THE 27 BEST AND 8 WORST RECORDS ON LOAD RECORDS

THIS IS THE LAST POST FROM THIS BLOG. THERE IS NO NEED FOR MORE.

HERE IS A SPOTIFY LINK TO A MIX OF GREAT SONGS FROM ACROSS ALL OF THE LOAD RECORDS CATALOGUE. SOME GREAT SONGS ARE ON RECORDS THAT DIDN'T QUITE MAKE THE CUT. LISTEN ON SHUFFLE!

HERE ARE THE 26 27 CERTIFIED: GOOD RECORDS OF LOAD RECORDS REARRANGED INTO ORDER OF HOW MUCH THEY RULE (THEY ALL DO)

1. NOXAGT - THE IRON POINT
2. SIGHTINGS - THROUGH THE PANAMA
3. LIGHTNING BOLT - WONDERFUL RAINBOW
4. YELLOW SWANS - AT ALL ENDS
5. KHANATE - THINGS VIRAL
6. SWORD HEAVEN - ENTRANCE
7. FNU RONNIES - SADDLE UP!
8. ASTOVEBOAT - NEW BEDFORD
9. YELLOW SWANS - PSYCHIC SECESSION
10. THE USA IS A MONSTER - SPACE PROGRAMS
11. SILVER DAGGERS - NEW HIGH & ORD
12. HARRY PUSSY - YOU'LL NEVER PLAY IN THIS TOWN AGAIN
13. IMPRACTICAL COCKPIT - TO BE TREATED
14. VAMPIRE CAN'T - KEY CUTTER
15. LIGHTNING BOLT - HYPERMAGIC MOUNTAIN
16. COUGHS - SECRET PASSAGE
17. SCISSOR GIRLS - S-T-A-T-I-C-L-A-N-D 10"
18. EXCEPTER - THRONE
19. LIGHTNING BOLT - LIGHTNING BOLT / THE YELLOW ALBUM
20. CLOCKCLEANER - BABYLON RULES
21. SIGHTINGS - ARRIVED IN GOLD
22. NOXAGT - TURNING IT DOWN SINCE 2001
23. THE USA IS A MONSTER - SUNSET AT THE END OF THE INDUSTRIAL AGE
24. LIGHTNING BOLT - RIDE THE SKIES
25. FINISHED - CUM INSIDE ME BRO
26. DAILY LIFE - NECESSARY AND PATHETIC
27. THE USA IS A MONSTER - WOHAW

NOTE: HAD DRUNKDRIVER'S RELEASE COUNTED AS A LOAD RECORDS RELEASE I'D PROBABLY PLACE IT JUST OUTSIDE THE TOP 10.

THE 8 WORST ALBUMS ON LOAD (DISREGARDING THE COMPILATIONS I DIDN'T LIKE) FROM WORST TO MOST TOLERABLE (ALL ARE BAD)

1. NAUTICAL ALMANAC - ROOTING FOR THE MICROBES
2. NEON HUNK - SMARMYLAND
3. DISKAHOLICS - LIVE IN JAPAN VOL. 1
4. KITES - ROYAL PAINT WITH THE METALLIC GARDENER FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HELPED INTO AN OPEN FIELD BY WOMEN AND CHILDREN
5. FAT WORM OF ERROR - PREGNANT BABIES PREGNANT WITH PREGNANT BABIES
6. HETERO SKELETON - EN LA SOMBRA DEL PÁRAJO VELLUDO
7. KITES - PEACE TRIALS 
8. MR. CALIFORNIA AND THE STATE POLICE - AUDIO HALLUCINATIONS
   
   
   THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT

FINISHED - CUM INSIDE ME BRO (LOAD 148)

IT IS 2016 AND IT IS THE LAST RECORD ON LOAD RECORDS. FUCK. AND THE NAME OF THE GROUP IS FINISHED? IS THAT A COINCIDENCE? I WAS PARTLY EXPECTING SOME KIND OF LOAD RECORDS ALUMNI PARTY RECORD BUT INSTEAD THIS SORT OF SOUNDS LIKE JAY REATARD WRITING WITH THE CULT?

THE RECORD FAIRLY RIPS ACTUALLY. I HATE THE ALBUM ART (BELOW) AS MUCH AS I HATE ANYTHING THAT BRINGS THAT DEEPLY ONLINE WORLD INTO THE TANGIBLE WORLD OF THINGS (I MIGHT WANT TO BUY THIS AND DISPLAY IT, THINK OF MY COFFEE TABLE CULTURAL CAPITAL DUDE) BUT I CAN'T DENY THAT WHAT IS PRESSED ONTO THE THING INSIDE IS A. MORE IMPORTANT AND 2. QUITE GOOD ACTUALLY.

