Sometimes the best things in life you don’t fully understand and Austin’s Computer Jesus Refrigerator is one of those mysteries. Like a living datamosh of foreign language television, the majesty of their syncopated mess lies in how little there is to easily discern. Raging torrents of noise and slurred drumming come together well, feeling far more intentional than most bands with this kind sound.
Grab the free album GODLOMANMACHOPANZILLA from their bandcamp.
Hard as hell to look up due to their name, but a fantastic single from an up and coming UK act.
An English woman’s opinion.
Right?
Drowned In Sound sent relentlessly English writer Wendy Roby to cover Les Eurockéennes de Belfort, the long running French festival. The line up this year was a happily jumbled mix of sounds, putting Les Savy Fav on the same bill as House of Pain. FINALLY! Actually, I had no idea they were still touring, I guess the Jump Around nostalgia dollar is again trading high. Either way, I would have gone just to see Birdy Nam Nam do their thing.
Roby took the time to write about the internet napalm that is Odd Future, which I’ve heard is a risky game if you’re…well, anyone. So, in light of actually having to draw attention to my self with actual opinions, I’ll let Wendy’s concisely hilarious work do the job:
Odd Future – awful cads that they are – introduce themselves to France by shouting ‘BON FUCKIN JOUR’ in a mildly (mildly) amusing fashion. They have a non-specific macbook rage about them. It is like they are really, really furious and want to sing about rape and pillage because ARGH and OH MY FUCKING GOD, Time Machine HAS NOT BACKED UP FOR THIRTY DAYS. Which is to say, little of the subtlety or admirable glassiness of their production is present, they are impotent fury made manifest, and of all the things I could find them (offensive, the END OF THE WORLD in human form), I am left thinking they are silly. Which is not to say that they are not effective, or that their rage is not the sort of thing I rather like to listen to, albeit with my philosophical clog-filters set up high. But I feel quite Mummish, I don’t believe this rage is real, I am rolling my eyes at them being so aggy about everything, when clearly they are having a good time. OHHHHHHHH MAN, I’M SO ANGRY AT YOU WORLD say Odd Future in so many words. It is like you have told them they have to wear their blue short shorts for P.E. because their favourite ones are in the wash and so they have decided to write an album that essentially amounts to ARGH MUM, I HATE YOU. None of this explains why, when they have finished, I feel moved to run up to the barrier and highfive Domo Genesis, but I am pretty sure I did so because I am an idiothole.
(To read the entirety of her Les Eurockeenes coverage, click here)
She hits the nail on the middle class rage borne head, right?
Actually, I’m ok with sharing my opinion on the derisive crew:
They’re young and have hit the scene with a tremendous energy. If they’re not consumed swiftly and forgotten by the nanometer long fire that is the internet’s attention span, most all of them will go on to produce interesting stuff. With little effort, Yonkers stands as one of the top singles of the year, for sure. Oh, also…there’s probably going to be some Wolf Gang festival, akin to a more ethnically mixed Gathering of the Juggalos in under 5 years. Bank your internet dollars on that one.
See, I’m not as clever as Ms. Roby.
I’m slowly getting back into the swing of reviewing for other sites. It’s something I used to do before I had Taking Tiger Mountain. Click on the link above to check out my review of Shoulders of Giants for the awesome site Knocks From The Underground. I’ll have more coming from them and the equally awesome Short and Sweet NYC very soon.
I’m back from Comic-Con in 98% one piece. Joints a bit achey, shoulders a bit sore, brain very muddled. Kicking around the internet I completely ignored for the last week, I’m both very happy and a little sad to find this bootleg from the recent Cap’n Jazz reunion show. The joyful part of me is happy to hear these guys playing again. I’ve kept up with some of the myriad of projects that Tim Kinsella has been involved with over the years, but Cap’n Jazz has a special place in my heart. The sad part of me recognizes that I’m old enough to see some of the bands from my uber depressive “glory days” have run out of cash and are pulling together reunion tours. I blogged about the Swans reunion tour and I’m more excited than I care to admit about the upcoming Godspeed You Black Emperor! tour. One can only guess that in the 10 year window since these bands were actively touring, the cash reserves have run out and it’s easier to sell merch & tickets by gettin’ the band back together. As with the somewhat palatable Silver Mount Zion, which have been touring and releasing over the last few years, I’m far more excited about a GSYBE tour than any new release that the fans won’t instantly love. Often nostalgia is an easier dollar to find instead of fighting the rough seas of new material.
Now, Joan of Arc has put out some solid albums in the time since Cap’n Jazz released their sole album and following compilation. Though generally I love Kinsella’s sometimes polarizing style, I’m extra excited about the prospect of him taking the older band out around the country.
nyctaper was at their most recent show available for download:
Cap’n Jazz – Full set live at Maxwell’s in New Jersey
Here’s a sample track (rehosted on the Taking Tiger Mountain servers out of respect to nyctaper’s always good work and generosity):
CAP’N JAZZ – OH MESSY LIFE (LIVE AT MAXWELL’S)
In honor of the tour, is finally seeing vinyl release and is available through Insound.com. Quoth the product description:
The double LP, recut from the original high resolution masters and pressed at RTI on 120 gram vinyl, is packaged in a deluxe gatefold jacket with bonus materials including a full size, eight page booklet with unseen photos, fliers, and extensive liner notes by Tim Kinsella. The accompanying high quality digital download of the entire album also includes ten additional songs from the original CD release.
If you’re still craving an interesting Kinsella collectible, in about a month Joyful Noise will be releasing a very limited cassette boxed set of the entire Joan of Arc catalog.
The set will feature a custom built, screen printed box that is hand numbered and limited to 100. The albums, which have never been released on cassette before, will feature the original album art. When the boxed set was released for pre-order, it sold out in two days…so you’ll have to hunt a clever record store to find a copy.
All 10 cassettes, minus the sexy custom packaging are still available from the Joyful Noise website.
Mood maximalists SLEEP ∞ OVER are a refreshing find. The trio churns out that kind of reverb enhanced music that I adore so much. Originally released on the now sold out cassette compilation Dark As Night from Bathetic Records, the track ‘Your World Is Night’ traffics in a beautiful kind of mood that rests somewhere in between bliss and paranoia. Sparse percussion, undulating tones and echoed vocals make for an excellent track.
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SLEEP ∞ OVER – YOUR WORLD IS NIGHT
Take a look at the equally moody video by Josh Morgan, who’s also done clips for Neon Indian’s ‘Mind Drips’ and Cold Cave’s ‘Cebe and Me’.
Though the Bathetic comp is sold out, you can grab their self titled cassette for $7.00 from Night People.