SIGHTINGS - THROUGH THE PANAMA (LOAD 119)

LOAD 116-118 DO NOT EXIST. NO IDEA.

THREE YEARS HAVE ELAPSED SINCE SIGHTINGS LAST RELEASE ON LOAD (THE EXCELLENT ARRIVED IN GOLD) BUT THEY HAVE BEEN AWAY: TOURING AND RELEASING THE SCABROUS AND CORRODED "END TIMES" ON FUSETRON. THROUGH THE PANAMA WAS KIND OF A BREAKTHROUGH OF A FASHION; RECORDED BY ANDREW WK AND IN PARTS COULD EVEN FILED UNDER 'LISTENABLE'.

IT'S NOT THAT THOSE ELEMENTS THAT MADE THEIR EARLIER RECORDS A DIFFICULT PROPOSITION AREN'T THERE AND THEY SUDDENLY STARTED WRITING FUN POP SONGS. IT'S JUST THAT THEY'RE RECORDED NICELY AND GIVEN A MORE THOUGHTFUL BALANCE. JON LOCKIE'S DRUMS STILL RATTLED LIKE AN ANIMATED SKELETON. MARK'S GUITAR STILL SOUNDS LIKE AN OXYACETYLENE TORCH IN PLACES. RICHARD'S BASS STILL HOLDS IT TOGETHER BUT ALSO WANDERS OFF. DON'T PANIC.

IT ALMOST GOES WITHOUT SAYING I PREFER THIS ITERATION OF SIGHTINGS THAT THE EARLIER ONES (WHICH WERE GOOD, BUT A BIT ONE-TRICK). AS SUSPECTED, YOU CAN HEAR THE COMPOSITIONAL DEPTHS AND INTERPLAY SO MUCH BETTER. YOU CAN HEAR THE AWKWARD BUT UNDENIABLE SONGCRAFT AND ENSEMBLE NOUS. WK'S PRODUCTION GIFT IS NOT THAT HE'S DONE ANYTHING BUT TAKE AWAY EXTRANEOUS ELEMENTS AND MADE THE BAND THINK ABOUT HOW TO IMPRESS WITHOUT RESORTING TO MANIAC VOLUME. THE FIDELITY IS JUST RIGHT. THROUGH THE PANAMA IS AN ACHIEVEMENT.

CERTIFIED: GOOD.

LANDED - HOW LITTLE WILL IT TAKE (LOAD 115)

A COMPILATION RECORD OF THE LOCAL BOYS DONE REASONABLE. THIS COMPILES THE MUSIC HEARD ON LOAD018 AND 093 WITH A FEW CUTS EITHER UNRELEASED OR RELEASED ON VERMIFORM.

I GUESS HAD LANDED TAKEN A MORE TRADITIONAL TACK THEY COULD HAVE BEEN A BIG NOISE-ROCK GROUP BAND OF THE DECADE. THAT SAID IT SEEMS LIKE THEY HAD A BRIEF FLURRY AROUND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AND THEN RELEASED CUTS FROM THAT CONTINUALLY. THE STUFF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD BEFORE IS GOOD BUT IT IS IN THE SAME AM REP SEMI-IMPROVVED VEIN. NO NEED TO WRITE LOADS. IF YOU LIKE LANDED, GET THIS AND YOU HAVE IT ALL.

DJ SCOTCH EGG - DRUMIZED (LOAD 114)

I SOMETIMES WONDER (WITHOUT MAKING ANY EFFORT TO FIND OUT) HOW A JAPANESE MUSICIAN BASED IN BERLIN NAMED HIMSELF AFTER A SAVOURY SNACK THAT IS MOSTLY EATEN IN THE UK BUT THAT IS BECAUSE I CONTEMPLATE THE DEEPER MYSTERIES OF LIFE.

ANYWAY I KIND OF REMEMBER SCOTCH EGG AS HE USED TO PLAY OUT QUITE A LOT AND DO BRISK BUSINESS AROUND THE CHIPTUNE REVIVAL (NOT STRICTLY A REVIVAL AS THE ORIGINAL CHIPTUNE ERA WAS A MATTER OF FUNCTION WHEREAS THIS WAS AN AESTHETIC). PEOPLE LIKED HIS COLOURFUL AND ABSTRACT SEMI-TECHNO SEMI-AVANT STUFF BECAUSE OVER THE TOP OF THE BROKEN FORM WAS A PLEASANT AND CONSONANT MELODY HAPPENING THAT REMINDED THEM OF CONSUMER ELECTRONICS PLEASURES OF YORE.

