Asides

Contrast Podcast: The arse

There seems to be a running theme to my contributions to Tim Young’s Contrast Podcast – I try to sneak The Damnwells in any time I have the chance. When this week’s theme was announced via email last week – “Next week we will be continue our tour of the body with a necessary visit to The arse” – I tried to figure out what I could submit. Of course, the first thought that came to mind was The Damnwells “Asshole” though now, after thinking about it, Spinal Tap’s “Big Bottom” would have also been a great pick (I can’t believe NOBODY submitted that song).

Anyway, stream it here or download for enjoyment at a later date.

Added bonus: Alex Dezen of The Damnwells posted his acoustic take of the song (on my birthday, as a matter of fact) on his YouTube account. This version is much different than the one you’ll hear in the podcast.

New bands announced for Riot Fest (Chicago)

You may remember my excitement a few weeks ago at the announcement that Rights of the Accused (featuring my good friend Wes Kidd) and Wax were reuniting for a show at Riot Fest in Chicago, October 7-11. The Fest keeps adding acts to the 4-day, multiple venue punk rock festival. Just announced (thanks Bill) are: 7 Seconds, Cobra Skulls, Deals Gone Bad, The Bomb, Das Kapital, Beer Nuts, The Pinstripes and She Likes Todd.

Here’s the schedule and, as always, you can keep up to date with the latest announcements at the official Riot Fest website.

New band alert: Celan (Chris from Unsane, Ari from Einstürzende Neubauten)

CelanI’m not sure I’ve ever acquired the Unsane taste, their destructive Demolition Derby noise is jarring and raw and most of the time a little too visceral for my tastes although it does provide a decent soundtrack to the drive home from work when I’ve had a bad day and feel like mowing down other drivers who think the left lane is the leisurely-driving lane.

Unsane’s Chris Spencer hooked up with Ari Benjamin Meyers of Einstürzende Neubauten in early 2008 in Berlin and decided it was worth trying to collaborate on some music. The rhythm section of flu.ID (Philipp Körner, Xavi Thiem) joined in (Spencer familiar with the duo as flu.ID had toured with Unsane in ’07) as did Niko Wenner of Oxbow and the newly christened Celan spent two weeks in a studio writing and recording what became their debut, Halo. Halo is currently available in digital form and the actual CD will be released on Sept. 8.

Check out “One Minute” from Halo.

New band from ex-Aereogramme members

Good God, how I loved the Scottish band Aereogramme and I feel very, very fortunate to have had the opportunity to see them once back in 2003. They never made it through Ohio on their farewell tour in 2007 and while bands like The Twilight Sad have helped fill the void for me, nothing will top Aereogramme in their prime. The good great news is that Aereogramme’s Craig B (vocals/guitar) and Iain Cook (guitar/programming) seem to be in the infancy of a new project – The Unwinding Hours – and have posted their very first demo track, “Solstice”, up on their MySpace page. It’s not as noisy/loud as Aereogramme was but keep in mind this is just a first taste of hopefully many, many more tracks to come.

To remind you (or introduce you) of the glory that was Aereogramme, check out the video for “Indiscretion #243” from their 2003 album, Sleep and Release.

It’s going to be a loud fall

A couple of forthcoming releases on my radar:

  • Ace Frehley – Anomaly – Truthfully, I don’t have the highest expectations for this one but I discovered a box of old cassettes in my basement this summer and listened to some Frehley’s Comet music for the first time in probably 20 years. The small snippet of a song in this commercial for the CD makes me think that it’ll at least be worth a few spins. Available Sept.15.
  • Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue – I was a bit skeptical when hearing that AIC found a replacement for Layne Staley but early indications is that the band is sticking to the tried and true sound. Check out “A Looking in View”. Available Sept.28.
  • Baroness – Blue – Baroness is said to be going a little more indie-guitar rock sounding on their latest (I’ve even read somebody reference Built to Spill in an early review) though make no mistake, Baroness is still a metal band. Check out “Bullhead’s Psalm/ The Sweetest Curse”. Available Oct.13.
  • Megadeth – Endgame – New single “Headcrusher” sounds like vintage Megadeth – shredding riffs and Mustaine’s familiar snarl. Love it. Available Sept.15.
  • Skeletonwitch – Breathing the Fire – Ohio boys keep in brutal on their newest release. The audio quality on this sucks but at least “Crushed Beyond Dust” gives you a sneak preview of what’s to come. Available Oct.13.
  • Slayer – World Painted Blood – The biggest disappointment for me this summer was the cancellation of a Slayer show in Columbus.  “Hate Worldwide” made it’s way to the web in July. The album is tentatively scheduled to be released during the first half of October, just in time for Halloween.

Any other metal albums worth looking out for this fall?