SAMS AWSUM GIG REVIEWS

AFI @ Festival Hall: November 16th 2006

I can just rant about AFI for ages. I won't. But I will say that this was pretty much the best concert I have ever been to. Okay, so the wait between the opening band the bleeders (who I missed half of thanks to late trains and delayed friends) and the first lyrical note of AFI was agonizing, but looking back on the performance, I can only say that it added to my excitement about seeing them live, finally. (The last time AFI came on tour, in 2003 with the release of Sing the Sorrow, I was underage and probably (I’m ashamed to admit), not as captivated by them).I can't remember the exact list of track beyond that they opened with Prelude 12/21, and ended the fantastic 40min performance with Miss Murder, as I have to say I had predicted!! They played all the tracks from Decemberunderground as I remember it, and quite a few from sing the sorrow with only one song from Black Sails (I think). All the kids I could see were right into it and anyone who didn’t know all the words really shouldn’t have been there. It was definitely a very loud worship group, dedicated to the gods of A Fire Inside.


Masters of Hardcore @ the HiFi: Noverber 26th 2006
The Getaway Plan; From Autumn to Ashes; The Bled

First of all i would like to say that: I WAS THERE AND MICHAEL STAYED HOME :PBut then i would like to console him by saying that the whole thing was horrendously disappointing. and sunday nights suck for going to gigsI went in early, totally pumped about seeing FATA.The Getaway Plan played after the first band who were crap and thus not worth remembering, not even their name. which could have been One Odd...well all i can say for One Odd was that they sould like Linkin Park rip offs, complete with a synth. one odd = one word. shit.i love the getaway plan and ive seen them several times before. they play really well, the tried to get the crowd excited, and several people did actually stand up. but that night i hav to say that someone was fucking up in the sound department. everything was considerably louder than usual, and the vocalist for all the bands could barely be heard. despite this, the getaway plan still impressed me. AND they have admirably skinny legs.the only bad thing about the getaway plan, was their duty to announce that From Autumn to Ashes singer, Francis Mark, was sick and didnt make it to the show. hence my disappointmentbut they did try their best to make it a good night, inviting anyone who knew the lyrics to jump up on the stage and sing for a song. even the manager jumped up there for a while. it was good to see fans getting to interact with the band. i would have loved to get up there.... but i had no wish to embarass myself in front of an amazing band i LOVE.

After their reduced set had finished, From Autumn to Ashes were eager to impress on us that we should all stick around to get "ear fucked" (lol) by the Bled. unfortunately, the HiFi was beginning to empty out. it was past 11pm and the last train home on the belgrave/lilydale line leaves at 11.30. i stuck around for a bit, so i could say that i have seen the Bled. they were energetic and impressively hyperactive. the few violent hardcore guys left in the joint got right into their little dance routines down on the floor.altogether it wasnt a bad night, but because of the sound that night, and the disappointment of Francis' aching and unable to perform vocal cords, i have to say that it was the worst gig i have ever been to.

Check out FATA myspace:
www.myspace.com/fromautumntoashesthe wrote up a detailed account of their australian tour. thanx for that guys!!! i love u!!!!Get From Autumn to Ashes: abandon your friends album!!! they are amazingly unique and that album contains so much diversity from the hardcore scene.

Number 3: Protest The Hero – Kezia

Here’s an example of a project that has had a great deal of thought and effort instilled in it in order to create something reasonably fresh from a very tired genre. Metalcore, a word which used to inspire me with anticipation but now unfortunately heralds mediocrity and generic songwriting. However, on occasions you do get surprised by what some bands come up with. Protest The Hero are a band out of Canada on Victory records who up until Kezia was released were a reasonably samey metalcorey/screamo band. However, for the writing of “Kezia” they set themselves a challenge. The band wrote the music first and then practised over the next two years until they could play it. Yes that’s right, they wrote music that was insanely hard and then improved themselves until they were that good. I only wish more bands had that same drive to keep improving themselves. What results is the concept album Kezia, the story of a woman called Kezia on deathrow told in three movements each consisting of three songs, each told from the point of view of three different characters. For example, the first three songs are written from the point of view of the prison priest saying the last rites. This an interesting concept and its no surprise when reading the boy’s bio that they are obsessed with Dostoyevsky. And also taking into account that all of these guys are only 20 and 21, I am excited to see what they come up with for their next release. The music itself is hard to describe. I suppose the most accurate description would be if Dream Theater suddenly decided to go metalcore. They have the same schizophrenic writing style as DT and although their not quite in the same league technically, if they keep on developing at the rate they are currently I don’t see how they cant be. Lots of time changes and key changes, in fact that’s one og my only criticisms. They have to find a way, especially on a concept album, to link the tracks in together and make the music mesh more. At times the transitions are a bit jerky and disorientating, preventing the album from flowing the way it could have. Oh yeah, this guy has a girly voice and there is very little screaming so if your not a emo/hardcore fan his voice might annoy. But by classifying them so simply is not being fair to what was the most interesting and fresh album to come from the “core” scene this year. Enjoy, and I suggest you buy.