ACTUALLY NOW I THINK ABOUT IT (ALWAYS CONTEMPLATING) DJ SCOTCH EGG IS ONE OF THE FEW MUSICIANS WHO REMIND ME OF LOAD RECORDS WHEN IT WAS A PROVIDENCE WAREHOUSE ART SPACE CONCERN. THINGS HAVE GOTTEN PRETTY SERIOUS AROUND HERE OF LATE AND SCOTCH EGG IS LIKE A CHERRY BOMB IN THE BUTTHOLE OF ALL THAT.

THIS IS A REASONABLY GOOD RECORD IF NOT TERRIBLY GROUNDBREAKING. IT WANTS YOU TO LIKE IT: THERE ARE NO SUDDEN LURCHINGS INTO A LO-FI NAVEL GAZING SCREED IN A BROWN SHADE OF ATONALISM. IT IS FUN AND IT GIVES YOU A GOOD TEASE OF THE MAYHEM YOU GET IN HIS LIVE SET.

KITES - HALLUCINATION GUILLOTINES / FINAL WORSHIP (LOAD 113)

TWO ALBUMS ON LOAD THUS FAR FOR CHRISTOPHER "KITES" FORGUES HAS BROUGHT TWO RATED RANCID RELEASES. I DO NOT LIVE TO SLAM SHIT SO I HOPE THAT HALLUCINATION ETC. CAN BRING THE HEAT. ONCE AGAIN IT HAS A NICELY DESIGNED ALBUM COVER.

KITES LP3 IS A MORE FOCUSED EFFORT IN THE REALM OF PUNISHING NOISE MUSIC. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF TRACKS WHERE THE INTENSITY ISN'T PUSHED TO "IMMINENT DISASTER" AS A BREATHER, BUT THE STYLE DOESN'T RANDOMLY SHIFT TO FIELD MUSIC AND INDIE JANGLE BEFORE RESUMING PRURIENT-ADJACENT RING MODULATION WRANGLING AND SCREAMING BLUE MURDER.

THIS IS THE BEST OF THE THREE RECORDS AND DEFINITELY NOT RATED: RANCID BUT ALSO I DON'T THINK THAT KITES AND I WERE MEANT TO GET ALONG. THE TONES HERE ARE GENERALLY MORE SATISFYING WITH A LOT OF BASS END TO FILL OUT THE DRONE SENSATION. BUT ULTIMATELY I REMAIN UNMOVED.

BUSINESS LADY - TORTURE FOOTAGE (LOAD 112)

ANOTHER BAND THAT REMINDS ME OF THE ATONAL-HAPPY CHAOS OF THE MID-00S LIVE DIY ROCK SCENE THAT HASN'T DIED AS MUCH AS IT HAS DISAPPEARED ALONG WITH THE SPACES THAT ACCOUNTED FOR IT. BUSINESS LADY WERE ONE OF THOSE NAMES YOU'D SEE ON A POSTER AND THINK "HAHA" AND THEN EITHER SEE THEM BY ACCIDENT OR NOT AT ALL. NO DISS, THEY JUST NEVER GOT "THE RUB" TO USE A WRESTLING EXPRESSION.

THIS IS A SHAME AS BUSINESS LADY HAVE GOT A COOL SOUND: THE RHYTHMS HAVE FORWARD MOMENTUM BUT THEY'RE NOT LIKE 'DANCE' RHYTHMS AND SOMETIMES THEY LUMBER AROUND IN ODD METER AND TIME SIGNATURES, WHILE THE GUITAR/S FLIP BETWEEN ATROPHIED MELODIES, US MAPLE STYLE DISSONANT EXPLORATION, AND ACTUAL ROCKING THE HELL OUT. THE SINGERS DO THAT 'WE'RE HERE TO SHOW WE'RE NOT INSTRUMENTAL THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TERRIFICALLY IMPORTANT TO SAY WITH OUR MOUTHS' THING THAT I THINK IS COOL. ACTUALLY AS I WRITE I REALISE THEY REALLY REMIND ME OF TRUMAN'S WATER. I LIKE TRUMAN'S WATER.

