRR, es posible que las grabaciones de Wolf Eyes, Hair Police y Hive Mind se oyesen muy diferentes hoy en día.

Descanse en paz, Denis “Piggy” D’Amour.



Fuck Off And Die.mp3
Ripping Headache.mp3
To The Death.mp3

Voivod: http://www.voivod.com
Compren RRRÖÖÖAAARRR en Amazon

P.S.: Trataré de subir algunas rolas de Dimension Hatross aunque la verdad apenas y me estoy metiendo bien en ese disco, por mucho tiempo no me quise mover del RRRÖÖÖAAARRR, así de bueno es.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


This is a very special favorite record since this goes to the memory of Denis D’Amour, also known as Piggy, guitarist of Voivod, who died of colon cancer this past Friday 26 in Montreal; this is a huge loss, Piggy was a guitar player with a very out of the known style in the metal scene and a big influence on many.

Voivod formed in Montreal during the early 80’s, probably thanks to the underground scene and the tape trading culture around the world, by Denis Belanger, Michel Langevin, Denis D’Amour and Jean-Yves Theriault. Even though by the time they had released their debut, War and Pain, in 1984, the thrash revolution was already well installed and the vanguard seemed to be coming out of California; the band, probably because their origin was far removed from that scene, rather took bigger influences from European bands like Hellhammer and Venom; they felt a special connection with Venom, whom were probably the biggest direct influence on the whole thrash movement, Voivod adopted the lo-fi production values, the costumes (black spandex, black mascara, spikes) and the nicknames (transforming Belanger to Snake, Langevin to Away, D’Amour to Piggy and Theriault to Blacky) from Venom but their music took a very particualr turn, deciding to experiment with odd-time signatures and angular riffing, which were characteristical to jazz fusion and progressive rock, but playing them with an intensity and speed that could rival any metal or hardcore punk band of the era, both genres which figured heavily on Voivod’s music.

After War And Pain and playing everywhere, the band would not only not compromise their music to fit their sound with what was accepted during the time, but they also decided to take it to a new level of extremity; and that’s what RRRÖÖÖAAARRR is. To listen to this album is a very difficult thing; for starters, the production is disgusting, very lo-fi in quality (but who gives a fuck about production values when it comes to aggressive music, right?), which doesn’t help when the music sounds like it’s from another planet; there are times when the bass and guitar don’t match the drums, and you can hardly bang a good head here because the rhythms don’t really fall square. Riffs change without previous warning, the drums go out of phase, or all of a suden they start to play hyper fast for the guitar solo, which is far from blues- or modal neoclassical-based of so many others but somehow lies somewhere in between, and to top it off, there’s Snake’s voice, which is impossible to categorize or compare, since it’s pretty particular and strong without being very growly or even strident, but it’s still very bizarre, complementing the sci-fi themes that flood their lyrics. “Fuck Off And Die” is a sort of prototype to the math rock of Slint, Shellac, Polvo, Unwound or Rodan but done 100% in metal; “Ripping Headache” is a thrasher that demonstrate the rhythm changes so characteristic to their sound, often so subtle that they seem almost unnoticeable at first listen; and “To The Death” is the closest the album gets to a more conventional song with a shout-along chorus but still featuring leftfield riffs that are so much part of their sound.

After RRRÖÖÖAAARRR, Voivod began to exploit their more Pink Floydian side, culminating on records like Killing Technology, Dimension Hatross and Nothingface, which won them acclaim. Afterwards, Blacky and Snake left the band, which returned them to the deepest reaches of the underground, with fans in anger because of all the changes in line-up and sound. Their influence is very big and broad even though sometimes it’s a little unclear, many bands and genres have a structural stone in Voivod and often they’re not aware of it. Like i mentioned earlier, the so-called math rock genre like Slint, Rodan, Shellac and Polvo owes a lot to the band (don’t believe me? On Slint’s reunion tour, David Pajo sometimes wore a Voivod t-shirt onstage), Dave Grohl not only called Belanger to sing on his Probot album but he also called Away to do the album’s cover art; without Voivod and their frenetic odd time signatures, it’s imposible to imagine early-Antioch Arrow, Converge, Union Of Uranus or Saetia, who would have played invariably three chords in a 4/4 signature; bands like Dillinger Escape Plan or Dysrhythmia are also impossible to even be imagined without Voivod, the grindcore of Napalm Death, Pig Destroyer and Discordance Axis are very influenced by Piggy’s riffs on their earlier work (all the millions of death metal players go without mention); and Hella, Orthrelm, Flying Luttenbachers, Battles and even Lightning Bolt owe a lot as much to RRRÖÖÖAAARRR as well as Dimension Hatross, with their explosions of technical guitars (or bass guitars, just listen to what Blacky does, if you can) and angular rhythms. Even so, if it wasn’t for the production values of War And Pain and RRRÖÖÖAAARRR, it’s possible that recordings from Wolf Eyes, Hair Police and Hive Mind would end up sounding pretty different today.

Rest In Peace, Denis “Piggy” D’Amour.



Fuck Off And Die.mp3
Ripping Headache.mp3
To The Death.mp3

Voivod: http://www.voivod.com
Buy RRRÖÖÖAAARRR in Amazon

P.S.: I’ll try to post some songs from Dimension Hatross but to tell you the truth i’m just getting into that record, because i couldn’t really move outside RRRÖÖÖAAARRR, it’s that good.

Noticias y Gritos Musicales/Music News And Rants

Bandas de new wave retrasadas de Inglaterra piensan que decirse de cosas y madrearse son el camino a ser buenos músicos. No los culpen son como el Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, nuestro mundo los asusta y confunde.

Los Magic Numbers son a los Mamas And The Papas lo que los Kings Of Leon son a Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Paren sus pinches bandas de tributo hippies new wave!!!!

El new wave aun apesta!!!!

Güey, esto no me lo esperaba, Hellfest se canceló; güeyes con Xs tatuadas hasta el culo estan deprimidos, llorando en sus almuadas y oyendo emo porque perdieron la oportunidad mas grande para descalabrar a gente y mandarlas al hospital porque estaban fumando o los vieron feo, "faltando al respeto" saben, lo primero que sucediera. Pero se estuvo mal porque iban a tocar un monton de buenas bandas, incluyendo la reunión de Lifetime, así que tuvieron que hacer plan B, tocaron el siguiente Domingo en Ashbury Park con Bouncing Souls y the Loved Ones; al menos los defensores HxC del ‘edge tuvieron un lugar comunal donde lloraron juntos sus tristezas.