Listen to: Blindfolds Aside and Heretics and Killers

Number 4: The Format – Dog Problems

The Format’s sophomore release was in my opinion the most well written pop album of the year, and funnily enough probably the least successful. Despite my efforts to locate ‘Dog Problems’ at my local music stores it was distinctly absent. Why?


I have no clue man. Songs like ‘Time bomb’, ‘She Doesn’t Get It’, ‘Oceans’ and many others would have been perfect for radio release and yet we see this album getting little or no recognition outside of the blogging community. This is of course a crime, and the whole conundrum of it all is mind boggling. This was the album i piucked to make it big in 20006 and it barely registered as a blip on the radar. What impressed me so much about this album apart from the quality of song writing was the sheer quality and complexity of the production. Full of horns, clarinet solos (‘Dog Problems’), epic voice loops and beautiful string arrangements, Dog Problems definitely does not feel like a sophomore album, but the fact that it is only this duo’s second effort makes me anticipate their next release. The indie community has a tendency to crap on about totally uninteresting bands all for the sake of indie cred, but the Format deserve all of their critical accolades. Please do yourself a favour and purchase this album, if you can find it that is.

Listen to: She Doesnt Get It
Oceans - itunes file

Sam Gets Emotional: Fashioncore Posuers

I hate that ‘emo’ has become a genre in itself. I also hate that it has become a mainstream movement. But there have always been bands that broke down the restrictions of mainstream while becoming so popular themselves. As an example, I'm going to take Silverchair. Silverchair is, quiet frankly, the best band I can think to explain this theory, and who were also the branch away from rock (in a strict sense of the word) that Aussies needed. But lets get something straight. I am emo. I say this freely now because I appreciate the music and the movement (even if it has become disappointingly popular for the wrong reasons). Emo, I think, as a genre, is the natural progression from the hardcore, post hardcore and post punk. Even if it started early as emotional punk, it quickly became something else. It’s disappointing to me, because I appreciate everything that came before modern emo. I'm just not going to restrict myself to listening to older stuff, in fact I embrace the new form that is emo. What’s sad about it, I find, is that it’s a genre that is being taken over by a lot of fakers and liars… in effect turning the music that is being churned out a lie basically, and it all seems so manufactured. I hate that there are some bands who and I quote, “write entire albums that’s all about relationships and girlfriends and break ups and they’ve had a girlfriends for the last seven years” (Alexisonfire). Because yes, emo is emotional, but it doesn’t mean that it’s all about the heartaches and the breakups and angst. Like Silverchair, who were and are (but I have to say anything after they released their Best of album is pretentious and dare I say it crap) able to connect to a lot of people through the simple show of dealing with tumultuous emotions, emo should be a similar movement. It’s just unfortunate that emo is now typically used to define the black clad, eye define pretty hair personification of teenage angst. It doesn’t have to be this way, and I isn't fair to apply stereotypes, especially to a new genre that has growth at such an exponential rate especially amongst the young. After all, its always been the young to define and redefine trends and genres, and if this didn’t happen the evolution of music would hit stalemate and wouldn’t have nearly the impact, across all genre’s, as it does today.

Silverchair - Tomorrow (right click,save as)
Alexisonfire - Accidents (left click)

Top 5 albums of 2006: Number 5

I’ve decided to start a list of the 5 best albums released during 2006 so far. The count down will go from 5 to 1 over five weeks and will consist of various musical styles, after all variety is the spice of life (much better than cardamon). However, predictably I’ve chosen to begin the segment with some metal.

