The Return of Stray Bullets...

image courtesy of Image comics.com

...is the topic of discussion in this week's Thee Comic Column on Joup. I am very excited for one of my all-time favorite books to be coming back in March!!!

Ransom Riggs - Land of Sleep

Ransom Riggs has made a short video about his home town of Engelwood, Florida. I really enjoy this man's videos and this one is no exception. As someone who has a certain voyeuristic interest in my own hometown, there's an appeal in watching an author whose work I love turn on a camera and attempt to get at what it is about where he came from that powers the person he has become.

The Flaming Lips - 2nd Cassette Demo, 1983

Again, via Exclaim!. This is blowing my mind - Kinda Gallon Drunk, kinda Butthole Surfers. And if you notice, I believe that is not Wayne on vocals but their original singer, Wayne's brother if I remember correctly. Details, including a list of stores stocking this 7 inch are here and there's another link on that Exclaim! link above.

Man Man - Head On (Hold On To Your Heart)

There are a lot of reasons to love the newest Man Man record On Oni Pond (13 of them in fact). This is probably my favorite of those reasons. Honus Honus has really developed a heartfelt mode of expression that really hits home with me and it's made the difference between Man Man being a cool, weird band I like to being something that moves me deeply and occupies a very consistent place in my heart.

Thank you Man Man!

Unreleased Talking Heads Live from CBGB's (via Exclaim!)

WOW. Thanks be to Exclaim! and Slicing Up Eyeballs on this one. Talking Heads playing an instrumental track David Byrne introduces as "Theme" during a gig opening for Television in 1976! Read more about it on Talking Heads fan site here.

The Callas - Diaster

Fuzz. Thick, thick fuzz. Mmm-mmm! This record made my best of 2013 list. It was produced by Jim Sclavunos of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman. It is dirty awesome goodness.

Top Eleven Albums of 2013

image courtesy of father time

My top eleven albums of the year on Joup.

Yet Another New Track by The Neighbourhood! "Unfair"

These guys are really something else. Unless I'm miscounting, that's four new songs released after their full length, I Love You.

Keep 'em coming guys!

Year of No Light - Stella Rectrix

New on Debemur Morti. Year of No Light is a French instrumental collective and Stella Rectrix is the first new song released off of their newest record Tocsin. Deep and creepy. Perfect post-Christmas tunes.

B'zwax - Illusion of Size

Awesome new single by B'zwax accompanying this new Yak House film starring Dragon House. This track is available over at B'zwax's bandcamp at $Name Your Price$ so dig deep and support this awesome independent artist.

I was originally turned onto B'zwax instrumental hip hop stylings by technoccult with another number which I posted here. 

Kate Nash - I Hate You This Christmas

Via mxdwn. You know, if my friend Manny (RIP and I miss you this day of the year most of all sir) hadn't turned me on to Kate Nash like six years ago I would have thought she was a new artist based on this. I dig the song first and foremost because she's British, second because it's catchy, but what did it for me was FIDLAR scrawled on her guitar. Fucking awesome.

And that's Christmas folks. Merry.

Ransom Riggs - Hollow City Trailer #1

I keep forgetting to post these trailers for Ransom Riggs' sequel to the spectacular Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Hollow City is out January 14th and it's not soon enough as I feel as though I've been waiting for it forever! The first book is the story of Jacob, a young boy who has his world turned upside down after witnessing the death of his grandfather at the hands of what he believes to be a monster. This leads to an examination of his grandfather's things and a forlorn letter from a mysterious Miss Peregrine. Investigation of the letter leads Jacob to travel with his father to the tiny island of Cairnholm off the coast of Wales and it is there that things get really weird. The narrative is peppered with a fascinating assortment of freaky old time photos Mr. Riggs (who youtube, twitter and various other online enclaves are just loaded with awesome content) acquired from private collections and various out-of-the-way places and is an effortless and completely consuming story of peculiarity, Hollowghasts, time-distortion and coming of age. Soooo good.

The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

2nd greatest Christmas song ever, right after that Pogues. Merry Christmas.

The Pogues - Fairytale of New York

Merry Christmas with the greatest Christmas song ever. Makes me want a bottle of Bushmills and my Preacher trades.

Madlove - Left with Nothing

Trevor Dunn of Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Tomahawk, Trevor Dunn's Trio Convulsant and Melvins Lite has at least one other band than those I just listed, and it's Madlove. The group's 2010 record White With Foam is a grand rock album that reminds me A LOT of Faith No More's King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime record. Not sure why, there's no direct crossover personnel. It's just a tone thing. Start to finish White With Foam is amazing. I've been caught in its thrall again lately and brother, it feels GOOD.

Watch The Flaming Lips' Christmas on Mars

Via consequence of sound, who tell us we only have twelve hours while this is streaming free. I own this, it was a gift from Mr. Brown a couple years ago. The audio is amazing. The visuals are amazing. But unfortunately it has the worst dialogue ever. I mean really. I'm not talking shit. I do not like to spout negative shit online (I used to, then I grew up). I'm just saying. I'm telling you if you've ever had an inkling to see this you should, just be prepared. And try not to hold the dialogue against the Lips.

