No Trend-Teen Love

My absolute favorite release by my absolute favorite band. Check it out.

ATP Music Festival 2010~Memories

Stage diving and such, you know. It was a fun show

France Still Has "It"

The Shaggs-Philosophy Of The World

Something about 'Philosophy Of the World' is strangely intriguing, though. I'd like to sit here and gush about how it "influenced so many great bands" and "broke ground for what we consider music", but it doesn't feel right. Sure, ask a musician like Frank Zappa or Kurt Cobain and they would have told you about how important this record was. But I see it differently. What I see is three girls who were forced into making an album at the hands of their abusive father. I don't see the unconventional geniuses that others may. What's funny, though, is that is now considered one of the milestones of outsider and indie music was once just a forgotten record tossed aside to the wind. But then again, time tends to change ideas or emotions. Whether you enjoy the music or not, you have to acknowledge the originality. I mean, you'll never hear anything quite like it again. Is this a reason to enjoy an album? I'm not sure. All I can say, though, is after hearing this record my outlook on what is considered 'music' has changed.

Cheeky-What The Heck (2009)

Okay, so maybe this record isn't the most original or groundbreaking thing I've heard recently. But who the fuck cares? What Cheeky lacks in originality, they make up (and then some) in pure attitude. Kate Eldridge's snotty vocals and bratty lyrics release what sounds like years worth of teenage angst and frustration. But to say that Eldridge is the only reason for the album's success is not entirely fair. The musicianship on the album is far better than I expected. Cheeky sounds as if they have been practicing in a deep, dark basement for years. While "Choke On A Cheeseburger" was great, What The Heck showcases the band as they finally explode and hit the ground running out of that basement. You can't help but jump and sing along. This album literally kicks my ass. Again and again.

K.O At Home-2006 Demos

I finally downloaded/listened to it this morning. It honestly makes me a little uneasy to even admit that because of how deeply personal the demos are. For those of you who don’t know the back story:


Karen O recorded 14 songs in her own home several years before they were unearthed in late 2006. The demo (46 minutes and 22 seconds) mostly consists of acoustic songs, with several different tracks on each song, all played by Karen. She burned these songs onto a CD-R, created a handwritten cover (including a photo of her with an unknown woman and an Oscar Wilde quote) and gave it as a gift to TV on the Radio’s guitarist and music producer, Dave Sitek. It’s been reported that the woman on the cover with Karen is Janet Weiss, but the cover I have seen online definitely is not Janet. After several years, Dave moved out of his apartment, leaving behind several items including two briefcases. One of these briefcases contained the KO at Home demo CD. An anonymous man (known only as “Mike”) found the CD and decided to keep it and give it to a friend as a gift. Before he gave it away, he converted the CD to MP3s on his computer. Soon after, he decided to post them on the Internet, citing that he found the tracks to be “interesting” and that he “thought other fans might appreciate them. Make a long story short, the MP3s were released, Dave freaked the fuck out and Karen was pissed but later released a comment that included the line “shit happens”. But this is all old news.


We are given a raw glimpse into the true essence of Karen Orzolek.This is not the zealous and demanding frontwoman we all know and adore. This is a fragile, quiet woman writing heartfelt songs for a friend she cares deeply for. Something about the songs (which are not labeled tracks) is almost unnerving. I’m not sure if it because I am consciously invading someone’s privacy or the simple fact that some songs are so underdeveloped and puerile that they literally sound as if they are falling apart. It’s as if Karen’s voice is clinging onto each and every syllable, taking her final breath. It doesn’t get more organic than this, folks. Nevertheless, I’m sure that K.O At Home is a must for any YYYs fan and I know I will continue to listen to it in the future. Sorry Karen.

Stolen Girls- "Get In My Way" ROUGH DEMO

Stolen Girls is Purchase band. They're really cool and they're my friends. I am going to release an tape by them SUMMER 2K12.


