Messy Updates.

I know everyone is busy preparing for the end of the world or the coming of Christ so I will try and keep this brief so you can get back to snake dances and severe opiate abuse. So we did our first Skin Tight party and it was great. Next one will be July 2nd and should be nuts since it's July 4th weekend. Mark and I are going to start to work on some tunes next week if the Earth is still around. We hope to have something finished and dance floor ready for the July party. The flier should be finished today or tomorrow and will of course appear here. I am also in the process of getting dates together for a group of shows that should be happening in the late summer and early fall. Can't make official announcements yet but I am personally really excited at some of the artists that I hope to be bringing down to play soon. Stay tuned for more info on this soon. Obviously the computer is in fucked land so still a lack of music. Maybe before the Ice Age I can loot an Apple Store and have the perfect computer for a few hours. Until then, go buy dry ice and get out your old shoes. Place them in a public place on Saturday so people think that their Cosmic Judge has vaporized you. See you soon... Maybe.

On the Grid.

So a ton of people knocked it but I thought it was great. Also want to state that this was a Disney film and I don't tend to like Disney films at all and lastly thank-fuck it wasen't scored by Randy Newman. Daft Punks score for the film perfectly captured the mood and the tempo for the entire duration and sounded fresher than ever. Sounds a bit more icey than their previous work as well.
http://www.mediafire.com/?4fi61134u5gttaq

Sunday Psychedelia.

In March of 1967 Pink Floyd would release their now legendary single "Arnold Layne". Two months later the band would find themselves playing on BBC's arts programme "Look Of The Week". Roger Waters and Syd Barrett where interviewed by the shows host Hans Keller who asked them the timeless question, "So why has it got to be so loud, so amplified?" At this time psychedelia was new and growing rapidly as the counter culture movements across the world where turning their backs to the age old tired moral codes. As time moves on, the sound continues to change and certain countries develop their own sound within the envelope of psychedelia. France is one such country that seems to have a particular character and quite a sophisticated one at that. "D-I-R-T-Y French Psychedelia" was put together by the French D-I-R-T-Y crew who offer up some rare slices of smooth and sombre sounds. An absolute 10 out of 10 in my book. Big points too for using the Nino Ferrer song "Looking For You". One of my favorite Sunday albums next to Dennis Wilson's "Pacific Ocean Blue".
Download: VA Dirty French Psychedelics Selected By Dirty Sound System DLCD03 FR 2009 KOUALA

Black Silk Stockings.

Another stunning Italian record that sounds a bit more raw than the more celebrated Italian synth releases. "Chinese Restaurant" was recorded in London in 1977 by Nico Papathanassiou and his better known brother Vangelis. Yep. Very impressive. This was reissued by Medical records out of Seattle who unfortunately blew it big time on the cover art making it look like a 80's Night flier.
http://www.mediafire.com/?7snxbj1r5du

Lord Only Knows.

Chrome, black leather jackets, switch blades, and malt shop romance all come to mind when one thinks of classic Americana. Dirty Beaches latest long player "Badlands" is not the distilled "Happy Day's" memorabilia that many have come to know. It's more like the pilled up ghost of an ex-lover that haunts you into lonesome nights and has you dreaming for a better dream. Dirty Beaches manages to capture the rare essence of something that is timeless yet has a distinguished character that you almost know. It would be lazy to say that it reminds you of Suicide though it is there. You may also here a young more baritone Bruce Springsteen in there too. Perfectly blending haunting tape loops with psychedelic-esque reverb vocals and minimal guitar touches, "Badlands" crawls out your speakers and directly into the permanent day dream of all malt shop rebels to lend them a tear to wear like a badge on their leather jackets.
http://www.mediafire.com/?a6ra0zzdxi4z5dx

Touched with cold hands.

Have not been able to stop listening to this album. I would say that next to Led Er Est this is the best active minimal synth project out there. Perfectly captures the mood and isolation of every day living.
Download: XOA Se le

That's Abel.