THIS HAS THE SAME KIND OF SCABROUS ANTI-REVERENTIAL TENDENCY AS FNU RONNIES AND HUMAN EYE AND PURLING HISS. IT ROCKS OUT BUT IT REJECTS OBVIOUS CLICHE. WFMU-FRIENDLY ROCK AND ROLL. I THINK I'M GONNA SAY THIS IS A CERTIFIED: GOOD RECORD ACTUALLY. THE GUY ABSOLUTELY SLAYS ON THE GUITAR AND THE BAND AND SINGER JUST DO THE RIGHT THING NEARLY ALL THE TIME.

CERTIFIED: GOOD

TROPICAL TRASH - UFO ROT (LOAD 147)

THE DEBUT ALBUM BY THE STILL-GOING TROPICAL TRASH, A GROUP OF DUDES FROM LOUSVILLE KENTUCKY, REMINDS ME QUITE A LOT OF SACRED BONES ACT "THE MEN". THAT'S NOT A CRITICISM - THE MEN DID A RECORD IN 2012 THAT RULES AND THEN HAVE SINCE PURSUED A MOJO MAGAZINE AESTHETIC. TROPICAL TRASH PICK UP THE ALTERNATIVE TIMELINE OF CONSULTING THE BANDS LISTED IN "OUR BAND COULD BE YOUR LIFE" AND RUNNING WITH IT.

I LIKE THIS RECORD BECAUSE TROPICAL TRASH ROCK AND PLACE A PREMIUM ON YOUR FUN AS A LISTENER. IT ISN'T NEW IN THE SLIGHTEST. SOME PEOPLE WILL SEE IT AS JUST AS MUCH AS AN EXERCISE AS THE RYAN ADAMS 1984 EP (WHICH I MAINTAIN RULES) BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S A BUNCH OF GOOD SONGS EXECUTED WELL. WHEN WE PORE OVER THIS STUFF AS WE LOOK AT GREEK CLASSICS TEXTS WE DON'T REALLY SEE THE MINOR SHIFTS BETWEEN YEARS, RATHER THAN THE GREATER SWEEP OF HISTORY STUFF.

THIS IS A GOOD RECORD AND AGAIN LIKE A LOT OF GOOD RECORDS ON LOAD OF LATE IT ISN'T GREAT OR DOESN'T MAKE YOU WANT TO RUN DOWN THE STREETS LIKE THE WARRIORS OR SOME SHIT. I'D GO SEE TROP TRASH THOUGH.

TIMEGHOST - CELLULAR (LOAD 146)

THE ONLY RELEASE FROM LOAD RECORDS IN 2014 WAS THIS PEDANTIC AND THIN SOUNDING ELECTRONIC RECORD THAT MIXES PARANOID POETRY WITH GURGLES AND SWIRLS THAT TAKES FLIGHT AND AIMS FOR THE FENNESZIAN HEIGHTS BUT LANDS SOMEWHERE IN THE SEA OF THE SOUND A DYING FAX MAKES.

THE FEEL I GET FROM THIS ALBUM IS WHEN I GO TO ONE OF MANY CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITS THAT IS A CRITIQUE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ND TECHNOLOGY AND IT ALL ADDS UP TO VAGUELY WINDOWS XP-INFLUENCED COLLAGES OF BREAKDOWN AND DYSFUNCTION MARRIED TO THE SACCHARINE IMAGES OF THE DREAMS IT PROMISES US. LIKE, WE GET IT, THERE'S A FUNDAMENTAL RUB THERE. SAY SOMETHING MORE. EVEN MY FUCKING MUM KNOWS THE INTERNET IS A FALSE PROMISE, OR AT LEAST A REAL PROMISE CORRUPTED.

I MEAN AT LEAST PRURIENT CRITICISES STUFF BY ROLLING ON THE FLOOR WITH HIS TINY COCK POKING OUT OF HIS LEATHER DUDS. THIS IS KIND OF AN AMBIENT RECORD THAT SOMETIMES GETS BOLD. I DON'T DISLIKE IT TO BE HONEST AND MY REVIEW IS BEING WEIRDLY UNFAIR, BUT ALSO I DO THINK IT CONTEMPTIBLE ON SOME LEVEL.

