Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Episode 26


episode 26

First of all, I have to give credit to icoulddietomorrow which is a great blog that has given me a lot of inspiration for this show. And by inspiration I mean I've learned about a lot of amazing records and basically ripped off everything they think is cool. There are some things they post that I already know and love and some are new to me and become favorites (i.e. Timber). So head over there because they post tons of stuff that I don't play because it's not quite LotD format but it's still great.

So this week I played Foreign Objects which is something I learned about over at icoulddietomorrow and they have a download link for the demo tape. Foreign Objects also have a brand new 7" out which you can get with the info posted here.



This AC4 record is something I've been looking forward to for a while now and I guess it's finally out. Their myspace says its out in Sweden and Deranged is putting out a US LP version but I can't seem to figure out when. I was able to download it from some random website and the whole thing is pretty awesome. Some of it sounds like fast The (International) Noise Conspiracy and some sounds like more straight up old school hardcore. The video above has three songs performed in Dennis' backyard, and I'm not really sure what he's wearing, but I guess that's what's up in Scandinavia.





Pygmy Shrews this Wednesday 11/18 at Lunchbox in Charlotte


Also this week at Boone Saloon: Saturday 11/21 Naked Gods (Boone's best band), Viva Viva, and The Middlemen

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Episode 25


Episode 25

I kicked the show off this week with my favorite Ramones song, and it's not even one from their debut or Rocket to Russia, it's from 1980's End of the Century, arguably the last great LP. As hard as it would be to cover the Ramones' best track and still be awesome, KISS pulled it off. Of all bands, KISS. Kudos.


The Brass have a new EP, Homosapien available through Quote Unquote Records, which is a great label, all of its releases are donation based. So you can download the ep immediately for whatever price you think it's worth and then order the 7" as well.

I learned about Pete Seeger's classic "Waist Deep In the Big Muddy" just this week actually, and in class to boot. It's a great haunting song and it's actually one of the reasons that the Smother Brothers Comedy Hour was cancelled in 1969. Damn those government critics for not pandering to CBS's demands.


The show dates I mentioned on the show for NC shows are as follows:

Double Negative 11/13 - The Milestone, Charlotte NC

























Raein 12/1 - Lunchbox Records - Charlotte, NC

Episode 24 (FEST Edition!)


Episode 24


For the second year in a row here at Left of the Dial we celebrate the best weekend in punk rock, The Fest 8 in Gainesville, FL. With far too many bands to see in one weekend alone I picked my favorites of those I was lucky enough to witness. Some were new (No Friends, Comadre, Iron Chic), some were old (7 Seconds, American Steel) and some were reunited (Small Brown Bike, Planes Mistaken For Stars (quasi-reunited)).

There have been plenty of videos floating around the internet since that weekend so I'll post the highlights. One of the things I missed most this year was Paint It Black. Since Dr. Dan was due to have a new baby that weekend they weren't around to put on any crazy surprises but Comadre did their best to fill that spot. Friday night they played a house show with 5 or 6 Refused covers making up their set. My friends and I drove around fruitlessly trying to find the house but luckily enough the next night we saw them end their Fail Safe Warehouse show with "Deadly Rhythm" from The Shape of Punk to Come. Here's footage from Friday night:

Comadre - "Deadly Rhythm" from Punknews.org on Vimeo.



During Gared O'Donnell's Hawks and Doves set (their first as a full band) the former members of Planes Mistaken for Stars (who were present in the new band Git Some) got on stage together for the first time in a few years to play three songs for those lucky enough to be at the Atlantic that night.


Possibly my favorite set of the weekend was 7 Seconds. They brought everything they had and for guys who are almost 50 years old, they outperformed almost every other band I saw. My only complaint was not seeing enough girls in the pit for "Not Just Boys' Fun." They ended the set with Sham 69's "If the Kids Are United" and encored with their classic version of Nena's "99 Red Balloons." So add those to the list of cover songs of the weekend that also included:
Iron Chic - "She" (Green Day)
No Friends - some Dag Nasty song
Defiance, Ohio - some Victoria Williams song
Shook Ones - "Tired of Sex" (Weezer)

Shook Ones - "Tired of Sex" from Punknews.org on Vimeo.



I'll leave you on an inspiring note, Small Brown Bike played a cathartic, celebratory reunion set on Friday night that included lots of favorites like "See You In Hell" which featured an appearance by The Casket Lottery/Coalesce's Nathan Ellis on backup vocals.


Keep checking www.nationalunderground.org for more videos from the Fest and check out No Idea Records if you want to but records from a lot of the bands featured here.