Here's something that's good for the summer time. This was released in 2009 by the ever amazing Blackdisco label headed-up by non other than Kevin Carney who seems to be too busy running his boutique to put out new stuff. At least he left us with a group of stellar release that are still making the rounds on turntables across the world. This one is by Abel Nagengast who takes things nice and slow for the AOR-Disco summertime rub-off. Above average edits in a world that is drowning in pointless edits.
http://www.mediafire.com/?eeztcgwkzzh

Alright.

After much delay here it is. Finally. Music will begin again shortly. Sorry again about all the snags lately but things are in motion and are moving in the good direction again. Should also have a mix to be posted here in June I'm guessing. If your in San Diego, come check out our new party. Should be fun. I guess thats a little stupid to say but come on man... we're pals.

We are not dead.

So the computer issue was in fact big. Mother-fucking-board. Three days out of warranty too. It is in the process of getting fixed though so maybe a couple more weeks and the regular posts should start happening again. Also, May 7th will mark the kick-off of our new party Skin Tight. It will be happening on Saturday so if your in the San Diego area get down to the Whistle Stop and say hi. Your also encouraged to shake a leg. Dj's are myself and the San Diego legend Mark Quark. You can expect a wide variety of sounds new and old, heard and unheard. Flier will be posted here soon. The next Skin Tight party will be happening on July 2nd which is July 4th weekend and we are booking a very special guest for it too. We will keep trying to figure out how to put sparklers in every drink with out it looking like the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Finally, I should also have my record ripping equipment ready to go by mid-May so keep looking here as I will definently start posting some super rare records that are not found within the mediafire/Google search jungle. Be back soon.

Plague.

Having some computer issues so going to take it in to get fixed. More delays. Ughhhhh.

Pregnant Rainbows for Colorblind Dreamers.

I'm not really sure how I could survive without Swedish psychedelia. Something about that countries particular sound and free-flowing songs that just drives me to the point of manic bliss. Sweden just like many other countries during the 60's experienced a cultural awakening that led many long hairs and nude long hairs onto the streets of Stockholm and into the the beautiful parks of the city where many bands would come together and play together. Rarely have I come across a country that has a sound that is cohesive and yet each band is entirely different and unique to themselves. "Pregnant Rainbows For Colorblind Dreamers" is a four cd box set that captures Swedish psych in a full mid-summer sun burst on down to the ever dark and contemplative winters chill. Honestly, one of the best collections of music I have ever seen. Pretty much covers every major Swedish psych group from the 60's and 70's and will leave most people hunting for at least a couple of uber expensive albums. Patience is your friend though. Just like Subliminal Sounds who seem to be reissuing a lot of the major classics like their flawless Baby Grandmothers and recent The Ghost(not the new Swedish band) reissue. This is broken down into four rar files to make it easy.
http://www.mediafire.com/?4a9sg2gbkh6gj
http://www.mediafire.com/?w6kdh16le7hap
http://www.mediafire.com/?o6ytpv92nanj1
http://www.mediafire.com/?6vaavizqsyd9m

Back with a bang.

Wow. Vacations over and it's back to work and no more margaritas at 4 o'clock. Thanks to those that came out and partied with us. Good times for sure. Should be back in northern California soon. Managed to grab a copy of the new Dirtbombs while in San Francisco and it's a fucking doozy. All detroit techno covers blended in the Dirtbombs garage grit. Yeah, you got to hear it to believe it. Not all of it works for me but the ones that do are pretty epic. This week should be a fruitful one and regular posts should resume now.
http://www.mediafire.com/?gl5k1yk3639x1

I can see your tiger stripes;