THIS WAS THEIR ONLY FULL LENGTH ALBUM RELEASE AND I THINK IT IS A PRETTY GOOD ONE ACTUALLY. YOU CAN HEAR THE ROAD-YEARS IN THEIR PLAYING. I BET THEY WERE A RIOT LIVE.

ANDREW WK - CLOSE CALLS WITH BRICK WALLS (LOAD 111)

A CO-RELEASE WITH A MAJOR LABEL (UNIVERSAL DID THE CD) MIGHT SIGNIFY LOAD ARE IN A COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY DIFFERENT WORLD THAN THAT IN WHICH THEY STARTED BUT ANDREW WK IS A COMPLETE OUTLIER IN THAT HE IS A STADIUM-FRIENDLY BIG ROCK GUY WHOSE ROOTS ARE IN PIANO RECITAL AND CREDIBLE NOISE MUSIC (PEDIGREE CAN BE READ ABOUT ELSEWHERE).

CLOSE CALLS IS A PRETTY BIZARRE RECORD IN THAT IT CONTAINS ITERATIONS OF THE ALICE COOPER-MEETS-STADIUM POWER POP ROCK AND ROLL THAT WK BECAME KNOWN FOR. SOME OF THIS IS GOOD ('PUSHING DRUGS' FEELS AS MANIC AND MANTRA-HEAVY AS A JOHN MAUS SONG) AND SOME OF IT IS NOT AND FEELS KIND OF WET. BUT THERE'S ALSO SOME EXPERIMENTAL AND LUDIC PIANO PIECES BETWEEN, BULKING THIS UP TO AN 18 TRACK HALF-MARATHON.

IT'S NOT A BAD RECORD BY ANY STRETCH AND I THINK IF YOU LIKED THE WHOLE 'I GET WET' AESTHETIC THEN YOU SHOULD GO FOR THIS. IF YOU'RE THE KIND OF PERSON WHO ARRIVED AT LIGHTNING BOLT VIA THEM HEADLINING OVER A CRUST BAND FROM YOUR TOWN, GIVE IT A WIDE BERTH.

HOMOSTUPIDS - THE LOAD (LOAD 110)

JUMPING FORWARD IN TIME AS THIS IS FROM 2009 WHILST THE ALBUM BEFORE AND AFTER LOAD 110 ARE FROM 2007. CAN SOMEONE CLIP BEN AROUND THE FUCKING EAR?

ANYWAY THERE WAS A HOMOSTUPIDS VIDEO ON YOUTUBE I USED TO WATCH EVERY WEEK. LET'S SEE IF IT'S STILL THERE. *LOOKS* IT IS!

ANYWAY I SEEM TO RECALL THE WORLD WAS GOING THROUGH A BIT OF A "PROPER" GARAGE ROCK REVIVAL AROUND THIS TIME AND BANDS LIKE TYVEK AND JAY REATARD AND TV GHOST AND JUST THE GENERAL GONER/IN THE RED RECORDS VIBE WAS PRETTY MUCH ON A HIGH. HOMOSTUPIDS FIT INTO THAT: SHORT, ANGRY, TUNEFUL, LO-FI; NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN BUT I FELT THE HIT RATE WAS QUITE HIGH.

IF YOU LIKE THE SOUND OF 15 MINUTES OF PLAYFUL ASKEW NOISE-PUNK PLAYED BY THREE OF THE MOST REGULAR DUDES ON EARTH THEN HERE IT IS.

CLOCKCLEANER - BABYLON RULES (LOAD 109)

CLOCKCLEANER WERE A PROVOCATIVE-ISH BAND FROM PHILADELPHIA WHO WRITE THEIR OWN WIKIPEDIA ENTRY LIKE ASSHOLES WOULD IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM SOUND EDGY. I SEEM TO RECALL THEY WERE PRETTY BIG IN VICE MAGAZINE WHICH SORT OF CLUES YOU IN TO EXACTLY HOW FUCKING COOOOOOOOOOOOOOL THEY WERE.