New Neighbourhood Track Silver from Forthcoming Record...

The Neighbourhood's I Love You is in my top 10 albums of 2013 (that list coming this week on Joup). The band's been busy, they released two newer songs over the last six months (here and here) and now in the midst of touring they've released this beautiful new number along with the announcement that a new record is coming in 2014. #000000 & #FFFFFF (or Black and White) is due "soon" according to the band. More deets on It's All Indie here.

Brand New - At the Bottom

After two rotations of God and the Devil are Raging Inside Me it's on to Daisy. Play this song really loud on headphones and it feels like it imprints itself onto your soul.

Brand New - Limousine

Every track is awesome and each one brings you deeper into the catastrophic embrace of the music.

Brand New - Millstone

When this album grabs me it does not let go for days and days and days...

This Week's Thee Comic Column...

image courtesy of comicbook.com

Is yet another outcry to convince those not currently reading Terry Moore's Rachel Rising to give it a shot! Read the column on here on Joup.

Jarvis Cocker - Cunts are Still Running the World

Sing it Jarvis. So true.

Stage Fright (1987) Trailer

I just watched this. Wow. That's not a good wow, nor a bad wow. Just a wow.

Don't view the entire trailer, just the first 40 seconds. You don't need anything more than that.

My Favorite Article All Year Anywhere

I know that's a fairly hyperbolic statement, but Tommy from Heavenisanincubator just killed it. The focus isn't so much on the actual music related, but on the aesthetics of our relationship with music via technology. Reading this gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling that analog does and made me want to run upstairs, grab one of the several dozen still shrink-wrapped Maxell C-90's in a closet and get to making a mix-tape. Now that's inspiration!

The link to the article is embedded in the image - just click, link and read! Oh, and listen.

Save Rachel Rising!!!

image courtesy of terrymooreart.com

Comic book fans and all those in love with a great story I appeal to you - Terry Moore recently tweeted that numbers on his amazing monthly series Rachel Rising - which begins with a girl waking up from her own murder and leads off a twisty path into some old school biblical witchcraft that goes on to incorporate the Salem Witch Trials - is towing numbers so low that, as Moore stated, when his legendary book Strangers in Paradise numbers sported similar numbers he ended the series.

@joe_hill I'm still on it but the orders keep dropping like the comic is bad. So frustrating. I ended sip when it got this low. Frustrating.
— Terry Moore (@TerryMoore) December 17, 2013

This can't happen people!

Now Moore wasn't stating that he was ending Rachel Rising, but the frustration and hurt was there. And it should be because not only is Rachel Rising an amazing book but it is completely INDEPENDENT - put out through Moore's own Abstract Studio. This post isn't an ad for a kickstarter or anything, I'm just imploring to those who read comics to drop into your local comic shop or hit up amazon and pick up the first trade or an issue or anything. Trust me - you will LOVE this book. The art is amazingly detailed B&W and the story is just getting batshit crazy while still retaining the 'sophisticated horror' element that a show such as American Horror Story conveys. And really, this new season of AHS is most definitely influenced by Rachel Rising, as it too revolves around Witchcraft (though to what degree I don't know because I haven't seen it yet).

Terry Moore is an icon - please give him and his wonderful book Rachel Rising a chance!

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Higgs Boson Blues Official Video

Had no idea that dropped. Possibly my favorite song on an album with all amazing songs.

The Twin Peaks Cast Recorded a 12 Days of Xmas

Mr. Brown, if you read this you just made my day good sir! Not the traditional 12 days you know, this is specific to Twin Peaks and is sung by actual cast members. And the kicker - it was apparently recorded for my beloved Kevin and Bean back in 1990!

Burial - Rival Dealer

Really digging this new Burial.

Christopher Nolan's Interstellar Teaser Drops...

...and apparently shows us nothing. I saw this last night and immediately had qualms about posting it because most of it appeared to be stock NASA footage, which is cool, but not exactly what anyone was expecting. However, upon careful consideration there are two reasons that have made me change my mind. A) I LOVE Christopher Nolan's films, esp. the ones that come between the Dark Knights (nothing against the DK's and yes, I realize this is not between them as the series is over, but you know what I mean, it's immediately after it so it kinda fits into that criteria). And B) There may be more in this teaser than I originally thought, so I'm going to mull it over a bit (there's a great annotation of some of the images over on space.com here). In the meantime, here's the synopsis that went with the trailer and that if nothing else is something that makes me salivate:

A group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

New World Inferno (Via Brooklyn Vegan)

World Inferno Friendship Society have a new one coming out. This is another one of the great bands my wife turned me onto when we first met. I'd be lying if I said I'd kept up with everything they've done, but they're a great band and any new music by a great band is worth promoting as much as possible!

Read more on Brooklyn Vegan here.

