Anything On Your Mind?
Well, it was fun visiting 2011, so let’s maybe consider 2012 while we’re at it. As mentioned last time, 2012 was a mess for me, musically speaking. Making things extra complicated was the arrival of kid #3 in 2012, which certainly explains why this was kind of the bottom for me with respect to my knowledge of music. Or really anything related to culture. So let’s have a look at the 2012 best albums on RateYour Music! As with the previous year, some of these I know, a fair number I do not. I suppose I’m missing a control here, though. So let’s compare to something like 1993, when I was a college radio DJ and pretty plugged in. Looking at the first page of the 2012 list, I have 5 of those records in my collection, although there are a couple others that probably should be there. From the first page of the 1993 list, I have 16 of those. I think. Which seems like a big gap, but probably proves nothing! I wonder if I’m ever going to be bored enough to do this for every year and compare the results.
What Are You Listening To, Josh?
A sampling of albums that I’m playing regularly, whether older ones or newer ones. Just the things that I think are worth highlighting, and maybe you’d enjoy.
Let’s take a look at some of my regulars from 2012!
International Orange!, Firewater
Cop Shoot Cop, one of the most unique bands of the 90s underground, were built around Tod Ashley’s (aka Tod A.) stories of losers and the unique sound of two basses, two samplers, and a drum kit that was mostly assorted pieces of metal garbage. They released four records before breaking up acrimoniously, with Ashley getting into a label dispute with Interscope that the other band members were on the other side of. That split left Ashley to go form a new band, with the other members scattering (and those last, disputed sessions being released as Red Expendables). Ashley’s new band was something of a super group, with the most notable folks being Duane Denison (the Jesus Lizard) and Yuval Gabay (Soul Coughing), but a former Cop Shoot Cop member (David Ouimet) was also on-board. Ouimet was not part of the final incarnation of the previous band, which probably explains why he was still willing to record with Ashley.
The name of that first album, Get Off The Cross…We Need the Wood For The Fire always seemed to me like it might have been a shot at his former bandmates, but I’ve never seen anything that makes that explicit. It carried forward Ashley’s sardonic sense of humor but the wrapping was totally changed. Unlike the pounding industrial/noise-rock hybrid of CSC, Firewater was much more upbeat musically, even experimenting with things like a tango and klezmer on the first record. Over the course of seven albums, Firewater kept experimenting and changing things up, most notably with the last two where Ashley traveled the world and recorded with musicians in Turkey. Those last two albums are pretty different, especially rhythmically, and I adore them both. This is the second of those two, and the last of Firewater’s records.
In terms of what to expect, it’s kind of hard to describe. Between the prominent trombone and the unusual percussion (especially darbuka, a “goblet drum” that has a pretty different sound from typical Western instrumentation), it doesn’t really sound like anything else. All I can really say is you should give it a try, and if you like it, also have a listen to The Golden Hour, which is similar. And then let me know if you ever discover anything like these two records, because I don’t know of anything.
Freak Puke, The Melvins
OK, look. I talk about the Melvins a lot here. Some of that is just pure volume of releases, which means they’ll show up in my random plays quite a bit. Some of it is just because they rule. But whatever, we’re here again. Because this record is really worth highlighting as something pretty different from the rest of their releases. If you think purely of the Melvins as the band that created genre defining records like Bullhead and Lysol, you’re missing out on a very restless and experimental discography. But let’s get concrete about this album especially. Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle and Fantômas) in on the bass, but particularly on the upright bass. That provides just a totally different texture to the songs, and gets magnified when Dunn is doing things like bowing his bass instead of just plucking it. Even the songs that seem like they might be the usual crushing rock from the boys quickly reveal themselves to be something different, as the opening riffs of “Inner Ear Rupture” leads into Dunn just going nuts with his bow. There are a couple of more conventional songs here, but it’s all a very interesting and worthy record for exploration. If I was to recommend one record to someone who wants to learn about the Melvins beyond the core stuff, this is the one.
The Adult Section, The Karl Hendricks Trio
I won’t fully repeat the story I once wrote about Karl Hendricks, but suffice it to say that he was one of the people that unknowingly helped shape my musical tastes, thanks to working at the record store I hit up every week and being someone that would answer my questions about records. So I cannot really be objective about his records. And I don’t care about even attempting to be objective. Objectivity in criticism is a trap, with the “view from nowhere” invariably curdling into a sort of relativism that renders commentary worthless. “Is this a good record? Decide for yourself, I’m just here to report facts!” Listen to you!
Fuck that shit, I’m a person, I have a point of view, I have biases, I have a history. That history has shaped the way I think about and experience music (and everything else), and what you read here is my taste as filtered through my inadequate words. Hopefully my tastes are interesting to you, or you can at least calibrate what I like versus what you like, and get a sense based on how I describe things if you’ll enjoy it.
But I am saying I do not owe anybody something like laying out all my biases. How on earth could I even do that? What does that server? I am sharing my history with Karl Hendricks here, and I am especially noting that Karl Hendricks was a good person with good taste who helped me. I do that because I want to honor his memory, not to try and provide color to my opinion on his records. I am who I am, I have done what I’ve done, and I’ve fallen in love with the records I’ve fallen in love with.