Siento que me atracaron. Ok, se acuerdan de Fiona Apple? Bueno, se acuerdan que su album no lo dejaban sacar su disquera porque no era lo suficientemente comercial? Y se acuerdan de todas las peticiones y que el disco se regó por todos lados en internet? Bueno, el pedo es que ella solo estaba exagerando un poquito, ya que su disquera no le dijo que a su disco le hacía falta un sencillo, le dijeron algo parecido: “no esta completo”, así que bloque de autor o lo que sea que le haya pasado, necesitabamos publicidad para mantener a flote todo hasta que ya este listo para salir al mercado, ¿así que porque no la hacemos como si fuera un martir y le echamos toda la culpa a la disquera? A parte, el disco que todo el mundo bajó por internet no es el disco nuevo de Fiona porque casi todas las canciones que saldran apenas hace poco las escribió y algunas las re grabó. ¿Qué pasó Fiona? ¿Ahora eres parte del "mundo es una mierda" al que odiabas? A la verga con ella, apuesto a que su disco va a estar de la chingada, esta todo hecho por publicidad, y un tipo que ha trabajado con Dr Dre produjo esta porquería. Así que a la verga.

Phil Anselmo hizo su primer actuación en vivo desde que mataron a Dime, tocó guitarra para Eyehategod; decidicaron el set a su memoria. Chequean algunas fotos

¿Qué pedo con estas niñas Smoosh girls y el Campamento de Verano de Spin Para Futuros Niños y Niñas Periodistas Amargados, Inventores de Géneros, Impulsadores de Mediocridad, “Se Que Estan Todo El Día En MTV Pero Chance Les Falta Exposición”, Siempre Dos Minutos Tarde. DEJEN DE VER SCHOOL OF ROCK!!!! Vean Spinal Tap para variar, para que vean donde acaba todo lo que sobreexponen. Para aclarar las cosas, chance Smoosh son la excepción y chance si rockean, pero todo lo de Sping apoyandolas, Brooklyn Vegan acechandolas (vamos BV, es chistoso; a parte parece que estan creciendo por minuto), pase automático a abrirle a Sufjan es demasiado, ¿no lo creen?

Si el Domingo pasado no estaban en la Cineteca viendo 1991: The Year That Punk Broke (y Notebook de Lee Ranaldo), se la perdieron.

Jack White lloró como una niña chiquita porque alguien aventó un globo al escenario. Si eres lo suficientemente tonto como para ir al freakshow dos por uno trata de compensarlo llevando globos para aventar al escenario.

Así que fueron los días que el punk murió, primero John Loder, alguna vez productor de Crass y de Southern Studios/Records/Distribuidores; después Esther Wong, quién era dueña y y promotora de los clubs punk Madame Wong’s (lean mas acerca de ella aquí), y luego Randy “Biscuit” Turner anteriormente vocalista de Big Boys (mas aquí). Fue una semana de la chingada; vayan a conseguir el recopilatorio Fat Elvis de los Big Boys si aun no lo tienen, algo del mejor punk/funk/hardcore!! Ohh también murió Stevo Jensen, el vocalista original de Vandals cuando eran menos peor.

Cuando habíamos pensado que esto ya había acabado, Robert Moog, inventor de los teclados Moog y tecnología en general también murió.

¿Se acuerdan del tributo a Bob Dylan de Drive-Thru que les mencioné?. ¿Saben que tanto hasta el culo estan en su egoismo, por lo que piensan que todo el mundo los necesita para todo? Le van a poner de nombre al disco Listen To Bob Dylan (Because He’s Cool). No se como empezar a articular lo que pienso de esta mierda...

Ohh si, es cierto: CAVE IN ESTAN DE VUELTA!!!! Sacarán Perfect Pitch Black por Hydrahead el 13 de Septiembre; va a estar de H-U-E-V-O-S. De hecho todo ese día, 13 de Septiembre darán un gran golpe a nuestras carteras, confien en mi.

Esto esta excelente, este año es el decimo aniversario de Acid Mothers Temple, y la banda ahora incluye gente de Boredoms, Ghost, Mainliner y Zeni Geva. Sacarán 100 albumes solo este año.

Y parece que Radiohead no tienen disquera...

What We Do Is Secret, la película acerca de Darby Crash y los Germs ha sido finalizada y esperan que la premiere sea en el próximo Sundance...al principio suena a otra porquería Hollywoodense, pero Pat Smear supervisó todo, así como la familia de Darby así que tal vez si sale bien; inclusive the Mae Shi estarán en la película actuando como the Screamers y the Bronx serán Black Flag, lo cual suena raro, pero creo que hay que ver para creer...

Devo quieren grabar un nuevo disco...eh...no gracias, ustedes y nosotros ya tenemos a los Polysics cubriendo esa parte, y son de huevos haciendolo!!

Lo único bueno que ha salido de la escena hip-hop en mucho tiempo es ella:

Ella es Miri Ben-Ari, y chance ya la hayan visto en algunos videos, produjo todo lo que fueron los arreglos de cuerdas para Kaney West y ahora va a sacar un disco solista. Ella es de Israel, es una virtuoso del violín y esta riquisima!!!! Es como Vanessa Mae pero israeli y se pone a tomar Cristal con raperos; el album sale el 20 de septiembre y lo checaré. A parte esta muy buena!!

Ok, haz click aquí y firma, no hay tiempo de explicar, solo firma!!! Pronto hazlo!!! Es para un buena causa, no te arrepentirás!!! Solo firma la chingadera!!! (ok, ok, es una petición para que induscan a Motörhead al Salón de La Fama del Rock N’ Roll, no es que lo necesiten pero estaría chingon ver a Lemmy con todos los pendejos lamebotas que serán inducidos el mismo año que él).

Si vives en León, Guanajuato y se que no hay nada mas que hacer mas que fabricar zapatos, entonces tienes que ir hoy al UNIT FEST : Club del lago (Presa de los castillos #304 Col. Rivera de la presa country) Costarà: $200 Tocaràn: Zoé, Sussie 4, Porter y Austin TV; Austin seguro masacrarán el lugar con un montón de bandas que ni siquiera hacen una cortadura con papel (Porter podría ser la peor banda del que he oido en mucho tiempo; ¿y Zoé, o sea Interpol mexicanos?). Son una de bandas mexicanas favoritas (con Tex Tex y Dipsoma), así que no la caguen y matense de sonido con los TV (Austin abre el show así que lleguen temprano).

Si tienen tarjeta de crédito y pueden comprar consas por internet, vayan a KRS porque estarán vendiendo el split 7" de Devendra Banhart/Xiu Xiu en el cual coverean una rola del otro!!!

Y Pitchfork aun no saben que esta música loca llamada rock n’ roll que aparentemente es la locura con los niños hoy en día.

A la verga con las mullets, son asquerosas; especialmente las mullets irónicas a la moda. Si tienes el corte de pelo corto arriba y largo atrás, entonces quemate la mata en este pinche momento!

Dashboard Confessional le abrirá a U2. Pinche mamada...no es justo...no pueden ser estas cosas, gente con talento tocando con pendejos así...pobre Dashboard, tocando con esos rucos sin talento. Lo que hace la gente por vender discos... (Si, prefiero oír The Swiss Army Romance que cualquier estupidez que haya hecho U2)

Si vives en Colombia, Chile o Ecuador, no la cagues y ve a ver a Suffocation, una de las mejores bandas de death metal en la vida; tanto, que no estoy enojado porque no vienen a México.

