This may the best late night network musical performance since At the Drive-In on Letterman. Watch this:
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Episode 15 (2/22/09)
Episode 15.2
Youth of Today
"Break Down the Walls"
I used to think that labels were just symbol of pride
but over time i've seen they only serve to divide
it's so easy to judge people by the way they seem to be
we must overcome this problem to live life peacefully
break down the walls!
yes, we'll break down the walls !
look beyond the fashion or the crowd that they are in
look beyond their riches or the color of their skin
look beyond appearance and the truth you will find
look for what's inside before you make up your mind
break down the walls!
we'll break down the walls !
Ray Cappo's statement on straight edge, community, love, and fanaticism
42 Seconds of Negative Approach
You can listen to, download, and read the lyrics for all of Neon Creeps, the new O Pioneers!! LP, here:
Also, their homepage has a brand new 2009 label sampler available as a free download (just like all of their releases).
Wire - "12XU"
Minor Threat - "12XU"
Big Boys - "Funk Off/Baby Let's Play God"
Episode 14 (2/15)
Episode 15
In the Hollows
If you like melodic hardcore check out the new demo from these guys:
Members of Champion, Ruiner, Pulling Teeth and some band with too many Ys in its name. I'm excited to hear more from these guys, hopefully we'll see an east coast tour sometime soon.
Wolves in the Throne Room
During the Summer of 2002 at an Earth First rendezvous in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, guitarist Nathan Weaver was inspired to create a band that merged a Cascadian eco-spiritual awareness with the misanthropic Norwegian eruptions of the 90's. The band envisioned would strive to create a mythic space where artist and listener alike could strip away the mindset of the mundane to reveal a more ancient and transcendent consciousness. The mysterious and wild energies of the untrammeled forests of the Northwest would be channeled into sonic form.
The Dead Milkmen
Punk Rock Girl
One Saturday I took a walk to Zipperhead
I met a girl there and she almost knocked me dead
Punk rock girl
Please look at me
Punk rock girl
What do you see?
Let's travel round the world
Just you and me punk rock girl
I tapped her on the shoulder
And said do you have a beau?
She looked at me and smiled and said she did not know
Punk rock girl
Give me a chance
Punk rock girl
Let's go slam dance
We'll dress like Minnie Pearl
Just you and me punk rock girl
We went to the Philly Pizza Company
And ordered some hot tea
The waitress said well no, we only have it iced
So we jumped up on the table and shouted anarchy
And someone played a Beach Boys song on the jukebox
It it was "California Dreamin"
So we started screamin
On such a winter's day
She took me to her parents for a Sunday meal
Her father took one look at me and he began to squeal
Punk rock girl
It makes no sense
Punk rock girl
Your dad is vice president
Just like the Duke of Earl
Yeah you're for me punk rock girl
We went to a shopping mall
And laughed at all the shoppers
And security guards trailed us to a record shop
We asked for Mojo Nixon
They said he don't work here
We said if you don't got Mojo Nixon then your store could use some fixin
We got into her car away we started rollin
I said how much you pay for this
Said nothin man it's stolen
Punk rock girl
You look so wild
Punk rock girl
Let's have a child
We'll name her Minnie Pearl
Just you and me
Eat fudge banana swirl
Just you and me
We'll travel round the world
Just you and me
Punk rock girl
Monday, February 9, 2009
Episode 13 (2/08/09)
Epidsode 13
It's awesome to be back on the air! After a lengthy process of reapplying for shows for the new semester Left of the Dial was approved to bring you the loudest show in Boone once again. This week were some of my favorites that I've discovered over the last month and it leans heavily toward dirgey hardcore and skate punk, which only makes me wish I hadn't failed so hard at skateboarding in my life.
Don't you hate when you find out that bands you've just heard of were in your vicinity at some point recently. After realizing that the only mutual myspace friend Punch have is Kakistocracy I found out that they played in Asheville last summer. Sucks. This is as close as I'll get for now:
Italy gets down with Bones Brigade:
I've really been into this Timber 7" and it's dirt cheap. $4.
You can email/paypal ambrose.nzams@gmail.com and he'll send you one. You can also download it in advance if you so wish here. I totally stole this from I Could Die Tomorrow, but it's a great blog and a great record, so I don't feel too bad. Go read it.
I'm getting pumped about Scion Rock Fest (sounds lame I know, but look at the lineup) and Krallice is going to be there. Original metal bands are few and far between these days.
