This my friends, is an extremely special video. What we have Tom Morello introducing right here is, for all intents and purposes, basically a Soundgarden reunion. It’s Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, and Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden with Tad Doyle of Tad, and it’s just what I needed. Holy fuckin’ shit, what a video! This makes me forget all about that pile of shit that Chris Cornell just put out. Here is the reintroduction of the Garden, with the classic “Hunted Down”:
Playing only a few tracks together, and sounding rightfully out of sync, Gza of the Wu-Tang Clan and garage punkers the Black Lips took the stage at this week’s South By Southwest Festival. The footage comes courtesy of adkenc, and for being the middle of the crowd, picks up the audio very well. Gza spits over-top of the the basic and strange instrumentals that the guys put out. It’s like watching a DJ try and put together a really bad beat for a freestyle, it repeats the same kind of rhythm over and over and doesn’t seem to go along with the actual tune that Gza is trying to recreate. So yeah, It was a great idea in theory, and I’d encourage more cross genre stuff like this stuff, but this time it didn’t seem to work too well. Check it out for yourself though, Enjoy!? and check out more from adkenc HERE
Calvin Harris‘ blazing new single that’s been blowing up ever since it hit the BBc airwaves a little over a month ago now has an official video. I’m not as big of a fan of the video as I am of the actual track, but still, it’s certainly not bad. He returns with the signature “Bee Hive” look again, which is kind of an interesting motif. Anyway, check it out below, along with some more details about when can get your hands on an official mix.
“I’m Not Alone” can be had digitally April 5th, or physically on April 13th. Apparently some remixes will be available on the 12th, but as far as who is doing the editing I’m unaware of, so feel free to comment if you know. I’m excited for his new stuff, he really seems to be growing as an artist, and if you weren’t originally a fan of his stuff I’m convinced the new album will convert you.
If there was ever an album to be described as epic, and in the actual definition of the word, not “epic” as in “cool”, this is that album. Hands down. Whether it’s a good or a bad thing, I can’t truly decide yet. Far and away the most sprawling and expansive album I’ve nearly ever heard, Spirit Animal is a rare treat for all those instrumentalist fans out there. It’s like a modern day Phish or Grateful Dead, minus the drugs and bad music, and with more synthesizers and keyboards. The shortest track runs seven minutes, three of them over 11 minutes, and plenty of tunage in between.
And I can’t tell, for the life of me, whether I like it or not. I mean sure, I can appreciate it musically and acknowledge the fact that the two guys are greatly talented, but I feel like if I was playing this in my room alone I’d rather not be caught doing so. Spirit Animal while at times mesmerizing, can get quote cheesy at time… there I said it. It’s just so, like I said, epic, that you just want to laugh at it and tell Zombi to stop taking themselves so seriously. But hey, maybe that’s it’s charm, that nothing else like this has existed on a mainstream level in a long time.
Another problem that I have with this album is that it become extremely repetitive, whether it’s in the structure of each song, or repetitive as a song itself. What Zombi does well it does very well. Heavy synth that matches the electro guitar, dark bass line, and drums that never stop, often breaking into few minute long jams that astound the listener. And all of that is great, it really is, but Spirit Animal kills it for me, sorry. I would probably be in love with this as a five track 24 minute long EP instead of this hour long five track whirlwind of an album. It’s all crazy stuff, maybe it’s over my head, I don’t know really. But what I so know is that Zombi can jam and put together some impressive material, it’s just that they do it for too long, and in an almost embarrassing fashion. I can be over kill, and it can be genius.
Lucky for you, Zombi is streaming the entire album. Or you can be lazy and grab on of the tracks below. I’d encourage checking out all of their stuff I’ve got posted here. I think you’ll definitely see what I mean about these guys. It’s worth your time.
6.5 never-ending drum solos and synth pedals out of 10
Simian Mobile Disco have stayed fairly busy since their amazing 2007 release Attack Sustain Decay Release. Though the album didn’t gain as much support as it deserved (thank Justice and Daft Punk touring for that) the boys still released plenty of single around the album, touring heavily in support, and fixed up a Fabriclive mix as well. I haven’t heard much in the way of official plans for their next release, fingers crossed that it’s this year, but a new song they’ve been playing live got the video treatment. Though the video is nothing special, seeing as it’s just the video accompiament for when they play the track live, the song is something to stick around for. “Synthesise” is more beat driven and heavy than some of their prior songs that may have relied a bit more on vocal samples. At any rate though, it’s definitely worth a listen. Enjoy!