Y si vives en el gabacho, no la cagues tampoco y ve a ver a Zeke con Nashville Pussy.

Warp Records ahora tiene una compañía de películas llamada Warp X, esperen películas muy viajadas, alucinadas, pachecas y bizarras.

Gran gran gran gran noticia!! Ruins lanzará Pallaschtom a mediados de Septiembre pero puedes comprarlo ahora en la tienda en línea de la disquera Skin Graft!! este disco nunca había salido en este hemisferio y ha sido remasterizado y remezclado para la perfecta destrucción sonica y ya tienen 2 mp3s en la página para que escuches lo que nos espera. Es mas, aquí esta la letra de la rola:

Guampallapish.mp3
Hard Rock Midley.mp3



No Neck Blues Band ahora estan en 5RC, así como Wooden Wand And The Vanishing Voice.

Jimmy Eat World sacarán un EP nuevo con 3 rolas inéditas, un cover de Heatmiser y un remix; sale en digital el 6 de Septiembre y en físico el 4 de Octubre. Solo tengo una pregunta para Jimmy Eat World: ¿que carajos estan haciendo regalando un 7" con Taking Back Sunday? ¿que no saben que esa pinche banda les esta fusilando toda su música?

¿Desde cuando Epitaph se volvió una disquera de hip-hop?

Tony Hawk y Vagrant quieren enseñarles a los niños de hoy que es el verdadero punk...a través de covers hechos por los falsos niños punks de hoy; lo bueno es, como dije hace una semana o dos con lo del tributo a Bob Dylan, la gente checa las versiones originales, aun si solo es para verificar si la canción fue covereada mal o si la canción de por si es mala. Se pone mejor, la prostituta mas grande de la patineta se pone a imitar la portada de London Calling de The Clash...whatever aquí esta el track listing y sale el 18 de Octubre:

Senses Fail - Institutionalized (Suicidal Tendencies)
Taking Back Sunday - Suburban Home / I Like Food (The Descendants)
Thrice - Seeing Red / Screaming At A Wall (Minor Threat)
My Chemical Romance - Astro Zombies (Misfits)
Saves The Day - Sonic Reducer (Dead Boys)
Dropkick Murphys - Who Is Who (Adolescents)
Emanuel - Search and Destroy (The Stooges)
The Bled - House of Suffering (Bad Brains)
Fall Out Boy - Start Today (Gorilla Biscuits)
Alkaline Trio - Wash Away (TSOL)
Thursday - Ever Fallen In Love (Buzzcocks)
From Autumn To Ashes - Let's Start A War (Fear)
Hot Snakes - Time to Escape (Government Issue)
Rise Against - Fix Me (Black Flag)
(Saves The Day covereando "Sonic Reducer"?!!)

El 25 de Octubre saldrá A Sound Relief, un dvd doble de The Gathering; el disco uno es un concierto que filmaron el 23 de Mayo en Amsterdam, y el disco 2 tiene entrevistas, la banda de gira y un especial hecho para la televisión de los 15 años de carrera de la banda. Se oye pocamadre, anotenlo en sus listas de próximas compras.

Neil Young filmó un concierto con nuevas rolas en Nashville para que salga en cines y dvd; las canciones nuevas saldrán en su próximo disco Prairie Wind. Es Neil güey, Neil!!!

Si te gustan Death Cab For Cutie y no eres Seth Cohen, entonces no sirves

Ojala y haya huracán durante los MTV Awards, así chance se lleva a un par de pendejas celebridades.

Los Rolling Stones estan de gira, no creo que regresen a tocar como en su mejor epoca.

Sharon Osbourne es la razón por la que la música cada vez es menos divertida, ¿porque tiene que fregar a Iron Maiden tanto?

Todos deberían boicotear el Ozzfest

Aquí hay mas pruebas de que Williamsburg es exactamente igual a La Condesa.

Yo quiero mi computadora Bender!!!



--------------------------------------------------------------

Retarded british new wave bands think calling each other names and starting fights is the road to being good musicians. Don’t blame them, they’re just like the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer, our world frightens and confuses them.

The Magic Numbers are to The Mamas And The Papas what the Kings Of Leon are to Creedence Clearwater Revisited. Stop your hippie tribute new wave bands!!!!

New wave still sucks!!!!

Dude, i didn’t see this one coming, Hellfest got cancelled; dudes with Xs tattooed all over themselves are depressed, crying into their pillows and listening to emo because they lost the biggest opportunity to crack skulls and send people to the hospital just because they are smoking or didn’t like the looks of them, “disrespecting”, you know, whatever happens first. But it’s kinda a bummer because a lot of cool bands were playing, including the Lifetime reunion, so they’re rescheduling, they played in Asbury Park that Sunday with Bouncing Souls and the Loved Ones; at least HxC keepers of the ‘edge had a communal place to cry their sorrows away.

I feel totally ripped off. Ok, remember Fiona Apple? Well, remember that her album was held up by her label because it wasn’t commercial enough? And remember all the online petitions and the leaking and everything? Well, it turns out she was exaggerating just a little bit, since her label didn’t say to her that it lacked a single, they told her something similar: “it’s not complete”, so writer’s block or whatever, we need the hype to keep the thing afloat, so why not make her a martyr and claim it’s all the label’s fault? Plus, the new record isn’t the leaked one since most of the songs on it were written recently except for a couple which were rerecorded. So what happened Fiona? Are you part of the “world is bullshit” you used to call out now? Fuck this bitch, i bet the album is going to suck big time, it’s made of hype, and some dude who has worked with Dr Dre produced the mess. So fuck her.

Phil Anselmo made his first public performance since Dime got killed, he played guitar for Eyehategod; they dedicated their set to his memory. Here are some photos.

What’s with these Smoosh girls and the Spin Summer Camp for Future Frustrated, Jaded, Genre-Inventing, Mediocrity Championing, “I Know They’re On MTV All Day Long But Maybe They Haven’t Got Enough Exposure”, Always Two Minutes Too Late Journalist Boys And Girls. STOP WATCHING THE SCHOOL OF ROCK!!!! Watch Spinal Tap for a change, that’s where everything you hype ends up. To clear things up, maybe Smoosh are the exceptiong and maybe they do rock, but the whole Spin championing, Brooklyn Vegan stalking them (c’mom BV, it is funny; plus they seem to be growing up by the minute), automatic pass to opening for Sufjan is a little too much, don’t you think?

If last Sunday you weren't at the Cineteca watching 1991: The Year That Punk Broke (and Notebook by Lee Ranaldo) then you missed out.

Jack White cried like a little girl over someone throwing a balloon onstage. If you’re foolish enough to go see the two for one retard-freakshow try to redeem yourself and bring balloons to throw onstage.

