63. Dengue Fever - Tiger Phone Card

From the Album Venus On Earth

My girlfriend fell in love with Dengue Fever this summer. So much that I was given their entire discography and forced to listen to it at gunpoint. It wasn't that bad. I think I liked it more before I heard a general sigh from the masses regarding their story. It is an interesting story. Cambodian court singer joins a California psych pop band. Well it was interesting in 2006 when Sleepwalking Through The Mekong was premiered, the documentary about the band and their back story. It is a history that is so interesting the music can sometimes be forgotten. By the time Venus On Earth had been released, Dengue Fever was yesterdays news and other people were left to being using film noir cliches. Its too bad that Venus on Earth was the first album I heard, when I talked about it on my forums, I was immediately lashed with fiery coals from the mouths of pretentious 13 years olds. Jesus they are so last summer, did you hear the new Square Meets Circle...now theres a band!? Well the album is not that bad. But its not amazing. However there are a few songs which would make wonderful additions to this mysterious mixtape you are making the girl in your psychology class. The song which particularly grabbed my interest was Tiger Phone Card; a detailed call and response detailing the perils of long distance relationships. The lyrics are banal if not cheesy, but the chorus is so damn catchy everything fits in some weird sun drenched summer anthem. Because of its advanced themes of love, it may not be the perfect song to start out your mysterious mix tape; better start out with a more neutral tone; leave it for a later tape along with your collection of Magnetic Fields .

62. The Bug (feat. Warrior Queen) - Poisen Dart

From the album London Zoo

Wow. Holy shit did I fall hard into dubstep this year. I was getting into dubstep last year but it was certain releases this year which made me investigate the genre with great fury. London Zoo is a fantastic album by The Bug with multiple guests including Tippa Irie, Spaceape, Ricky Ranking and the lovely Warrior Queen. I fell in love with Warrior Queen's dark apocalyptic rhymes with Skream's 2006 self titled debut. Out of the multiple feminist songs about female independence, few are as striking as this one.

61. Beach House - Gila

from the album Devotion

Devotion is an album which plays infinity in your head after hearing it the first time. Gila along with wedding bell are the highlights on this 2008 release. What makes Gila so special is along with being catchy is the lyrics for this album are so incredibly abstract that it can be used as an anthem to about anything. Love lost. Lost found. friendship. Hatred. Thanksgiving dinner. Grocery shopping. Once the chorus hits you are attached and when the vocal accappela kicks in you are forced into a hypnotic sing along. Below is the official video for Gila directed by Jon Leone which perfectly captures the thoughts of a 16 year old kid on mushrooms.

Kaptain Carbons House Of 12" singles

As we Circle the drain of 2008, it is time to take a step back and recognize the songs of 2008 that made this year special. The single is a dying market except for the mainstream or underground electronic music. Well i guess there are others. A single is used to be a feeder line to garner interest in the rest of the album. Most of the time music videos accompany singles. Sometimes not. These "singles" are either officially released songs from the 2008 records or songs I found amazing and decided to make them singles. Some of the singles are apart of albums in the top 10 of 2008. Sometimes not. What is similar is every single song is amazing in its own right and has floated to the top of every song I listened to this year. I will present them using youtube (to avoid any responsibility on my part) making sure each song is of the highest quality possible. There are three formats to singles:

official videos made by the band which may or may not be an amazing video
unofficial montages made by fans which may or may not be the worst piece of shit ive ever seen
still videos: the mp3 presented to a still picture of the album art which are always neutral

I will spare you bootlegged live footage not because I have anything against bootlegs but because the sound quality is most likely terrible. Every year i made a mix cd from these songs. these are given to my friends at holiday parties and act as coasters for the majjoirty of guests. If you would like to receive a free copy of the "best mix of 2008" please email me at carbon@warpath.tv. Until then enjoy my countdown of 2008.