All That Remains - The Fall Of Ideals

I’ll admit it took me a while to warm up to this album. I loved these guys last release “This Darkened Heart” when it was released a couple of years ago and though they weren’t original enough to blow my mind (being pretty straight up killswitch style metalcore with more musical chops) they definitely made an impression. I was pretty excited to see that their new album was being released and I think anticipation was the flaw to my approach. I expected this to be This Darkened Heart 2, which it isn’t. It shows All That Remains at their most melodic and experimental. I don’t mean Radiohead Kid A experimental, just enough of a change in style to make an impact. This is metal. Not classic metal (the route taken by Trivium and Avenged Sevenfold), more of a Gothenburg melodeath vibe, with Phil Labonte showing off what is a great set of vocal chords for a metal singer. This album is also a fair bit more poppy than “This Darkened Heart” with Phil dialing back the growling for some incredibly catchy melodic lines in songs such as “Not alone” and “This Calling”. It should be explained thjat this album has been criticised for being overly formulaic, ascribing to the method of melodic chorus, growled verse for a great majority of the songs. But, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it I say. Phil Labonte has such a great ear for a catchy and beautiful melodic line, and when coupled with his brilliant screamed vocal, magical songs are created. It’s not going to cause a musical revolution, but “The Fall Of Ideals” is easily the most consistent and well written metalcore album of 2006. If this album doesn’t get them some press than I don’t know what will.

Listen to: 'The Weak Willed' and 'The Air That I Breathe' (left click to download)

Introducing Jess: Cellist extraordinaire and Prog Rock enthusiast
Well...never having done this before, I thought I'd just tell you all about my favourite song – at least the song that I like best RIGHT now. But then again, realising what my favourite song is is actually rather hard. Being a music snob, most songs don't hold up to the play, play again, play again, NOW IT'S BORING problem. Here is one that I haven't yet tired of. So its probably in my awesome song list (top ten at least!)

The Canyon Behind Her – dredg.

dredg are a band that are rather pretentious, fitting snugly into the art rock vein. They take the whole 'art' thing to a super extent; for example, if you were to check out their website, you would find that you can buy their paintings, read their non-metrical poetry (at least you could before they released their latest album), and look at cartoons of the weird tired-looking, big-breasted alien thing that graces the cover of Catch Without Arms. This song comes from El Cielo, which was influenced by a Dali painting (how crazy cool/toolish is that!?!?) called “Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bumblebee around a Pomegranate One Second Before Awakening”, which just goes to show how 'high art' they think they are. Most bands wouldn't base an album on a painting, or suggest that you should sit and stare at it while listening to the album because they think that one stimulus heightens the sense of the other (and where did I get that bit of info? Its a translation of what a girl says in japanese at the start of the track). So yes, this song is pretentious. The whole album can be analysed for its little 'I'm so arty and clever' things (have a look at this page because someone ACTUALLY sat down and did it ... for every album...). But it's also musically brilliant. It builds and builds, going from atmospheric niceness, to experimentalish rock song (a bit like the Doves' "Cedar Room"), hits a wall-of-sound high, and ends with some nice a cappella 'aah' chords. I'm not sure if its synth at the end or if the band/singer is actually singing, but to be honest, I don't really care all that much. This song just oozes magic, it makes you sit and listen and at the end it's just bliss. Maybe you won't like it as much as me. Maybe you will. I don't give a shit. This is an amazing song. If you can find it, because I can't work out how to share it with you, then enjoy :-)

Recruitment Time

So that my non existent readership doesn't have to put up with one post every 'whenever i feel like it' I have recruited my friends Sam and Jess to write articles for Kinky Sex. Sam is a massive emo so if your into that kind of scene she'll be able to offer you something that i can't (or refuse to) do. Jess will be chiming in with random notes on anything she bloody well wants, a little bit like what i do, except she might actually know what she's talking about. Hopefully this means from now on that you guys can get a more regularly updated site which is more diverse musically, and thats always a good thing.

Peace Out

Introducing Sam: Dedicated emo and compulsive live music appreciator

Hi! I'm Sam or Sammy if I'm feeling nice. I guess I am the emo writing on this page. Don't call me anything else or I will kill you and mail your body to a non-vegetarian friend who will then proceed to eat you. So watch out. I thought I’d kick off writing for Michael about a band that is touring soon, yes, AFI!!! I might even go so far as to be the gig reviewer, so if u want details I’ll keep you posted.