So it was the days that punk died, first John Loder, once producer for Crass and of Southern Studios/Records/Distributors; then Esther Wong, who used to own and book the punk clubs Madame Wong’s (read more about her here), and then Randy “Biscuit” Turner formerly of the Big Boys (more here). God, was it a shitty week; go buy the Fat Elvis compilation of the Big Boys if you haven’t, some of the best punk/funk/hardcore ever!! Also Stevo Jensen died, he was the singer in the Vandals when they were the least worse.

When we thought it was over, Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog keyboard and technology in general also died.

Remember the Drive-Thru Dylan tribute i told you about?. You know how far into their asses they are? They called the stupid comp Listen To Bob Dylan (Because He’s Cool). I can’t begin to articulate what i think about this shit...

Ohh it’s true: CAVE IN ARE BACK BABY!!!! They will release Perfect Pitch Black thru Hydrahead on September 13; you know it’s going to S-L-A-Y. In fact that whole day, September 13 will be a big blow to our wallets, trust me.

This is great, this is the tenth anniversary year for Acid Mothers Temple, and the band now features people from the Boredoms, Ghost, Mainliner and Zeni Geva. They will release 100 albums this year alone.

So it seems Radiohead doesn’t have a label...

What We Do Is Secret, the movie about Darby Crash and the Germs is already finished and they hope to premiere it on next Sundance...while at first it sounds like it has Hollywood cheese all over it, Pat Smear actually supervised everything, as did Darby’s family so maybe it will turn out cool; even the Mae Shi will be on the movie as the Screamers and the Bronx will play Black Flag, which sounds weird, but i guess it has to be seen to believe...

Devo wants to record a new album...eh...no thanks, you and we all have the Polysics covering that deal already, and they’re fucking A doing it!!

The only good thing that has come out of the hip-hop scene in a long time is her:

She’s Miri Ben-Ari, and you might probably have seen her on some videos, she did all the production on string arrangements for Kaney West and now she will release a solo album. She’s from Israel, she’s a violin virtuoso and she is hot!!!! She’s kinda like Vanessa Mae but israeli and she gets to down Cristal with rappers; the album will be issued on September 20 and i will definitely check it out. Plus she is hot!!

Ok, click KRS because they are soon selling the Devendra Banhart/Xiu Xiu split 7”. They cover one of each other's songs.

And Pitchfork still don’t know what this crazy music called rock n’ roll that appearantly is all the rage with kids today is.

Fuck mullets, they are ugly; especially ironic, trendy mullets. If you have the short on top, long on the back hairstyle, burn your hair right the fuck now!

Dashboard Confessional is opening for U2. Fucking shitty...it's not fair...this things can't be, talented people playing with crappy bands...poor Dashboard, playing with those bad pretentious old farts. The things people do to sell records... (Yes, i rather listen to The Swiss Army Romance than any other reatrdation U2 has ever done)

If you live in Colombia, Chile or Ecuador, don't blow it and go see Suffocation, one of the best death metal bandas ever; so much, i'm not even pissed they're not coming to México.

And if you live in the States, don't blow it and go see Zeke with Nashville Pussy.

Warp Records now has a film company called Warp X, expect very acid, hallucinated, stoned, psyched out and just plain bizarre movies.

Great great great great news!! Ruins will release Pallaschtom in mid-September but you can buy it now on the online shop of the Skin Graft label!! this record has never been released in this hemisphere and it's been remastered and remixed for the perfect sonic destruction and they already have two 2 mp3s on the page you to listen to what awaits us. In fact, here are the lyrics:

Guampallapish.mp3
Hard Rock Midley.mp3



No Neck Blues Band are now 5RC, so do Wooden Wand And The Vanishing Voice.

Jimmy Eat World are releasing a new EP with 3 unreleased songs, a cover of a Heatmiser song and a remix; it comes out in digital September 6 and physical October 4. I only have one question for Jimmy Eat World: what the fuck are you doing giving out a 7" split with Taking Back Sunday? don't you know they are a big rip off of your band?

When did Epitaph become a hip-hop label?

Tony Hawk and Vagrant want to show today's kids what real punk rock is all about...by having today's fake punks playing covers; good thing is, as i said with the Dylan tribute like a week or two ago, people do check the original versions of the songs, even if it's just to verify that the way they're covered is bad or if the songs are bad to begin with. It gets better, skateboarding's biggest whore mimicks the cover of The Clash's London Calling...whatever, here is the track listing and it comes out October 18:

Senses Fail - Institutionalized (Suicidal Tendencies)
Taking Back Sunday - Suburban Home / I Like Food (The Descendants)
Thrice - Seeing Red / Screaming At A Wall (Minor Threat)
My Chemical Romance - Astro Zombies (Misfits)
Saves The Day - Sonic Reducer (Dead Boys)
Dropkick Murphys - Who Is Who (Adolescents)
Emanuel - Search and Destroy (The Stooges)
The Bled - House of Suffering (Bad Brains)
Fall Out Boy - Start Today (Gorilla Biscuits)
Alkaline Trio - Wash Away (TSOL)
Thursday - Ever Fallen In Love (Buzzcocks)
From Autumn To Ashes - Let's Start A War (Fear)
Hot Snakes - Time to Escape (Government Issue)
Rise Against - Fix Me (Black Flag)
(Saves The Day covering "Sonic Reducer"?!!)

On October 25 will come out A Sound Relief, a two disc dvd by The Gathering; disc 1 is a concert they filmed May 23 in Amsterdam, and disc 2 has interviews, the band on tour and a TV made special on the band's 15 year career. Sounds killer, add it to your shopping list.

Neil Young filmed a concert where he premiered new songs in Nashville to be released in theaters and dvd; the new songs will be part of Young's next album Prairie Wind. It's Neil dude, Neil!!!

If you like Death Cab For Cutie and you're not Seth Cohen, then you suck.

I hope there's a hurricane during the MTV Awards, maybe it'll take away a couple of moronic celebrities.

The Rolling Stones are on tour, i don't think they'll go back to sounding like their best era.

Sharon Osbourne is the reason music is becoming less fun by the day, ¿why fuck with Iron Maiden so much?

Everybody should boicot Ozzfest

Here is more proof that Williamsburg and La Condesa are exactly the same.

I want my Bender computer!!!