60. Tears For Fears - Tears Roll Down (1992)

Why yes it is. This is a greatest hits. I know what you are thinking. Hey! Greatest Hits are for housewives and little girls. Yes I realize greatest hits are filler albums not made for fans rather novices who are jumping on the train midway through its journey. Now its crowded and you get an condensed discography highlighting only the popular hits. Its like being at a concert and the drunken middle aged father is yelling out songs for the band to play. Its terrible...At least for the people who were into Tears For Fears first. I was 3 when The Hurting came out and began listening to christian rap by the time Tears for Fears disbanded. Tears Roll Down is more than a greatest hits album. It is a greatest hits album only concerning itself with three albums from 1983 - 1989. Tears Roll Down was released in 1992 and acts as a regional border between classic Tears For Fears (Orzabal / Smith) and the Strange "lite" version (Orzabel). Tears Roll Down is a perfect collection for anyone who has no Tears For Fears albums. Listen to Tears Roll Down and tell me, with all sincerity you are not moved by their music. It is reflective. Its is sorrowful. It is epic. A few posts ago I talked about break up music. I can say with all seriousness that If i was 17 in 1989, that this is the music that would play infinitely on my tape deck as I drove through the night; I want you to steal a car. I have a Car. STEAL A CAR! STEAL A CAR! I want you to get in it and drive West. Play the tape full blast. When the tape ends, get out and get into a fight, then get back into the car.


Mad World from The Hurting



Everybody wants to Rule The World from Songs From The Big Chair

59. Uhh Yeah Dude (2006-2008)

I have only recently gotten into podcasts. I think I should be into podcasts since I am apart of Out Of Commission. Since the format is free, there are a gaggle of podcast available on ITunes. Besides This American Life, The Moth and past episodes of OOC, I have not delved fully into the world of podcasting. My brother, Epileptic Peat, told me about UYD around a year ago. I think I listened to 20 minutes at first and discarded it for about a year. It was not until recently I listened to a full episode (133). This episode was so funny and entertaining, I have been devoting every morning to catching up on the backlog of 2 years and can truthfully say it is the most entertaining podcast I have listened to in my very narrow scope of podcast listening. Since there is no format, angle or gimmick, the show is fluid and dynamic. It is just two guys sitting around and talking about the news. That is it. No prerecorded segments, prank calls or gimmicks. Just two guys sitting around talking about "shit." The entertainment from the show comes through the delivery and comments made about the stories. I tried to get my girlfriend into the show, but her hatred for talk radio has rendered my quest unsuccessful. On our recent bus trip up to NYC, I played episode 93. UYD, at least for me has the power to make an hour pass by with little notice. While 93 has its moments, is not the funniest of episodes. I could feel her boredom as I was giggling out loud. Damn it. I should of played an older episode I knew was funny (133, 74, 66). I think I have one more shot, and will have to plan my attack accordingly to reverse her way of thinking which has been cultivated for the past 10 years. I do not know why everyone does not like people talking for an hour. I do not understand why people do not like hearing stories. I guess It's not for everyone. But Maybe.

Uhh Yeah Dude

58. Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards (1972)

Holy God. I Love Fantasy. Not because its cool, but that it is so incredibly complex and followed with such amazing devotions and obsession. I believe it is because of the followers of fantasy that I am drawn further. I can remember in college, I would sit reading about the deadheads, fascinated at the amount of devotion one person had for an area of entertainment. Fandom of any kind became interesting to me. Comic Books, Video Games, Anime, Jam Bands, Electronic Music and Fantasy. Once I decided to get into an fall into an area of fandom, I would let myself go and become completely immersed in the culture. I would be the subtle tourist who blended into his surroundings, sometimes forgetting that I did this not out of love for the genre, but because of the idea. I would forget my reasons for being there and begin enjoying every minute. My recent excursion has been into the realms of high fantasy. This coincided with my desire to play Dungeons And Dragons, at the tender age of 27. Once I became locked into a consistent game, I started to read fantasy novels and play my girlfriend's RPGs on her DS. Its incredible. There is a concrete mythos which exists in the very broad genre of high fantasy (archetypes, elements, themes and settings) I used to think that this mythos existed due to a lack of creativity. It is only know that I realize that because of High Fantasy's devotion to crafting a world, it makes it more enveloping than newer genres (low fantasy, Steampunk, Cyberpunk).
Uriah Heep's 1972 release Demons And Wizards is not a full fledged fantasy album in the sense of fantasy albums today (Rhapsody, Dragonland,) In the 1970's during the inception of Role Playing Games, existed a more subtle, fantastic way of telling stories. The Fantasy is used in Demons And Wizards is an allegory to illustrate personal struggles or feelings. This is the same type of fantasy used by Led Zeppelin. While this allegorical theme has been carried on today, it was more legendary at birth. Before heavy metal and the height of progressive rock existed a special time. A special time where fantasy was based around books instead of movies and the inception of role playing games were emerging from the darkness. This was a time for wizards, elves and monsters. This was an infant fantasy, one that is permanently encased in the choruses of Demons and Wizards. This was a fantasy that would be carried on the shoulders of progressive rock and heavy metal into the dawn of tomorrow. Demons and Wizards is still amazing to listen to and gives me shivers to think about how far we've really come....in the realms of something so incredibly nerdy.


