Anything On Your Mind?
Onward to 2021! Pretty much the same as 2020, which is kind of the overall thesis I’m working on here. Work from home continued, in the same pattern as before, with too much of it. We did move twice in 2021, which at least livened up things somewhat, in that it was a lot of work and we got rid of a lot of stuff. But largely, it’s a blur with 2020. And so we dwell on that no more! Let’s instead look at the RYM list for the year.
Man, I have to find a different source for charts. I have four of these. I suppose when you see (two) of the albums I write about below, it’s probably not surprising that they’re not on the list. I guess I was listening to some rough stuff this year.
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.
Rien ne suffit, Plebian Grandstand
I mentioned that I’d be talking about this album a few posts ago, and now here we are. Yes, I really think this is the best album of 2021. I know that if you hit play on this, you’re seriously going to wonder about me. The first track is someone howling over stuttering, pounding drums and guitar that sounds like a swarm of wasps. Angry wasps. It is then punctuated by a piercing siren and apocalyptic thrums. And so it goes. For the most part, the noises on this album can be more accurately described by using non-musical terms. It is a desolate, desperate album. When it is blasting away, it sounds like it is doing so to efface you. When it isn’t, you sort of wish it would resume with the blasting. And always, always the harrowed vocals. There’s metal that is trying to sound evil, demonic, monstrous. And then there’s this, which just sounds broken.
It’s not the easiest album to listen to, but there is beauty in it. I don’t visit it that often, as you might imagine. My most played album from 2021 is almost certainly Jeff Rosenstock’s Ska Dream, which I adore and which goes down easy. I’ve also listened a lot to Silk Sonic’s self-titled record. The Good People put out a fun record. Fun records get a lot more play, that’s how it works. But this album is such a remarkable statement that I do think it’s something special.
I’ll say this: I usually put these records on while I’m writing about them, just to kind of refresh myself on some points. I’ll jump around in the songs, move around, remind myself of some of the finer points. Not on this album. I just put it on and played it through. It’s really something else.
Nerve Butcherer, Concrete Winds
Are you ready for a break? Tough shit! Concrete Winds’ 2021 release was completely bonkers. The description on their Bandcamp listing is just “AGGRESSIVE NOISE TORMENT” and I’m not really going to do better than that. I actually think Plebian Grandstand’s record, while more difficult, is probably more understandable. Yes, it’s extreme, but I think you can detect human emotions in it, even if those emotions are things like despair. This, what even is this? I don’t know what to tell you. From first encountering this kind of crazy stuff when encountering grindcore and similarly bonkers stuff in college, I’ve sometimes just wanted something chaotic and savage to play, and this album is some of the best. It’s like scrubbing out your brain with a metal grill brush. (Don’t use them on grills, kids, you can end up with shreds of metal in your food! Brains are fine, though.)
Sunday Afternoon, True Loves
Now is the time for a break. Kick off that first track. What does that sound like? That’s right, the JBs. Dig the trombone solo! What does that second track sound like? That’s right, the JBs. They let the drummer have some! Sax solo! Goddamn, get down! And so it goes. Seattle’s own (SEATTLE MENTIONED) True Loves are playing funk on this record, not funk and soul. Just funk. They’re making great use of ensemble horns all the way through, and they are having a grand time. I love funk/soul records, obviously, but it’s so nice to hear a band just straight up playing funk.
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!
Play Some Music, Neptune
I feel like this is a big blind spot I didn’t even know that I had. Somehow, I had not heard about this band, despite them being around for decades. Clearly I should have known about them! Some reading on them reveals that Jason Sidney Sanford is the connective tissue across said decades. They make their own oddball instruments to play, and what it comes across as to me is industrial. But, industrial industrial. Very specifically, it reminds me of Einstürzende Neubauten’s Five on the Open Ended Richter Scale and their other mid-80s work. Amplified percussion, plenty of things going scrape and ping, disaffected-sounding vocals, it’s all there. Saying something reminds me of mid-80s Neubauten is about as high a compliment as I can pay, incidentally. I’m glad I was able to fill in this blind spot, at least a little.
Chitynowy Swag, Opiat, The Phantom & Karol Guaguo
This records answers the question nobody thought to ask, which is “what if Madlib was Polish and still made the Quasimoto records?” I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere near high enough for this, but I still love it.
Fear State, Spent Case
Look, I know that the selections today have been a pain in the ass. And throwing in a death metal record at the end here is probably an act of cruelty after subjecting you to Plebian Grandstand and Concrete Winds. Well, a few things. First, this is just an EP. In and out, just five songs and nothing long at that. You can deal with that! I believe in you! Two, this is on Maggot Stomp Records, which means one thing: it’s going to be extremely brain dead. Just riffs, riffs, riffs, riffs. This is some seriously knuckle-dragging caveman garbage. If you have any thought while listening to this that cannot be expressed in three words at the outside, you’re doing it wrong. I am stupider for having written this 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.
“Best Friend’s Arm”, Pavement
As time goes on, I grow to appreciate this album (Wowee Zowee) more and more. In some ways, it incorporates the best elements of the first two albums, which might make it the best single thing they put out. At least viewed through the lens of capturing all parts of the band. I don’t think I can get past Slanted & Enchanted being my favorite, but it’s nice that I’ve slowly grown to appreciate this album more and more.
“Take Your Medicine”, CZARFACE & MF DOOM
This is the opener to Czarface Meets Metal Face, the collaboration between Czarface (7L, Esoteric, and Inspectah Deck) and MF DOOM. As with all Czarface records, it’s all superhero themed stuff, and it’s totally fine. But this isn’t really DOOM’s best work, and while I enjoy it while it’s on, it all just immediately drains away.
“Simon Ferocious”, Mogwai
Damn, I do love a nice flatulent synth sound.
“The Maestro”, Beastie Boys
Check Your Head was really a revelation, and even some of the lesser songs (like this one, let’s be honest) were still a good time. I mean, somebody say Columbo!
“Eon”, Leprous Daylight
Sorry for all the metal today. This blog is over!
Some Better Places To Learn About Music
Check these folks out, you’ll learn more for sure. In no particular order: To The Teeth, Wolf’s Week/Plague Rages, The Devil’s Mouth, Burning Ambulance, Lamniformes Cuneiform, Hex Records, See/Saw, Starkweather.