AFI- Decemberunderground


AFI (for those of you who for some reason don't know AFI is A Fire Inside. Though how you could avoid this information is beyond me), have been a bit enigmatic since their last release (sing the Sorrow 2003). I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but they’re released very few images lately, especially strange considering they have recently launched the album Decemberunderground that rocketed into the pop charts (I'm told. How revolting). Not to mention their disappointing drop out of the 2006 Big Day Out. But still, they have maintained their integrity whilst producing an album in the true spirit of AFI that is also a bit of a branch away from their previous album Sing the Sorrow. Decemberunderground is huge. The songs are frequently played on channel V and I’m sure that they are still gracing the radio. It first began with the release of Miss Murder, which I have to admit was my favourite track for a long time. But, in truth, to fully appreciate it, you have to listen to the entire album (loudly and on repeat all, until you know all the words and so does everyone else living with you). This is, I think, why AFI have begun to be described as not emo, not hardcore, not even punk, but pop. And to me this is almost blasphemy, until I realized that ha! AFI are recruiting young teens into the emo army! But even that made me retch. No, I don't think it matters where AFI are played, because truly, this album is transcendent and AWESOME! AFI are an amazing band, who have the integrity, ingenuity and presence to have lasted so long and continue to produce decent tracks that apparently everyone can love. So, to me at least, it doesn’t matter what people call AFI, because it doesn’t matter what we think: AFI have the power to transcend labels and genres to become one of the most quietly brilliant bands of the past 15 years.

Listen to: Miss Murder and Love Like Winter

Random Review

Into Eternity – Scattering The Ashes (4/5 Stars of awesomeness)

Canada’s Into Eternity are a band who are confusing at the least. Taking equal parts Dream Theater like technicality, Arch Enemy style Melodic-death type guitar riffs, A cookie monster growl that would shame Mayhem and catchy as Power metal vocals to bring you through the choruses. Let’s just say that this band is a little schizophrenic, but I can’t help but love their stuff anyway. Their previous release 2004’s “Buried In Oblivion” was fantastic and was also my introduction to this band. To surpass this “Scattering Of Ashes” would have to be pretty special, and it is, but it’s also very different. Into Eternity’s long time vocalist Chris Krall is replaced by a man by the name of Stu Block, and this change alone has caused a backlash amongst the IE diehards. You wanna know what I think though. I don’t care who sings for this band, as long as they can carry a tune. If you can crack out an amazing composition like “Severe Emotional Distress” I wouldn’t care if Liza Minelli were singing, it would still rock. Just listen to “Out” and “A Past Beyond Memory” and youll no why this is great. This album is fuelled with way too many influences to mention. This diversity makes IE one of the most important metal bands around so who cares if their singer sounds slightly different. In my opinion, I don’t really give a rats. Still kick ass quality Heavy Metal, a must listen for anyone who appreciates highly technical yet catchy metal.

Listen to: Severe Emotional Distress

Five Great New Tracks That No One Knows These tracks are totally obscure and i've only manage to uncover these gems by searching high and low, trawling the information sea for the freshest catch. That's probably the worst metaphor all time, but i digress. Here's some tracks of awesomeness.

1. Protest The Hero - Herectics and Killers Are you for serious. This band has massive balls, massive. It's like Dream Theater met Coheed and Cambria at a seedy backwoods motel, made a night of it, got knocked up and Protest The Hero shot out of the birth canal half way through some face melting tremolo picking. Sick. All will be explained this track from their new album Kezia, which is awesome. For fans of everything good in the world.

2. Diecast - Fade Away These American metallers definitely know how make it rock for the men and croon for the ladies. Straight up rockin American metalcore style reminiscent of a pre-Howard Killswich Engage. This track is the single from their new album "Internal Revolution" which should be good if this track is anything to go by.

3. The Aggrolites - Funky Fire I'm not a massive man for reggae. For me reggae begins and ends with Marley, i never had the drive to look further in to it. That is until The Aggrolites blew onto the scene and put some funky fire in my life. These guys are the hippest white guys of all time. This is from their self titled debut and it's just good, I can't explain it. Happy times music.

4. Heavens - Counting For all those Alkaline trio fans out there I present Heavens, Matt Skiba's new side project including him on vocals and his unknown friend Josiah Steinbeck who does basically everything else. This Steinbeck guy creates an interesting atmosphere, and Skiba sounds quite different in some of these songs, send me a comment if you agree that his lower register sounds like Paul Banks from Interpol. Uncanny, and good.

5. Khoma - Medea This song is pretty awesome. These guys are signed with Roadrunner in the UK but that doesn't really do a good job of explaining their sound. Because their not shit. They are however very atmospheric and trippy, got a deftones vibe sans Chino's annoying nu metal whining and less of an aggressive approach. From their new album "The Second Wave". And heres a tasteless picture for no reason.