So made it back from Seattle with a grip full of records. Really liked the city and Capitol Hill, which is where I stayed. If your a record nerd and are in Seattle make sure to make it to Jive Time Records. Great shop with endless quality stuff and the owner is a great and friendly guy. A big fuck off to Zions Gate Records for being way too over-priced and for being some of the biggest dicks I have ever encountered in a record store. So now it's off to San Francisco for some more good times and djing. As previously posted, come hangout at the Casanova Lounge on Friday from 4-9. Then on Saturday at the Hemlock Tavern from 4-9 as well. Both will be really different so come say hi on both days. Got plenty of new treats that I am looking forward to playing. Have wanted to post some Arthur Russell for a while now but haven't so I am rectifying that right now. To say that Arthur Russell was ahead of his time is putting it lightly. Not only was he responsible for creating some of the most forward thinking dance music of the 80's but he was also composed some of the most beautiful and intriguing cello based music that is sort of beyond any simple categorization. "The Sleeping Bag Sessions" is a collection of material that Arthur recorded for the label Sleeping Bag Records. This collection focuses primarily on the dancier side of things but "World of Echo" is a must hear album as well so I am posting that as well. Trying to make up for all this lost time here. Should resume the normal amount of posting again soon. Hope to see some familiar faces in S.F. this weekend.
Sleeping Bag Sessions Here:http://www.mediafire.com/?kcx5m184se00k

World of Echo Here:http://www.mediafire.com/?2qtx7j0e3b4ne

Join Our Gang.

Been a while. Illness and a whole lot of work has kept me from posting recently but really good things are on the rise as Spring makes it way here. I am going to Seattle to visit a friend I haven't seen in forever so it's not going to get much better with the posts till the beginning of March. Also in March I will be heading up to San Francisco to dj a couple of my usual haunts. First stop is at the Casanova where I will be taking over the much better than night shift happy hour from 4-9 p.m. on Friday the 4th of March. Then Saturday the 5th I will be doing the same shift at the Hemlock Tavern. Both sets will be very different from one another so come say hello if your in that area. Still have boxes being dropped on the doorstep on a daily basis so I have tons of new platters to fill your ears with. If any changes or additional gigs are added I will post them here and Facebook. When I come back from Seattle I should be able to make the formal announcement about our monthly club that is starting here in San Diego. Everything is really coming together nicely and I am getting really excited about it's launch. A couple more meetings and it will be done. We will be making an exclusive mix for it's launch so those of you who are not able to attend get in touch and I will get you the mix when it's done (April?).

Up today is a fist pumping rollicking good time glam slam from Chicory Tip. Have to admit that I have been on the hunt for rare glam singles lately as I'm amazed at the overall feel of some of these records. Good, poppy, and still somewhat heavy which is not an easy combo to pull off. This will not change your life but if your not having fun while listening to this then check your pulse. Lots of makeup and heels required.
http://www.mediafire.com/?z3px579c3hqw0

Climate.

While starting his career as one half of blue eyed soul crooners, The Walker Brothers, Scott Walker went solo and went on to have quite an interesting career that has shown his personal style develop into something that is unequaled. Haunting and deeply personal, Walker's music takes many dramatic elements and turns them into truly moving and picturesque scenarios. "Climate of Hunter" was released in 1984 and was ten years after his last solo record "We Had It All". The change in sound gives this album something akin to a mid 80's Roxy Music album but is a bit more heavy handed and troubled in general. Anyone who gets into this should definitely see the film 30 Century Man as it will kick-start your obsession into high gear.
http://www.mediafire.com/?p01xgz7ennahk

Partie De Dames.

Heres a really good valentines day comp. So unoffensive unless you speak french. Then you may pick up on the strong sexual undertones of some of the songs which makes them all together that much better. Groove and organ heavy this is nice on the ears and is a fine pairing with your wine. Sorry France, it's California wine.
http://www.mediafire.com/?59e6cvh3stct7

They Declare It!

Probably one of the most iconic record covers of punk ever. The four songs contained on Discharge's "Realities Of War" e.p. are sharp, to the point, and unequaled in there outright assault.I can not and will not ever listen to this drunk because I'm afraid I may just lose that last marble in the brain bowl. If your not into this record... face it; your not that punk and probably like Band of Horses or whatever snooze fest "hip" cafes are listening to.
http://www.mediafire.com/?4b6engtg2kk8h

No one driving.

Up on the slab today is an album that never sounds outdated to me. John Foxx had a good run with Ultravox before leaving the group to go solo just after a self-financed U.S. tour. "Systems of Romance" was Foxx's last record with Ultravox and basically wrote the template for synth-pop that would be exhausted throughout the 1980's. Foxx'x first solo full length "Metamatic" strips away the sheen found on "Systems of Romance" and drags the listener head first down dark noir corridors. Foxx has since gone on to have a successful career as a photographer, studio engineer, and teacher. Easily one of my top ten 80's synth albums ever.
http://www.mediafire.com/?t6vw82inht8fm

"I like it. It's a statement."