Thee Comic Column #63 - Peter David's Fallen Angel

image courtesy of fantasticfiction.co.uk

Yep, Lee and her take-no-prisoners approach to redemption is the topic of discussion this week in Thee Comic Column over on Joup (here).

It's funny, I'm traveling this week, hanging out in Florida for the first time and I brought all of the volumes of the book I discuss with me on the trip, only to realize that DC never released a trade collecting the final volume of their original Fallen Angel run. This has left me unable to read the series as I'd planned - I'm stuck on a raft between DC vol. #2 and IDW vol. #1. Also as I talk about in the column I have all the DC in original issue format, however when I get home tomorrow I'm now going to have to really dig through my long boxes to find them.

Crap.

Still, the payoff will most definitely be worth the effort, as Fallen Angel is just one fantastic book!!!

CJ & Co. We Got Our Own Thing

Originally I dismissed this, but stick with it til the end and it gets good.

Chester Whelks Interviews Gloom Balloon on Joup

Chester Whelks conducts a fantastic interview with Patrick Tape Fleming of Gloom Cookie on Joup here.

Buy the Gloom Cookie record You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Disaster/Fix the Sunshine Parts 1-7 on their bandcamp here.

New Cynic!

As a high school metal head interestingly enough I pretty much avoided death metal at all costs. Sure, because of my girlfriend at the time I saw Deicide two or three times but into them? Not so much (awkward teenage sex to Dead by Dawn is NOT a good thing). Anyway...

Fast forward years later and Cynic's Focus (specifically the track "Textures") was my introduction to the idea that there were good bands that employed the gnarly 'Ghhhhaaaa' vocals. It's all about not relying on it but using it where appropriate. Patton did this and Cynic definitely did this on Focus, where the vocals ranged between the haunting female vocals, the vocodor-ed vocals I always thought of as representing some form of celestial entity and the snarling, spitting vocals more associated with death metal. These techniques fit perfectly over instrumental passages that - while I'm not a huge fan of the very solid-state sounding distorted tone on the guitars - move poignantly between sophisticated jazz, complex rhythmic prog and intricate metal.

And now there's some new Cynic.

Nothing - Dig

This new track by Nothing dropped in August and I missed it!!! Buy it on their bandcamp for .99 here.

Cibo Matto - MFN

Why did this band break-up in the first place? Viva! La Woman was fantastic and then Stereo Type A - I'll never forget when that album came out and we all just sat around floored at the maturation Yuka and Miho had achieved 3 years. I mean, Viva is fun, but Stereo Type is viable as one of the top ten best albums of the 90's in my opinion. Moonchild? Come on...

Anyway, Mr. Brown sent me the link to this video recently with a reminder that Cibo Matto's new record, Hotel Valentine, will be out on, appropriately enough, on Valentine's day 2014.

Nice.

Burial - Come Down To Us

Buy directly from Hyperdub here.

As much as I looove Burial's 2008 Untrue I have been lax in keeping up with his output - largely because there wasn't any for a couple years.

The Flaming Lips and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes - Do You Realize???

I've been on a HUGE Lips kick after reading Mark Richardson's wonderful 33 1/3 entry on Zaireeka. Great version of a song that I believe may be one of the greatest songs ever written - but that also always makes me cry so - as happiness does - so I'm careful with the exposure.

I know I'm tangenting here, but I've never done Zaireeka. I was at the BoomBox Experiment live in 1998, but have never done the home listening experience.

That's about to change.

I've got a xmas bonus coming soon and one of the few things I intend to purchase for myself with a part of that is Zaireeka on cd so I can finally get around to throwing some Zaireeka parties.

Geez, how many times in one post can I say 'Zaireeka'?

image courtesy of blog.kexp.org

SunnO))) + Ulver = Greatness!!!

How long has it been since Monoliths & Dimensions? 2009? I can NOT wait for this!!!

New Pixies Video - Another Toe in the Ocean

Just released! What more can be said about the Pixies continued reunion?

Queens of the Stone Age Live in the Studio @ KCRW

Even after recording/releasing the new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds live album do you still need proof that KCRW is America's greatest NPR station?

Above.

Burial - New Record Coming This Month (via Exclaim!)

I have to completely plagiarize Josiah Hughs from Exclaim!'s story from this morning and post this great news along with the same video he used because honestly I completely missed Burial's EP last December. So the above is from that and I'm tripping on new-old Burial music and the fact that two days after I just said to someone, "When the hell is Burial going to release something new?" I get this and then two weeks later I get more.

Exclaim has the full story here.

Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse - Down By The River

For my money Mr. Young is the best example of a 'simple' guitar player ever to walk the planet. Sparse, strategic and elegant, but harsh and dusty all the same.