I’m not too sure this music really even qualifies as metal, which you may have noticed from the slight title change on this week’s post. Nonetheless, I feel confident saying that Throbbing Gristle‘s noisy industrial pioneering in the late 70s and early 80s has been more influential on modern metal (as well as music in general) than anything else that was being produced at that time. Not only were these British cats the precursors to all things industrial such as Ministry or Godflesh, they have also had enormous influence on other corners of the music world. For example, bands as varied as Sonic Youth and Aphex Twin (and the millions of other bands they helped to inspire) might not exist had they not been influenced by what Throbbing Gristle created in some way. This week, the recently reunited band announced a small tour of their first U.S. tour dates since 1981 that includes their first stop in the Midwest ever and a performance at Coachella festival. To celebrate, I’m including their classic live performance of “Discipline” as this installments Sunday Metalhead Minute; it might be uncomfortable for a beginner, but watch to the end to enjoy the full effect of TG.
Keep reading for all of Throbbing Gristle’s planned tour dates (including a Chi town show)… Continue reading →
If my memory serves me correctly, Gojira is definitely the most versatile and praiseworthy death metal band to make a name for themselves in the last decade. Ever since the release of The Link, their star has noticeably been steadily rising, and with the release of last fall’s The Way of All Flesh the band has secured the most captive audience of their career. In this interview with MTV Norway’s Headbangers Ball, Joseph Duplantier gives us the details about the message he wanted to portray on the last album, why Gojira albums aren’t necessarily concept albums, and their new found (and well-deserved) fame. (ed note: Joe D. is obviously very satisfied with how The Way of All Flesh came out and how it was received. I had the opportunity to interview him at Cavalera Conspiracy’s debut gig in AZ last year, and Joe’s noticeably more eager and excited in this interview than he was then – and that is saying A LOT considering he was about to go on stage with the Cavalera brothers in their first gig in 10 years!)
The official video for “No Excuses” off of the amazing 2008 swedish pop masterpiece release No Way Down. After watching the video go out and find a copy of the album, you won’t regret it. I promise. Enjoy!
Trent Reznor truly is the man of the future. ..Really I bet this guy is having more fun continuously pleasing and exciting his fanbase than anyone you can imagine. From NIN.com this week:
The internet is full of surprises these days.
I was contacted by a mysterious, shadowy group of subversives who SOMEHOW managed to film a substantial amount (over 400 GB!) of raw, unedited HD footage from three separate complete shows of our Lights in the Sky tour. Security must have been lacking at these shows because the quality of the footage is excellent.
If any of you could find a LINK to that footage I’ll bet some enterprising fans could assemble something pretty cool.
Oh yeah, you didn’t hear this from me.
Videos of the show are already starting to pop up on the bands forum, and as time goes on, it’s presumable we’ll see some even better releases. In the meantime, Reznor’s fans will keep waiting to see what he’ll do next as they enjoy their free FAN CREATED concert dvds. Visit This One Is On Us to read more about the project.
Kanye West V. Stephen Colbert: A battle of epic proportions.
Anybody following The Colbert Report or Kanye West’s twitter lately (to anyone admitting to the latter: come on dude) knows what all of this non-sense is about. Let’s lay it all out there in a nice chronological order:
Round 1. Stephen Colbert initiates Operation Humble Kanye, which involves all of his fans buying his new christmas album on the same day so that it would jump 808 & Heartbreaks on the iTunes album chart.
Round 2. Kanye West responds by saying “who the fuck is Stephen Colbert” on his blog. (Very insightful Kanye)
Round 3. The Result: Watch the most satisfying news segment this year here
Round 4. Kanye plays it all off as if someone hacked his Twitter (sorry Knaye put I don’t think anyone knew it existed to begin with) so that he doesn’t look like an absolute fool. Coincidentally this makes him look like more of an idiot.
Round 5. Well there really isn’t a five yet, hopefully Mr. West goes on the Colbert Report to settle all of this though, being that he is the “voice of this generation of this decade”
As if releasing a new album and blogging constantly wasn’t enough work for Kanye, he’s apparently releasing a Christmas album now too. I can’t wait for this one to drop. Preview after the jump… Continue reading →
If there was ever an album to be described as epic, and in the actual definition of the word, not “epic” as in “cool”, this is that album. Hands down. Whether it’s a good or a bad thing, I can’t truly decide yet. Far and away the most sprawling and expansive album I’ve nearly ever heard, Spirit Animal is a rare treat for all those instrumentalist fans out there. It’s like a modern day Phish or Grateful Dead, minus the drugs and bad music, and with more synthesizers and keyboards. The shortest track runs seven minutes, three of them over 11 minutes, and plenty of tunage in between.
MIND INVERSION 