Music For Your Weekend

Blind Owl Wilson - Blind Owl Wilson

This interesting figure from American music of the 1960s has one of the most noticeable voices of that era. Most recognizably a singer for the LA-based blues rock group, Canned Heat, Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson gained accolades for his harmonica playing from other musicians of the era including living blues legends such as John Lee Hooker. 

This release by Mississippi Records compiles his most famous tracks from Canned Heat as well as lesser known tracks. Blind Owl's high register voice may most closely resemble that of crossroads blues guitarist Robert Johnson. Some who knew him suspected Wilson might have been autistic, though no formal diagnosis was given prior to his early death at the age of 27. 

OPSEC - Affordable Death

This is hardcore punk I can sink my teeth into. I can only judge punk bands by the quality of the singer's voice. I can recognize good musicianship but if the singer's voice isn't awesome, I will not be a repeat listener... just like Gang Starr made clear in 1994 when Guru said "If your voice ain't dope then you need to chill".

Signed to NYC's Label of Goods, OPSEC brings the aggression and voice that makes me want to keep this EP easy access when driving my beat up shit box around Newark. The singer's voice is similar to that of the Canadian hardcore punk band S.H.I.T., or maybe even the singer of The Peechees. If you need to work out some angst this weekend, may this be the soundtrack for your efforts.

Mamalarky - Pocket Fantasy

Brilliant and wonderful things often emerge from terrible occurrences... it's just the way things happen. It doesn't make those terrible things worth it by any means... it just speaks to the resilience and persistence of the human spirit.

Take Covid, for example. If Covid had never happened, Mamalarky's sophomore release Pocket Fantasy may never have been happened. They were already a band, playing around Austin and making waves. But then the pandemic happened and the band retreated to Atlanta to live in an old house and record what you have here: an inspired and inventive rock record with catchy songs that eschew pop conventions. It's experimental in song structure but recognizable in essence. Not sure what compares.

on4ward - In Rainbow Roads

Sometimes you need a conversation piece that not only piques one's interest but also pulls you in for the whole ride. Some individual out there in the world, going by on4ward, took Radiohead's 2007 In Rainbows and decided it needed to be redone through an Nintendo64 sound bank, "mostly sounds from Super Mario 64" as noted on the artists bandcamp page. 

It's interesting and this homage is one of detail and love. The hipster in me wishes slightly it was done in 8-bit sounds instead, but probably only because I never owned a Nintendo 64 so the sounds don't muster the nostalgia that one who DID own an N64 might get from this. Either way, it's pretty incredible and I look forward to what on4ward does next.

Rakta - S/T (2013)

I always thought it was interesting how birds are often named after their own songs. Killdeer, Godwits, Curlews, Bobwhites... the list is extensive. If bands were named after their own songs, I think G'n'R would be renamed "Eye-Eye-Eye" and Metallica would be called simply "AH!", because singer James Hetfield ends nearly every line of lyrics with a sharp blast of "-ah!" (ex. "Everywhere I roam-Ah!", "Harvester of Sorrow-AH!", etc.)

Rakta, a Brazilian band, wouldn't have to change their name at all. They have an initial sounds that encapsulates surf drum neats, the buzzing 2-chord dirge of grunge, and vocals sung from within a psychedelic cave. But as these songs progress, I would hesitate to categorize them into any new school of mishmash garage-punk-psych-surf. Their sound is just as much, if not more, an echo of early 80s UK goth rock. Siouxsie And The Banshees, Bauhaus, and New Order all come to mind.

Actually very similar to the modern UK band Savages, but without the edge-y post punk feel.

Rakta's dark streak slices down the middle of this self-titled, 6 song EP, while never dampening the energy of the music.

Rakta - S/T

EP Grab Bag vol. 4

Sorry about spotty posting. Several factors are conspiring against my blogging lately, such as getting a job, losing a stable housing situation and occasionally limited access to the internet. This is a mix of bands I've seen or that have been submitted in the last few weeks.



Pink Ligthning - First Rodeo (2011)

This is a Detroit band that I saw play at the Awesome Fest and was very happy to have seen preform. A full-length has yet to be released by Pink Lightning, yet there's an EP of their lo-fi rock is infused with some surf and soul. Live it reminded me of The Fever.







High In One Eye - Memory Hoarders (2011)

This a fuzzed out example of shoegze/math rock (post-mathrock as they tagged it?). It fluxes between dreamer bits of distorted rock and louder, more intense sections. Rather well put together and hopefully they keep it up.







Peoples Temple - Fuck Peoples Temple and the Degeneration of American Society and the Status Quo (2011)

This band is also called Dual Mausoleums, this is their older release I guess despite the chronology of its posting to bandcamp. It is some epic psychedelic noise experimentation along the lines of Raccoo-Oo-Oon, Wet Hair or Indian Jewelry. I'll likely get the newer album up soon enough.




Draconian Incubus - Undead (2011)

This submitted album falls pretty far outside of my usual fare. This band is from San José, Costa Rica but sound like a British goth rock group. This oddity alone provoked me to posting it, but really it is pretty good rock music if you're okay with atheistic preaching (I recognize the oxymoronic nature of that) and other gloomy themes.

Blessure Grave - Learn To Love The Rope (2009)

Blessure Grave are a guy-and-girl duo from San Diego who make some wonderfully haunting music. This was another favorite of 2009 for me. The male and female vocals work great together, the guitars are perfectly dissonant in parts and then quite melodic in others, check the almost synthesizer like guitar on "Stop Breathing". This EP also features a cover of "City Lights" by the experimental folk band The Shadow Ring. This is "goth" the way it should be. If you like your post-punk a little on the darker side, then this would be a fine addition to your collection. Incidentally, the label this record was released on (Captured Tracks) is a veritable gold mine of great music and is also worth a look.

Check it out:
Blessure Grave - Learn To Love The Rope (2009)