Something I Learned Today

I’m sure there a plenty of folks who will read the description, take a quick listen, and pass this off as disposable grunge. Not that there isn’t a kernal of truth to those sentiments, but what set Hazel apart from the other neo-grungers and noiseniks that busted out of the Portland, OR scene was the vocal interplay between guitarist Peter Krebs and drummer Jody Bleyle. Kinda like a John and Exene for the 90’s Sub Pop set (take that with a grain of salt). My first exposure was their cover of the Wipers “Tragedy” on the 14 Songs for Greg Sage and the Wipers compilation, which was enough for me to track down the bands two Sub Pop albums and the Ariana EP on Bleyle’s own Candy Ass label. Highlights include the guitar crunch of “Calliope”, the pop edge of “Title Track”, the hyperkinetic “Mr Magazine Man”, and the melancholic gem “Everybody’s Best Friend”

from 1993’s Toreador of Love
Hazel - Joe Louis Punch Out.mp3
Hazel - Truly.mp3
Hazel - Everybody’s Best Friend.mp3

from 1995’s Are You Going To Eat That?
Hazel - Lazy H.mp3
Hazel - Calliope.mp3

from 1997’s Ariana EP
Hazel - Title Track.mp3
Hazel - Mr Magazine Man.mp3

Notes:
>> Band dancer Fred Nemo maintains a Hazel Archive, amongst other things
>> Photo swiped from the band’s Myspace page
>> Hazel goods from Amazon

I said in the previous post that I would post the Shellac/Mule single if anyone wanted it and I’ll be dipped in shit, a couple of you actually bellied up and said “sure”. So here it is, the split single released in 1997 on “Laff ‘n Go”. One song apiece from Shellac and Mule, previously recorded tracks reworked with a “soul sound”. What does that mean? Nice and mellow, man. Nice and mellow. Not the best representation of each band, but worth a listen:

Songs removed by request of label - material being reissued soon!

If I had known that so many choice blogs would be going belly-up in double time I wouldn’t have started this whole blog obituary thing. So instead, to honor the recently retired Dressed For The H Bomb I’m going to throw out some Mule. You don’t find a lot of PW Long fans out there, so I was much obliged when Malfeitor sent me some rips of Long’s pre-Mule band Wig. Thanks, man. On with the show

So I originally posted about Mule way back in July 2004. Back then I had only a small amount of disk space and transfer, so I was limited to one song per band. Now, with more space and transfer than I’ll ever use I’ll give you some more of one my favorite mid-90’s bands. Hailing from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mule rocked a mix of country, blues, and plain ‘ol ass-kickin’ aggro best described as a “hellish backwoods racket”. I can’t remember who originally penned that description, but it was apt. Mule was propelled by singer/guitarist PW Long’s throaty growl and trebly guitar and the powerful backend of ex-Laughing Hyenas Kevin Munro and Jim Kimball. From 1991 through 1995 Mule delivered 2 albums, 2 singles, and 12″. Their 1993 debut LP is damned near perfect, a fine soundtrack for getting liquored up and causing trouble. 1994 saw the band issue the powerfulWrung 12″ and the more subdued If I Don’t Six. Specific material aside, the common theme here is Mule’s ability to lock on a groove and just rock the shit right out of it. Take a listen for yourself:

From their self-titled LP
Mule - Mississippi Breaks.mp3
Mule - What Every White Nigger Knows.mp3

from Wrung
Mule - We Know You’re Drunk.mp3
Mule - The Rope and the Cuckold.mp3

from If I Don’t Six
Mule - Hayride.mp3
Mule - Pent.mp3

from the I’m Hell single
Mule - I’m Hell.mp3
Mule - To Love Somebody.mp3

Notes:

With the recent Joy Division post and my new found enthusiasm for blogging British bands (woohoo, 2 out nearly 350 posts), it seemed like an ideal time to dish up a little Ikara Colt. Playing that noisy, seemingly familiar blend of arty postpunk, Ikara Colt graced the world with two albums and a couple of singles during their 1999 to 2004 run. Pitchfork had the following take on their 2002 debut Chat and Business

It’s as if Ikara Colt ran down a checklist from the back of the NME on how
to be a British punk band: They met at art school, they dress sharp, and they
sound glum. They crib from the best post-punk and noise-rock, and every track on their debut gets a perfect score for pop songform and speedy hook delivery…
The music also falls in line, between Sonic Youth and The Fall, but at least they do it well…. Chat and Business won’t bring you down, nor will it kick your ass. It’s the kind of album that’s never better than its last single, but my complaints will sound like stodgy nit-picking if you go nuts for the guitars 

2004’s Modern Apprentice is more of the same, if ultimately less engaging. No Ripcord sums it up fairly well:

It’s unfortunate that the familiar sound of some of these tracks, the nagging suspicion that you heard this once before, is always hiding in the background, because there’s worthy enough material here. The previously mentioned raw energy is evident in bucketloads, and there are tons of spiky guitar slashes and fuzz-heavy bass riffs. 