Anyway. Karl Hendricks played power pop, mostly, with a willingness to really noise things up. It’s heartfelt and unabashedly emotional, and I love it dearly. This is his last album due to his early passing, so it’s melancholy for me, but I love all his albums. Have a listen, and think about the people who helped you in life, even if they might not have even realized they were going about it. You’ll be richer for revisiting those memories.
Let’s Talk New Releases
Records come out every week, and there’s no way to stay on top of them. This isn’t a comprehensive look at everything, just a few things that have caught my ears out of recent releases. Any impressions here are very early!
i sure am getting sick of this bowling alley, mclusky
This is really just service blogging here: there’s a new-ish (a couple months back) mclusky EP out, and it’s good. If you’re the audience for that, get excited! If you’re not, mclusky are one of the great noise rock bands, and you should head back and have a listen to mclusky Do Dallas.
Time Heals Everything, Blu & Exile
This hip-hop record is really in my wheelhouse for production, being very soul-forward. It reminds me of nothing so much as old Common records, which is a nice thing to be reminded of. That’s not to say it’s a throwback or anything, but it is rooted in the long history of hip-hop. This is a record by people who know what they’re doing, making something that could have fit into the golden age (define for yourself what age that is!) but doesn’t feel dusty either. Just really well-executed stuff, and when I finished this album in my queue the first time, I ran it back again right away.
The Big E, Editrix
Let’s get avant-garde! What does that mean? Search me! It’s usually used for music that doesn’t really fit neatly into another genre but instead pushes at boundaries. Often it comes with impressive chops, but not always. Anyway, Editrix has chops to burn, and this really kind of comes across as math rock more than anything else to me. Produced by metal legend (and amazing producer) Colin Marston, it sounds fantastic and crisp. It helps, I suppose, that this is a trio, which gives some space for them all to do their thing. Anyway, it’s fun hearing people who can tear it up, uh, tearing it up.
Five Random Songs
Yes, it’s the “classic” five random songs format. It’s been told before on this blog many times, but basically, on an old forum, people would post the last five songs their shuffle pulled up. I liked it, so I made it into a blog. And now, here we are.
“Rodeo in Joliet”, The Jesus Lizard
OK, look, this is probably hack as fuck, but I’m going with it. Hell, I’ve probably made the comment before (feel free to look at previous articles with the Jesus Lizard to check, I ain’t), and I’m still going for it. Goat is the best-named record in noise rock because it really is the GOAT.
All right, I apologize. But seriously, this is and forever will be the yardstick of noise rock for me. Some of that is the release date and when I started listening to it, but mostly it’s because it’s a perfect record front-to-back. Like, yeah, check out mclusky up above if you haven’t, but if you want to just start at the top and you’re somehow reading this blog without knowing noise rock, this is the one for you. Or maybe not, but it’ll sure make it easier to skip some stuff I write about if you don’t like it.
“The Music Lovers”, Destroyer
I am a bad Destroyer fan. I really like Streethawk: A Seduction a lot, and also like Dan Behar’s contributions to the New Pornographers a lot as well. And I would regularly pick up the latest Destroyer release, leading to six albums in the ol’ collection. And then…I just kind of don’t listen to them. No real reason there. I do like his whole deal. I just don’t listen. If someone would ask me about them, I’d say something enthusiastic, but it’s all a front. I’m just a bad fan.
Anyway, Destroyer? Yeah, I like ’em a lot, that whole Bowie, elaborate art-pop thing? Good stuff? Best record? Oh geez, look at the time.
“Cuban Necktie”, Cypress Hill
The first two Cypress Hill records are classic, with DJ Muggs’ work on them being something new and super impressive. It was genuinely disorienting to listen to those records in the context of their times, with all those strange voices, squeaky noises, odd squalls of horns, and all the rest of that stuff. It was off-putting in a way that was incredibly appealing. The next two records, well…best not to talk about them too much. It’s not that they departed too much from their formula, it just didn’t seem like it was going anywhere. The fifth record was an attempt to return to relevance, with an stab at some crossover appeal by producing a double album, with one record being a rap record and the other being a rock record. About the rock record, the less said, the better. The rap record is better, but it still kind of feels like a by-the-numbers Cypress Hill record. It’s at this point that I got off the bus. It looks like they kept going in various forms? Somehow, at some point, they kept going without Muggs but he returned in 2018? Anyway, none of my business. Those first two records still rule.
“Reparito”, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs are a band that a friend introduced to me way back in the day, and I never really quite figured out how she learned about them. I should ask! Maybe she’ll read this! Anyway, can’t understand a word, but this shit is good. Oh hell yeah, there’s that inimitable Five Songs insight! Come for the irrelevant personal stories, stay for the half-hearted “criticism”. Five Songs: somehow the worst value in music!
“Rip Rock”, Canibus
Look, the late 90s were a bit of a weird time for me, musically. I don’t have a great excuse for this record being here. Canibus had a fair bit of buzz before this album came out, and so I ended up picking it up. It’s not great, and the only thing from Canibus I can really recommend is him rapping about stealing office supplies.