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.

FNU RONNIES - SADDLE UP! (LOAD 138)

THERE IS NO LOAD 137. SO I REMEMBER FNU RONNIES FROM BACK IN THE DAYS WHERE MY BACKGROUND MINDFUZZ WAS WFMU. THEY WOULD PLAY A LOT OF TRASHY GARAGE 7" RECORDS OF THE DAY AND FNU RONNIES WAS JUST ONE BAND I PICKED UP ON. WAS REAL SURPRISED TO FIND THEY WERE ON LOAD BUT THEN THE FULL-LENGTH MADE A BIT MORE SENSE IN THAT CONTEXT.

WHILST FNU RONNIES ONLY DID THIS ALBUM AND THEIR MEMBERS HAVE DONE LITTLE SINCE, GUEST VOCALIST MEGAN REMY IS DOING PRETTY WELL FOR HERSELF THIS VERY WEEK AS THE NEW US GIRLS RECORD IS GETTING HIGHLY-RATED. I THINK IT KINDA STINKS TO BE HONEST AS I REMEMBER WHEN SHE WAS PART OF THIS PASS-AGG GARAGEBRO WORLD AND TO BE FRANK I AM A BIT NOSTALGIC FOR THIS TIME. FNU RONNIES REMIND ME A BIT OF COUNTRY TEASERS AND A HEAVIER THE NIGHTINGALES OR THE HOMOSEXUALS. NOT THAT IT SOUNDS BRITISH DESPITE ALL THOSE BRITISH BANDS NAMED. THEY JUST HAVE THAT APPROACH - A BIT COUNTRY, A BIT OFFENSIVE, A BIT PUNK.

I STILL REALLY LIKE THIS RECORD AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. 'VALLEY OF THE WASTOIDS' IS EVERYTHING I LIKE IN A GARAGE POP RECORD. SLIGHTLY PERFORMED UNDER DURESS, A BIT ROCK BUT ALSO A BIT WEIRDO: IT SOUNDS LIKE CHROME WERE REBORN IN ACID AND LIVED TO PLAY ONE LAST SONG. THERE ARE SOME LEGIT GUITAR HEROICS HERE THAT ROSE FNU ABOVE SOME OF THEIR CONTEMPORARIES LIKE PSYCHEDELIC HORSESHIT AND RANK/XEROX.

CERTIFIED: GOOD

SKOAL KODIAK - KRYPTONYM BODLIAK (LOAD 136)

HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE COMEDIAN NORMAN COLLIER? HIS OTHER MAJOR COMEDIC INNOVATION ASIDE FROM A RIDICULOUSLY LARGE HAT WAS THE 'BROKEN MIC ROUTINE' IN WHICH HE CLEVERLY MANAGED TO OMIT RANDOM SYLLABLES TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE HE WAS PERFORMING WITH FAULTY EQUIPMENT. GENIUSES THAT SKOAL KODIAK ARE, THEY MANAGE TO DO IT WITH EXPENSIVE SOUNDING TECHNOLOGY.

THE BASIC PROPOSITION HERE IS REASONABLY DANCEABLE GROOVES WITH WEIRD VOCAL STYLINGS OVER THE TOP. HAD SIX FINGER SATELLITE HAD THE ABILITY TO MOVE WITH THE TIMES, THEY MIGHT HAVE ENDED UP SOUNDING LIKE MINNESOTANS SKOAL KODIAK. IT'S KIND OF LIKE HOLY FUCK WITH OUTER SPACE VOCAL TRANSMISSIONS IN THE VEIN OF (BUT NOT AS GOOD AS) DAMO SUZUKI. I COULD IMAGINE THEM SUPPORTING !!! OR THE RAPTURE AND DOING WELL WITH A NORMAL AUDIENCE.

THEY HAVE ONE BASIC SONG MADE UP OF A FUNK-DERIVED GROOVE WITH SOME SYNTH EXPLORATIONS AND VOCAL UNHINGEDNESS AND IT IS A PRETTY SOLID SONG. AGAIN, LIKE WITH SEX CHURCH, I AM WONDERING EXACTLY WHAT IS LOAD RECORDS ABOUT THIS FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF AESTHETIC RIGOUR. WE HAD LOAD'S MAXIMALIST DAYGLO FURY ERA AND THEN AN ERA OF HEAVY AND DEPRESSING. BUT THIS IS JUST KINDA COMPETENT INDIE-ADJACENT MUSIC THAT DOESN'T FIT ANY NARRATIVE. MAYBE IT WILL!

SEX CHURCH - GROWING OVER (LOAD 135)

THE SECOND ALBUM BY VANCOUVER BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA (THANKS NARDWUAR) BAND SEX CHURCH DROPS ON LOAD AND THIS IS A BAND I HAD NEVER HEARD OF AT ALL. I WAS SO FAR AWAY FROM "CHECKING THE LOAD WEBSITE" AND SOME OF THESE LATER NAMES ARE JUST NEW TO ME. WHICH IS COOL. I HAVE NO EXPECTATIONS SAVE ONLY THOSE CREATED BY THE NAME "SEX CHURCH" (NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.