Modern Apprentice was never given official release in the US, for reasons unknown to me (perhaps their split). Regardless of the slings and arrows levied at the band I enjoyed both of these albums, with being one of my favorites of the early 21st century. Take a listen:

from Chat & Business
Ikara Colt - Sink Venice.mp3
Ikara Colt - At The Lodge.mp3

 from Modern Apprentice
Ikara Colt - Wake in the City.mp3
Ikara Colt - How’s The World Gonna Take You Now.mp3

Notes:
>Photo from an Ikara Colt fansite

Straight to the point tonight. In the mood for some brawny indie rock? Take a listen to Kustomized. From 1993 through 1997 or so Kustomized was the vehicle for former Mission of Burma drummer and Volcano Suns lead man Peter Prescott. Playing a mix of big guitar, post-something or other slop, Kustomized released 2 LP’s and an EP for indie label Matador. A listen to the first two releases (Mystery Of… and Battle for Space ) today proves that the material could be hit or miss, but I still enjoy the surf and spook undertones of the finale At The Vanishing Point. A couple:

from The Mystery Of…
Kustomized - Big Trick.mp3

From The Battle for Space
Kustomized - Throw Your Voice.mp3

from At The Vanishing Point
Kustomized - Hound.mp3

Misc:

I’ll admit I picked up the 1988 debut by Boston’s Bullet LaVolta simply because it was on Taang! While I was initially disappointed that they didn’t play typical metallic hardcore, I soon came to love this release and their full length follow up The Gift. Bullet LaVolta straddled the line between metal, hard rock, melodic punk (for lack of a better term) and big guitar indie rock. Although that may sound like a hellish stew it really worked nicely. The material is chocked with soaring hooks and big melodies which serve to distract from the occasional wanky guitar solo. All in all, Bullet LaVolta crafted a powerful and memorable brand of music.

The tracks below are from the first two releases on Taang!. A second album would be released on RCA in 1991. Swandive was slicker sounding and more rock oriented but still enjoyable. A couple of tracks:

From the 6-song debut 12″
Bullet LaVolta - Baggage.mp3
Bullet LaVolta - Dead Wrong.mp3

From The Gift
Bullet LaVolta - Underground Well.mp3

Round-up:
>> An interview with Bullet LaVolta from Noise for Heroes
>> Buy The Gift

Does anyone long for the days when Henry Rollins used to be “dangerous”? Before he was an ubiquitous talking head on VH-1? Before he displayed his questionable acting talents? Before he had a special on Comedy Central? Before he became another bland “rockstar” releasing one limp LP after another? Anyone else, or is it just me? I’m specifically talking about that time frame between the end of Black Flag and the beginning of Henrypalooza, that stretch between ‘86 and ‘89 when Henry sounded completely unglued, the band was tight, and the material solid. While I did continue to enjoy some cuts from later LP’s, the Rollins Band reached a zenith with the release of 1988’s Life Time LP and 1989’s Do It follow up EP. (Repackaged into one disc minus the live tracks)

Rollins Band - Wreck-Age.mp3
Rollins Band - If You’re Alive.mp3
Life Time is up there in my list of all time albums, if only for personal reasons. While it doesn’t have the same visceral effect on me as it did when I was 16, it still stands in contrast the rest of the Rollins Band material. Later albums would be burdened by overly long songs, boring arrangements, and “musical maturity”. Life Time features concise, edgy songs, piledriving production, and hellacious vocals.

Rollins Band - Move Right In.mp3
1989’s Do It 12″ featured 3 studio songs recorded during the Life Time sessions and the best songs off of Hot Animal Machine and Life Time recorded live in 1987. The studio songs are all covers, the best being the 7+ minute version of the VU’s “Move Right In”, which is a nice work out that shows off the band’s chops. (the ‘band’ being bassist Andrew Weiss and drummer Sim Cain from Gone and guitarist Chris Haskett). Iron Butterfly on steroids, perhaps?

While I was formulating this post I happened to find this site (via datajockey)
Sad but true. Has anyone died yet from Rollins overload?

sorry about the lack of a post last night. We were at the Landmark in Syracuse enjoying the Tragically Hip! $2.50 for a high ball, and buck and half for a beer!

Tragically Hip - Little Bones (live).mp3
A live cut from one of Canada’s greatest rock bands. (argue if you want, but make sure you’ve seen them first! ) the Hip blew the doors off the joint last night. For those in the dark, the Hip have been at it for 20 years and have released 11 albums chock full of Stonesy goodness, haunting songs, and intelligent (some would argue crazy) lyrics. As I saw first hand, the Hip are masterful onstage. Any of their rabid fans will attest to that ( and there were plenty there, from all over the NE ). Check them out if they play your burgh…

well… I updated my links, adding some new MP3 Blogs ( which most probably already know ) in addition some other blogs from people kind enough to link to me. Check them all out.

Digging around I found some free cuts from Ikara Colt, one of my favorite new bands.

Ikara Colt - Sink Venice
Ikara Colt - Repetition
Ikara Colt - Don’t They Know

a live cut from Bob Mould’s Carnival of Light and Sound 2002 tour

Bob Mould - Lost Zoloft (live).mp3
Where to start with this one? Mould is mercurial and talented artist ( and denizen of the blogosphere )whose muse leads him in many directions. You should know the history - Husker Du, Sugar, solo. In 1999 Mould decided he had enough of loud, electric tours and vowed he wouldn’t hit the road with a full band again. Afterwards, he took some time to work as a creative consultant for WCW wrestling. He returned in 2002 with Modulate, which incorporate electronics and dance tracks with his signature guitar lines. Many were disappointed ( myself included ) with the new sound and hoped it was a passing fad. Well, here it is 2004 and the long rumored Body of Song LP ( in the vein of Workbook, originally scheduled for release 2002 ) seems to be on the backburner. Currently Mould is collaborating with Rich Morel under the moniker of Blowoff. If disco is your thing then you surely won’t be disappointed.

Back to the song. Despite the let down of Modulate, Bob delighted his fans with the Carnival of Light and Sound tour. The set included Mould playing guitar to backing tracks while videos were projected on screens behind him. In addition to the new songs some old Sugar and Husker Du songs were played. All in all it was a fantastic show.

“Lost Zoloft” is “a perfect example” (hehe) of how good the new songs sounded when melded to that searing guitar. This one just has a tone, a vibe that feels like twilight to me. ( whatever that means ) While the vocals are buried a bit the guitar is right up front. I couldn’t resist it in the face of other more popular classics. Enjoy