WHORE PAINT - SWALLOW MY BONES (LOAD 145)

I GUESS IF PRESSED I WOULD NOT SAY THAT LOAD RECORDS HAS BEEN NOTED FOR ITS STRONG VOCAL FEMINIST STANCE. YES THEY HAVE PRESENTED A NUMBER OF WORKS FROM INTERESTING FEMALE PERSPECTIVES - SCISSOR GIRLS, METALUX, OvO - BUT IT WOULDN'T BE AN UNFAIR CRITIQUE TO SAY THAT LOAD WAS A BIT OF A SAUSAGE PARTY.

WHORE PAINT I GUESS FROM THEIR NAME AND GENERAL APPROACH TO ROCK (SLEATER-KINNEY AN INFLUENCE) ARE ONE GROUP THAT SEEM TO COME FROM A GENE POOL THAT ONCE WAS RIOT GRRL. THERE'S ASPECTS OF THE BLOWN-OUT FURY OF PROVIDENCE ROCK AND ROLL TOO, SO THERE IS A NATURAL FIT HERE AND I'D AVER THEY GOT SIGNED BASED ON THIS RATHER THAN THEIR POLITICS OR GENDER. THE GUITARIST HAS THIS REALLY CRUNCHED OUT SOUND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN LOAD 001.

THE RECORD DOES SORT OF FEEL LIKE HALF-AN-ALBUM'S WORTH OF IDEAS STRETCHED OUT TO FULL LENGTH. THEY CAN OBVIOUSLY RIP IT UP AND THE SINGER RANGES BETWEEN THAT RIOT GRRL BELTING TO SOMETHING A BIT MORE ANIMALISTIC WHILE THE DRUMMER ISN'T CHOPPED LIVER IN THERE EITHER. JUST NEEDED A BIT MORE TIME AND A COUPLE MORE IDEAS!

HUMANBEAST - VENUS EJACULATES INTO THE BANQUET (LOAD 144)

WE ARE NOW IN 2013 AND LOAD ARE SORT OF RETURNING TO THEIR ROOTS A LITTLE. 143 AND 144 ARE PROVIDENCE GROUPS: ONE BRO-ISH AM REP SHIT AND THE OTHER ART SCHOOL ELECTRONICS. SHE SINGS AND I GUESS HE PRESSES KEYS AND MAKES SURE THE COMPUTER HAS A RELEVANT SOUNDCARD.

DESPITE THEIR NAME I HEAR NO EMILE ZOLA-ISH DETERMINIST NATURALIST CRITIQUE OF MAN'S EVENTUAL DEBASEMENT. INSTEAD WHAT WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT LANDS IN THE WORLD OF THE EROTIC AND SULTRY. THOUGH THERE ARE NOISE OUTBURSTS AND MOMENTS OF ANTIC PANIC, THIS IS MOSTLY SET AT SEX TEMPO AND REVELS IN FUCK MELODY AND RHYTHM. FOR A PROVIDENCE DUO THE FEEL IS MORE HAMBURG NIGHTCLUB.

I GUESS IT'S A BIT TOO DIRTY SOUNDING TO CRACK THE ACTUAL MAINSTREAM BUT I AM SURPRISED THIS DIDN'T BREAK THROUGH THE INDIE-DANCE WORLD. IT IS FAR MORE INTERESTING THAN HERCULES AND THEIR BASTARD LOVE AFFAIR OR ANYTHING ON DFA SINCE DELIA AND GAVIN TO BE QUITE FRANK. MAYBE IN SOME SENSES IT IS GENERIC GIRL AND GUY ELECTRO POP - HER VOICE ISN'T PARTICULARLY UNIQUE, HE DOESN'T WREST NEW SOUNDS FROM HIS MACHINES - BUT THEY DO ASSEMBLE SOMETHING GOOD.

DEAD AIR - DEAD AIR (LOAD 143)

THE ONLY RELEASE BY PROVIDENCE GROUP DEAD AIR IS AN EXTENDED PLAY. I CAN'T SAY EXACTLY HOW BUT THIS FEELS LIKE EVIDENCE THAT THE LABEL IS WINDING DOWN. USUALLY BANDS HAVE A BIT OF A DEVELOPMENT PERIOD AND THEN BEN GRABS YA AND PUTS YOUR RECORD OUT. DEAD AIR DO BASSLESS TWO GUITAR NOISE ROCK AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE PUT OUT ANYTHING SO...OKAY.