I'm not even going to discuss this film as it is simply a classic. Behind every great film is a great soundtrack and such is the case with Return of the Living Dead. Of course, the Cramps "Surfing Dead" is probably the most celebrated out of this lot but there are many others on here that are just as classic. Jet Black Berrys "Love Under Will" is a stark deathrock meets new wave jam and the SSQ material is great too. "Trash's Theme" is a real late night shadow on the wall and what would this movie be without the classic Roky tune "Burn the Flames"? "Send More Cops."http://www.mediafire.com/?8ctqqblc0dy7r

Dream Scream.

1967 recordings of basement soft psych.
http://www.mediafire.com/?t78607fb24r5x

Daaaaaaa Bears.

Today is a special day for America. That's right. Today we will consume more chicken wings, pizza, nachos, and fun dip that any other nation can stand to look at. And while we are doing that we will watch the grandiose advertisements that corporations spent millions upon millions of dollars to make just so you can have a laugh while they tell you that chicks will like you a lot more you fat idiot if you buy this beer. You've earned it too. You should celebrate by having a jam to "rock" to while pounding Coors and trying not to get room temperature cheese dip in your Crocs. Here's the 1985 Bears doing "The Super Bowl Shuffle". Since the Bears are a Chicago team the music is a generic blend of electric boogie funk with a ton really dumb raps done by the team members. It's fucking epic in every way.
http://www.mediafire.com/?gej7mxgunj7

Florida Player Piano.

Growing up in Florida was a weird thing. Hardly any good bands would come to play because it was considered a loss in time and money (due to the fact that you have to back track however far down you go). Being punk meant that you would eventually fall victim to skinhead beatings and to top it all off the weather is like being a lobster and being boiled slowly to death and insanity. Despite these short-comings, there are certain things that are special about growing up in a shitty place.
1. I don't take much for granted.

2. My patience for the elderly is very high.

3. I now know that "Every" salad dosen't have to have fried stuff on top of it.

4. 90's Florida Death Metal was a great time despite the fact that at the time I was a little reluctant to go to shows because "It's not punk!".

5. Able to make something out of nothing.

6. Futurisk is amazing.
http://www.mediafire.com/?56wizs1yvbqns

Inferno No Mundo.

Here's a great slice of Brazilian psych from the late sixties. While tropicalia takes the most attention within the pseudo world of Brazilian psychedelia, the more guitar and rock oriented albums seem to be less talked about. This is one such example. The album does showcase a bit of the Brazilian rhythms we have come to love but seems more rooted in garage blotter rock than cultural hero's Os Mutantes. The cover is also probably the best Brazilian psych record cover ever.
http://www.mediafire.com/?m6jjb6q245np2

Vertigo Mixed.

Sorry for the recent lag in posts. We have been busy trying to make the Spring and Summer full of gigs and excitement. Wanted to follow up the Vertigo post with a great treat brought to us by non-other than U.K. psych dj extraordinaire Andy Votel. Andy compiled a mix of nothing but releases on Vertigo and it is an amazing journey through the labels diverse sounds. Get it below.
http://www.mediafire.com/?21jb3bmzo5yx1

The Swirl.

When I worked in a record store there where many geeky discussions about various topics. One day during one of my shifts a co-worker asked me if I could have any labels entire catalogue, who's would it be. I quickly chirped "Vertigo!" For a very good reason might I add. Vertigo Records was started in 1960's as a sub-label for Philips. The main goal of this new sub-label was to put out psychedelic and progressive music. What Vertigo evolved into in the 70's is the benchmark label for any progressive heavy and far beyond the simple confines of just another prog label. Among the labels rooster you will find Kraftwerk, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Rod Stewert, Uriah Heep, and a slew of other staple and genre defining artists. So what about the stuff you haven't heard? Fucking brilliant. Prog fiends will find what they are looking for in Magna Carta and Gentle Giant. Psych heads will enjoy the sounds of Ramases and Gracious!. Folk collectors will dig the sounds of Tudor Lodge and Bob Downes. Beat diggers and djs look hard for records by Ian Carr and Aphrodites Child. Vertigo truly has a record for everybody and this collection showcases that over the course of three discs. I have all three discs in separate folders. I still on a weekly basis search out Vertigo titles. Most recent one that I bought was Manfred Mann's "3". One more down, and a about 58 more to go.