August 23 de Agosto Releases/Lanzamientos

*Behemoth – Satanica (reissue)
*Brant Bjork & The Brothers – Saved By Magic
*Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Howl
*The Bled – Found In The Flood
*Boris with Merzbow – Sun Baked Snow Cave
*Anthony Braxton – 20 Standards (Quartet) 2003
*Cluster & Eno
*Curl Up And Die – One Above All The End Of All That Is
*Miles Davis – The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions
*D.O.A. – Greatest Shits
*The Exploited – Death Before Dishonour (reissue)
*The Exploited – Massacre (reissue)
*Fairport Convention – Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood (reissue w/DVD)
*Fairport Convention – Journeyman’s Grace (reissue)
*The Fall – Rebelious Jukebox
*John Lee Hooker – Boom Boom
*John Lee Hooker – Old Time Shimmy
*The Hospitals – I’ve Visited The Island Of Jocks And Jazz
*John Wilkes Booze – Telescopic Eyes Glance The Future Sick
*Khanate – Capture And Release
*John Lennon – Peace, Love And Truth
*The Makers – Everybody Rise!
*Marduk – World Funeral (reissue)
*Charles Mingus – Modern Jazz Symposium Of Music And Poetry (reissue)
*Minus The Bear – Menos El Oso
*Mouthus – Slow Gloves
*Nihilist - Nihilist Demos
*Lee “Scratch” Perry – This Is Crucial Reggae
*Sixtoo – Duration (reissue)
*Soilent Green – Pussysoul (reissue)
*Turbonegro – Party Animals (America)
*Veronica Lipgloss/The Evil Eyes – Witch’s Dagger
*Warlocks – Surgery
*YOB – Unreal Never Lived
*John Zorn – Best Of Filmworks: 20 Years Of Soundtrack Music
DVD:
*Billy Childish Is Dead
*Devo Live
*DJ Hell Presents Acid Rocks (dvd/cd)
*English Beat – In Concert At The Royal Festival Hall
*Evil Dead
*Flaming Lips - Void
*Halloween
*Happy Gilmore (Special Edition)
*Hellfest Vol. 4
*Monty Python’s Meaning Of Life
*Selector – Live From London

Entrevista/Interview: Orthrelm

El concepto de repetición puede ser tomado básicamente de dos perspectivas: el obvio que es de tomar la percepción de algo una y otra vez sin cesar o la opuesta, la de evitar a como de lugar eso mismo. Se puede dibujar una raya en el suelo y por su interpretación del concepto, clasificar a los diferentes artistas desde el principio de las mismas artes, desde aquellos que adoptan la repetición por completo a aquellos que hicieron una carrera el evitarla en cualquier forma. Aún así, pocos se han atrevido a tratar de usar ambas formas y aun menos son los que han podido dominar ambas perspectivas; una excepción es la banda Orthrelm. El duo de Mick Barr (guitarra) y Josh Blair (batería) comenzó cuando Crom-Tech, antiguo duo de Barr basado en Washington D.C., se separó; Crom-Tech fusionaba la actitud, gritos y velocidad del hardcore punk con la técnica, velocidad y precisión de los solos de guitarra neoclásicos; Crom-Tech sacaron solo tres EPs en toda su existencia. Al separarse su banda, Mick se puso en contacto con Josh, quién vivía en esos entonces en Brooklyn, Nueva York, para grabar algunas canciones; la química fue obvia y decidieron seguir en ese camino, sacando discos en disqueras como Three One G, Troubleman Unlimited, Hydrahead y últimamente Ipecac. Estos discos con titulos como Iorxhscimtor, Asristirveildrioxe (que contiene 99 canciones en 12 minutos) y Norildivoth Crallos-Lomrixth, son lo que podría llamarse como Crom-Tech extremo, tomando la idea del conjunto anterior pero sin vocales, mucho mas rápido y frenético y casi sin ninguna repetición en lo que se tocaba, su sonido era una demostración muy intensa de poder y musicalidad; en vivo, las divisiones entre canciones se perdían, haciendo de estas un choque entre un enorme solo de guitarra extremo y un solo de batería extremo, su antigua disquera Three One G los describe como “un teorema matemático imposible de resolver”. Tras giras y grabaciones con bandas en su misma liga (algunas muy técnicas, algunos duos y otros siendo ambos), Josh y Mick empezaron a experimentar con su sonido, llevándolos a aquello que habían desafiado desde su comienzo, la repetición; un CD de un solo track y un LP de dos, uno para cada lado, ambos de alrededor de 40 minutos, Ov es el exacto polo opuesto para Orthrelm, su música sigue siendo rápida e intensa pero en lugar de cambios rápidos y calambrozos se encuentran repeticiones de frases (un crítico en la revista en línea Dusted lo describe con efectos de la aguja en la tornamesa quedándose atorada en medio de un solo de thrash metal) de una manera extrema, con un indescriptible terquedad, que pondría histéricos a la mayor parte de las personas que lo escucharan en cuestión de segundos; pero, conforme se va escuchando, se pueden apreciar diferentes cosas y se vuelve una experiencia aural increíblemente interesante; definitivamente uno de los mejores discos, tanto en concepto como en ejecución, de este año.



Marcos Hassan (Sweet Disonance...): Por favor presentate.

Soy Josh Blair. Toco bateria para Orthrelm.

Bueno, primero que nada, Ov; ¿que les hizo querer hacer un álbum como este?

Empezó hace un par de años cuando estábamos grabando el disco para Three One G (Norildivoth Crallos-Lomrixth), a Mick y a mí nos estábamos interesando mucho en la música del medio Oriente, Turquía, etc; muchas cosas con bataca y varios instrumentos de viento dobles como el shinai que es un poco de trance, muy repetitivo. En esos entonces, aun estábamos haciendo cosas que la mayor parte del tiempo no era repetitiva, rara vez repitiendo alguna parte siquiera dos veces; así que nos tomábamos un descanso de tocar eso y tratábamos de repetir la misma cosa una y otra vez y viendo como se sentía y sonaba; en ese tiempo era solo para nosotros, nunca esperábamos sacar un disco de ello, pero para que nosotros lo tengamos para nosotros. Entonces, algunos elementos se empezaron a colar a las canciones que estábamos escribiendo hasta que tuvimos todo un set de cosas muy repetitivas.

¿Entonces esta escrito en sets, como digamos canciones, de una sola pieza larga?

Bueno, la música en Ov fue casi por completo concebida junta, en dos mitades, de hecho. En una gira o dos tocábamos la mitad del set con rolas viejas cada noche, pero desde que empezamos a tocarla toda, se siente como una sola pieza, a estas alturas sería muy raro tocar solo una parte.

Puedo entenderlo despues de oirlo. ¿que es lo que piensas que representa temáticamente?

Hmmm, creo que la mayor parte de la pieza esta hecha para sobrecargar tus sentidos hasta el punto de relajación, de manera un poco meditativa...

Regresando a la influencia del medio Oriente

Definitivamente yo si encuentro esa sensación a través de la música del medio Oriente pero también de muchos otros tipos de música como las cosas de ruido, del sur de Asia, black metal, lo que sea; es algo muy atractivo en la música para mi.

Sobrecargando los sentidos al punto en el que ya no te importa.

Espero que eso es lo que salga, el aspecto humano de ellos como loopear la misma cosa en un sampler no hubiera tenido el mismo impacto...eso es lo que espero.

El aspecto humano; obtienes una reacción diferente de cada escucha.

Hay diferentes reacciones, si; usualmente muy positivas o MUY negativas. No creo que sea posible para Orthrelm ser música de fondo; si la gente no te pone atención y están interesados en escuchar entonces sería muy molesto.



¿Cuanta atención le ponen al componer canciones?

