New albums from favourite artists fill me with dread. I once really looked forward to the release of REM “Out Of Time”, The Replacements “All Shook Down”, Sonic Youth “Washing Machine” and Public Enemy “Muse Sick N Hour Message” before I learned to dump and move on. I haven’t got the patience to be a completist. In my world, Flaming Lips broke up after Yoshimi and The Clash after London Calling.
I like the new Dylan album. If I was young I’d hate it, but getting older, I think of getting even older still and doing bus trips with assholes I’ve got nothing in common with, attempting world records for the most people in a line dance or something and sitting round in a hotel at night having a sing a long to Cliff Richard. It’s great to here him sounding old and grizzled. Ya kinda feel like you know him and makes you kinda optimistic that getting old doesn’t equal mental death. Just body function control death. It’s on vinyl, cd and CD/DVD pack.
The new Obits album is in on cd and LP. They feature Rick Froberg from Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu, some of my all time fave punk/indie bands. Froberg and John Reis are like the Beau and Hope Brady of indie rock and are destined to always do their best work together. The Obits are excellent, but lack the brain melting intensity of the former bands without Speedo bashing out his rockabilly on speed rhythms. Change the band names all you like, but work together again pleeease. I do get the feeling that the Obits, like the Hot Snakes, will do some damage live though. The artwork is way cool too, and it’s better than Rocket From the Crypt. Buy the vinyl as it comes with a download voucher. I did, and who wouldn’t want to be like me? I’ve got a record store.
Who the hell is Galvatron I keep seeing on Rage Saturday morning before work? I found out they’re Australian. Are they the new era Def FX, “fusing” electronic music with their idea of hard rock? It just annoys me their drummer is wearing a Municipal Waste t-shirt really, otherwise I wouldn’t have even noticed. Every time I see them, the term “compromised ideals” comes to mind.
The Oogah Boogahs feature Mikey from Eddy Current Suppression Ring. It’s way cool garage/surf rock from Aarght Records. It’s been re-issued on coloured vinyl too. Be quick, as it’s selling fast. Cool Aussie stuff all around at the moment, from Eddy Current, Extortion, Witch Hats, Stabs, Deaf Wish, Lakes and Galvatron. Local lads like Repo Man, Death Cage, The Prayer Circle, Naked On The Vague, AVO are definitely worth a listen too.
If you don’t know what to buy in a record store, go for punk. Even if it’s bad, it’s over in 2 minutes. That’s if it’s real punk anyway. Only Fucked Up are allowed to push that boundary. Angry Samoans, Poison Idea, Vice Squad, Adverts, Zero Boys, H100’s, Black Flag, Homo Stupids, Bad Brains, Ramones, New Bomb Turks, Descendents, Straight Jacket Nation, Regulations, Wire, Damned, Out Cold. It could change your life, wake up your baby, be the final straw for your boring as hell partner and get you through your shit house day. Better than Scientology, and cheaper too. Only good can come of it.
You going to see Morbid Angel? Probably not. Me either actually, though I could be persuaded. You really need Altars of Madness from 1990. Tight and complex as hell, but still sludgy, punky and reeking of evil. The best metal is death metal made by angry suburban kids who ain’t got time for stuffing around and couldn’t give a stuff what you think, and Altars of Madness is pretty much the pinnacle of this genre.