Finally, I just read an announcement that Paint It Black scheduled a show in Johnson City, TN for March 9th. Only an hour from Boone! It's during spring break but it'll be worth the trip.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, December 8, 2008
Left of the Dial Top Records of 2008
LPs
1. Young Widows - Old Wounds
Young Widows has finally escaped the remnants of Breather Resist and released an incredible record that flows perfectly from one end to the other. Old Wounds is the most solid LP I've heard all year, and seeing it played in its entirety twice this year cemented its choruses and riffs firmly in my head for weeks.
2. Paint It Black - New Lexicon
Paint It Black continue to churn out the same pummeling hardcore on their third record, but its similarities to earlier releases don't take away from the merits of New Lexicon at all. The heavy parts are heavier, the slow parts grind by with a little more sludge and the shouted refrains exude more passion. The interludes added by Oktopus (of Dälek) seem a bit unnecessary to me, but not enough so to make me listen to this record any less.
3. Torche - Meanderthal
Meanderthal continues the progression that we heard last year on In Return. They stray even farther from Torche's debut, but there are still enough drawn-out detuned notes to satisfy listeners among all the "stoner-pop" on Meanderthal. Side one is, in my opinion, better than side two, but the whole record is better than almost anything else released in '08. I'm anxious to see what happens to their sound, if anything, now that guitarist Juan Montoya is no longer along for the ride.
4. Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
This one came as a surprise to me. I enjoyed 2006's Hidden World, but it had to grow on me a bit. So when I heard The Chemistry of Common Life for the first, I was excited that it immediately hit me as a superior record. There's plenty of reviews of this record that hail the dozens and dozens of guitar tracks used to create the such a lush hardcore record, but it's the songwriting that's improved the most.
5. Algernon Cadwallader - Some Kind of Cadwallader
While I was fortunate enough to see Young Widows twice this year, I missed this band twice this year. When I watched a video of them playing for the first time on If You Make It, I was intrigued enough to seek out more songs. The guitars are technical in a Minus the Bear sort of way, but the two bands don't compare otherwise. Algernon is more akin to Cap'n Jazz, taking an early emo approach to catharsis and adding sing-alongs for fun.
6. Bridge & Tunnel - East/West
Another band whose earlier recordings didn't strike me as positively as they did some of my peers, but their debut full-length hits that spot. East/West combines male and female vocals and impressive interlocking guitar parts for post-hardcore record that sticks in your head. If you're not singing the beginning of "Night Owls" for a few days, you weren't listening.
7. Harvey Milk - Life... The Best Game In Town
This was my introduction to Harvey Milk and I don't think any of their other records would've captured my attention like this one did. They forgo their earlier noisy compositions and indulge their droning, heavy metal blues on Life... Joe Preston is added on second guitar and along with Creston Spiers, they manage to put out a record that's traditionally heavier than much of their past efforts combined.
8. Naked Gods - Welcome Home
I'm glad I was able to include a local record this year, and especially glad that Naked Gods finally released more tunes. Their debut EP was catchy and in constant rotation in my cd player, and this one continues the tradition of folksy Band-esque rock and roll. The melodies are sweet and the interaction between guitars, drums, organ (and sometimes banjo) are seamless. They've changed a few tunes (Mothersun and Blah Blah Blah) from their original live arrangements and in doing so they flow better within the record. It's cheap and it's local, I encourage you to buy it.
9. Murs & 9th Wonder - Sweet Lord
Murs's major label debut, Murs for President, was released this fall but it was preceded by an internet-only release, Sweet Lord. This is the third (and final?) collaboration between Murs and 9th Wonder and contains some of the pair's finest tracks. Standouts include the Intro, "Nina Ross"'s ridiculous party-jam-turned-revenge story, and the list of the small pleasures in life on "And I Love It." Plus, it's free.
10. ?
Was there a tenth great record this year? There isn't one that immediately comes to mind. The T.I. record was pretty awesome. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks put out a solid LP. I actually liked the new Tom Gabel solo record. Blacklisted and Ceremony both improved with new records. Marnie Stern's new one was sweet the one time I was able to listen to it. But I didn't listen to any of those as much as I did records that didn't come out in the last 12 months, so I don't feel like I can list them here. However, there were some impressive EPs this year and if these lists were combined, some of them would definitely displace the nine LPs above.