Nos toma mucho tiempo y mucho trabajo escribir nueva música, ni uno de los dos quiere tocar algo que no se nos haga completamente emocionante. A veces eso hace que trabajemos por mucho tiempo, como semanas para tener 90 segundos de música con la que estemos contentos.

Ese es un estándar de calidad muy alto. ¿Practican mucho?

Para estar listos para una gira generalmente nos gusta tener muchas semanas de práctica diaria, lo mismo va para cuando estamos trabajando en canciones nuevas. Si hay descansos largos entre los ensayos, inclusive una semana se hace difícil para que nosotros progresemos.

¿La técnica es algo que les gusta, practicar su instrumento, o es algo que necesitan tener y mantener para tocar la música que quieren?

Creo que el enfoque debe de estar en el resultado final y eso a veces requiere saber como tocar cosas que requieren práctica y técnica. Es difícil separar las dos.

Entonces eso es lo que los mantiene lejos de convertirse en Steve Vais comunes y corrientes en las tiendas de música, tocando con sweep picking (técnica de plumeo barrido) por el hecho de saber tocar sweep picking.

Estoy encontra del sweep picking por sweep picking.

A huevo! ¿De donde sacan inspiración para tocar este tipo de música? La inspiración de tocar todo lo que Orthrelm ha tocado hasta ahora.

Hemos estado tocando por 5 años ya. Empezó porque Mick tenía estas canciones que había estado tocando solo por algunos años y quería grabarlas, para liberarse de tenerlas presentes en su memoria inmediata. Para cuando acabamos de trabajar en esas canciones, las cuales se convirtieron en nuestro disco Iorxschimtor, se sentía bien tocar juntos. Creo que en este punto, necesitamos tocar esta música.

¿Se tienen que concentrarse mucho para tocar, hasta el punto de que no se pueden distraer por nada?

Si, aun es difícil de tocar, sí. Ambos tenemos que calentar no solo físicamente sino que también necesitamos hacer cabeza para tocar.

¿Como han sido las reacciones cuando tocan ante gente nueva que nunca los ha oído?

Varía. Usualmente hay una pequeña porción del público que la motiva y los demás están como diciendo “que carajos es eso?” Depende de la gente. La mayor parte de nuestros shows son abriéndole a bandas con audiencias mucho mas grandes de las que tenemos, como cuando le abrimos a Blonde Redhead y entendiblemente la mayor parte del público no se emocionó mucho con nosotros. Pero también le abrimos mucho a the Locust y en esos, digo que le gustamos a casi 1/4 del público.



Ok, ¿experimentarían tocando con alguien tocando otra cosa, para que sean tres instrumentos?

Hemos hablado acerca de meter a alguien mas. Sucederá en algún momento, estoy seguro, pero aun tenemos mucho que hacer como dúo antes de que eso pase.

¿Tienen espacio para la improvisación?

Hasta ahora ha habido muy poca improvisación, por el momento no hay mucho espacio. Tal vez en el futuro, estamos abiertos a eso.

Bien, ¿Quién piensan que son sus contemporaneos?

Locust, Khanate, Growing, Black Dice por nombrar a algunos. Me gusta lo que están haciendo...Flying Luttenbachers, Hella...

¿Entonces van a tocar todo el disco en vivo o van a hacer lo de la mitad del disco y un set de material viejo?

Hemos tocado el set de Ov por como un años. Estamos en el proceso de escribir nuevas cosas y como se vaya escribiendo lo estaremos tocando. Lo viejo ha sido retirado casi por completo y ya no pensamos tocar eso.

Esta bien; ¿Han tenido alguna experiencia raro o cagada en el escenario?

Tocamos en Filadelfia con Dillinger Escape Plan y la gente nos odió, en verdad nunca noto cuando eso pasa pero allí empezaron a aventar botellas de agua que estaban rebotando en mi batería y pensé que era chistoso. Solo ha habido una tocada donde chocamos por completo y fue una tocada al aire libre en D.C. donde empezamos a tocar la misma canciones 3 veces y no podíamos tocarla bien y nos gritamos el uno al otro por un rato antes de seguir adelante. Siento que eso debió haber pasado mas seguido pero hemos sido afortunados.

¿No les fue bien con los fans de Dillinger? Eso es raro...

Fueron muy indiferentes a menos que estuvieran gritando y aventando cosas. Y estos eran shows enormes de hasta 1500 personas en ocasiones, entonces deben de haber habido personas a las que les gustamos pero había muchas que no.

Claro, estoy seguro; es solo que su música no esta tan lejos de lo que Dillinger hace, al menos en términos de ritmos y lo que hace en la guitarra Mick pero ni hablar; ¿qué haz estado oyendo últimamente?

Cosas de drone como las que hace la banda Growing...cosas del sureste de Asia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam...

Entonces, ¿qué sigue para ustedes?

Orthrelm estará de gira en Febrero y Marzo. Grabaremos otro disco antes o después de eso; estamos tratando de irnos de gira en Estados Unidos, Japón y Europa si podemos. Estoy impresionado con la respuesta que ha tenido Ov y esperamos tocar en lugares en donde no hemos podido tocar aún.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pleuch.mp3 de Asristir Veildroixe (2002)
Pleuch 1.mp3 de Asristir Veildroixe (2002)
Pleuch 2.mp3 de Asristir Veildroixe (2002)
Pleuch 3.mp3 de Asristir Veildroixe (2002)
Pleuch 4.mp3 de Asristir Veildroixe (2002)
(Untitled 3).mp3 del split con Touchdown (2002)
Draoxaimm Lef Lan Growm.mp3 de Norildivod Crallos Lomrixth Urthiln (2002)
Ov.mp3 (fragmento) de Ov (2005)

Orthrelm: http://www.millionraces.com/orthrelm.htm
Troubleman Unlimited Records: www.troublemanunlimited.com
Three One G Records: www.threeoneg.com
Forge Records: www.forgerecords.com
Ipecac Records: www.ipecac.com
Epicene Records: http://www.epicenesound.com/
compra discos de Orthrelm en Amazon
Todas las fotos excepto la segunda de arriba para abajo cortesía de Josh Blair; la segunda dfe arriba para abajo cortesía de Three One G Records