http://www.mediafire.com/?pvhiiy447mqj5

http://www.mediafire.com/?95mo1qdzqfifm

http://www.mediafire.com/?ks3rcm2tejxic

Future Factory.

The U.K. trio Factory Floor is something to freak over. They deserve all the attention they get unlike many bands who seem to hold a years worth of interest and then fade back into the mediocre background. What Factory Floor have mastered is the rare ability to pay some sort of homage to post punk/industrial pioneers while creating there own path in which seemingly they are walking alone. You can hear the influence of early Factory records bands and then a distinct Belgian post punk/new beat influence as well. In the end, is what matters most is the overall sound is completely timeless and captivating. I have also read that their live performances are jaw-dropping. Here in one convenient file is their 7", 10", and a Japan only cd-ep.http://www.mediafire.com/?4jffjcc62c4xe

Kabinette Thriller.

Das Kabinette's "Spy Thriller" collects the U.K. bands entire unreleased studio recordings. Again, sort of amazing this was never released in it's day as it's very good stark music to rob a blood bank at midnight to. Especially considering that Bauhaus was knee deep in their ska-thic phase and many goths, punks, whatever's where probably looking for something to fill the black heart with. Enter the Kabinette!http://www.mediafire.com/?d58lz4fuofzoa

Zambian Foot.

This has made many blog appearances but unless you read those other blogs you may have missed it and it's one that should not be missed. Zambian band Black Foot created a stunning and incredible album. With some traditional Zambian guitar and drum work thrown into the more rock sound, this is a real pleasure to anyone with ears and something in between them. According to Prog Not Frog Blog, where I believe this made it's blog debut, Alfred Yabe of Black Foot now teaches organ and guitar at a music academy in Ndola. Let's hope his students follow those Foot Steps.http://www.mediafire.com/?0e40fg8vk709o

Da Ghost.

The most consistent Wu-Tanger on the solo tip. When this came out I was all over it thanks to a co-worker that would play it every day at least three times a day. Ghostface also happens to make me laugh a lot which is nice. http://www.mediafire.com/?rr75vo7fazpie

Space Bort.

By now you have taken a good look at the cover of today's post and exclaimed "Looks good!" or your probably thinking "Looks boring." Point is you are either going to love Eduardo Bort's folk tinged space prog or you are going to want to pass all together on this. As this album is making an appearance here it is clear as to what camp I belong in. Eduardo Bort recorded this self titled album in Spain that was released around 74/75 and went fairly unnoticed in it's time. It has since gone on to become a major collectible album with prog collectors and has been reissued on cd but not vinyl. If you at all enjoy 70's prog then you will definitely find this enjoyable. The album has an almost Italian feel to it but is hardly even an ounce as over the top as any Italian prog record.http://www.mediafire.com/?lmrckbew0coyw

Music is the weapon.

I can not even try and write all there is to write about such a prolific and inspirational character as Fela Kuti. I will say that Fela's career and music transcend simple artistry and go into political revolution, social consciousness, and spiritual awareness. I recently watched the French filmed documentary "Music is The Weapon" and to put it simply was completely floored by Fela and his life's work. To be a revolutionary in Nigeria during the 70's takes more than courage, it takes a clear mind and a direct link to the consciousness of others. Fela seemed to be able to embrace his culture and heritage while wanting to change the iron fisted government and the inherit greed that was growing within Lagos. Fela was considered dangerous by the government and was often the target of severe violence and vandalism which included having his house burned down. His live performances seemed to have been more than just about music as Fela would stop halfway through a concert to preform a ritual. After learning a fraction of what there is to know about this man, his career, and his legacy, it is simply inspiring that one man can stand against the villainous armies of an evil society and stir the pot of social awareness that it is still quite important and relevant in today's world. One of the most important reminders I personally get from Fela's music is that music is simply more than just something to hear. It is a religion, a spirit, an idea, a form of identity, and above all it is personal autonomy. Fela's music proves this to me as I do not speak Pidgin nor do I need to. It is the movement of the spirit and soul that allows me to hear Fela's music and sense every feeling that is put into song. I realize this may all seem a bit pretentious and I certainly don't intend for it to be that way. I am simply floored by Fela and can only hope to have one percent of the consciousness that this single person possessed. Download "Yellow Fever" and see what you find.http://www.mediafire.com/?3015f3xelvw55

