Tombs

Palace Brothers, “You Will Miss Me When I Burn”

A repeat, but remains a lovely tune.

Fuck The Facts, “Shadows Collide”

Long running Canadian grindcore artists Fuck the Facts cranked out Desire Will Rot in 2015, producing an album that is interesting not just because of the stretches of blast fury, but thanks to the interludes in-between. I find grindcore more interesting when it provides those moments of contrast, it helps the crazy tempos stand out even more.

Young Fresh Fellows, “Barky’s Spiritual Store”

There was a nine year break between 1992’s It’s Low Beat Time and 2001’s Because We Hate You, with Scott McCaughey spending time in the interim both touring with R.E.M. and spending time with his other band, the Minus 5. And when this album came out, it was actually a double album, with the other album from the Minus 5. So, all McCaughey, but with different people accompanying him.

Obits, “I Want Results”

There’s an interesting comparison to make between Obits and Rocket from the Crypt. We know what John Reis and Rick Froberg sound like when they’re writing songs and performing together (great!). But their bands apart give a window into what they sound like on their own, and what they bring to the combined work. Outside of his distinctive yelp, it turns out that Froberg sounds like a more traditional blues and psych influenced rock band than anything else. It’s very well-done, of course, but it’s interesting to observe that the punk energy seems to be coming more from Reis.

From a musty 70s basement to the sound of future rap, today’s Five Songs has you covered.

Space Rock, “Dark Days”

So, here’s a true oddity for you. Numero Group, a record label primarily doing reissues (and doing a great job!), released Cities of Darkscorch, a fantasy board game where you’re playing as a hard rock band, traveling around the world defeating monsters and questing. It was accompanied by a double LP, Wayfaring Strangers: Darkscorch Canticles, which was full of Sabbath and Zeppelin inspired heavy rock from a variety of acts. It all kind of tries to function as a time machine back to the early days of gaming, and ends up being a pretty unique package. I’m not sure it’s all good, exactly, but I’m sure glad I own it.