"The Wizard" from Demons And Wizards

57. Man Man - Six Demon Bag (2006)

I recently was talking to my colleague and brother epileptic peat about "breakup albums."Sometimes breakup albums are not planned and happen out of random occurrence. Such is the case when I went home for Christmas in 2006. My car does not have a cd player rather an old tape deck (which is of now broken) because I was really into making tapes for people, I had prepared an extensive rack of new music to listen to on my holiday visit. Unfortunately, I left that rack on my table in my apartment and went home with only one tape I was listening to that morning; Man Man - Six Demon Bag. So it goes, my Christmas break was also the time when I planned on meeting up with this girl who lived in New York. Well call her Amanda Valentine. The affair lasted a few months but was destined to go south at any moment. If it did not happen during that Christmas break It would of happened when I or her visited each other next. Whatever the case I did alot of slow drives in my car that Christmas break with Six Demon Bag playing on repeat. If I had planned a break up album before, Six Demon Bag would not be at the top of my list as my automatic picks: Magnetic Fields: 69 love songs, Devotchka: How It Ends, Explosions In the Sky: Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place . Six Demon Bag is weird and fucked. Great break up albums are comforting yet allow some catharsis; they are a shoulder to weep. They are sorrowful and reflective. Six Demon Bag is a dark cabaret filled with strange chanting and junkyard instruments. It is goofy as fuck but it is also sorrowful. I realized that winter that six demon Bag had a central thread of anger and resentment which binds every song together. Beneath the clanging and yelping was a breakup album. Maybe it was just becasue ti was the only album i had. Whatever the case it became my anthem of lose making my experience feel like some amazing act in some shitty play. After that Christmas break, I threw that tape into the trunk of my car. It wasn't until a year later my tape deck broke thus rendering all of my hard work int he art of analog useless. Break up albums are comforting at the time, but unnecessary once the feeling of anguish and regret pass. I haven't listened to Six Demon Bag since last Christmas and only recently put the album on my Ipod. It shouldn't be surprising how familiar and comforting the album is. Form a personal standpoint every emotion and thought from that particular Christmas has been preserved beneath the waves of sound. Preserved in the sense that it is like watching a movie, where you are detached from the whole experience and look upon it with an emotionless judgment. Wow that was a pretty fucked up time. I haven't thought about that in awhile. And once the album ends, the movie ends and you get up from your seat and go home.




Van Helsing Boombox live on Dutch TV.

56. Justice - A Cross The Universe (2008)

Has it really only been a year since † (cross)? French house duo's 2007 release was an electric uppercut filled with heavy beats and distorted hooks making its way into parties across the world. It was hot. It was fresh. It was "cool as ice" as the kids are calling it these days. And now it has been a year since I heard anything from Justice. Because they are from the electronic family, after any release comes different remixes, singles, and erroneous nonsense which trickles down from the album. One such release is their live album A Cross The Universe, which comes from a documentary made by and about the french duo. The concert was recorded in San Fransisco in the summer of 2008. "Live albums" are, as the kids call them, "hit or miss." On the one hand, they could add an extra dimension onto an already amazing band. Great live records offer documentation to as once in a lifetime experience. They make the experience enjoyable to people regardless if they were in attendance

Ween - Live in Chicago
Iron Maiden - Live After death
Radiohead - I might Be Wrong
String Cheese Incident - Carnival 99'
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison
Nirvana - Unplugged In New York
Grateful Dead - Dicks Picks Vol. 1-6


On the other hand, Live Albums could just be that; renditions of the most recent album played in front of a live studio audience; filled with listless tracks and meaningless banter. I am not saying that A Cross The Universe is bad, but it does not offer anything besides Cross in a live setting. In fact it doesn't offer much besides Cross. Why? Because Justice has only one album. Great live albums have a bank of songs or giant velvet bag to pull from and surprise the audience. Some old crowd favorties. An Obscure cover. A different take on a hit. A Cross The Universe offers very little besides a different track list. On a side note, my grammatically horrifying postmodern novel; A Cross Infinity was written in 2006. Take that Justice. A Cross the Universe is already drawing unfair comparisons to Daft Punk's critically acclaimed ALIVE. Unfair in the sense that you put this album next to a monumental success such as Alive, it is not going to hold its weight.

A Cross The Universe is better suited to the concert attendance in San Fransisco. During my jam band phase, I would always hope and pray that the concert I was walking into would be used for a live release. This would give the band something to play for and make an amazing souvenir a few months later. A Cross The Universe does not substitute for a live show and is merely a minor distraction for the artists who should be working on their follow up to Cross.