I Love Maddox

Get To Know My friend Vol.3: Devin Townsend

I’m so jazzed to be doing this particular instalment because there is nothing more rocking than what lies below. Today we explore the complete discography of Devin Townsend in all of it’s sonic glory. Excitement is appropriate at this time. Devin Garrett Townsend began his career with his band called Noisescapes in and around the Vancouver metal scene. The Noisescapes EP (sadly no longer with us) was picked up by Relativity Records, the same record label who had signed Steve Vai, Megadeth, Death and others. Deevin tried to create some interest in the EP by sending it to various people wrapped in his own used underwear, no shit (bad choice of words, I apoligise). This method apparently worked and Devin was recruited to play on Steve Vai’s (guitar hero and general wanker) only foray with a band, the imaginatively entitled “Vai”. Devin sang on their album “Sex and Religion” and participated in the subsequent world tour at the fresh age of only 19 years of age. Thanks to this exposure Devin was recruited to tour with cult pop thrash band “The Wildhearts” beginning his fruitful relationship with their singer Ginger. During 1994 he also contributed guitars to a couple of Front Line Assembly Albums.

In 1995, Devin formed Strapping Young Lad and started writing his own music. SYL began as a solo project, forming the first album “Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing” almost entirely by himself, excluding the drums. Since then it has progressed into a full band and have released 5 critically acclaimed albums of progressive symphonic thrash (thats bullshit, i dont know what it is). Kerrang dubbed SYL’s second album “City” as being one of the heaviest albums of all time. Devin’s style of producing involves a ridiculous amount of sound layering, creating the “wall of sound” style that SYL are so lauded for. Devin himself is considered to be one of the most brilliant minds in the current worldwide metal scenes, and who are we to disagree. He is also one of the most sought after producers in the current metal scene, his previous efforts including successful albums by; Soilwork, Lamb of God, Misery Signals, Darkest Hour and the new GWAR album. The future of SYL is uncertain, as Devin has recently announced their hiatus, explaining that he is currently sick of it. However, I doubt this man will stop releasing great music, which is all good in the hood if you ask me. Now for the rundown:

Strapping Young Lad – Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing (1995)

SYL’s first release and Devin’s first professional foray into producing his own material. Pretty healthy freshman release for the bald man of insanity, crushing industrial thrash, fuelled with Devins cynical lyrics and vocal acrobatics. Definitley, not his best but is a pretty good album to go back and look at after listening to the classics. "SYL" is a good indication of where they were at with this release.

Strapping Young Lad – City (1997)

Metal classic. This was SYL’s breakthrough into the worldwide metal consciousness and introduced the world to the twisted world of Devin Townsend. This album isn’t just a punch in the face, it’s a fucking wrecking ball. Waves of oceanic brutality pummeling against your eardrums. When I heard this album about two years ago it was truly the heaviest thing I had heard. But it was also intriguing in it’s complexity. Tracks like “Oh My Fucking God” and “All Hail The New Flesh” are pretty self explanatory, but there is still the thread of melody in tracks like “Detox”. Brutal as.

Ocean Machine – Biomech (1997)

Ocean Machine was Devin’s first foray into a true side project, the result of which is this brilliant album, evoking a more melodic and haunting take on metal, while still remaining pretty heavy throughout. This is held up by many Devin freaks as his magnum opus and it is a great album of melodic progressive hard rock, evident in the song “Life” probably one of Devins poppier efforts up to this point. Poppy and awesome. Give it a spin.

Devin Townsend – Infinity LP (1998)

The first album released under his own name, the “Infinity LP” is an descent into Devins mental breakdown he was experiencing whil recording this album. What this means for you listeners is possibly the most fucked up thing you’ve ever heard. However, its not portrayed in a ‘look at me I’m crazeeeee’ style (Varg Vikerness eh hem) but is effortlessly incorporated into Devins sound. If anything this album takes us to the utmost extremes of Devins eclectic mind jarring from massive walls of sound to pure unadultered beauty. This is him at his most exposed, in more ways than the obvious.Listen to "Christeen", it's sick.

Strapping Young Lad – No Sleep Til’ Bedtime (1998)

SYL’s live album, showing the world that they actually could reach the sonic highs and lows of their studio work on the live stage. Like a well oiled machine they kick through a killer set of songs from their previous albums. On an interesting side note, the lyrics for the song “Far Beyond Metal”, a tongue in cheek look at his taste in music as a young man are made up on the spot by Devin, which is pretty impressive.

Devin Townsend – Physicist (2000)

This album is Devin Townsend at his least experimental, truest to his metal roots. That doesn’t mean it’s anything less than brilliant though. The purity of this album is a juxtaposition of his Infinity release which found him at his most eclectic. It’s him at his straightest, and his shortest, clocking in at just over 47 minutes. Truthfully, it’s probably my least favourite of the Devin catalogue but it’s tracks like the epic “Namaste” that make it more than worth your time.

