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Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, “Massage Seats”

We’ve had a lot of Madlib around here, in a bunch of different projects. In 2014, he got together with Freddie Gibbs, the upcoming gangsta rapper who also was comfortable as an underground MC. That collaboration, Piñata, was one of my favorite Madlib records ever (which is really saying something). The pairing felt natural, with Madlib’s gritty, fractured beats complementing Gibbs’s flows perfectly. This track is from the followup, Bandana, which is just as good, although because it was the second it doesn’t have the factor of surprise working for it. Both albums are very highly recommended.

The Hit Pack, “Never Say No To Your Baby”

A Motown track from 1965, the heavy horns here really sound a little more like Stax than like Motown, especially from 1965.

Rufus Thomas, “Funky Mississippi”

Yeah, see, those horns!

DJ Vadim, “Your Revolution”

DJ Vadim’s second album, U.S.S.R. Life From The Other Side, found the abstract hip-hop producer working with MCs on most of the tracks, which largely was an improvement. I think abstract hip-hop can sometimes get a little lazy, and having to make sure things will work with someone actually rapping makes sure that he tightens things up.

Fifteen, “Petroleum Distillation”

Fifteen is the successor band to Crimpshrine, who were one of the seminal bands of the entire Gilman/Lookout scene in California. Crimpshrine splintered, yielding Operation Ivy, the legendary Cometbus zine, and Fifteen. As you can hear, this is very much right in the middle of that Lookout sound, all melodic punk in the vein of Stiff Little Fingers. Quite enjoyable if you’re into this style.

Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, “Good Cop Bad Cop”

The Shadowy Men would become famous as the band who provided the theme song and much of the music for the Kids in the Hall. But to me, they’ll always remind me of my friends Drew and Alex in college, and specifically Alex’s dorm where I first encountered them. They were really the first instrumental band I fell in love with, and one of the key ways I started broadening my taste. I’m glad that it still sounds great to me, and cherish the ability of this album to transport me back to that time.

Isotope 217, “Kryptonite Smokes The Red Line”

Is it post-rock or jazz? Half of the band is from Tortoise, so that’s a big post-rock vote. But, they have multiple horns! So, jazz? But Godspeed You! Black Emperor have multiple horns, right? [checks] Hmm, only one listed. I’m going to say that more than one horn makes you into jazz. Gonna have to see if the horn rule holds up.

Noname, “Regal”

Noname is from Chicago, and first gained some fame working with Chance the Rapper. Her 2018 album, Room 25, is fantastic - jazzy, smooth, she has great delivery, it’s a real delight.

The Adjusters, “Armstrong”

The Adjusters were a ska/soul act out of Chicago, who managed a couple albums before the ska scene imploded, but hung around with a couple more albums with much more narrow distribution. They also wore their left politics on their sleeve, and brought a lot of genuine passion to things. This tune comes from their most effective album, Before The Revolution, where their eclectic influences came together well.

The Pietasters, “Crying Over You”

I’m of the opinion that the Pietasters really fell off hard after Oolooloo, driven among other things by Stephen Jackson’s vocals getting much more gruff and the band really starting to emphasize rock more and more. That said, there are still some fun tunes on their later records, such as this one from Awesome Mix Tape #6.

Nine Inch Nails, “The Big Come Down”

The Downward Spiral was a leap forward in complexity for Nine Inch Nails, as Trent Reznor really made use of a much broader set of tools. But I don’t think it’s his best record. I think that goes to The Fragile, the eventual follow-up that emerged as a double record and again makes another leap ahead. If nothing else, there’s more of it, and when the quality is this high, that matters. He wouldn’t ever quite hit these heights again, although there are plenty of excellent albums in the future.

The Meters, “Funky Miracle”

Mostly, when we get a funk track on here, I just pull the textual equivalent of a stink face. “Goddamn,” I’ll say, or “holy shit” or some other incoherent blurt. It conveys nothing about the music other than my elemental appreciation for it. I’d like to apologize for my limitations as a writer here. I don’t really know what I’m doing, or even why I’m doing it. I just like being connected to my music a little bit more, and this blog is a way to do that. And, if I may add: godDAMN.

Irata, “Weightless”

I don’t really remember where I heard about this record, 2019’s Tower, but this rocks. But there’s some real Torche vibes going on here, and that’s a fine thing. This is good! I like this! Nice work, past Josh!

Don Caballero, “You Drink A Lot Of Coffee For A Teenager”

Hey, this past Memorial Day (I know this, because I’m writing this entry ON Memorial Day and I thought this today), I was thinking “huh, my oldest is at the age when I picked up a coffee habit”. So, yeah, I sure did drink a lot of coffee for a teenager. Mostly while playing cards in diners. An excellent pursuit that I heartily recommend.

Xasthur, “Purgatory Spiral”

Another track from Xasthur, the weird experimental metal act that I ended up with courtesy of a Hydra Head grab bag. It’s not really, uh, my bag.

Converge, “Sadness Comes Home”

All We Love We Leave Behind is my favorite Converge record, where their hardcore reached a pinnacle of bananas complexity that it ends up being compulsively listenable. It’s sometimes the case that hardcore bands lose their edge as they go, as increased polish starts exposing simple songs and reveals all the flaws. It’s a rare hardcore band that gets better as they go, but Converge managed that.

Japandroids, “The House That Heaven Built”

Everything about Celebration Rock is just unabashedly turned up to 11. It was impossible for me to not be absolutely charmed to death by it. It was deliberately written to be full of songs that would be massive played live, so the songs were kept simple and pumped just full of big moments. It’s not sophisticated, but it absolutely works.

Neurosis, “Grey”

Maybe the most incongruous record on Lookout Records, certainly the one I think of when I think of something standing out. After a pretty standard hardcore record on Alternative Tentacles, Neurosis put out this album that finds them really transitioning from that hardcore band into the progressive metal powerhouse that would help shape the metal world in the mid 90s. It’s something of a curiosity, but if you’re a big fan of the band and are wondering where you first see their potential, it’s on The Word As Law.