Man... Or Astro Man - Disintegrate

Disintegrate also appears on Man... Or Astro Man?'s full length from this year, Defcon 5..4..3..2..1, which is definitely in the running to be in my top ten. The evolution Man... Or Astro Man? have undergone since back in the day is just fantastic. The new album begins with the classic instrumental, surf rock stylings fans of the band are used to, then moves into more vocal oriented material a la 1997's 1000x E.P. Defcon... then moves back and forth with the instrumental/vocal approaches, however as you reach the end of the record I'd say some of the songs break even stronger new ground, eschewing many of the more recognizable aspects of the band's sound for some electronics and even more focus on making the vocals the forefront of the songs. Case in point: there is very little if any 'surf' to the guitar in track 9, Electric Arc and track 10, Defcon 2 is very electronic oriented, with no discernible guitar at all. Since Astro Man's reunion several years ago it seemed very much to me like these guys work regular jobs and tour during vacation time. That said, if they keep making music the way they have been I am anticipating the interesting new avenues they seem to be perpetually exploring with their sound.

T. Rex - King of the Mountain Cometh

Awesome closing track on Electric Warrior. T. Rex is one of those bands that I know very little about. Really, aside from some very basic info the main thing I know about T. Rex is that I need to know more about them, as they inspired EVERYBODY during the 70's - Bowie especially.

Revolver - Cradle Snatch

Another band I knew nothing about until my good friend Amy dropped a link on my FB page recently. Really dig this - kind of an Oasis/Kula Shaker thing going on. Kind of.

Band's website here.

Failure - Saturday Savior

I had never heard of Failure before - or more likely I did back in the day and never paid any attention. My good friend Jacob of Blue Karma just turned me on to them after hearing news of their upcoming reunion shows in LA. I dig them quite a bit, and thus far this is a stand out.

Thee Comic Column #61 - Rick Remender and the Future of the Marvel U - SPOILERS

image courtesy of http://soulkiller-rebel-rogue.blogspot.com/

I really mean it about those spoilers, as in this week's edition of Thee Comic Column (here) I candidly discuss not only the events of Uncanny Avengers #14 but what Rick Remender's run on the book thus far may mean for the Marvel Universe going forward.

Cake - Frank Sinatra

I've been listening to a lot of Cake recently. This has always been one of my favorite songs on Fashion Nugget, which is an album where every song is outstanding.

Nick Cave Record Store Day (that's today) Live Album Release

image courtesy of Spin

I'm not going to lie - there is NO WAY in hell I'm going out to pick this up today. Working a skeleton crew day at the lab and then coming home to work on my script, then later maybe watch a movie or two because I am quite behind on what people have lent me recently. However, I will be going out tomorrow to pick this up. Live Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Recorded through KCRW, best NPR station in the nation, and if giving Henry Rollins a place for his radio show and putting something like this out doesn't prove that, I don't know what will.

Rick Remender Interview and Upcoming Signing

This is an interview my friend Mike did with Rick Remender when he signed at Mike's store The Comic Bug (best comic shop in CA) back at the beginning of the year.

I've fallen so hard for Remender's writing - it reminds me a lot of how I fell for Grant Morrison circa 2000 and Chris Claremont in the 80's. Mr. Remender, along with Dean White (colorist on Remender's Black Science), Brian Posehn, Gerry Duggan and Scott Koblish are all signing at the Bug again this coming Wednesday, December 4th!!! Details HERE.

Fairies Wear Boots covered by All-Star Metal Line-up

One of my favorite Black Sabbath songs. This all-star line-up consisting of Geezer Butler, Zakk Wylde, Charlie Benante and Corey Taylor was recorded at a Hartke Bass event held at LA's wonderful Henry Fonda Theatre. The event honored Geezer Butler, who is - in my opinion - one of the greatest bass players around.

Via mxdwn.

David Lynch Remixed by Bastille

Previously I have not been huge on Bastille's radio single "Pompeii", however lately it's begun to grow on me. When I saw the video for the song or hear it in any context other than on the radio certain nuances come to the forefront. It reminds me of 80's Peter Gabriel - with those early forays into world music - mixed with The Streets. And honestly, I'm an Anglophile, so lead singer Dan Smith's very, very British voice wins me over. It may also have something to do with the fact that I heard an interview with Smith a few months back where he spoke about what a huge David Lynch fan he is (and subsequently I discovered they have a song called "Laura Palmer") and that he'd had the chance to remix one of Lynch's songs.

Well done Mr. Smith.

Uncanny Avengers #14 Blew My Freakin' Mind!!!

image courtesy of comicbookmovie.com

What an AMAZING week for comics - and I didn't even get everything in my damn box at the Comic Bug! The Walking Dead #117 was fantastic, TMNT #28 wrapped up the City Fall storyline in amazing fashion and I still have Transformers Regeneration #96 and Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera and Dean White's Black Science #1 to read (and OH! have I been waiting for that!). And speaking of Mr. Remender - the best and most shocking mind-fuck of the week was the above Uncanny Avengers #14. It will definitely be the subject of this week's Comic Column on Joup, but in the meantime I'll just say... that if this book wasn't already epic on Chris Claremont's Uncanny X-Men proportions it is now.

