DAILY LIFE - NECESSARY AND PATHETIC (LOAD 131)

JUST WHEN I GET OUT THEY PULL ME BACK IN! I THOUGHT KITES WERE BEHIND ME BUT AS SOON AS THAT PROJECT DIES HE IS REBORN AS DAILY LIFE. TO BE FAIR THIS IS A BAND WITH SOMEONE CALLED SAKIKO (NO BIO AVAILABLE) SO I AM HITTING THE MENTAL RESET BUTTON AND TAKING THIS AS SOMETHING *NEW*.

I GUESS THE STYLE IS MINIMAL WAVE? COLD DISTANT SYNTHS AND RHYTHMS THAT SEEM LIKE BASIC PROGRAMS OF EARLY ORGANS AND RHYTHM MACHINES. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS IS BECAUSE I AM SURPRISED OR WHETHER THIS IS ON MERIT BUT I QUITE LIKE THIS MINI-ALBUM. IT FOCUSES AROUND A SMALLER NEXUS OF SOUND AND USES POP-ISH PARAMETERS TO CHANNEL ENERGY. 'HALL OF MIRRORS' AND 'ROGUE FATE' HAVE GORGEOUS AND IDIOSYNCRATIC TONES. I AM WARMING TO THIS GREATLY!

THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PICTURES OF DAILY LIFE ONLINE. THIS IS THE BEST I CAN DO. ANYWAY. I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM DOING THIS BUT THE DUDE FROM KITES WHO MADE TWO OF THE WORST RECORDS I HEARD IN QUITE A WHILE TURNS OUT TO BE A VERY GOOD PART OF A VERY INTERESTING POP-ADJACENT RECORD. IF YOU LIKE COLD CAVE OR YOU WISH JUNIOR BOYS HAD A WEIRDER SUPPORT BAND, DAILY LIFE ARE FOR YOU.

CERTIFIED: GOOD

CLOCKCLEANER - AUF WIEDERSEHEN EP (LOAD 130)

A LITERAL TITLE THEN AS CLOCKCLEANER CALLED IT A DAY AFTER THIS DROPPED. I CAN SEE WHY. 2010 SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN THE TIDE TURNING AGAINST NON-POP, NON-ELECTRONIC, NON-IRONY CAPSIZED MUSICS. WHENEVER I SEE SOMETHING RELEASED IN A HEAVY GENRE RELEASED POST 2010 I KIND OF SIGH MELANCHOLICALLY. LIKE WELL DONE FOR FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT BUT ALSO KNOW YOU'RE DOOMED TO IRRELEVANCE. NO ONE WILL COME BACK FOR YOUR CORPSE.

 

FOR AN EP YOU GET PRETTY DECENT VALUE HERE: 24 MINUTES WORTH OF MUSIC. I WOULD HAZARD A GUESS THAT THIS IS AN ABORTED ALBUM. NOTHING FEELS STOPGAP ABOUT IT. IT'S SOLID, WELL-CONSIDERED, LESS SNEERY AND MORE MELODIC THAN THE 2007 ALBUM. GROUPS ON SACRED BONES LIKE SLUG GUTS WOULD KIND OF RUN WITH CLOCKCLEANER'S SOUND, I NOW REALISE. 

NONE OF THESE WOULD LESSEN OR SOUND OUT OF PLACE ON THE LAST RECORD BUT THEY DON'T PARTICULARLY HANG TOGETHER TO MAKE A RECORD QUITE AS GOOD AS THAT. IF YOU LIKE CLOCKCLEANER'S BASIC SOUND THEN YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY CHECK THIS ONE OUT. FARE THEE WELL.

SWORD HEAVEN - GONE (LOAD 129)

THE MIDWESTERN INDUSTRIAL DUO ARE BACK AND THEY'VE NOT CHILLED OUT A JOT. IF YOU'RE IN THE MARKET FOR A RECORD THAT IS COMPLETELY HELLISH THEN FIND "GONE" BY SWORD HEAVEN AT YOUR LOCAL DEALER OF ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL RECORDS.

THIS IS LIKE THE DEMENTED GURGLINGS AND HOWLINGS OF A GULAG OR SLAVESHIP COMMITTED TO TAPE. DEEP THUNDEROUS PERCUSSION RUMBLINGS WITH GRIM TEXTURES AND ANTI-MELODIES FROM THE SLOUGH OF DESPOND. IT'S LIKE AN ALEXEI GERMAN FILM COME TO LIFE. JUST PURE HORROR. IT'S LIKE AN INDUSTRIAL MUSIC THAT WAS INVENTED IN A SOVIET PRISON OF THE 1920S.

