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.

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.