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



The concept of repetition can be taken basically in two perspectives: the obvious one where you take the perception of something over and over without stopping, or the opposite, avoiding this at all costs. You can draw a line on the floor and for their interpretation classify all different artists since the beginning of arts themselves, from those who adopt repetition all the way to those who’ve made careers avoiding it in any form. Yet, few people have dared to try both approaches and fewer to master both; an exception of this is the band Orthrelm. The duo of Mick Barr (guitar) and Josh Blair (drums) started when Crom-Tech, Barr’s former Washington D.C.-based duo, broke up; Crom-Tech blended the attitude, screams and speed of hardcore punk with the speed, technique and presition of neoclassical guitar; Crom-Tech released 3 EPs in their whole existence. After his band broke up, Mick contacted Josh, who at the time was living in Brooklyn NY, to record some songs; the chemistry was obviously there and decided to stick together, releasing albums on labels such as Three One G, Troubleman Unlimited, Hydrahead and recently Ipecac. These albums with titles like Iorxhscimtor, Asristirveildrioxe (containing 99 songs in 12 minutes) and Norildivoth Crallos-Lomrixth, sound like what you can call as extreme Crom-Tech, taking the ideas of the older combo but without vocals, much faster and frenetic and almost without any repetitions on what they would play, their sound was a very intense display of power and musicality; live, the divisions between songs would get lost, making it sound like a clash between a huge guitar solo and a huge drum solo, their old label Three One G described them as “an unsolvable mathematical theorem”. After tours and recordings with bands on the same league (some very technical, some duos and some being both), Josh and Mick started to experiment with their sound, taking them to the same thing they have been defying since their beginnings, repetition; a one track CD and a two track LP, one for each side, both lasting around 40 minutes, Ov is the polar opposite for Orthrelm, their music remaining fast and intense both instead of fast and spazzy changes we find repetitive phrases (a critic in Dusted described it with allusions of a needle in a turntable getting stuck in the middle of an 80’s thrash metal solo) in a very extreme fashion, with undescribable stubborness, that would drive pretty much everyone into hysterics within seconds of listening to it; but, as you go on listening, you start noticing different things and it becomes an incredibly interesting listening experience; definitely one of the best records, both in concept and execution, of the year.



So, please introduce yourself

I am Josh Blair. I play drums for Orthrelm.

So, first up, Ov; what made you want to do an album like this one?

It started a few years ago while we were recording the record for Three One G (Norildivoth Crallos-Lomrixth), both of us were really into music from the middle East, Turkey, etc; a lot of stuff with drums and various double reed instruments like the shinai that is really trance-like, very repetetive. At the time, we were still doing mostly stuff that was non-repetitive, rarely repeating a part even twice; so we would take breaks from that and try to just repeat the same thing over and over and seeing how it felt and sounded; it was only for us at the time, never expected to put out a record of it, but just to have for ourselves. Then things started creeping into the songs we were writing until we had a whole set of really repetitive stuff.

So it was written in sets, like, say, songs, instead of one long piece?

Well, the music on Ov was mostly conceived of together, in two halves actually. For a tour or two we would play half of the set each night along with older songs, but since we started playing the whole thing, it feels like just one piece, it would be weird to play just one part at this point.

I bet, from hearing it. so what do you think it represents thematically?

Hmmm, i think much of the piece is intended to overload your senses to the point of relaxation, kind of meditative in a way...

Going back to the middle East influences right?

I definitely get that feeling from middle Eastern music but also from a lot of music like noise stuff, southeast Asian, black metal, whatever; it’s something very attractive to me in music.

Just overloading the senses to the point that you stop caring.

I hope that would come through, the human aspect of it like just looping the same stuff on a sampler would not have the same impact...i hope anyway.

The human aspect; you get a different reaction to it from every listener.

There are many different reactions, yes; usually really positive or REALLY negative. I don't think that it’s possible for Orthrelm to be background music; if people are not paying attention and interested in listening then i think it would be really annoying.

So how much thought do you put into songwriting?

It takes us a long time and a lot of work to write new music, neither of us want to play something that we are not completely excited about. Sometimes that makes it so we can work a long time, like weeks and then we have like 90 seconds of music that we are happy with.



That's a very high standard of quality. Do you practice a lot?

To get ready for a tour we generally like to have several weeks of practicing everyday, the same goes for when we are working on new songs. If there are long breaks between practices, even a week then it makes it hard for us to make progress.

Is technique something you like, practicing your instrument and that; or is it more something you need to have and maintain to play the kind of music you like?

I think the focus should be on the end result and sometimes that requires figuring out how to play things that require practice and technique. It’s hard to separate the two.

So that's what keeps you from becoming regular Steve Vai wannabes on guitar shops, sweep picking just for the sake of sweep picking.

I am against sweep picking for the sake of sweep picking.

Hell yeah! So where do you find the inspiration to play this kind of music? the inspiration to start playing what Orthrelm has been playing.

We have been playing now for 5 years. It started because Mick had these songs that he had been playing to himself for a few years and he wanted to record them, to free himself from having to keep them in his immediate memory. By the time we worked out those songs, which became our Iorxschimtor record, it just felt really good. I think we both really need to play this music at this point.

Do you have to be really concentrated to play, to the point you can't be distracted?

Yes, it still is hard to play, yes. We both need to warm up not just physically but also get our heads together to play.

So what were the crowd reactions when you play a new audience who hasn't heard of you?

It varies. Usually a small portion of the crowd seems moved and the others are like “what the hell is that?” It depends on the crowd. Most of our shows have been opening for bands with much larger audiences than we have, like we opened for Blonde Redhead and understandably much of their audience was not so into us. But we also opened for the Locust alot and for them i would say close to a 1/4 of the crowds seemed to like us.



Ok, would you ever experiment by jamming with someone else in another experiment, as in three instruments?

We have talked about adding someone else. It will happen sometime I am sure but we have some more to do as a duo before that happens.

Do you have space for improvisation?

So far there has been very little improvisation, at the moment there is not much space. Maybe in the future, we are open to it.

Cool, who do you think are your peers?

Locust, Khanate, Growing, Black Dice to name a few. I like what they are doing...Flying Luttenbachers, Hella...

So are you playing the whole album live or are you doing half of it then a set of your older material?

For about a year we have been playing the set on Ov. We are in the process of writing new stuff and as that gets written we will be playing that. The old stuff has been mostly retired and we don't expect to play that very much anymore.

Alright; have you had any weird or funny stuff happen to you onstage?

We played in Philadelphia with Dillinger Escape Plan and people hated us, i never really notice usually but then water bottles and things started bouncing off my drums and i thought it was funny. There has only been one show where we have completely crashed and that was this outdoor show in D.C. where we started the same song 3 times and completely fell apart and sort of yelled at each other for a while before moving on. I feel like that should have happened more often but we have been lucky.

You didn't go well with Dillinger audiences? that's very odd

They were very indifferent unless they were yelling and throwing things. And these were huge shows up to 1500 people at times, so there must have been people who liked us as well but there were plenty that didn't.

Yeah, i bet; it's just that your music isn't that far off Dillinger's, at least in terms of rhythms and the guitar stuff Mick does but ohh well; what have you been listening to lately?

Droney stuff like this band Growing...stuff from southeast Asia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam...

Cool, so what's next for you?