IT'S JUST THREE TRACKS AT JUST OVER 30 MINUTES BUT IT LANDS A LOT OF PUNCHES IN THAT TIME. ON THE WHOLE I PREFER ENTRANCE A BIT MORE. THIS SHEDS SOME OF THE CREEPY SEX ASPECT OF THAT RECORD BUT I DON'T THINK WHAT IS LEFT IS SOMETHING I WANT TO CONFRONT TOO OFTEN. NO IDEA HOW YOU COULD RETURN TO THESE IDEAS TIME AND AGAIN AS A 'TOURING ROCK BAND'. CHRIST.

DRUNKDRIVER - SELF TITLED LP (LOAD 128 - CANCELLED!)

THIS IS A POTENTIALLY NAUGHTY THING TO DO BUT LOAD 128 WAS MEANT TO BE DRUNKDRIVER'S DEBUT LONG PLAYER. BEN ENDED UP CANCELLING THE RELEASE AS SOME RUMOURS ABOUT DRUNKDRIVER'S DRUMMER CAME TO LIGHT AND PUT PAID TO THE BAND'S CAREER. I WILL GO INTO THAT AS MUCH AS THE RECORD. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, BY TOTAL ACCIDENT, THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR LOAD RECORDS.

JEREMY, DRUMMER IN DRUNKDRIVER, USED TO PLAY IN A GROUP CALLED WIVES. HE WAS SACKED AND WIVES SPLIT TO REFORM AS NO AGE, WHO ENJOYED CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS AROUND THIS TIME. WHY WAS HE SACKED? HE WAS ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OR EVEN FLAT-OUT RAPE. HE PACKED UP, MOVED CITY, JOINED DRUNKDRIVER, BEGAN A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GUITARIST KRISTY. BUT THE ACCUSATIONS FOLLOWED HIM AND THE SINGER TOOK THE DECISION TO END THE BAND. HE NOW PLAYS IN THE INDUSTRIAL GROUP UNIFORM WHO ARE PRETTY GOOD.

DRUNKDRIVER HAD BEEN GOING FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS WHEN THE ACCUSATIONS RE-SURFACED. JEREMY ADDRESSED THEM QUITE BADLY ONLINE TO BE HONEST. IT MADE ME THINK BY CONTEMPORARY STANDARDS HE CERTAINLY DID SOMETHING WRONG. THE BAND HAD GAINED A STELLAR REP FOR THEIR SHORT RELEASES AND FURIOUS LIVE PERFORMANCES. I WAS PUMPED FOR THIS ALBUM. ABSOLUTELY GASSED.

THEN CAME WORD IT WAS CANNED. KRISTY BOUGHT THE PRESSED COPIES AND PUT THEM UP FOR SALE AND I COULD NEVER AFFORD TO GET ONE SENT OVER. I THINK THIS RECORD WOULD HAVE PUSHED LOAD INTO A NEW ERA OF RELEVANCE. INSTEAD IT WAS THIS BIG PROBLEM. THE REALISATION OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PLAY IN NEGATIVE ENERGY.

BUT I OWN IT DIGITALLY AND I STILL LIKE IT. IS THIS A PROBLEM? NOT FOR ME. I'D CALL IT CERTIFIED GOOD IF IT WAS ON LOAD. BUT IT IS NOT. IT IS A CURIO AND A SIDE NOTE NOW. IT IS GREAT FLAMETHROWING NOISE-HARDCORE AND THE DRUMS OF A BAD MAN DON'T SUFFICIENTLY COLOUR MY RECEPTION. NOW IF HE WAS THE SINGER, I'D SAY IT WAS DIFFERENT. STRANGE HOW IT WORKS.

MORE

TINSEL TEETH - TRASH AS THE TROPHY (LOAD 127)

TINSEL TEETH ARE A NEW (CONTEMPORARY TO THE RELEASE) PROVIDENCE BAND THAT PLOUGH THAT LOAD RECORDS SUBTEXT OF VAGUELY BIRTHDAY PARTY-ISH POST-PUNK/NOISE-ROCK. IN FACT THEY REALLY REALLY REMIND ME OF RICHMOND, VA BAND SEVEN HEARTS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO AMERICANS WHO HEAR THE BIRTHDAY PARTY BUT IT TRANSMITS THAT SOUND INTO SOMETHING MORE "ALCOHOLIC FARMER ON A SPREE KILL" BUT I LIKE IT.