Don't turn the light on, leave me alone.

Got a request for this album. Can definitely has all the trappings for a desert island band. Timeless music that clearly has a beginning, middle, and end. Can also seems to transcend the moniker of simply stated kraut-rock. Each album has it's own unique individual tone and voice that sets itself apart from any of the others. The clear jam on this album is "Mother Sky". The song "Don't Turn The Light On, Leave Me Alone" also marks the first appearance of Damon Suzuki on a recorded Can track.http://www.mediafire.com/?fm41ro9gj4ry3

Earwigs to Eternity.

Finally back after the battery debacle. Got a few requests for some posts which are coming up very soon. In the meantime here's an amazing first record by Alice Cooper. I know most people are familiar with Alice but I wonder how many actually give the albums a chance. He almost better known for his on stage hi jinx, obsession with golf, Schools Out, and for looking older than dirt even when he was young. This is an amazing album that showcases the songwriting talent of every individual in the band and moves through psych, pop, and outlandish acid fever dreams. Frank Zappa signed the band to a three record deal after hearing that the band cleared the room of the Cheetah ( a then semi-famous L.A. rock club) in less than ten minutes. When he asked the band to demo personally for him, he insisted on the time of seven. The band showed up at seven a.m. to Zappa's house and woke him up to play their set. Before anyone could play Zappa was sold on the sheer outlandishness of their mistake. The three albums recorded for Zappa's Straight label (Pretties for You, Easy Action, and Love It To Death) are by far my favorite records by dear Alice. If you have not heard the three mentioned albums your in for a real treat by starting at the beginning. Swing low, sweet cheerio!http://www.mediafire.com/?k12s66ba3bspn

Battery Blues

So here's a little update. My laptop battery complete shit and then died. I tried to get another one immediately which turned into another seriously dumb adventure in which I found one at the obscene price of $159. Because I have a brain and a serious addiction to buying music I made the decision to say "Fuck that" to mentioned overpriced battery. Another is one it's way in a hurry. Hopefully Monday? Got a request for a real good post too so that should be up and all will be fine again in the virtual world here. In the mean time I will still be listening to the newest L.A. Vampires with Matrix Metals LP "So Unreal". Man, this fucking album is great. Kind of like finding a cassette tape of dubbed slo-mo disco that has been warped by the sun. Really addicting. Have fun and keep it simple stupid.

Stand By.

Need to take the rest of the week to do some boring life stuff so won't have time to post this week. Will make it up to you as soon as we get rolling again. Should be by this weekend hopefully.

Into Night.

Seahawks are a U.K. based project that is obsessed with the AOR disco sound of the 80's. They take a song like Exile's "Kiss You All Over" and turn it into a slow moving astral builder that is psychedelic and intoxicating all at once. The timing and restraint they execute is perfect which is an often overlooked quality in bands/artists. Head out to sea and stare at the colors in the sky. This is it! http://www.mediafire.com/?z79hski8mm57l

Tornado Funk.

I'm really glad that there are people in the world that put together such enjoyable compilations like this one. Top selection of heavy funk 45's that you could easily spend a lifetime of money and time looking for all on this comp. What-cha feel is what-cha get!http://www.mediafire.com/?w5itecrkbb1co

Haunted.

Here's another quick slab of Factory goodness from Section 25. Stark, minimal, and highly addicting. http://www.mediafire.com/?gfc6yf7dhvu4f

Astral Abuse.