LISTEN HERE

World Class Wreckin Cru-Surgery (1984)

"all of a sudden Dr. Dre is a G thing, but on his old album cover he was a she thing"

VEINS//RAW NERVE//HOAX//CHAIN WALLET

This is what I'll be doing Easter Sunday, what about ya'll

Pat Benetar-In The Heart of The Night (1979)

Okay. I will always be the first to admit my love for Pat Benetar. I mean, what. a. babe. My uncle grew up on the same block as her in Linderhurst, Long Island and even as a young child I thought that was the COOLEST thing ever. I mean Pat was no where near my beloved Spice Girls, but at the time she was a close second in my heart. But seriously folks, Pat Benetar rules. I know what you're thinking...why should you or I care about some pop diva who directly caters to the soundtrack of your father's backyard summer barbecues? Pat Benetar may not have been the most interesting artist of the 1980s, nor was she the best. But her songs were catchy. Although not the first female artist to utilize hard rock or punk, Pat Benetar was able to break into the mainstream with her 1979 hit "Heartbreaker". A chick on the top of the charts with a pop song about female empowerment and independence that had an extended guitar solo?! That's pretty cool. Hey, I know, Pat was mostly a corporate puppet who's style and substance was basically engineered to be a hit. I mean she barely even wrote her own songs on her first few albums. But her charisma, voice and style really separated her from other female pop singers in the 1980s and today.


I mean come on, Pat Benetar is a lot more of a Suzi Quatro then an Avril Lavigne.

ROCK N ROLL RACING

fast paced, colorful 8-bit cars racing against the roaring midi files of BLACK SABBATH

GG Allin Live at Purchase, 1989

ME IN ACTION LOL

PYGMY SHREWS LAST SHOW

Pop. 1280-The Horror (2012)

Released this year on the ever-popular Sacred Bones label (Zola Jesus, The Men), Pop. 1280's newest effort is their best yet. With a new drummer and bassist from their first album, The Grid, this album is much harsher and less synth-heavy. I saw them live once again over the past weekend and what a show.

Absolutely a dark and cathartic experience, much like the album itself. Chris Bug is one hell of a frontman.

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Pygmy Shrews-The Egyptian (2009)

Pygmy Shrews are a band very near and dear to my heart. I've had the privilege of seeing them at least six times and even booked them a show here at SUNY Purchase with other awesome bands such as Vaz and the Men The Egyptian is their first full length debut and MAN IS IT GREAT. Noisy, heavy and reminiscent of the great pig fuck 'genre' from the 1980s.

Showcasing the talents of the best drummer in punk (Jeremy Villabos, formerly of Drunkdriver and now also formerly of Pygmy Shrews), the insane shredding c capabilities of Ben Greenberg (Zs, Hubble) and the heavy bass lines and primal squeals of Tia Vincent-Clark, this album truly showcases what new york has to offer.

Pygmy Shrews last show will be this Wednesday at 285 Kent at 9pm. I would not miss it for the world.

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Kraftwerk Retrospective at MoMa

Krautrock pioneers Kraftwerk announced an eight day (!!!) residency at the Museum of Modern Art. They will be performing one of their albums in their entirety on the given dates. I'M SO EXCITED MY MIND IS BLANK AS TO WHAT I SHOULD WRITE
Tickets go on sale the 22nd of Febuary. I'll see you at either Autobahn or Computer World.

TICKETS

The Kids-The Kids (1978)

Little is known about this powerhouse punk record from Belgium. Legend has it The Kids formed in 1976 speaking absolutely no English, but instead sharing an affinity for English and American Proto-Punk bands. This record absolutely rips. The fast succession of chords combined with pop sensibility and sing along lyrics pose the question-"Do YOU love the Nazis?". If not, grab this record while you still can.



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Savage Republic-Tragic Figures (1982)

 Savage Republic is a industrial, post-punk band founded in Los Angeles in the early 1980s. Their first album, Tragic Figures, was released in 1982 on Independent Project Records. The band's intricate instrumentation and sparse vocals set them apart from the early LA punk scene that was developing at the time. Way ahead of their time, the band seems to draw influence from death rock, goth and late Psychic TV. To say they are the sum of their influences is cutting them short. Savage Republic opted for longer and more complex compositions, rather than raw, short bursts of fury like other LA bands such as Black Flag or The Germs. This album is an absolute classic, you'll have the rhythms pounding in your head for days.

 The band, which for some unknown reason, seems to still slip under most of the radar today and doesn't get the recognition they deserve. They have since regrouped in 2004, with a different line-up. Who knows what's in store for the future, but for now do yourself a favor and appreciate the past.


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Hard Corps- Je Suis Passee