THEY'RE ALTOGETHER MORE FRANTIC THAN THE LANGUID BIRTHDAY PARTY TO BE HONEST. ALSO, OF POSSIBLE INTEREST, IS THAT TINSEL TEETH HAVE A FEMALE SINGER WHO DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A TYPICAL FEMALE SINGER (EVEN IN THE DOMAIN OF AVANT/WEIRD GUITAR MUSIC). IN FACT SHE SOUNDS QUITE A LOT LIKE DAVID YOW DURING A DENTAL EXTRACTION. THERE'S ALSO A POSSIBLE COMPARISON TO ITALIAN GROUP LUCERTULAS TO BE MADE BUT I THINK THAT'S JUST A SMARTASS COMPARISON. BOTH GOOD BANDS THOUGH!

I'D FILE THIS ALONGSIDE BUSINESS LADY AS BANDS THAT ARE SOMEWHAT APPROACHING CONVENTIONALITY (THERE ARE MELODIES AND SONG-STRUCTURES IN THERE) THROUGH CHAOS. BOTH SOUND LIKE THEY'D BE FUN LIVE AND PRETTY WILD AND THEIR RECORDS BRING IT SOLIDLY WITHOUT BEING COMPLETELY MINDBLOWING.

LIGHTNING BOLT - EARTHLY DELIGHTS (LOAD 126)

SO I HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD ANY OF THE RECENT FOUR FULL-LENGTH LIGHTNING BOLT STUDIO RECORDS OR EVEN THE COLLABORATIVE STUFF THEY DID WITH THE FLAMING LIPS. AS I SAID IN THE REVIEW OF HYPERMAGIC MOUNTAIN - IT WAS NOT A RECORD THAT LEFT ME WANTING MORE. BUT ALSO THE GAP BETWEEN 2005 AND 2009 WAS, FOR ME, QUITE A BIG ONE IN TERMS OF LIFE-CHANGINGNESS. I WASN'T GOING TO DIY SHOWS SO MUCH ANYMORE AND IT FELT LIKE THE WORLD HAD SPLIT BETWEEN THE BANDS THAT MADE IT AND JUMPED TO HIGHER TIERS OF INDIE ROCK AND THOSE THAT DIDN'T AND WENT BACK TO DAY JOBS OR DETACHED NON-ROCK PROJECTS.

THIS ISN'T ANY RADICAL DEPARTURE OR 'ARTISTIC MATURATION'. THERE'S A CLEANER ASPECT TO THE BASS AND A BIT MORE SEPARATION IN THE MIX. MAYBE NOT ALWAYS AT FULL GUN FRANTIC. BUT IT IS BASICALLY LIGHTNING BOLT DOING WHAT THEY DO. MAYBE IT'S NOT QUITE AS INNOCENT OR PLAYFUL AS PREVIOUS RECORDS. I STILL DON'T FEEL I WAS WRONG TO CHECK OUT ON LIGHTNING BOLT TO BE HONEST.

THERE'S SOME COOL STUFF AND CLOSING FREAKOUT 'TRANSMISSIONARY' IS REALLY COOL (THOUGH IT REMINDS ME OF A GY!BE SONG FOR SOME BIZARRE REASON, SAME SCALE I'D IMAGINE) BUT THE AGE OF LIGHTNING BOLT AS A SIGNIFYING FORCE OF IMPORTANCE SEEMS TO HAVE PASSED. IF YOU LIKE THEIR EARLIER WORKS IN A MORE UNCRITICAL SENSE THEN THERE IS NO REAL CHANGE HERE AND YOU SHOULD GET THIS.

SIX FINGER SATELLITE - HALF CONTROL (LOAD 125)

THERE IS NO LOAD 124 AS FAR AS I CAN TELL. LOAD 125 SEES SIX FINGER SATELLITE, WHO HAVE PROBABLY DECLINED AS A FORCE JUST AS QUICKLY AS LOAD HAVE GROWN, RETURN TO THE FOLD. THAT SAID THE LAST TIME THEY WERE 'IN THE FOLD' WAS TO THROW OUT A STOP-GAP RELEASE BETWEEN BIG INDIE LABEL ALBUM DROPS AND THIS IS MORE OF THE SAME!

HALF CONTROL IS ACTUALLY A RECORD MADE IN 2001 AND SHELVED AND THEN RE-RELEASED TO ACCOMPANY THE BAND RETURNING FOR A GO AROUND WITH DAN ST. JACQUES ON BASS. I HAVE NO IDEA IF HE IS HERE BUT SIX FINGER SATELLITE'S FLIRTATION WITH LOAD AND THE PROVIDENCE GUYS WITHOUT EVER FULLY COMMITTING IS A STRANGE ONE. I DON'T SEE HOW ANY OTHER LABEL COULD HAVE DONE MORE FOR THEM REALLY.