Forêt's Amazing La cage video

Forêt - La cage [vidéoclip] from Simone Records on Vimeo.

Wow. Found this on Brooklyn Vegan earlier. First - there's a part of Pennsylvania where a 50 year old fire still burns under a labyrinth of mines? WHAT? Awesome! And finding out about via this great band from Montreal named Forêt who use this amazing imagery in simply stunning music video (and who sonically really itch the old school Stereolab fan scratch I've serendipitously been feeling of late - I broke out Transient Random Noise Bursts w/ Announcements for the first time in quite a while yesterday).

Read more about this on Brooklyn Vegan. And you can buy Forêt's music on their bandcamp, linked below.

Unreleased Velvet Underground track (via mxdwn)

I found this unreleased Velvet Underground track on mxdwn this morning. "I'm Not a Young Man Anymore" apparently fits the bill of unreleased track as not much does in the post napster days - according to mxdwn it's not on any live or bootlegs known to exist. It will be available on the upcoming White Light/White Heat - get this - 45th Anniversary re-issue.

45 years!!!

Go to mxdwn or consequence of sound and read more about the 3-disc special edition here or here. I owned this album briefly and it disappeared, this was back in the mid-90's, and I never replaced it. In that brief time the track "The Gift" became a somewhat ridiculous obsession of mine.

Probably about time.

Factory Floor - Turn it Up

I've flirted Factory Floor since I first heard their remix of Grinderman's "Evil" a few years ago. I dig most of what I hear them do, and they're one of the few groups that do remixes that always seem to offer something new. Well, I shouldn't say one of the few - one of the few I know of, that's better said. Anywho, I came across this new video on Brooklyn Vegan earlier and dug it - the tone and style of the visuals fits the music quite well.

Oh, and that Grinderman remix:

✝✝✝ (Crosses) - Bitches Brew

Chino from the Deftone's other, other band. I learned of this via Bloody Disgusting this morning and was faced with a conundrum when I went to repost. The video is 'Unlisted' on youtube. When this is the case as soon as you go to the embed area a nice little msg. pops up reminding you to be polite, i.e. the original poster - here the band's label Sumerian Records - may not want it reposted. However, with BD already helping circulate the video, and the my entire perceived understanding of music videos as - in this case - artistically sound mini films that essentially function as promotional material for the music, well, I can't see why the band/label wouldn't want it reposted for more people to see.

That said, great video. The record is out 2/11/14 on Sumerian (pre-order here)and if it's half as good as the previous EP it will be great.

The Henry Rollins Radio Show

Consider this a trailer. Everything about this makes me smile. You can stream these on KCRW's website here.

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - The Proposition

Since KCRW moved Henry Rollins' show to Sunday it is no longer a weekly event for me. I'm hoping I can change that soon (or they could just put him back on Saturday where he fucking belongs... just saying). I was able to listen this week and man did he blow my mind - as usual. One of the things Mr. Rollins threw down on was the Nick Cave and Warren Ellis White Lunar, which I believe is a comp of some of their film score work. GORGEOUS.

One Song #2 is Up at MilkMag.org

image courtesy of wikipedia

This time I speak about Midnight City by M83. You can read the article here, and while you're at Milk Mag might I recommend snooping around a little as there is a wealth of great reading contained therein.

Voyeur - Little Death

Wow. Kind of speechless at this. Found Voyeur via a review on mxdwn, where they referred to them as "Trance Horror Lounge".

How could I not look that up. I don't know if I exactly agree with that referral tactic, but I've only heard two tracks thus far.

UPDATE: Wow, if this is not grabbing you go right to the final song, Little Death and then work back from the beginning (I originally began this first experience with Voyeur from the middle song, String due to the curiosity for it that Alec Cole stirred up in me via his review at mxdwn. String is fantastic, but taken in the context of the entire progression I now definitely dig the Trance Horror Lounge thing.

Good lord, see what I mean?

The synths on this song rev me up the way guitars do when used properly. So textured, and such a well thought out structure. This seems to be the MO for these guys. Reminds me a bit of sys_exe.

65DAYSOFSTATIC - Prism

From 65DAYSOFSTATIC's Wild Light. This is a recent find for me and I'm digging it. This song seems a little throwback compared to the strangeness of some of the rest of the tracks, but in the context of the whole record it makes perfect sense. This is some seriously cosmic music.

You can listen to the entire album and then buy it at their label Bird Robe Collective's bandcamp.

Author and Punisher - Women and Children

 Author and Punisher's Women and Children is soooo going to be in my top ten of the year. "Melee" just swells with menace. THIS is the definition I've always had in my head for industrial music.




Go to his bandcamp and buy!

Breaking Bad on Vinyl!!!

Over at Modern Vinyl they have a story about Breaking Bad OST vol. #1 coming to vinyl as a double picture disc on November 26th- hell, isn't that Tuesday?!? Great News!

Ready for the bad news? It's exclusively available at... hot topic.