Come on fellows, lets get a move on.



"Stress" from Cross (2007)



"phantom part 2" from Cross (2007)

55. MGMT - Metanoia (2008)

So I am really trying to not to enjoy this band. Their song "Time To Pretend" has been used on every commercial I know and every Kevin Spacey movie about counting cards I can think of. But damn. They are catchy. I would be lying if I said their 2007/2008 LP Oracular Spectacular wasn't downright amazing and made me uneasy about my sexuality. I absolutely love glam rock and space opera in the vein of T. Rex, and early David Bowie, so to have a band directly revive the polished androgyny which makes science fiction seem sooo sexy will be looked upon, at least by me, with a positive attitude. Metanoia was released as a B-side on MGMT's single "Time to Pretend." After listening to "Time To Pretend" for the 200th time, I am convinced the song fits into the T. Rex paradigm: gigantic hit overshadowing vastly superior work. T. Rex's Bang A Gong, while enjoyable and coherent on Electric Warrior is merely one cog in a complex machine of strange sensations. If you compare "Bang It On" to singles from other T Rex records; you will find yourself how unfair this hypothetical situation is. Metanoia is by far the best work MGMT has done with a sound which reaches from organic psychedelia to the highest narcotic haze of space opera. There are progressions, choirs, slow electric solos and a strong urge to study magic and play the guitar.




MGMT - Metanoia


T. Rex - Ride A White Swan


David Bowie - Space Oddity (original video / alternate mix)

54. iLiKETRAiNS - The Christmas Tree Ship (2008)

The newest EP from British instrumental gloom rockers: iLiKETRAiNS comes as a 5 track seamless epic which hits a little over the 22 minute mark. The problem I had with their 2007 full length, Elegies To Lessons Learnt, was that it was so dark and moody, I rarely had a perfect time to play the record. No one I knew died that year. I had no breakups or catastrophic incidents. The summer went by with little incident. ETLL is so melodramatic, it is hard to listen to the record without some weight of thought and pondering. The vocals from Guy Bannister pours out of the speakers filling the room with an introspective fog. Certain tracks from ETLL work well on mix tapes especially if you want to level the drive you had been cultivating for the past few tracks but to listen to an the entire album is a marathon and something I only did twice. The Christmas Tree Ship comes as a bit of relief compared to last years full length. These five songs are continuous and completely instrumental. With the absence of Bannister's thick mood, the weight of the album isn't so overbearing. The EP starts out very post rock in its themes of wonderment and reflection; there is even a chance that the EP could be uplifting. Fuck that. Halfway though the EP, things turn sour, dark and epic. Is it as dark as ETLL? No Stepping back and reflecting on the entire product, The Christmas Tree Ship is a well constructed instrumental piece. It is easy and enjoyable to listen to when by yourself. Their is no reason for suicide watch. There are no leg aches from the weight of your meaningless existence. Your sadness and melancholy is now diamonds which fall like snowflakes around you. Compared to the vast output of contemporary post rock bands (Explosions In The Sky, Saxon Shore, This May Destroy You) this EP may blend in as "one of those albums without words," but beneath the blinking guitars and slow build ups, there is a complexity, one that may require the weight of thought and pondering.



Holy Gloom its "Spencer Perceval" from the Elegies To Lessons Learnt LP

dayman / nightman

The Plastics - Top Secret Man (1981)

A fantastic band from the 80's which seem to me the blue print for new wave revival manic Japanese band: Polysics.

53. Dungen - 4 (2008)

Sweet sweet Psychedelic Pop. Dungen is Gustav Ejstes a multinstrumentalist who writes and records all the music for Dungen releases. Bakc in 2004, the band received massive attention following a spectacular release Ta Det Lugnt. I believe I was between my hazy deadhead days and right before i discovered kazzaa lite. Even if I discovered this during the height of my jam band days, I think I would not of enjoyed as much as the newest LivePhish recording for my collection.There are jams and catchy harmonies but the music is more similar to Turikish Psychedelic and AM Pop than the Grateful Dead melodies. Now older and much wiser, I can enjoy this form of psychedlia without an 1/8th or an expaneded concioussness. 4 is very mellow and less abstract than Ta Det Lugnt but just as enjoyable.




video for Stadsvandringar (2002)

52. Various - Creepy (2008)

SFLYD002:

Mr. Curtamos – Glowinthedarkstep
Dubtek & Idmercial - Raatid
Joint Forces – Turn Me Up
Audiowright – It
Teksteppa – Shanghai Fever
Mr. Curtamos – Trouble
Joint Forces – Nimbus Daze
Teksteppa – Welcome to Babylon


Awesome album art. Sort of a sampler from Floridian electronic label: Stupid Fly Records. I am assuming that this is a Florida label releasing what appears to be a majority of UK Dubstep artists. Release on Halloween, this is sort of an EP full of dark scary beats which features the abundance of woobly bass and tape effects. It is also very dancable, which is odd in some areas of electronic music. It may not be in your interest to pick up this release unless you enjoy supporting a green label (their second release) and also an American label (Florida, Los Angeles, Houston now on the map). If anything you will have 8 decent concrete Dubstep tracks, which maybe better than randomly picking out 13$ 12"s from your local record shop. Compilations like these also may provide a smooth transition into the unknown genre of Dubstep or Grime.

51. Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy (2008)

Chinese Democracy production credits (wikipedia)

• Axl Rose – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Robin Finck – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Bumblefoot – lead guitar
• Richard Fortus – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Tommy Stinson – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Dizzy Reed – keyboard, piano, percussion, backing vocals
• Bryan Mantia – drums, percussion
• Frank Ferrer – drums, percussion
• Chris Pitman – synthesizer, programming

Former members who are featured

• Buckethead – lead guitar

• Note: Rose has confirmed some of Buckethead's parts will remain on Chinese Democracy^[12]

• Paul Tobias – rhythm guitar

Additional musicians

• Dave Navarro
• Gary Sunshine
• Brian May
• Shaquille O'Neal
• Sebastian Bach
• Patti Hood

• Note: Bach and Hood are the only musicians who have confirmed they will appear on the completed album

Orchestral arrangements

• Marco Beltrami
• Paul Buckmaster

So this is the first album in almost...

wait...Shaquille O'Neal...?
you mean along with four other records and a video game...
Axel rose invited Shaq Fu to help out with the album...
give his input?
Don't worry Sebastian Bach is on here...
some of Buckethead's parts were left in...
and that guy from Queen helped out...
come on we have to listen to this album to win the pinewood derby...
what the fuck?

And the landslide begins. I only comment on the production credits because their oddity adds to the seemingly surreal quality of Chinese Democracy, the first album in almost 18 years for hard rock titian Guns N' Roses. After constant hype and delay and a series of leaks Chinese Democracy is finally released to fans now in their late 30's. Light up the sunset strip, its time to go drinking in leather pants! I have never been a big fan of GnR. I thought their use your illusion series has its certain charm after fifteen years of maturing. The hard rock sound which was prevalent in the late 80's / early 90's is very different than the modern rock sound heard now from newer bands. Before grunge hit the mainstream and alternative was still blossoming on college radio stations, there was a sentiment and acceptance of radio rock. It was a special time of decadence, chart topping sales, record store promotions and arena shows. Metallica (post Justice) Motley Crue and Def Leopard and were all growing stronger each day building a tower. It had been an empire built on the shoulders of AC/DC Led Zeppelin, Van Halen Aerosmith and Kiss and had towered high before collapsing in the mid 90's. It would be awhile till the modern rock bands would rebuild the empire of hard rock and for a time everything seemed to be changing. Guns and Roses ended at the pinnacle of hard rock during the 1991 with the release of Use Your Illusion I and II. (we are not recognizing Spaghetti Incident as an album.) Maybe it was because the tides had shifted and people started to care less about hard rock immortals. Maybe it was because they couldn't top the mayhem of their previous world tour. Maybe it was both. Whatever the case, GNR has been inactive for the better part of a decade. Chinese democracy sounds like an album which would fit perfect in the mid 1990's. It has that dark melodic sunset with the shades drawn sound. This is hard rock as we used to know it. It might of even of been a hit; in 1995. But this is 2008. And since it has been so long parts have decayed and feel to pieces. Those broken parts have been replaced with carbon copies of what we thought used to b e there. This is what the album sounds like. Half genuine hard rock that refuses to acknowledge the contemporary world around and half imitation to assimilate the Guns N Rose's sound. It is weird and odd. It feels like i am listening to a dream of listening to Chinese Democracy. It is not terrible not is it good. It just is a Guns N Roses album....more than ten years old. Sure you have moved on. But it is there standing in the same tuxedo that he died in. Ready to take you to prom.

If you forgot what GNR was...