TO BE HONEST, WHILST THIS ISN'T BAD, I CAN SEE WHY THIS WAS SHELVED. IT'S COMPETENT AND SONGLY BUT ALMOST COMPLETELY HOOK-FREE AND FORGETTABLE. THEIR BEST SONGS HAVE THESE INDELIBLE HOOKS THAT GET THEIR CLAWS INTO YOU. THIS ONE IS OVER-SERIOUS AND ONE-PACED. I HOPE THE PROPER ALBUM THEY RELEASED THAT YEAR WAS BETTER THAN THIS.

RUSTED SHUT - DEAD (LOAD 123)

RUSTED SHUT ARE ONE OF THOSE BANDS THAT I FEEL ONLY AMERICA, IN ITS VAST YAWNING SPACES PUNCTUATED WITH DYING CORRODED TOWNS RIPPED APART BY WHITE FLIGHT AND LATE CAPITAL, CAN PRODUCE. BANDS THAT STAY TOGETHER FOR YEARS PRODUCING THE SAME RECORD TIME AND AGAIN THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE SAVE THE BAND MEMBERS WANT TO ACTUALLY HEAR. I THINK IT IS GREAT. MEANING IN LIFE IS HARD TO FIND. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT.

HOUSTON GROUP RUSTED SHUT ARE ONE SUCH BAND, FORMING IN 1986 AND POSSIBLY STILL BEING AROUND TODAY TO THE ACCLAIM OF VERY FEW. THEY'RE A GROTESQUE DOWNER OF A BAND. THE GUITAR SOUND (ACCENTUATED BY HISS AND GROT IN THE RECORDING) IS THE EMBODIMENT OF THE BAND'S NAME, A KIND OF OXIDISED OBSOLESCENCE IN MUSIC. THE BAND CRAWL ALONG WITH IT OBLIGINGLY. AESTHETICALLY: RUSTED SHUT ARE REALLY RIGOROUS.

IT'S LIKE SLOW CREEPY GARAGE ROCK PLAYED BY NIHILISTS BUT WAY BETTER THAN BRAINBOMBS. IT'S NOT QUITE A CERTIFIED: GOOD RECORD BUT IT IS IN THE UPPER PERCENTILE OF LOAD RELEASES. IT IS EXTREMELY LEGIT.

THE USA IS A MONSTER - SPACE PROGRAMS (LOAD 122)

THE USA IS A MONSTER ARE BACK AND THIS TIME THEY HAVE BROUGHT AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORD "CONCISION". OVER AN ACCEPTABLE ALBUM LENGTH OF JUST UNDER 40 MINUTES THEY RETURN TO US, OUR UNDERRATED SONS OF THE ROAD AND FIELD.

THERE IS A SLIGHTLY PERVERSE ASPECT TO THIS RECORD (THAT ON THE SURFACE APPEARS TO BE A MORE APPROACHABLE VERSION TO A BAND THAT HAVE BEEN SKATING QUITE CLOSELY TO APPROACHABILITY) IN THAT THERE IS SOME EXTRA AUGMENTATION (TRUMPET) BUT THEY'RE STILL NOT INTERESTED IN "FILLING OUT" THE SOUND WITH A BASS GUITAR OR A SECOND ELECTRIC GUITAR OR WHATEVER.

ANYWAY: SPACE PROGRAMS IS ANOTHER GOOD ONE FROM THESE GUYS. IT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES THE GENTLER APPROACH TO ANGER THAT SUNSET AT THE ETC DEVELOPED. THEY'RE A BUNCH OF MELODIES THAT NO OTHER ROCK ENSEMBLE WROTE BEFORE AND THEY'RE PLAYED AND RECORDED WITH A GOOD AMOUNT OF ENERGY. THERE'S "MATHY" SECTIONS AND PEACED-OUT NEW AGE TOKING SECTIONS AND ROCK AND ROLL. THEY'RE A GOOD BAND. UNDERRATED. TRULY.

I QUITE LIKE THE LUCID DREAM MEETS WARPED COUNTRY ROCK OF 'TULSA' THOUGH I CAN HONESTLY SAY I DON'T DISLIKE ANYTHING HERE. COLIN AND TOM DID A GREAT JOB AND THEN WENT AWAY AND WHAT'S THIS? THEY'RE BACK TOGETHER! REJOICE!