I have to go into a hot topic. On Tuesday. This Tuesday. Wasn't ready for that. Still, it'll be worth it. I'll just have to pretend I'm Mike (Jonathan Banks) or something and that this is surveillance.

Joe Hill's Taking Us to Christmasland!!!

image courtesy of geek news empty-v

Back in the spring I reviewed Hill's newest novel NOS4A2 on Joup. Now in this week's edition of Thee Comic Column I review the first issue of the sinisterly awesome Wraith: Welcome to Christmasland - the book that will expand on the extremely expansion-worthy mythos Hill so expertly sets up in the novel.

The Smiths - The Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

The lyrics to this song scare me. The ending is the closest thing I've ever heard to an artist transcribing the underlying fear of modern humanity into a short, concise and ridiculously catchy refrain.

Chills every time I hear this.

Slayer's Hell Awaits... 8 Bit Nintendo Style!

Oh man, did Bloody Disgusting really deliver today or what. This speaks 100% for itself. (every track from Hell Awaits is up, more in BD's article here.)

Gwar - Madness at the Core of Time Official Video!!!

I'm pretty sure Gwar is the only band who has continued to play straight-up 80's thrash metal since... well, since the 80's. I saw them live once back in what I think was the late 90's at Chicago's Riviera Theatre. It was divine. Very much like what you see in the video above, but without the safe distance of a computer screen between me and the giant blood-spewing monstrosities you see above. A stroke of genius to 'preview' the madness at the core of their live show in the video.

SAPPHIRE SLOWS Can I Get Out of This Silence (Eyedress Remix)

A couple of weeks ago Heaven is an Incubator posted the song Nature Trips by weird electro group Eyedress from the Philippines. I stumbled back across that post a little while ago and ended up looking Eyedress up on Soundcloud. This prompted a long listening session, the above of which was one of my favorite tracks out of a lot of tracks that I really, really dug. As with my previous post concerning Nicolas Jarr, the original artist here - Sapphire Slows - is completely new to me, so it looks as though I have my homework multiplying exponentially with this lackadaisical evening of reading comics and listening to new music.

Ellen Allien - Flashy Flashy (Nicolas Jaar Remix)

I love this. Settling into some chill electro is a good way to go as these nights grow longer and longer. Winter is always when I go back to this kind of thing as both the colder weather and the dark, introspective beats and tones play increasingly well with the more isolated, introspective 'dark months'. Nicolas Jarr is one half of Darkside. I know nothing about Ellen Allien, but mean to find out more after becoming so enraptured by this particular track.

Flaming Lips Cover Tame Impala's Elephant

This is awesome. Listen to those drums!!!

Man, when the Lips cover a song, they really COVER the fuck out of it. I've gotta dig around and see if I ever posted that live version of Seven Nation Army where Wayne uses the lyrics to The Butthole Surfer's Moving to Florida.

Sleep - Dopesmoker

If you dig this you NEED to own it on vinyl. The re-issue via Southern Lord (buy it here though it looks as though they are currently out of stock) stands as one of the greatest vinyl purchases I've ever made.

sys_exe - Sundown (radio edit)

The places sys_exe's music takes me are both wonderful and strange.

Primus - Tragedy's A' Comin

Man, I really missed the freakin' boat on the videos from this album!

Ty Segall Live @ Amoeba Music 2009 (full set)

BOMB! Look what I just found on the youtubes! This would have been amazing to see in person, but it is well before I was aware of his existence. Super cool the way they shot this and the sound is fantastic!

Ghost BC Release Covers EP

Had a feeling this was coming back several months ago, then it just kinda didn't and I became distracted. So I owe special thanks to Heaven is an Incubator for posting this a little while ago. You can get it on iTunes or better yet a record store if you happen to have one of those anywhere near you. Or you can order it directly from the band here where it's pretty much dirt cheap ($12 bucks for the vinyl before shipping!!!).

Four covers (Depeche Mode, Roky Erickson, Army of Lovers and the ABBA song Marionette in case you missed the special edition of Infestissumam) rounded out with a live version of Secular Haze. Produced by Dave Grohl. And Satan.

Teasers for forthcoming new album by Liars

There are a lot of bands I follow. I mean A Lot. Few keep me guessing from record to record as much as Liars do. WIXIW was one of my favorite albums of 2012. What's more it was one of the more interesting albums I heard that year, not just because of it's sonic nature, but because of how it related to the rest of the band's ever-changing MO. I was thrilled to read about the forthcoming new record, evidently due out in March next year on Mute. Read the details here on Exclaim!

The High Confessions - Chlorine and Crystal

My favorite track on the aforementioned Turning Lead into Gold with the High Confessions record from 2010. Shades of Pornography era Cure.

Corrections House - Bullets and Graves

CORRECTIONS HOUSE - "Bullets And Graves"

New Corrections House to go along with their last two videos (Hoax the System and Grin with a Purpose).