Synecdoche, New York (2008)

I enjoyed Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine... and Being John Malkovich. Naturally this enjoyment would lead me to want to see charlie Kauffman's directorial debut: Synechdoche, New York. The short plot for this movie is a bit misleading:

A theater director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse as part of his new play

While that part is true, and extremely interesting it is merely a sideplot, in a giant whirlwind of arthouse madness. Phillip Seymor Hoffman plays the familiar role as the gritty characiture of humanity blurred by melancholic sarcasm. The movie toggles between mundane scenes surrounded by sadness and splices them with other mundane scenes surrounded by surreal fantasy. While the general premise of this movie is enjoyable, it is almost dwarfed by an abundance of sideplots, extended dialogue and bewildering scenes. 50% of the movie will never be explained and once you give up hope between distinguishing between reality and fiction, you are left with a feeling of hopelessness. This is not hopelessness in the existential sense, but a hopelessness in the knowledge that this movie will never have the resolve you have been wanting. I can handle the fact that the oddness, strangeness and surreal moments were not attached to any sort of dream plot, but after 2 hours this type of ethereal film experience can leave a viewer feeling fatigue, even anger. Rather than putting the proverbial puzzle together, Kauffman begins taking parts away until a very incomplete confusing picture is left. It is a type of film which set internet forums ablaze with interpretations. If you have read any literature on the concept of the Simulacrum, then your halfway to understanding this movie. Now imagine reading your copy of Baudrillard and putting it down for a second to rub your eyes in philosophical haze. reread the last sentence two more times. Feel a little confused? Welcome to my experience of this movie. No one likes the feeling of incomprehension of bewilderment when they see a movie. they weigh the price of their movie ticket with the feeling of frustration afterward. More so no one will like to admit to not understanding the deeper concept of a movie when they realize there is nothing left for them. Maybe I should have watched My Name Is Bruce, which was incidentally being shown in the theater next to us. I believe I heard the dim murmur of laughter and general enjoyment. Damn it.

50: Peste Noire - La Sanie Des Siècles - Panégyrique De La Dégénerescence (2006)

So today was the first miserable day of the year. For two days it was overcast and gloomy. Winter is coming. My roommate and I recounted our glory days last winter in which we boarded ourselves in our apartment with cases of energy drinks, convenience store food and a deep playlist of black metal. The day would usually ended up in front of the television watching Law and Order marathons while nursing a stomach ache. The sound of black metal now conjures the image of my room illuminated with the reflections of sunlight from the snow. Black metal is the comfy feeling of despair and anguish. Black Metal is the taste of energy drinks, cool ranch doritos and hot pockets. Because winter is on the horizon I would like to recommend of my recent favorite black metal alums: La Sanie Des Siècles - Panégyrique De La Dégénerescence by french black metal elitists, Peste Noire. I am fascinated at the amount of torment a voice can undergo before being obliterated. Throughout the history of black metal, the voice has been stretched twisted and stabbed in the side. This is why I enjoy Xasthur. He sounds like a pterodactyl...with a broken wing...at the bottom of a cave. The voice of Famine, guitarist from Peste Noire has a voice which trumps Malefic's raspy prehistorical shriek. Imagine the sound from out of a hole in the throat which opens up wider with every dying push from the stomach. Amazing. While the majority of black metal vocalists have control over their voice, Famine's voice sounds raw and untrained. The constant fluxuation of the pitch combined with the effort of the singer makes an astounding combination. Pay close attention to the 3 minute mark of "Dueil Angoisseus (Christine De Pisan, 1362-1431)"



While I enjoy black metal, I must laugh at the sometimes ridiculous nature of elitism that is the structure of the scene. Certain black metal groups, including Peste Noire have refused to support the Internet as a viable source for promotion. black for them exists in underground shows and cassette tape trading. Peste Noire does not have a myspace, homepage or any place where you can order their stuff unless you are apart of elite trading circles in Avingon. So since this is a blog, i must appologize to La Sale Famine de Valfunde (full name) for exposing his band to people on the Internet. I wanted to come to your show in France, but I couldn't find where it was. Damn it!You were in Canada a few months ago. I'm sorry I didn't read the big stone wall underneath the stone church. HaHa. Did you like that little joke I made? I'll catch you next time when Jaggermiester puts you on the bill with Metallica. See you later dudes. Keep rockin in the free world!