IN FACT HAW HAW HAW HERE'S SOME STUFF FOR A VICE BLOG TOUR DIARY THE SINGER WROTE:

Here is every conversation you will ever hear in Austin: “Blah blah blah, COCAINE, blah blah blah, GARAGE ROCK, blah blah blah BULLET BELTS, blah blah blah BREAKFAST BURRITOS.” This show was cool because it featured the best front row I have ever played in front of. From right to left: two fat pigs grinding their hams into me, one attractive but slightly underage piece—I’d sat 5 to 10—and then SPOT... and then King Coffey. If you don’t know who the last two are, you probably spent high school having sex and being carefree.

WELL I MEAN I IMAGINE HE LOOKS FUCKING AMAZING.

ALL OF THIS DESPERATELY MAKES ME WANT TO DISLIKE CLOCKCLEANER'S MUSIC BUT EVEN I KNOW SHTICK WHEN I SEE IT AND I CAN LOOK PAST IT AND LOOK PAST MYSELF AND SEE THAT THIS IS A GOOD STAB AT POST-BIRTHDAY PARTY/JESUS LIZARD KIND OF STUFF. MAYBE A LITTLE MORE "POST-PUNK" THAN THE JAGGEDY GNARL OF NICK CAVE'S OLD BAND, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE LIKE HUMAN EYE AND REIGNING SOUND. IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE BUT IT IS GOOD ROCK AND ROLL. THE BASTARDS. THEY EVEN HAVE COOL BITS IN SOME OF THEIR SONGS LIKE THE "I'LL DIVE RIGHT IN!" BIT IN 'VOMITING MIRRORS'.

SO I GUESS AGAINST MY BETTER SELF I AM GIVING THIS A CERTIFIED: GOOD EVEN THOUGH I WOULD AVOID THIS GROUP IF I WERE PLAYING ON THE SAME BILL. SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST GOOD AT MUSIC AND CRAP AT PUBLIC SPACES. FORTUNATELY HE'S NOW IN AUSTRALIA AND THUS PROBABLY MELTING AS I TYPE.

CERTIFIED: GOOD

MONOTRACT - TRUENO OSCURO (LOAD 108)

TRUENO OSCURO OR "DARK THUNDER" FOR MY NON-SPANISH READING FRIENDS IS THE NAME OF THE RECORD BY MONOTRACT AND UNLIKE HETERO SKELETON THESE GUYS ACTUALLY ARE SPANISH SPEAKERS HAILING FROM FLORIDA BUT RESIDING IN NEW YORK. LIKE OTHER LOAD BANDS FROM NEW YORK THEY ARE KIND OF NO WAVE BUT ALSO DOING IT IN THEIR OWN WAY AND NOT JUST APING BUSH TETRAS OR SOME SHIT.

I GUESS WHAT ACTUALLY STRUCK ME ABOUT MONOTRACT IS THAT THEY ARE RELATIVELY MORE GENTLE AND APPROACHABLE THAN SAY SIGHTINGS AND MOUTHUS AND ALSO THAT THEY WEAR A LATIN INFLUENCE ON THEIR SLEEVES. I'VE NEVER REALLY HEARD A DISTENDED LATIN RHYTHM BEFORE AND IT LENDS ITSELF TO AN AVANT IDIOM QUITE NATURALLY. THEY KIND OF STUTTER FORWARD WITH THE WOUNDED MOTION OF A US MAPLE SONG AND I FIND THAT KIND OF NEAT.

I GUESS I DID NOT CONNECT WITH THE MELODIC APPROACH TERRIBLY WELL. THESE FEEL LIKE SONGS TAKEN APART AND GLUED BACK TOGETHER AND THEN SORT OF BLURRED IN A WAY WHERE YOU CAN'T REALLY TELL ITS PROVENANCE. IT IS NOVEL AND IT IS TOTALLY LISTENABLE AND THE DRUMMING IS WORTH CHECKING OUT. BUT I GUESS THERE WERE NO MUSICAL MOMENTS WHERE I CRANED MY EAR CLOSER FOR A BETTER LISTEN.