Really dig this band but if we could just have Mr. Parker use this as a launching pad to go back and record a new record with his other "super group"I'd be one happy man. Corrections House is Sandford Parker (of Minsk, Nachtmystium) along with Scott Kelly of Neurosis, Mike IX Williams of Eyehategod and Bruce Lamont of Yakuza and Bloodiest. Meanwhile  that other group is almighty High Confessions, who have thus far released one album - Turning Lead into Gold with the High Confessions and Mr. Parker is joined therein with Steve Shelley (former Sonic Youth and Disappears drummer), Jeremy Lemos of White/Light and of course, Chris Connelly of Ministry, Revolting Cocks and Chris Connelly (w/ and w/out The Bells). 

So you see why I'd like The High Confessions to produce more music...

Les Claypool's Duo De Twang cover Primus

After finding that video for Lee Van Cleef and posting it earlier in the week it dawned on me just how long it'd been since I had a Primus jag and I immediately set about correcting that, beginning with a couple of spins of 2011's Green Naugahyde. Then yesterday, as if the Universe decided to reward me, I found that Mr. Claypool's Duo de Twang is not only releasing an album but have shared their version of Primus' Jerry Was A Race Car Driver, which they cover (along with Wynona's Big Brown Beaver, the Bee Gees' Stayin' Alive and - this I can't wait to hear - Alice in Chains' Man in the Box) on their forthcoming album Four Foot Shack, out February 4th on ATO Records.

Bad ass.

I've never quite understood how ol' Les fell in with the jam thing - a scene that I have a little more tolerance and understanding for after recently reading former AV Club current The Dissolve writer Nathan Rabin's You Don't Know Me But You Don't Like Me.

A little.

I believe this jam thing began for Claypool with his Fearless Flying Frog Brigade project. I saw the Frog Brigade (who Duo de Twang also cover on the album) back in... ummm, late early 00's maybe? It was cool but they were opening for Phil Lesh at Wisconsin's Alpine Valley and that was a long way to go from Chicago for a half hour opening set (cuz we left after after the Brigade played - the smell of patchouli doesn't agree with me). Totally worth it though.

Anyway, more Les Claypool in any capacity is always a good thing in my opinion.

More info on the album on Exclaim! here.

Queens of the Stone Age - The Vampyre of Time and Memory Official Video

Well, apparently it's music video day, although this actually dropped rather quietly yesterday. ...Like Clockwork is a top contender thus far for my album of the year and this track, coming in at number three on the album, was the first one on that first listen that told me the band had really crafted a powerhouse. The video is really quite strange, but the real killer occurs if you go here: http://www.vampyreoftimeandmemory.com/  here and do the full interactive music video experience. of course leave it to Queens to do something like this. So fantastic it borders on inconceivable.

Official Video: What Goes Boom by The Pixies

The Pixies kick off their new North American tour on January 5 (more info here) but in the meantime here's the new video to What Goes Boom (my personal favorite track off the all-together Awesome EP that came out a few months ago. From the official press release for the video:

"What Goes Boom," was one of the early songs Pixies worked on before the 
band went back in the studio, following Deal's departure. "It's kind of a 
ballsy song with real balls-out playing," says Santiago. "And [it] harkens 
back to a lot of the harder-edged Pixies stuff, which is my favorite to play."

Songwriter and guitarist Black Francis further explains that "the song is 
about a girl, a girl who plays the bass guitar. It's got kind of a metal riff 
which I think that, on occasion, we all really enjoy playing, even though we're 
not a metal band. And I wouldn't be the first to write a song about some 
gal who plays bass."

The video for "What Goes Boom" was directed by Jonathan Furmanski 
and Matthew Galkin. They had some grand plans for this but in the end
 basically decided it was cheaper and best to just blow something up.
 In an email, the two directors told us that "Our original vision for the 
'What Goes Boom' video was to create an homage to a 
central, dramatic scene in Star Wars. But, after that idea proved 
a bit too costly to produce, we decided the next best thing was to blow 
up Joey Santiago in the desert – the compromises we make for our art."

Electric Youth - Innocence

Wow. Really cool - new track from the forthcoming record Today, due out on Last Gang Records in 2014 (which is right around the freakin' corner!). If you don't recognize the name of the band you might the sound - they were featured on the soundtrack to Nicolas Winding Refn's brilliant Neo- Noir Drive two years ago or so. I had forgotten about this band after falling in love with that film and the music in it, and while this has reminded me to seek them out it has also made me slightly suspicious as Innocence is A LOT like the track A Real Hero track w/ College from the Drive Soundtrack.

Reverend Horton Heat's New Video

Great song. Great video. The change at 1:46 is killer.

After spending much of my twenties with the records The Full Custom Gospel Sounds of the Reverend Horton Heat, Liquor in the Front, It's Martini Time and Space Heater the Rev.'s been hot and cold with me. Everything he does is great, but a lot of it is within the same 'box' if you will. This is no different, but when the mood strikes me I can throw on the newer stuff (Spend A Night in the Box and up) can still make me smile (and suck the beers down faster than usual). Tonight was one of those nights. Thanks to Bloody Disgusting for posting this. It's from the new record REV on Victory Records.