49. Fennesz - Black Sea (2008)

Alright I understand the nature of ambient and noise. I am partial to the Dead Texan, Stars of the Lid and Aphex Twin and have done extensive research on mid 1970's minimalism in the visual Arts and by all accounts I should love this type of music. Its very clever. Its witty. The evolution of music. But for the most part, while being very ethereal and attractive intellectually; it is sometimes extremely boring. Sometimes or most of the time? I use my collection of ambient records as reading music and for particularly b ad hangovers. 98% of the time, when listening to ambient records, the volume is set to below normal. This is the nature of ambient records. Our experience with them is through low volume. There have been times where I tries to listen to my ambient records loud; like metal. It is interesting for awhile. One of the most disappointing ambient records I have listened to was Fennesz'z Endless Summer; after an amazing review done by pitchfork, I was extremely excited only to be greeted by whooshing and twittering noise. What the Fuck? Damn It! HaHa. Ive been pitchforked! (the comedic experience of being swindled into listening to a bullshit record by an alluring review on Pitchfork.) I think I still have that album somewhere on my computer. Fennesz takes his time when crafting albums. It has been 4 years since venice and almost 8 years since Endless Summer. Black Sea is the new album and fourth in the catalog for Austrian artist. To be honest, I understand the goal of Fennesz. Black Sea defiantly crafts a mood and feeling of a bleak November day. If I had this on vinyl, I would flaunt it at every party. Oh, well you wouldn't understand it. Damn look at that picture. I believe the artwork is the reason why I like ambient records;





I am dreaming of the day when I get the chance to work with an ambient artist on their album layout. Ill finally be able to to the wordless gatefold vinyl with 4 shades of blue. So enjoy Fennesz's new album or enjoy telling people you enjoy Fennesz's new album.






video for Caecilia from the endless summer LP. I still do not get it. I do not get why this video is credited with a director. Someone please make me cool

48: Deadbird - Twilight Ritual

So I stumbled across Deadbird when myself and my girlfriend went to Baltimore to see a death metal band named Condemn The Infected. I designed their logo and they invited me to see them play at the Ottobar. Next to the Ottobar is a great record store called Reptilian Records which specializes in local and obscure punk and metal. Besides me eating a bad sandwich on the car ride up and having stomach cramps and running across the street to the Exxon to poop in the loudest possible fashion, my experience with Reptilian was pretty good. Like most record stores they had a promotional pile of album/concert posters on a shelf by the register. Since most of the time, these are free I spent a good deal of time pulling out any poster that had decent artwork. The promotional artwork for Twilight Ritual was so striking, I rolled up the poster to adorn my bedroom walls. For a couple of weeks the bird poster hung on my wall while I wondered what an album from a band called Deadbird would sound like. Black metal? Death? Freak Folk? Recently and incidentally, I began looking at first drafts for the 2008 short lists made b y various people and magazine across the internet. One in particular had Deadbird's twilight ritual around 6 or 7. I remember this band. I have their poster on the wall! Hey look I have a personal story attached to this band. I can almost feel myself sweating and shaking while waiting for traffic to pass on South Broadway. No I haven't heard them yet, you see it was a funny story...I was at this record store. Oh you don't want to hear it again do you? Alright I'll listen to it.

Twilight Ritual is what you would expect from a sludge / stoner doom outfit: long songs, massive buildups and a shrill yet strained rasp for vocals. however the rasps soon turn into croons and the melodies surface out of the tar. This is good. Its epic. Epic sludge. Epic Doom. Different than Candlemass, but just as amazing.



Rorschach Sky from The Head and The heart (2005) - fan made video



Live version of "Rule Discordia" from Twilight Ritual.

Sleepaway Camp (1983)

I would like to take this opportunity to get myself into the full costume of a blogger; whereby anything I deem important will be written about in great exhaustive detail to be supplied with pictures, links and possibly video. A couple of weeks ago Myself, George Force, Epileptic Peat and the Davidian Compound mused on our favorite horror movies for the Halloween Episode of OOC. In our effort to be extensive as possible, we have found ourselves still receiving horror films which late from a bloated online film queue. It is sad when one of those films turns out to be quite possibly the best horror film ever made. Possibly the best or the best? Robert Hiltzik's 1983 immortal classic still lives on as one of the cheesiest / most disturbing horror films of all time. I thought I saw this movie back in high school, but it turns out I watched the second and third installment with Bruce springsteens sister, Pamela Springsteen. While I can not recommend the second or third movie, by any stretch of the imagination, I can urge everyone to watch the first. Hiltzik himself has done nothing since the first movie and despite 3 mindbogglingly bad squeals has stayed away from the directors chair until 2008. 25 years later, Return To Sleepaway Camp is released straight to video and rumors of Sleepaway Camp: Reunion are now flooding the internet. Thank you God.