I GUESS SEX CHURCH HAVE A POST-BIRTHDAY PARTY FEEL. REMORSELESS GRINDING BASS, GUITARS STRUNG LIKE RAZOR WIRE, DETACHED ZOMBIE VOCALS. ORGANS FLOAT THROUGH THE MIX LIKE FUGS OF NARCOLEPTIC GLOOM. THERE'S A BIT OF TV GHOST AND SLUG GUTS AND FELLOW LOAD BAND CLOCKCLEANER HERE. I GUESS THE NIHILISTIC ASPECT FEELS LIKE THEY'RE PLAYING A BIT - THE PICTURES MAKE THEM LOOK LIKE HEALTHY WELL BROUGHT UP KIDS RATHER THAN THE SEX TOURIST VIBE OF CLOCKCLEANER. BUT THE SONGS ARE GOOD.

IT'S GENERALLY A WELL-BALANCED AND ALMOST APPROACHABLE MIX. THERE'S LIKE, CLEAN GUITARS MIXED REALLY LOW IN THAT CUTE WAY THAT POP RECORDS DO TO GIVE IT SOME WARM PUNCH. THEY TRIED TO MAKE A GOOD AND NORMAL RECORD IN THEIR STYLE RATHER THAN BASH YOU OVER THE HEAD WITH THEIR AESTHETIC. WHICH IS NICE TO LISTEN TO BUT MAYBE, AND WHISPER THIS QUIETLY, NOT VERY LOAD RECORDS.

ED SCHRADER'S MUSIC BEAT - SERMON b/w RATS 7" (LOAD 134

ANOTHER DUO - ONE CALLED ED SCHRADER, THE OTHER NOT - JOIN US ON LOAD RECORDS WITH A FAIRLY NOVEL APPROACH TO ROCKING OUT. BOTH SONGS FEEL LIKE MUSIC ROOTED IN HARDCORE AND PUNK AND GARAGE BUT WITHOUT A GUITAR OR A SNARE DRUM. IT'S BASS AND A SINGLE DRUM AND TWO SINGERS AND PUSHING THAT ULTRA-MINIMAL EQUATION AS FAR AS IT CAN GO.

HOW FAR DO THEY GET IT? WELL IT SOUNDS SORT OF LIKE A CRUNCHY BASS AND A FLOOR TOM AND SOME SHOUTING. NEITHER SONG LASTS VERY LONG AND YOU DON'T HAVE LONG ENOUGH TO MISS THE OTHER SONIC ELEMENTS. I QUITE LIKE THE APPROACH BUT I GUESS I'M NOT EXACTLY THIRSTING FOR IT EITHER.

POST-LOAD RELEASES BY ED SCHRADER'S MUSIC BEAT WOULD EXPLORE A WIDER AND MORE CONVENTIONAL SONIC PALETTE AND TO BE HONEST I PREFER THEM. I'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE, ACCORDING TO THESE GUYS, HOW MUCH THEY THING THIS ULTRA-STRIPPED APPROACH CONTRIBUTED TO WHAT THEY DO NOW. LIKE, WHEN BRIAN ENO WAS ASKED TO DO THE WINDOWS 95 STARTUP JINGLE, HE REALISED HOW MUCH YOU COULD DO IN 3 SECONDS SO MUCH THAT 3 MINUTES OF A REGULAR SONG FELT LIKE AN OCEAN. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. OR NOT.

BLACK PUS - PRIMORDIAL PUS (LOAD 133)

ONE SIDE EFFECT OF IGNORING LIGHTNING BOLT WAS ALSO NOT REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO THEIR SIDE PROJECTS. BLACK PUS IS BRIAN "DRUMS" CHIPPENDALE DOING A KIND OF POST-DURACELL THING - DURACELL WAS THIS FRENCH DUDE WHO USED TRIGGERS AND PEDALS WHILST DRUMMING TO BE A COOL ONE MAN BAND. HE USED TO COVER LIGHTNING BOLT. I THINK BRIAN SAW THAT AND TOOK IT IN HIS OWN WEIRDO DISTORTO MAYHEM DIRECTION. IN MANY RESPECTS I HAVE NO IDEA OF THE PROVENANCE OF LOTS OF THESE SOUNDS. ARE THEY LOOPS? ARE THEY PRE-PROGRAMMED?

I SUPPOSE THIS IS NOT A MILLION MILES FROM LIGHTNING BOLT, ONLY THE CUTTING POWER OF A BLAZING BASS GUITAR IS REPLACED BY A PSYCHIC MIASMA OF A WHIRLWIND OF TRIGGERED EFFECTS AND CHANTED VOCALS. THIS ONE MAN DOES A BETTER TRIBAL PSYCH THAN AKRON/FAMILY AND GANG GANG DANCE MANAGED PUT TOGETHER. I PRESUME THAT THE DRUMMING IS MORE RESTRAINED IN ORDER TO ALLOW WHATEVER THEY TRIGGER TO BREATHE A LITTLE MORE IN THE SONG. BUT THIS ACTUALLY KIND OF HELPS. IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE "LIGHTNING BOLT GUY DRUMS TO LOOPS" AT ALL!

THE DRUMMING IS ACTUALLY MORE PRESENT AS DRUMMING - TIM HARRINGTON FROM LES SAVY FAV ONCE QUIPPED THAT BRIAN'S DRUMMING IS MORE LIKE A CONSTANT LOW FREQUENCY NOISE, SUCH IS ITS SPEED AND FRANTICNESS - SO MAYBE WHAT I AM LURCHING TOWARD HERE IS THAT BLACK PUS HAVE OUT-ROCKBANDED SEVERAL ROCK BANDS WHILST TAKING A NON ROCK APPROACH. I LIKE IT.