Walton Goggins... Jessie Custer

A casting suggestion first brought to my attention by author Jacob Q. Knight on Twitter. If a Preacher show is going to happen, then in my book this HAS to happen! I've become a massive fan of Goggins since becoming enamored with his portrayal of Boyd Crowder on Justified, then going back and realizing he'd been awesome in a bunch of other films I'd seen him in over the years (definite nominee for best death scene - Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses). Goggins is intense in all the right ways and would be perfect for this role. I'm still afraid of AMC doing Preacher - Seth Rogen's involvement an interesting but not necessarily good development - but Goggins as Custer would definitely help make me less afraid.

image courtesy of house of geekery.com

Oceansize - Saturday Morning Breakfast Show

My friend Jacob from Blue Karma gave me Effloresce by Oceansize as an introduction to the band. After picking at it off and on for a few months the full weight and majesty of this beautifully crafted record really hit home about a week or two ago. I've pretty much been listening to it everyday since. All the tracks are fantastic, but this one hit me with a double whammy when it dawned on me that at ~330 they go into part of Pearl Jam's Ocean. I found this to be a brilliant little homage - the kind of thing a lot of bands do live but that I don't remember ever seeing done on an album before. It's a nice little tip of the hat that really adds some extra emotional weight to an already outstanding track.

Soundgarden - The Girl You Want

Have had this song in my head all night. Great cover of an old Devo song, included on the looooong out-of-print version of Badmotorfinger that included SOMMS as a second disc. Oh, SOMMS is Satan Oscillate My Metallic Sonatas.

Nice.

Primus - Lee Van Cleef

Wow. I am REALLY late to the game on this video. After seeing it I stumbled around the web checking up on what Les and the boys have been up to and found this on wikipedia:

"In September 2013, Les revealed that Jay Lane has departed Primus to focus on RatDog with Bob Weir. Previous drummer Tim Alexander has rejoined the band in his place. The band plans on going into the studio in November to possibly record their eighth studio album, the name will be announced in 2014."

Oh happy day!!!

Polvo - Light, Raking

The inimitable Chester Whelks wrote a review of Polvo's newest record for Joup back a few weeks ago. Go here to read it.

Infectious Grooves - The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move

Where there is noooooo way in hell I'd ever go see Suicidal Tendencies anymore (been that way pretty much since the last time I saw them, circa 1994 or '95) news of Infectious Grooves reuniting makes me wonder... it doesn't require 'Cyco Mike' to try and pull off that Suicidal aggression that has just seemed phoned in since... again, '94 or '95. I mean, no offense to the guy, he helped make some AWESOME music in Tendencies. Everything up to The Art of Rebellion is classic, with Lights Camera Revolution being the pinnacle and where - in my opinion - they should have stopped.

I saw Infectious Grooves at Chicago's Riviera Theatre back for this first record (opening for ST) - it's been years since I've heard this as I never owned it on disc, only cassette and that disappeared some time ago. But hearing it again now, contemplating seeing them... it's just a start-to-finish great record. Live? Wait, FNM's Jim Martin added on guitar? Hmmmm...

AMC orders Preacher Pilot? (via Bloody Disgusting)

Hole. Lee. Fah. King. Shit.

image courtesy of sequart.org

First, go to Bloody Disgusting and read this.

I'm inclined to agree with Mr. Disgusting on this - I'll admit that because The Walking Dead is still the best comic I read every month (and I read a fair amount of monthly books) I do watch the AMC show but am more often disappointed with it than happy. It's a great example of a show where you consistently 'see' the writing, in the characters' motivations to do things, in the way in which events transpire and in ridiculous plot devices. But like I said, I can't stop watching the show because I love the book and that makes me want to see how the show deviates from it - which is often when it shines the brightest. AMC gearing up to take a crack at what may very well be my favorite comic series of all time makes me... nervous. HOWEVER, in their defense Breaking Bad was, to me, the greatest show of all time. HOWEVER to counter that defense they almost let it slip away after the third season (the same time they fired TWD's showrunner Frank Darabont). AMC has a spotty track record and that makes me nervous. And to change TWD is one thing - to change any single hair on Preacher's head would provoke a tactical response from A LOT of people who are fans. With TWD AMC hedged their bets that the ever-escalating popularity of the zombie was at a time ripe for penetrating to even people our parents' ages and they were right (I have several friends in their early to mid thirties whose mothers are otherwise squeamish and non-horror minded but who LOVE TWD!). I don't think blasphemy, a quest to kick God's ass and Armadillo-sodomy are things anywhere near that kind of market penetration yet - no pun intended.

I guess we'll see...

Moistboyz - Tweaker

\

How could I not?

Moistboyz - Paperboy

And while I'm on Ween I received the newest Moistboyz record - V -  from Mr. Brown (Thank You!!!) last week and have had it jammed in the old car stereo pretty much since. It's fantastic. I posted this song before, back in April when it was originally released, but it's worth posting again.