I present to you part 8/8 of the original Sleepaway Camp. Anyone interested in watching the full movie will probably be treated to a more of a "plot" but for anyone else, all you need to know is campers are dying and everyone suspects Angela; the quiet girl. Enjoy the ending and the closing song by Frank Vinci. (NSFW)

OOC35

Out Of Commission Episode 35 with Kaptain carbon, Epileptic Peat and George Force
http://outofcommissionpodcast.com/blog/

Song Listing:

Bison BC - Medication
Ice T - Colors
Mad Sin - Speak No Evil
Boots Randolph - YS
Bazar Bla - Stomping Ground

42-47: Nike Original Run Series

So Nike has been furiously gathering artists for their "Run Series." Well...sort of. If you haven't heard about this series, it is a series of continual mixes from artists specifically engineered to the arch of a physical workout. Thus far there are 6 original songs sponsored and made for Nike. You would think that Disturbed or AC/DC would be the first to step in, but thus far it has been quasi independent hip hop and electronic artists. We are completely forgetting about those ridiculous treadmill and yoga mixes you can purchase. Lets believe there are only six. I have found that these mixes are not only good for exercising with dumbbells and a yoga ball but social gatherings as well. Let us be honest. Everyone wants to listen to their own music at a party. This is because your friends have shitty taste in music. So before you bring them the new nachtmystium, try and use one of these releases. All of them are either hip hop, electronic or some weird mix between both. They are all upbeat, instrumental for the most part and more importantly; incidental. I am going to review the six releases that are of any importance starting with the first release of the series.

2006: Crystal Method - Drive (44:59)
By large and by far the most "techno" sounding mix of the bunch. In my narrow mind there is techno (house, breakbeat, techno, jungle, trance and anything rave) and then there is electronic (downtempo, ambient, IDM, chiptune, experimental and anything that uses outdated technology). Techno is driving with giant bass thumps and obvious drops. Electronic is hip mature and suited for quiet get togethers and Sunday reading sessions. The crystal method are good at their craft. It is what I think about when i think of techno (extensions buildups and samples). They provide catchy upbeat mixes for staying alert and ready. I even think their name is still cool.



2007: LCD Soundsystem - 45:33 (45:58)
I have never really been into LCD Soundsystem. I have never really been into the output of DFA Records. Sound of Silver passed through my fingertips with much of a glance. The only reason why I listened to LCD was through this series. 43:33 is perhaps the most well put together mix done by any Nike sponsored artist. The beginning mix is a delightful blend of space disco and vocals which sound like obscure 45 samples. By the halfway point, 43:33 turns into a direct homage to minimal house masterpiece E2E4 by Manuel Göttsching. Besides a tight mix, LCD SS has earned another point for the recreation of their sound the live show.


2007: Aesop Rock - All Day (44:49)
I enjoy Aesop Rock. Ever since Labor Days he has been one of my favorite quasi underground hip hop artists. I haven't been able to get behind the 2007 release None Shall Pass. Because I enjoy Aesop rock, I can enjoy a 45 minute mix of new material. All Day is a fusion of instrumental hip hop, partial verses and a repeating chorus. You would think a Hip Hop song which stretches for a nearly an hour would get annoying. It is not. My girlfriend dislikes Aesop Rock. She says his beats are repetitive. I disagree. She does not mind All day as much. Maybe that is becasue it fades into the background.


2008: A Trak - Running Man (43:00)
this is the first time I heard from this artist. Supposdely he is a turntablist from canada who won some contest. His stuff is pretty cool. It's glitchy. It's noisy. It's rapid and it reminds me a little of Justice



2008: Simian Mobile Disco - Run (27:37)
The Simian Mobile Disco mix is worth listening to. I am going to go out on the proverbial limb and say it is good. Whether or not it is worth your money (or ratio) is another thing. the song almost 30 minutes, which is the shortest in the run series. I am assuming it is for people who really hate running. That cannot make it over the crest which tops at 30. Alright im done. This mix does feel like robotic servitude. It is less pleasant than LCD SS and not as triumphant as Aesop Rock. It is grinding glitchiness. Here is a song by SMD called "hustler" and it comes with a tag of NSFW due to issues dealing with binging and purging. If anyone is interested the original more sexy version of this video which ends in lesbian kissing. You can turn off the lights and see it here:

2008: The Hives - Black White And Run (44:26)
Hey remember The Hives? Remember their Black and white album? well If you missed it you can hear the 45 minute Expensive People's remix of that album. Awesome. I only listened to it once. And never again. You do not need to hear anything by these guys.

key

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