Orthrelm will be touring in February and March. Recording another record sometime before or after that; we are trying to tour US, Japan and Europe if we can. I’m amazed at the response Ov has gotten and looking forward to playing it live in places that we haven't been able to yet.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pleuch.mp3 from Asristir Veildroixe (2002)
Pleuch 1.mp3 from Asristir Veildroixe (2002)
Pleuch 2.mp3 from Asristir Veildroixe (2002)
Pleuch 3.mp3 from Asristir Veildroixe (2002)
Pleuch 4.mp3 from Asristir Veildroixe (2002)
(Untitled 3).mp3 from split with Touchdown (2002)
Draoxaimm Lef Lan Growm.mp3 from Norildivod Crallos Lomrixth Urthiln (2002)
Ov.mp3 (excerpt) from Ov (2005)

Orthrelm: http://www.millionraces.com/orthrelm.htm
Troubleman Unlimited Records: www.troublemanunlimited.com
Three One G Records: www.threeoneg.com
Forge Records: www.forgerecords.com
Ipecac Records: www.ipecac.com
Epicene Records: http://www.epicenesound.com/
buy Orthrelm albums in Amazon
All photos except the second from top to bottom courtesy of Josh Blair, second from top to bottom courtesy of Three One G Records

August 16 de Agosto Releases/Lanzamientos

*Jeff Buckley – Grace (reissue International)
*Johnny Cash – Legend (bonus CD+DVD)
*Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison (reissue International)
*Tony Conrad – Bryant Park Moratorium Rally (1969)
*Cowboy Junkies – Early 21st Century Blues
*The Cure – Seventeen Seconds (Deluxe Edition International)
*The Cure – Faith (Deluxe Edition International)
*The Cure – Pornopgraphy (Deluxe Edition International)
*Miles Davis – In A Silent Way (reissue International)
*Bob Dylan – s/t (reissue International)
*Bob Dylan – Times They Are A-Changing (reissue International)
*Bob Dylan – Greatest Hits (reissue International)
*Bob Dylan – Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (reissue International)
*The Fall Of Troy – Doppelganger
*Gang Gang Dance – Hillulah EP
*Madness – Dangerman Sessions
*Mott The Hoople – Family Anthology
*Oxes – Oxes EP
*Ramones – Weird Tales Of The Ramones
*Lou Reed – Coney Island Baby (reissue International)
*Sex Pistols – Submissions: Sex Pistols Live/Sid Vicious Live At The Electric Ballroom
*Patti Smith – Horses (reissue International)
*The Stooges (Deluxe Edition)
*The Stooges – Funhouse (Deluxe Edition)
*Van Der Graaf Generator – Still Life (reissue)
*Van Der Graaf Generator – Godbluff (reissue)
*Venetian Snares – Meathole
*Vibracathedral Orchestra – Tuning To The Rooster
*Wu-Tang Clan – Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (reissue International)
*Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart – Bongo Fury (reissue)
DVD:
*ABBA – The Movie
*ABBA – Waterloo
*Best Of He-Man and the Masters Of The Universe – Season One
*Best Of He-Man and the Masters Of The Universe – Season Two
*Muppet Show - Season One
*The O.C. – Complete Season 1
*The O.C. – Complete Seasons 1 & 2
*Police – Walking On The Moon
*Simpsons – Complete 6th Seasons
*Sin City
*Thundercats – Season One

Notica Y Gritos Musicales/Music News And Rants

The Kills lanzarán un EP con 3 remixes, 1 rola inédita y un lado B. Eso a puesto que es bueno.

No pinche mames!!! Ozzy no regresará a tocar al Ozzfest el proximo año!! eso es como una señal del fin del mundo, no?

No van a cerrar la ratonera esa donde "nació el punk".

Jello Biafra hará un concierto de protesta en contra de la guerra; tocarán algunas bandas buenas. Chequen aquí.

Los Dictators sacarán un disco de demos, rarezas y un cover de "Sonic Reducer" de los Dead Boys; uhhhhhuhu, esto se tiene que oír.

Tori Amos lanzará bootlegs oficiales, por lo menos quiero uno.

Voivod sacará un DVD llamada DVOD-1 el 25 de Octubre, la portada esta aquí; contará con videos y presentaciones en vivo del line-up original!!! DVD de huevos, sin lugar a duda!

Celtic Frost ya acabaron de grabar y mezclar su album y, aunque aun no tienen disquera, estan listos para sacar el disco a principios del año que entra! la lista sigue: Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Shellac, Flaming Lips, Mudhoney, Mastodon, Tom Verlaine y ahora Celtic Frost.

Hey, que carajos pasó con la reunión de Dark Angel, eh?

Lightning Bolt cambiaron el nombre de su album, ahora se llamará Hypermagic Mountain, aun destruira al mundo.

El Village Voice escribió un articulo excelente acerca de Pelican aquí (gracias al blog Prefix)

Esos Magic Numbers son unos idiotas; iban a tocar en el programa ingles Top Of The Pops y cuando los introdujeron dijeron algo que tenía que ver con que son gordos, y por eso se fueron y no tocaron! quién rechaza la oportunidad de tocar?. Lo que debieron hacer es mentarles la madre al presentador y tocar de todas formas, así es mejor, o no?

Este blog, Dirt, publicó la portada del Playing The Angel de Depeche Mode, veela aquí; aun mas cerca señores, aun mas!! (gracias a One Louder)

Gang Of Four tienen página en MySpace y estan poniendo rolas de su proximo disco de estudio, esperemos que esten como Entertainment! o si no...!!!. (gracias a Brooklyn Vegan)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Kills will release an EP with 3 remixes, 1 unreleased song and a B-Side. I bet it's going to be good.

Holy Fucking Fuck!!! Ozzy will not play Ozzfest next year!! that's like a sign of the end of the world, right?

That rathole where "punk was born" is not closing down.

Jello Biafra is hosting a concert against the war; some good bands are playing. Check here.

The Dictators are issuing an album of demos, outtakes and a cover of "Sonic Reducer" by the Dead Boys; oooohhhhhoohoo, this is worth a listen.

Tori Amos will release official bootlegs, i want at least one.

Voivod are releasing a DVD called DVOD-1 on October 25, the cover is here; it features videos and live footage of the original line-up!!! Badass DVD, no doubt about it!

Celtic Frost finished recording and mixing their album and, even though they still don't have a label, are releasing it early next year! the list goes on: Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Shellac, Flaming Lips, Mudhoney, Mastodon, Tom Verlaine and now Celtic Frost.

Hey, what the hell happened to Dark Angel's reunion, eh?

Lightning Bolt changed their album's name, now it's called Hypermagic Mountain, it still is going to destroy the world.

The Village Voice wrote an excellent article on Pelican here (thanks to Prefix blog)

Those Magic Numbers are idiots; they were about to play that british tv show Top Of The Pops but when they were introduced said something referring to them being fat, so they left and didn't play! who turns down an opportunity to play?. What they should have done was tell the annoucer to fuck off and play anyway; that would have been better, or wouldn't it?

This blog, Dirt, published the cover for Playing The Angel by Depeche Mode, watch it here; it's closer upon us people, even closer!! (thanks to One Louder)

Gang Of Four have a page in MySpace were they are streaming songs from their next studio album, we hope their in the vein of Entertainment! or else we...!!!. (thanks to Brooklyn Vegan)