EPs
1. Yardwork
This may be biased since I know some of these guys, but I love this record. All of their live shows have been some of the best concert experiences I've had this year, and Charlotte seems to agree. The songs are catchy and fun to sing along with and it definitely has the positive vibe they were shooting for.
2. Gaslight Anthem - Señor and the Queen
This is better than The '59 Sound. That record was kind of boring and static, but this four songs here are standouts among Gaslight's repertoire. I'd recommend this first, then Sink or Swim and then the new one.
3. Pollution - nasty.DNA
I saw this on a friend's blog and was instantly taken with the dirty punk rock. Plus, they were nice enough to send me a cd to play on the show (it's usually a cassette-only EP). If the Melvins sped up a bit and Double Negative slowed down a bit, you'd get Pollution. They've played with both bands, so my comparison is somewhat lazy, but it fits.
4. Des Ark - WXDU Vol. 2
I'm not actually positive that this was released in 2008, but when I bought it this summer, I was under the impression that it was new. Aimee sings 9 songs live on-air, accompanied only by her banjo or guitar playing. There has yet to be a disappointing Des Ark record and hopefully that tradition will continue for a long time.
5. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Rapid Response
After the RNC in Minneapolis, many protesters were wrongfully accused of violence and conspiracy so Ted Leo and company wrote a couple new songs, covered some punk classics and released it in order to aid Minneapolis Food Not Bombs and Democracy Now! The originals are better than most of the tracks on last full-length, Living With the Living, and the covers of Cock Sparrer and Amebix are gems in their own right.
6. Bridge & Tunnel/Young Livers
I really wanted to put the Young Livers full-length on my top records until I realized that it was released in '07 and I was actually just late in discovering it. Their song from this split 7" is actually even better than some of the tracks on The New Drop Era. The Bridge & Tunnel song is also good, it just gets overshadowed by the b-side.
If you read this and have opinions or your own top records, I'd love to hear them, leave a comment!
1. Young Widows - Old Wounds
Young Widows has finally escaped the remnants of Breather Resist and released an incredible record that flows perfectly from one end to the other. Old Wounds is the most solid LP I've heard all year, and seeing it played in its entirety twice this year cemented its choruses and riffs firmly in my head for weeks.
2. Paint It Black - New Lexicon
Paint It Black continue to churn out the same pummeling hardcore on their third record, but its similarities to earlier releases don't take away from the merits of New Lexicon at all. The heavy parts are heavier, the slow parts grind by with a little more sludge and the shouted refrains exude more passion. The interludes added by Oktopus (of Dälek) seem a bit unnecessary to me, but not enough so to make me listen to this record any less.
3. Torche - Meanderthal
Meanderthal continues the progression that we heard last year on In Return. They stray even farther from Torche's debut, but there are still enough drawn-out detuned notes to satisfy listeners among all the "stoner-pop" on Meanderthal. Side one is, in my opinion, better than side two, but the whole record is better than almost anything else released in '08. I'm anxious to see what happens to their sound, if anything, now that guitarist Juan Montoya is no longer along for the ride.
4. Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
This one came as a surprise to me. I enjoyed 2006's Hidden World, but it had to grow on me a bit. So when I heard The Chemistry of Common Life for the first, I was excited that it immediately hit me as a superior record. There's plenty of reviews of this record that hail the dozens and dozens of guitar tracks used to create the such a lush hardcore record, but it's the songwriting that's improved the most.
5. Algernon Cadwallader - Some Kind of Cadwallader
While I was fortunate enough to see Young Widows twice this year, I missed this band twice this year. When I watched a video of them playing for the first time on If You Make It, I was intrigued enough to seek out more songs. The guitars are technical in a Minus the Bear sort of way, but the two bands don't compare otherwise. Algernon is more akin to Cap'n Jazz, taking an early emo approach to catharsis and adding sing-alongs for fun.
6. Bridge & Tunnel - East/West
Another band whose earlier recordings didn't strike me as positively as they did some of my peers, but their debut full-length hits that spot. East/West combines male and female vocals and impressive interlocking guitar parts for post-hardcore record that sticks in your head. If you're not singing the beginning of "Night Owls" for a few days, you weren't listening.
7. Harvey Milk - Life... The Best Game In Town
This was my introduction to Harvey Milk and I don't think any of their other records would've captured my attention like this one did. They forgo their earlier noisy compositions and indulge their droning, heavy metal blues on Life... Joe Preston is added on second guitar and along with Creston Spiers, they manage to put out a record that's traditionally heavier than much of their past efforts combined.