IT FEELS LIKE KARAOKE AT A SCRATCH ACID CONVENTION. A BAND PLAY A FEW RENT-A-RIFFS AND THEN SOME GUY GETS UP AND YELLS NON-SEQUITURS AND BAM! THERE'S YOUR RECORD. AND IT'S FINE. PERFECTLY OKAY. BETTER THAN A LOT OF SHIT. BUT NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS LOTS. I'M OUT OF THINGS TO SAY HERE.

LIGHTNING BOLT - OBLIVION HUNTER (LOAD 142)

A RECORD MADE BEFORE THE RELEASE OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS BY THE BROTHERS BRIAN BUT FOR SOME REASON SHELVED UNTIL 2012 AND RELEASED AS AN EXTENDED PLAY. IT IS 38 MINUTES LONG SO TO MOST NORMAL PEOPLE THIS WOULD FEEL LIKE A FULL LENGTH.


I GUESS THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND THE LAST FEW RECORDS PROPER IS THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS CAPTURED LIVE AND NOT REALLY TOUCHED MUCH IN THE MIX. I DUNNO. IT SOUNDS TOTALLY FINE TO ME IN THAT REGARD.

OBLIVION HUNTER IS A DECENT RECORD ACTUALLY. IT'S LIGHTING BOLT CHASING DOWN THE ROAD LESSER TAKEN. IT MUST BE SO EASY WHEN YOU'RE CONFRONTED WITH A HEAVING SWEATY MOB TO GO BACK AND WRITE A NEW BATCH OF INSANE MOSH RIFFS AND KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING. AND IN A WAY THEY DID ACTUALLY DO THAT, BECAUSE THIS RECORD OF THEIR PSYCH SIDE WAS PUT AWAY. IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S NO IMMEDIACY HERE, BUT YOU CAN SEE AS A SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON WITH EARTHLY DELIGHTS WHICH ONE OF THE TWO IS LIKELY TO REGISTER ON THE RICHTER SCALE. HELL, ON THIS, GIBSON'S BASS SOUNDS A LOT MORE LIKE A GUITAR PLAYED LOVINGLY THAN A FURIOUS MUTANT BASS.

ON THE WHOLE I PREFER OBLIVION HUNTER TO EARTHLY DELIGHTS. THE CLOSING PSYCH TANTRUM 'WORLD WOBBLY WIDE' HAS A BIZARRE TROPICAL FLAVOUR THAT I GUESS THEY JUST COULDN'T GET AWAY WITH ON A "PROPER" RECORD. NOT QUITE CERTIFIED: GOOD BUT I GUESS THIS ONE DID TAKE ME BY SURPRISE. RECORD MORE STUFF OFF THE CUFF GUYS! DON'T THINK TOO MUCH.

WHITE SUNS - SINEWS (LOAD 141)

IN THE 1990S THE GROUP LABRADFORD CURATED WHAT THEY CALLED "THE FESTIVAL OF DRIFTING" WHICH CELEBRATED THE IDEA OF GENRELESSNESS IN A WORLD OBSESSED WITH TAXONOMY AND PIGEONHOLING GROUPS ACCORDING TO STRICT LINES. NOW I MAY COME ACROSS A BIT VICTORIAN DAD BUT GENRES ARE AT LEAST SOMEWHAT USEFUL (EVEN IF GOOD BANDS RARELY SAY "WE'RE A [GENRE] BAND"). HOWEVER IT IS ALWAYS QUITE GOOD TO COME ACROSS A GROUP AND SAY "WHAT IS THIS?" WHITE SUNS ARE A BIT LIKE THAT.

IF I HAD TO TAKE A WILD SWING IT WOULD BE THAT WHITE SUNS ARE SORT OF A FREE-FORM ROCK BAND WITH FORAYS INTO OUTER METAL, SUNBURNED PSYCH, DEAD C-STYLE COLLAPSING NARRATIVES, AND "EXPERIMENTAL ROCK". ACTUALLY I THINK IN THEIR GENRE COLLISION AND REJECTION OF THE CLASSIC ROCK BAND LINE-UP, THERE'S SOMETHING VERY 2020 ABOUT WHITE SUNS. THIS EVEN SOUNDS LIKE A RECORD THAT COULD HAVE JUST DROPPED.