Devin Townsend – Terria (2001)

A seminal release and the perfect comeback from the strong yet unadventurous “Physicist”. If anything, “Terria” is like a combination of his previous efforts, melding the heaviness of “Physicist”, the insane brilliance of “Infinity” and the industrial goodness of “Ocean Machine” into what was probably his most thematically cohesive album to date. Tracks like “Canada” are also a good example of Devin’s everyday lyrical theme on Terria. Highly Recommended.

Strapping Young Lad – S/T (2003)

After a lengthy hiatus SYL get back in the drivers seat for another serving of brutality. Some consider “SYL” their best, and it’s easy to see why when tracks like “Devour” shredding eardrums all over the world. However, Devin cashes in the sonic harshness of the previous albums for a more dynamic approach with tracks like “Relentless” and "Force Fed" having melodic dashes of brilliance, reminiscent of his solo work. What is also evident here is SYL’s self conscious silliness that permeates the lyrics and the music. Devin knows metal is silly, he loves it anyway. But still brutal above all. A true metal classic.

Devin Townsend Band – Accelerated Evolution (2003)

The first release under the DTB moniker and is a bit more to the point than “Terria” is. This is not a bad thing in the least as Devin creates some damn catchy and sonically engaging music that is reminiscent of his former rocking Devin sound. Not as experimental as “Terria” or “Infinity”, but better than “Physicist” in my opinion. "Storm" is a kick ass track. Great stuff.

Devin Townsend – Devlab (2004)

Only for true fans. This is Devin at his most experimental, taking a series of samples and creating this concoction of noise and ambience. Is it music?, who knows, its definitely interesting, but maybe a bit much for a whole album. Heres a sample with the interesting title of "Track 10". Because its track 10 :)

Strapping Young Lad – Alien (2005)

SYL’s fourth and most adventurous recording to date. “Alien” saw Devin experimenting with the SYL concept, combining their previous punch in your face aesthetic with elements of his solo work. Still insanely heavy and yet able to turn on a dynamic dime to moments of beauty and ambience. A little bit jarring for some maybe but the complex brilliance shown in songs like “Love?” and “Shitstorm” make it one of the most brilliantly beautiful metal albums of all time.

Devin Townsend – Synchestra (2006)

Awesome awsomeness. I think I’ve run out of positive adjectives when thinking of things to say about Devins work. “Synchestra" finds Devin drawing on all of the musical experimentation of his previous work to concoct this incredible album full of experimentation and great songwriting. Taking a totally different aesthetic theme and adapting and compacting all of his previous efforts down into this masterful epic creation, of which "Gaia" is a fine example. Best metal/hard rock album of 2006 and if you don’t believe me find out for yourself.

Strapping Young Lad – The New Black (2006)

In what may be their last release, Devin has created SYL’s most digestible material to date, a great starting point for those to cut their proverbial SYL teeth. The accessibility is a testament to how good Devin has got at songwriting, able to craft equal parts thrash/pop to notch up some of their all time best songs. Cuts like “Wrong Side” and the hilarious “You Suck” show Devin at the pinnacle of his craft. Maybe he thinks he should quit while he’s ahead.

So that’s that. It's good to see a musician who has a basically flawless career because there aren't many round. Needless to say it should happen more often. Remember to send me positive and negative comments guys, it lets me know I’m not just talking to myself. See Ya.

Funniest Thing Ever

Screech from “Saved By The Bell” has made a porno. Lets just bask in the glory of my previous sentence. I’m not gonna link to it because I don’t know what the blogger policy is for linking to porn but it shouldn’t be that hard to find, and it’s totally worth it.

Mr Bungle - The Girls Of Porn

Live from my basement......Not Vol.2: Little Feat

All I Have To Say Is Awesome. My Dad went to go see legendary Blues-country rock'n'roll act Little Feat twice in the 70's and is convinced he will never see a better live band, ever. Little Feat spawned out of Frank Zappa's Mothers Of Invention when Frank supposedly told Lowell George (lead singer, rythm guitarist and songwriter) that he was too good to just be a member of his band and that he should make his own. This makes me sad because now that Lowell George selfishly went and carked it I will never get the opportunity, now they have a different singer and are lame.

This concert is one of their best. So tight, so inventive. Great arrangements, great instrumentation. See, AWESOME. It's called being succinct. Economy of wordinessness. AWESOME Little Feat from their early 70's purple patch. Enjoy.