8. Naked Gods - Welcome Home
I'm glad I was able to include a local record this year, and especially glad that Naked Gods finally released more tunes. Their debut EP was catchy and in constant rotation in my cd player, and this one continues the tradition of folksy Band-esque rock and roll. The melodies are sweet and the interaction between guitars, drums, organ (and sometimes banjo) are seamless. They've changed a few tunes (Mothersun and Blah Blah Blah) from their original live arrangements and in doing so they flow better within the record. It's cheap and it's local, I encourage you to buy it.
9. Murs & 9th Wonder - Sweet Lord
Murs's major label debut, Murs for President, was released this fall but it was preceded by an internet-only release, Sweet Lord. This is the third (and final?) collaboration between Murs and 9th Wonder and contains some of the pair's finest tracks. Standouts include the Intro, "Nina Ross"'s ridiculous party-jam-turned-revenge story, and the list of the small pleasures in life on "And I Love It." Plus, it's free.
10. ?
Was there a tenth great record this year? There isn't one that immediately comes to mind. The T.I. record was pretty awesome. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks put out a solid LP. I actually liked the new Tom Gabel solo record. Blacklisted and Ceremony both improved with new records. Marnie Stern's new one was sweet the one time I was able to listen to it. But I didn't listen to any of those as much as I did records that didn't come out in the last 12 months, so I don't feel like I can list them here. However, there were some impressive EPs this year and if these lists were combined, some of them would definitely displace the nine LPs above.
EPs
1. Yardwork
This may be biased since I know some of these guys, but I love this record. All of their live shows have been some of the best concert experiences I've had this year, and Charlotte seems to agree. The songs are catchy and fun to sing along with and it definitely has the positive vibe they were shooting for.
2. Gaslight Anthem - Señor and the Queen
This is better than The '59 Sound. That record was kind of boring and static, but this four songs here are standouts among Gaslight's repertoire. I'd recommend this first, then Sink or Swim and then the new one.
3. Pollution - nasty.DNA
I saw this on a friend's blog and was instantly taken with the dirty punk rock. Plus, they were nice enough to send me a cd to play on the show (it's usually a cassette-only EP). If the Melvins sped up a bit and Double Negative slowed down a bit, you'd get Pollution. They've played with both bands, so my comparison is somewhat lazy, but it fits.
4. Des Ark - WXDU Vol. 2
I'm not actually positive that this was released in 2008, but when I bought it this summer, I was under the impression that it was new. Aimee sings 9 songs live on-air, accompanied only by her banjo or guitar playing. There has yet to be a disappointing Des Ark record and hopefully that tradition will continue for a long time.
5. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Rapid Response
After the RNC in Minneapolis, many protesters were wrongfully accused of violence and conspiracy so Ted Leo and company wrote a couple new songs, covered some punk classics and released it in order to aid Minneapolis Food Not Bombs and Democracy Now! The originals are better than most of the tracks on last full-length, Living With the Living, and the covers of Cock Sparrer and Amebix are gems in their own right.
6. Bridge & Tunnel/Young Livers
I really wanted to put the Young Livers full-length on my top records until I realized that it was released in '07 and I was actually just late in discovering it. Their song from this split 7" is actually even better than some of the tracks on The New Drop Era. The Bridge & Tunnel song is also good, it just gets overshadowed by the b-side.
If you read this and have opinions or your own top records, I'd love to hear them, leave a comment!
Episode 12 (12/07)
Episode 12
The Swing Kids/Unbroken reunion show is not only a charity benefit, but also a release show for a new book on '90s hardcore entitled Burning Fight. The book's myspace has more info (including a possibly even more impressive release show in Chicago) as well as links to tons of great '90s hardcore bands where you can check out their music.
The show that Thank God is playing over the holiday in Charlotte is here:
Also, if you can find the latest issue of Give Me Back (Green Eggs and Jam has a few left here in Boone), there's an interview with Thank God that's pretty much the only info I can find on them other than their myspace.
The Joe McPhee track I played on the show was from his 1970 LP Nation Time, but he still plays regularly, and Youtube has plenty of astounding videos of McPhee and other musicians. Here is a great clip of him and drummer Paal Nilsson-Love, followed by a link to an interview with Joe:
A Fireside Chat with Joe McPhee
Finally, support NC music. Listen to Kakistocracy, Catharsis, and Polvo. Then buy their records.
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