IT'S HEAVY AND EXCITING AND I DARESAY IT IS EVEN ORIGINAL TO AN EXTENT. MY ONLY QUIBBLE IS THAT WHILE I CAN SEE IT IS WELL-CONCEIVED AND ARTFUL AND PLAYED WITH A WINNING SPIRIT, IT'S JUST NOT QUITE FOR ME! IT HAS A BIT OF A WHIFF OF QUIETUS DOT COM TO ME. LIKE, Y'KNOW, A BIT TOO SERIOUS AND REVERENTIAL FOR ITS OWN GOOD. YOU CAN ALMOST SMELL THE PERFORMED "APPRECIATION" FROM THEIR FANS. GOOD RECORD THOUGH.

WHITE LOAD - WAYNE'S WORLD 3 B/W GODFATHER 4 (LOAD 140)

THE VICE MAGAZINE OBSESSION WITH TOUGH-SOUNDING HARDCORE OVER MORE NAKEDLY EMOTIONAL AND SINCERE FORMS OF MUSIC SPOKE TO THEIR FEAR OF EMOTIONS. YES, IT IS TRUE A LOT OF INDIE ROCK (THE ESSENTIAL HOME OF VICE THOUGH THEY MAY NOT WANT TO ADMIT IT) WAS COMPLETE BALLS BY THIS TIME, BUT THAT'S NO REASON TO THROW IN WITH A GENRE THAT LARGELY CEASED TO SIGNIFY FOR NON-MARGINALISED PEOPLE AND CULTURES AFTER IAN MACKAYE GAVE IT UP FOR ACTUAL MUSIC.

OKAY I AM BEING OVERWROUGHT BUT I DUNNO ABOUT THIS SHIT EITHER. I WAS AN AVID READER OF MXMRNR AND I GUESS I GOT TIRED OF THEIR NONSENSE AND MINISCULE CRITICIAL CRITERIA ("26 SONGS IN 24 MINUTES, NO BULLSHIT CRUST" - LIKE MAYBE I WANT THE BULLSHIT ( MELODIES? REFLECTION?)?? YOU EVER CONSIDER THAT?) IT'S NOT THAT WHITE LOAD CAN'T DO HARDCORE WELL - THIS IS PROBABLY A VERY CREDIBLE HARDCORE RELEASE WITH LITTLE "BULLSHIT". BUT WHAT DOES IT ADD TO HARDCORE ASIDE FROM ANOTHER BODY PILING ON ITS ALREADY OPPRESSIVE MUSICAL DOGMA? VERY LITTLE I WAGER.

THE MOST LOAD RECORDS THING HERE IS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A BASS PLAYER. THE RECORDING IS PRETTY LO-FI IN A WAY THAT WORKS AND YOU DON'T MISS IT. IF THEY'RE FUNNY OR POLITICAL I CAN'T REALLY HEAR. THE ALBUM TITLE TEES YOU UP FOR IRONY THOUGH.

ED SCHRADER'S MUSIC BEAT - JAZZ MIND (LOAD 139)

THE ED SCHRADER CNC MUSIC FACTORY (BEAT) RETURNS TO LOAD RECORDS FOR A FULL-LENGTH RECORD. THE ULTRA-MINIMALISM OF THEIR 7" REMAINS (BOTH SONGS FROM THE SINGLE ARE HERE) BUT BOTH SCHRADER AND BEAT VARY THE MUSICAL PALETTE. FOR INSTANCE THE SECOND SONG IS CALLED 'GEM ASYLUM' AND IT IS VOICE AND SYNTH AND SOUNDS MORE LIKE SOMETHING ROOTED IN 80S SYNTHPOP.

WHAT I AM MOSTLY BROUGHT TO MIND OF WHEN CONFRONTED WITH A FULL-LENGTH RECORD BY THESE GUYS IS - AND THIS IS AN OBSERVATION RATHER THAN A CRITIQUE - IS LESS "TOURING MUSICIAN" AND MORE "STREET MUSICIANS WITH AN INTERESTING GIMMICK". LIKE THEY WERE DESPERATE FOR THE RENT ONE DAY AND THEY WENT TO TIMES SQUARE WITH A BUCKET AND A BASS AND MADE ENOUGH $$ AND HERE WERE ARE - A REAL RECORD!

AGAIN THE GUYS ARE WISE TO KEEP THE SONGS SHORT SO YOU DON'T REALLY SEE THROUGH THE CONCEPT OR GET TIRED OF IT. IT'S KIND OF LIKE A VERY GOOD EXTENDED PLAY REALLY. NOT QUITE CERTIFIED GOOD BUT DEFINITELY WAY WAY MORE INTERESTING THAN OTHER INDIE ROCK TRENDS OF 2012.