SWORD HEAVEN - ENTRANCE (LOAD 107)

I FEEL IN THESE LAST FEW RECORDS THAT LOAD IS SAYING GOODBYE TO SOME OF THE COLOURFUL PLAYFURY THAT SEEMED TO SCORE EARLIER RELEASES, GIVING WAY TO A PALETTE OF COLOURS IN DIFFERENT SHADES OF GREY AND BROWN. SWORD HEAVEN THREATENS TO BE THE MOST DISMAL-FEELING OF THESE SO FAR. I DO NOT SAY THAT AS CRITIQUE: THIS IS MUSIC THAT SHARES THE KIND OF FASCINATION WITH THE DARKER SIDE THAT BRAINBOMBS, SWANS, XIU XIU, WHITEHOUSE, ETC. ARE OPERATING IN.

I FELT IMMEDIATELY A KIND OF CONNECTION BETWEEN COIL AND FAUST IN SWORD HEAVEN'S MUSIC: A PERVERSITY OF VISION, A PUMMELLING REPETITIVE GULAG FEROCITY, WITH THE SOUND OF TAPE AND ITS MANIPULATIONS BEING PUSHED TO THE FOREFRONT. IT'S THE MANGLED SOUND OF A GOYA PAINTING PUT TO PHYSICAL AUDIO MEDIA. IT IS SERIOUS STUFF AND DEMANDS YOU TAKE IT AS SUCH, WHICH NATURALLY CAN BE MET WITH RESISTANCE. I GUESS LATTER-DAY CONTEMPORARIES WOULD PROBABLY BE STUFF LIKE THE BODY, FULL OF HELL, BAD BREEDING, ETC.

I GUESS IF YOU WANTED TO BE A HARSH YOU COULD ACCUSE THEM OF BEING A ONE-TRICK PONY. BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF BANDS ON LOAD WHO HAVE ONE BASIC THING AND THEY DO IT WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SUCCESS. SWORD HEAVEN ARE GOOD AND THEY PRESENT A PRETTY CONCISE 30 MINUTES OF FURY HERE THAT PUTS BEST FOOT FORWARD AND LEAVES YOU WANTING A BIT MORE. GREAT FIND.

CERTIFIED: GOOD

AIR CONDITIONING - DEAD RAILS (LOAD 106)

A BAND THAT AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER COUNTED DOMINICK "VATICAN PRURIENT SHADOW RAINFOREST" FERNOW AMONGST ITS KIN (BUT MAYBE NOT HERE) AS WELL AS BRAD FRY FROM PISSED JEANS (BUT MAYBE NOT HERE). IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THOSE TWO ARTISTS THEN I GUESS IT WOULDN'T BE MASSIVELY UNFAIR TO SAY AIR CONDITIONING SOUND LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THOSE TWO TOGETHER MIGHT SOUND LIKE. BUT AS I SAY: I DON'T KNOW IF EITHER ARE HERE!

TO WIT: IT SOUNDS NOT HUGELY UNLIKE LABELMATES AND FELLOW SEMI-IMPROVED HEAVYNOISESTERS LANDED (WITH WHOM THEY ALSO DID A SPLIT). THAT IS TO SAY, SOMEWHERE IN THE REALM OF NOISE, PSYCH, NOISE-ROCK, AND INDUSTRIAL MUSIC PLAYED ON ROCK BAND INSTRUMENTATION. IT'S CAPTURED IN A FUSS-FREE LOW-MID-FI AND AT VARIOUS TIME SOUNDS LIKE A ROCK BAND REHEARSAL, A PNEUMATIC DRILL BEING USED IN AN ADJACENT CAR PARK, AND THE AMPLIFIED RUSTLING OF A TREE IN A FILTHY STORM. OCCASIONALLY ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

THE RECORD IS A GENUINE AND SERIOUS UNDERTAKING THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF INTERPERSONAL UNDERSTANDING WAS CHANNELLED INTO. EACH PLAYER (NAMELESS) CONTRIBUTES SOMETHING, THOUGH THE OVERALL LANDSCAPE IS KIND OF DOMINATED BY PINK NOISE PEAKING OVER SPLASHING DRUMS. IF YOU'RE IN THE MARKET FOR A BAND THAT SOUNDS LIKE *TWO* COMPUTERS CRASHING THEN HERE'S ONE FOR YOU. I QUITE LIKED THIS BUT IDK NOT LIFE-CHANGING.