1. Rock n' Roll Doctor
2. Two Trains
3. The Fan
4. On Your Way Down
5. Spanish Moon
6. Skin It Back
7. Fat Man In The Bath Tub
8. Oh Atlanta
9. Willin'

P.S AWESOME

Get To Know My Friend Vol.2: Hot Water Music/ The Draft

For those who don’t know the powerhouse of Gainesville post-hardcore bliss that was Hot Water Music, you have missed out on something that was truly great. Not half arsed, new Coldplay album great. I’m talking ninja space pirate great. Named after a Charles Bukowski book of the same name, Hot Water Music and Rocket From The Crypt were the only 2 reasons why I kept on listening to punk music following my early teen obsession. And to classify them as punk music really doesn’t do them justice. These guys managed to infuse their own brand of Gainesville punk rock with catchy choruses, intricate multi layered guitar lines and a working class aesthetic topped off by Chris Wollard and Chuck Ragan’s incredible gravel soaked vocal tones. When you add to that the fact they had possibly the greatest rhythm section in punk at the time and that their cover art was light years ahead of anything else in the genre you get a sure fire hit right? Right? Wrong! Hot Water Music was possibly one of the most under appreciated bands of the last decade. They managed to stay afloat thanks to a rabidly fanatic cult fan base, but throughout their 13 year career they never made it past independent labels and at the start of 2006 Hot Water Music disbanded for good after Chuck Ragan left to spend more time with his family. But my crying stopped when I discovered the band “The Draft”, ¾’s of which had risen from the ashes of Hot Water Music smouldering wreckage. So here you go, enjoy this and if you do please jump on the bandwagon so these guys can keep releasing great records.

Hot water Music – Finding The Rhythms 1996

Hot Water Music’s first release and though not their best, it does show a great deal of promise . The first 7 tracks are really solid for this fledgling band, but the last 5 are virtually unlistenable due to the sound quality. "Floor" is a good indication of where they were at with this release. The sound quality issue is a shame because polished up they could have been pretty good. But there not. Its really really crap quality. Real crap.

Hot water Music – Fuel For The Hate Game 1997

HWM’s second release doesn’t get me as hot and sweaty as some of their later releases, but it’s a solid sophomore release, vastly improving in the originals poor production values. However, the boys are still in a formative stage, you can here Chuck and Chris’s back and forth coming to the fore and the rhythm section striving for greater complexity. “Trademark” is a great song showcasing Jason’s propulsive bass lines and “Turnstile” is a great example of the early Chuck and Chris call and response vocals.

Hot Water Music - Forever And Counting 1997

Their third is what is commonly considered the hardcore HWM fan’s (aka fuckwit’s) favourite, and it is easily my favourite of their work before the 1997 break up/reformation. This is because I believe the songwriting improves 10 fold on this disc. Listen to “Three Summers Strong” and tell me it isn’t the best song they had written up until then. Songs like "Just Don't Say You Lost It" are a good example of their knack for a hook and their developing complexity. Chuck and Chris are at their passionate best, pumping out anthem after anthem. It’s just brilliant stuff.

Hot Water Music - No Division 1999

Their comeback disc after the 1997 hiatus shows an improved production aesthetic, but fails to reach the heights of Forever and Counting. It doesn’t have the same passion and it definitely doen’t have as much balls. But it’s a shitload better than the first couple of albums though, so it’s definitely worth your time. “Free Radio Gainesville” kicks ass.

Hot water Music - A Flight And A Crash 2001

I was introduced to Hot Water Music by hearing Jack Of All Trades on an Epitaph punk rock sampler and have loved them ever since. This album is incredible. Anthem after anthem man, this album is actually really beautiful to me. I don’t know how to describe why I think that, it just has this sweet ambience to it. Tracks like "Paper Thin" and "Old Rules" exude their passion for music in such an epic way, it's almost a tangible thing. Just listen to it or I’ll get angry.

Hot Water Music - Caution 2002

Their penultimate release contains “Remedy”, which is probably their most popular song , it makes the album worth your money on it’s own merits. But theres plenty more to look forward to on this album which shows a progression to a cleaner sounding more precise HWM. Caution switches between hearty anthems like "Trusty Chords" to the bittersweet tones of a song like "Sweet Disasters" without breaking a sweat. Magic.