I remember thinking at one point that Vangelis was just that geeky Greek band who did the Chariots of Fire soundtrack. As with many bands that span a few decades, Vangelis had their golden age in the mid 70's. "Who Killed The Dragon" collects the rare sessions cut for the BYG label. Two Vangelis tracks and two by Alpha Beta who is in fact Vangelis under a different name. Deep psychedelic mantras that sit atop the pantheon of Greek gods. Opa!http://www.mediafire.com/?raic1l7say9r8

Deep Northern Shadows.

Little Ann had a career that was more or less that of a studio back-up performer and those that are familiar Ace/Kent Records producer Dave Hamilton, may know her name. What you probably don't know is that she recorded enough solo material for her own album that was not released until 2009! What we have here is a deep slab of real down and dirty Motor City soul. By down and dirty I mean we don't have the air wave friendly squareness of Motown. What we do have is a semi-noir Northern Soul gem that is getting tons of play at my house.http://www.mediafire.com/?p80oox24ilv38

The Best of 2010.

First off I would like to state that this is in no particular order. I really have a hard time saying "This is the best thing and nothing else topped it". This is just picked upon what was on my turntable the most and what I could not stop listening to. Some are from 2010 and some are not. With the current state of amazing reissues that are being put out on a weekly basis it's extremely hard to listen to current music exclusively. So lets get started as there is a ton of shit to cover.


This is what it's all about. A really fucking obscure record recorded in 1978 at an apartment in Portland, Oregon by two guys who were into acid and pop-psych. What they managed to create is something that maybe happens every ten years or so. An album fully transcends the simple and lazy tag of psychedelia and into the region better known as genius. Passionately reissued by De Stijl Records.

Umberto's "Prophecy of the Black Widow" is still making constant appearances on my turntable. This record trumps Zombi in a major way for that whole 70's horror nerd Claudio Carpenter mini-genre of music. An instant classic in my book.


Jacques Renault's On The Prowl label is really starting to blossom now with really really good releases every month. I recently picked up the Party Breaks Vol. 3 which is re-cut by Andy Ash. What this means is that you have three tracks that should all be played before your done djing. Monstrous dance floor results on New Years with this record. The re-working of Timmy Thomas's "Why Can't We Live Together" is soulful magic.

Chris Carter "The Spaces In Between" reissue on Optimo Music. Finally on vinyl the classic recordings of Throbbing Gristles synth wizard Chris Carter. Not all of them but hand picked by J.D. Twitch who did a stellar job selecting them. These are a collection of recordings made between 1974 and 1978 originally released on cassette. Keep those dates in mind because it's hard to think of anything that sounds like it's from next month but is really from the mid to late 70's. Also the Chris & Cosey reissues are no-brainers too.


Zombie Zombie "Plays John Carpenter" Zombie Zombie are great and this record just goes to show you how capable the French are at tackling such a sacred thing and keeping it true to the original but adding the extra little "Umpff" to it. They even make the Halloween Theme sound better than any other version you've heard in some shitty sequel or prequel.


Futurisk "Player Piano" reissue on Minimal Wave. Obscure Florida synth-punk band that manage to sound like a cross between the Units, Suicide, and maybe early Devo. Really like this because of the obvious punk influence that is heard throughout this record.

Slayer Zine #20 with Morbid 12". Say what you will about Black Metal but some of it is still worth a shit and hasn't been completely raped to death by Hot Topic mall geeks. Slayer Magazine has been devoted to Metal and nothing but since the mid 80's. The writing is simple and street level and does not try to be artsy fartsy which is good since a ton of Black Metal bands know seem to be focused on being artists instead of being audio terrorists. Fuck Art! Let's Die!


Discharge "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing" reissue on Havoc Records. 2010 sort marked my official return to fishing out a lot of my old punk records and still being fully blown away by them. When Havoc reissued this I had to do it. Discharge are hands down one of the greatest punk bands ever and this record still has the eternal flame burning in Punk Rocks graveyard.

Arcade Fire "The Suburbs" Pop musics greatest talent offer up the greatest pop record of the year. The songwriting talent present in this band is unmatched in the last decade.