CERTIFIED: GOOD

HARRY PUSSY - YOU'LL NEVER PLAY THIS TOWN AGAIN (LOAD 121)

IN 2020 BILL ORCUTT IS SOMETHING OF A VENERABLE FIGURE OF AVANT GUITAR. MY OWN SAINTED PARTNER EVEN SAW HIM AT SOME REVERENTIAL FESTIVAL IN EUROPE AND PICKED UP AN LP OF HIS AND WHADDYA KNOW IT IS REALLY GOOD (SIX-STRING ACOUSTIC STUFF MOSTLY). WHY AM I SAYING THIS? WELL BECAUSE TO MY EARS WHEN I FIRST HEARD HARRY PUSSY IN APPROXIMATELY 2002 (RIP LAUNCHPLAYER) I WAS FIRMLY OF THE OPINION THAT WHAT THEY DO IS "NOT MUSIC".

I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT I NOW SEE THE ABSOLUTE GENIUS OF HARRY PUSSY BUT I AM DEFINITELY MUCH MORE ON BOARD HERE. THEY'RE DEFINITELY A GROUP OF PIONEERS THAT DEVELOPED AN INVENTION NO ONE WANTED: AVANT-GARDE LO-FI PERFORMANCE ROCK THAT TEETERS BETWEEN BROKEN SONGS AND INTERNAL ECSTASY THROUGH FULL-FORCE TECHNICAL REJECTION. THEY'RE ABRASIVE AND NASTY AS HELL. BUT! THIS IS A COMPILATION OF LIVE PERFORMANCES. THEY TOOK THIS OUT ON THE ROAD. THEY PUT IT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE. THAT SHIT IS WAY MORE POWERFUL THAN PUTTING CRAP TO DISC IN A BEDROOM. *ANYONE* CAN DO THAT.

THE DRUMS ARE THRASHED WITH WILD ABANDON AND THE VOCALS SHRIEKED (AT TIMES I THOUGHT SOMETHING HORRIBLE WAS HAPPENED IN THE ROOM RATHER THAN A SONG BEING PLAYED) CONSTANTLY BUT YOU CAN HEAR THESE INCREDIBLE LITTLE TECHNIQUES. ORCUTT'S GUITAR SOUNDS LIKE BED SPRINGS BEING UNCOILED AND SNAPPED BACK, ALL THE RUST FLYING OFF THROUGH THE AIR. IT'S IMPRESSIVE. AND BECAUSE NO SONG REALLY LAST VERY LONG, YOU DON'T HAVE THE SENSE OF OPPRESSION THAT CAN BUILD ON A SHIT AVANT RECORD LIKE NAUTICAL FUCKING ALMANAC.

I MIGHT BE OFF MY MIND BUT I AM GIVING THIS CERTIFIED: GOOD WITH A WARNING THAT YOU MIGHT VERY WELL HATE THIS.

OvO - CROCEVIA (LOAD 120)

CROCEVIA OR "CROSSROADS" FOR MY NON-ITALIAN SPEAKING READERS RETURNS US TO THIS GUITAR/DRUMS DUO THAT DO SEEM KIND OF AT-ODDS WITH ANY ERA OF LOAD BEFORE OR SINCE. THEY HAVE THE SAME KIND OF STRIPPED-BACK APPROACH AND DIY LIFER MENTALITY FOR SURE. AND I GUESS THERE'S NOT A MILLION MILES BETWEEN A GROUP LIKE OvO AND HOSPITALS (FOR EXAMPLE). I CAN'T PUT MY FINGER ON IT. IS IT THAT OvO SEEM SO VERY...EUROPEAN?

 

THE DUDE CAN DRUM AND THE BASIC CHORDAL GUITAR SOUND IS CRUSTY AND CONVINCING. IT'S JUST THIS TIME I'M HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE GOING ON OvO'S JOURNEY. THE SONGS ARE ALL HALF-FORMED AND BASICALLY SAMEY. LAST TIME OUT, YOU MIGHT RECALL, THERE WERE THESE MAD PERFORMANCE INTERLUDES OF OPERATIC INSANITY. THEY'RE NOT HERE AND WHILST I WAS NOT EXACTLY THIRSTING FOR THEM LAST TIME I CAN SEE HOW THEY GIVE A LOT OF SHAPE TO AN OvO RECORD.

 

DON'T GET ME WRONG, IT ISN'T RATED RANCID AND THERE ARE SOME COOL RIFFS, NICE RAT-A-TAT DRUM SMASHING AND SEGUES BETWEEN SECTIONS. BUT ON THE WHOLE IT FEELS LIKE A DIET VERSION OF THE VARIOUS AMERICAN BANDS IT IS AT THE PARTY WITH.