Hot Water Music - The New What Next 2004

(Sigh). HWM last effort. It’s a corker. I’m getting sad now. Songs like “All Heads Down” and “The End Of The Line” show the promise of what could have been. These guys were progessing, never settling for anything less than their best. This album showcases not only their improved instrumentalism (Yes. I made that word up) but also their knack for an anthemic chorus and a catchy verse. Awesome.

The Draft - In A Million Pieces 2006

These boys seem to have picked up from where HWM left off. Great punk infused rock. I would expect no less from these guys. . "Lo Zee Rose" and "New Eyes Open" are kick ass tracks which indicate a phenomenal future for these guys. The only thing that anoys me is that Chris’s vocals sound hollow without Chuck’s help. It’s just something I’ll have to get used to, and you guys probably don’t care about that. Buy this album.

Also, while your at it go visit Chuck Ragan’s myspace page. There are a few of his new acoustic tracks available to stream. Sounds very different from HWM but I like what I’ve heard so far.

P.S Buy these cd’s so these guys can keep making great music. DO IT. Now. Seriously.

For Spring Dancing, Unless Your A Fruity Northern Hemispherian


Hey Guys, sorry about the prolonged hiatus, apparently theres this thing called University, it's kind of a drag, and theres work involved. Haven't stopped listening to music though and I thought I'd compile the best of what i've heard while I was away. Some New, Some Not So. Make it into a cd, give it to your Mum.

1. Beck - Nausea from The Information
2. The Bronx - Shitty Future from The Bronx (2)
3. The Rapture - Whoo! Alright Yeah...Uh Huh from Pieces Of The People We Love
4. Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars from Eyes Open
5. The Black Keys - Your Touch from Magic Potion
6. MSTRKRFT - Work On You from The Looks
7. The Format - Snails from Dog Problems
8. Goodbye Tommorrow - Carouseling from S/T
9. Gracer - Esperanza from Voices Travel
10. Bad Religion - Sinister Rouge from The Empire Strikes First
11. Husker Du - Celebrated Summer from New Day Rising
12. Gorod - Thirst For Power from Leading Vision
13. Mastodon - Crystal Skull from Blood Mountain
14. Misery Signals - One Day I'll Stay Home from Mirrors
15. The Kooks - Sofa Song from Inside In/Inside Out
16. Hem - Reservoir from Funnel Cloud
17. New Order - 60 Miles An Hour from Get Ready
18. The Matches - Papercut Skin from Decomposer
19. Blue Öyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper from Agents Of Fortune
20. Yes - Roundabout from Fragile

So there you go. Promise I will be posting more frequently now.

Oh yeah, downloading is a piece of shit. Some of these bands are preeeety obscure so go out and buy their stuff, dont be a wet piece of ass.

Have a Good Spring/(insert fruity Northern hemisphere season)

.Tool - 10,000 Days

I must begin this article by stating that yes, i am an obnoxious Tool fan. Yes i do think they are one of the greatest bands of all time and yes i do think your an idiot if you dont get it. However, i am also one of the only members of this fanatic fan club that can say that this album isn't as good as Lateralus. Maybe it's because i held it up on a pedestal for so long, i dont know but it's not as cohesive and fluid as Lateralus is. Lateralus has this way of bringing you into a trance like state with its interlacing melodies and complex rythmic structure. 10,000 days is still able to do this, but not with Lateralus's finesse. However, in many ways 10,000 days is a grossly different beast to their 2001 effort. Most noticably vocalist Maynard James Keenan has lost the deeply cryptic lyrics for a less subtle metphorical approach. This is a good thing in many ways, as he can go back to the social commentary and cynicism that he is so good at. I suppose writing your songs according to a Fibbonaci sequence has got to get old after a while. Songs like "Right in Two" with its religious connotations and the "Wings Of Marie" suite about his dead mother really hit home and in many ways give the album more meaning than it's predecessor. The crazy rythmic patterns and the crunching riffs are here in spades with songs like "Vicarious" and "Jambi" really kicking ass. However, it's in the segues between the songs that the album loses focus. Who cares i hear you ask, but that's what was so magical about Lateralus, the way everything seemed to flow into each other. On 10,000 days segues like "Lost Keys" and "Lipan Conjuring" seem pointless and tedious. I must admit though that "The Pot", a song about hypocrisy not drugs, is one of their best and most catchy songs. Ultimately, this is most definitely a Tool album which makes it 5 times better than any other second rate crap on radio these days, but it doesn't reach the dizzying heights of Lateralus and personally i never expected it to.


P.S It's worth buying just for the stereoscopic 3D cover art. Absolutely the best idea ever!

Tool - Vicarious