Ariel Pink "Before Today" Ariel really hit his stride with this record. Vice Magazine gave this album a terrible review and I was really happy that they did because they can not relate to the pure West Coast Avo-mentality that is ever present within this album. To break it down, this is not for a bunch of coked-out twenty year olds who are amped on the band "Off" and are currently fucking Fashion Week models.


Soft Metals "The Cold World Melts" Ohhhhhhhhhhh. Good one. Take a little Glass Candy, sprinkle it with some EBM influence, and top it off with a New Beat techno splash. Very very nice. Will be huge in 2011.

Robert Lester Folsom "Music and Dreams" reissue Mexican Summer. Private press record of Georgia based songwriter that weaves smooth whiskey late night love lorn songs into dreamy butter. I can not say enough about this album. Pure after eleven magic.


Anika-S/T If you at all like anything remotely in the field of post punk, do yourself a major favor and buy this album. I can't believe how fresh yet familiar the sound pf this record is. Produced by Geoff Barrow of Portishead too. Sounds as though it could have been released on Ze records in 1981. Also have to mention that this came out on Stones Throw and the label is killing it. Forge Your Own Chains comp was great, Bruce Haack comp, and Minimal Wave tapes just to name a few. Can't wait to see whats happening this year.

Martin Vogel "Tough" Turning Bruce Springsteen's "Tougher Than The Rest" into a cosmic dance floor love anthem is no easy task but that is exactly what Stockholm's Martin Vogel did. Breathe taking beauty for the slower sexier moments of the dance floor.

Magic Wand Vol. 1 This was a bitter sweet record for me the reason being it took Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan" and topped it off with a nice percussive beat for the late night dance floor. I have wanted to rework that song forever now and well... this simply means I can't. Perfect job done to it though. Also the reworking of Randy Crawford "You Might Be Somebody" is turned into a psychedelic AOR disco treat by Coyote. Still makes daily appearances on the table.

Phil Collins "I'm not Moving" Idjut Boys Edit. Never really knew how much I could like a Phil Collins tune that wasn't "Easy Lover". Thanks to the Idjut Boys for the simple retooling of this "Face Value" song, I am not moving away from this song anytime soon.

Psychemagik "This Must Be The Place b/w Everywhere" More dance floor bombs here. Talking Heads "This Must Be The Place" gets the big room rework and kills it every time. Children's Choir breakdown in the middle has to be heard. The B side? Fucking slays too. Big room rework of Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere". Both of these songs killed on New Years.


Watain "Lawless Darkness" Watain returns and delivers all that they promised with their strongest album yet. The songwriting is getting more and more intense and you can really feel that uneasy tension within these songs. Vinyl presentation is amazing too.


Ghost "Elizabeth" Take a look at that cover. Elizabeth Bathory in a pool of blood. Sweden's elusive ghouls take a couple of songs from their amazing demo and put them onto a 7". Music that sounds as though it was recorded on the set of a Mario Bava satanic panic film. The full length is good but I like the lo-fi sound present on the demo stuff way better.


Zola Jesus/L.A. Vampires split 12" I am not super into everything by Zola Jesus but this record was simply great. Nice lo-fi bedroom darkness with a druggy ambience.

Minks "By the Hedge" Perfect band alert. Highly addicting dark pop music. I like the almost more punk "Cure" sound this band has. Warning: do not try and copy it. They can handle it. Just keep drooling.

Ok need to start to wrap this up. Quick mentions also go to Led Er Est "Dust On Common", Xeno and Oaklander "Sentinelle", Dark Entries Records for everything that they are doing, Nuclear War Now Records for making me broke all the time because of lavish Die Hard Editions of Metal Records that I geek out over for months, Chris Craft "Discomic Dancer" lp boot, Blessure Grave "Stranger In the House" 7", Soft Moon "S/t" lp (this should be up top), Sex Worker "Waving Goodbye", Chromatics "Night Drive" finally on vinyl, Groove Merchant "Turns 20" comp of rare soul and grooves, Satanic Warmaster "Nachzehrer", and CFCF "The River" ep on RVNG. This is the longest post we have ever done. Lets get some feedback going on here people. Leave comments.