Queen Adreena - Taxidermy

 #Queen Adrena #Katie Jane Garside #alternative rock #noise rock #indie rock #art rock #punk metal #gothic rock #music video

Where once she shallowly proclaimed to love your money, Katie Jane Garside now wants more intangible things. These days she wants to haunt your dreams too. It’s been a torrid affair getting from there to here. After Daisy Chainsaw ripped apart, Garside was left close to breakdown and retreated to the hills as far away as possible from musical partner Crispin Gray. Reunited, and based on that frisson, Queen Adreena were always going to be a little out of the ordinary. Their return heralds a subtle, but fundamental, change in dynamics. Now writing her own lyrics instead of being Gray‘s mouthpiece, this time it’s personal. Sometimes disturbingly so. Because ‘Taxidermy’ is an apt title – this is about stuffing and mounting the psychological monsters that lurk under the bed. So, while carrying on Daisy Chainsaw‘s predilection for rock as infantile nightmare, here the scope is much wider than a one-track take on banshee pop. There are some obvious precedents, notably Bjork and PJ Harvey, but much more than either of those two reference points, this debut album is frequently akin to eavesdropping on psychotherapy. Veering between absolutes like love/hate, black/white, logic/madness, these songs walk a tightrope between serrated guitar lines and moments of twinkling repose. So ‘Yesterday’s Hymn’ is a genuinely beautiful, barely-there twist into trip-hop minimalism, while ‘I Adore You’ and ‘X-ing Off The Days’ grate with pain and churning guitars. With everything else straddled somewhere between these extremes, it’s uncomfortable listening, but raises ‘Taxidermy’ far above the simple world of sub-goth moves and ripped-up antique dresses of their past. ‘Are The Songs My Disease?’ inquires one title. Not on this showing – they might just turn out to be Garside‘s saviours from the footnotes of indie infamy.  From: https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-nme-2087-340874

 

PJ Harvey - Man-Size

 

#PJ Harvey #Polly Jean Harvey #alternative rock #art rock #indie rock #hard rock #punk blues #folk rock #avant-rock #lo-fi #singer-songwriter #1990s #music video

PJ Harvey, the acclaimed British musician, has built her career on thought-provoking and emotionally charged songs. Released in 1993 as part of her album “Rid of Me,” the track “Man-Size” stands out for its raw intensity and powerful lyrical content. This essay aims to delve into the meaning behind “Man-Size,” deciphering its themes, metaphors, and artistic nuances.

1. Unveiling the Lyrics and Overall Message
“Man-Size” presents itself as an exploration of gender roles and expectations, challenging societal norms and drawing attention to women’s struggles for autonomy and identity. Harvey’s lyrics navigate the complexities of modern femininity and the constant pressure to conform. The song tackles themes such as objectification, power dynamics, and the emotional toll of societal demands.

2. Dissecting the Symbolism
Harvey’s lyrics often carry symbolic elements, adding layers of meaning to her songs. In “Man-Size,” the repeated mention of “man-size” can be seen as a metaphor for both physical and metaphorical strength. It emphasizes the societal expectation for women to fit into a predetermined mold of masculinity and highlights the pressure to conform to masculine traits to gain recognition and respect.

3. Analyzing the Chorus
The chorus of “Man-Size” is particularly gripping, with Harvey passionately proclaiming, “I’m coming up man-size / I’ll rip the whole thing down.” This fiercely defiant statement signifies a resolve to break free from societal constraints and embrace one’s own identity without compromise. It resonates powerfully, echoing the struggles faced by individuals attempting to defy gender norms.

4. The Role of Raw Emotion
PJ Harvey is known for her emotionally charged performances and vulnerability in her music. In “Man-Size,” her raw vocals and intense delivery evoke a sense of urgency, amplifying the song’s themes. By allowing her emotions to shine through, Harvey emotionally connects with her audience, enhancing the impact of her message.

5. Socio-Political Commentary
Throughout her career, PJ Harvey has been highly regarded for incorporating socio-political commentary into her songs. “Man-Size” is no exception, as it addresses the feminist movement and stirs dialogue about the challenges women face in a patriarchal society. The song serves as a rallying cry for women struggling to find their place and assert their independence.

6. The Music’s Impact on the Message
The musical arrangement in “Man-Size” adds depth and intensity to the song’s meaning. The heavy guitar riffs and distorted soundscapes reflect the frustration and anger woven into the lyrics. This sonic backdrop serves as a driving force, mirroring the internal struggles addressed in the song and further amplifying its impact on the listener.

7. Historical Context
Considered within the context of its release, “Man-Size” emerged during the grunge and alternative music era of the early 1990s. It was a time of cultural exploration and challenging norms, making it the perfect stage for PJ Harvey’s provocative and thought-provoking music. The song’s themes resonated strongly with the evolving feminist movement and contributed to ongoing discussions surrounding gender equality.

8. Interpretations and Personal Experiences
As with any piece of art, the interpretation of “Man-Size” may vary from person to person. Listeners often project their personal experiences onto the lyrics, finding solace or inspiration within them. The song’s powerful themes can speak to a wide range of individuals, evoking conversations about gender roles and society’s expectations.

9. Critical Reception and Impact
Upon its release, “Man-Size” received critical acclaim for its boldness and socio-political commentary. Rolling Stone magazine hailed PJ Harvey’s work, stating, “Harvey’s fierce voice is fearlessness itself, her wrenching, instigatory rock & roll scrapes the soul to its core.” The song’s impact extends beyond its initial release, as it remains relevant and resonant, inspiring artists and listeners alike.

10. The Significance in PJ Harvey’s Discography
Within PJ Harvey’s extensive discography, “Man-Size” holds a significant place. It represents her dedication to addressing important societal issues through her music and showcases her growth as an artist. The song’s thematic complexity solidifies Harvey’s reputation as a thoughtful and evocative songwriter, furthering her artistic legacy.

11. Cover Versions and Collaborations
Over the years, “Man-Size” has been covered by various artists, showcasing its enduring relevance and impact within the music industry. The song’s powerful message has inspired collaborations as well, amplifying its reach and demonstrating its ability to transcend time and genre boundaries.

12. Global Impact and Social Awareness
The lasting significance of “Man-Size” lies in its ability to provoke conversations about gender roles and societal expectations on a global scale. Harvey’s fearless approach has contributed to raising social awareness, enabling individuals to critically examine their own perspectives and challenge the prevailing gender narratives.

From: https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-man-size-by-pj-harvey/

Firewater - Fell Off the Face of the Earth

 

#Firewater #ex-Cop Shoot Cop #gypsy punk #world punk #dark cabaret #alternative rock #eclectic #indie rock

New York-based band Firewater incorporated a global range of musical influences into their highly dynamic sound. A loosely knit ensemble centered around the lead vocals of ex-Cop Shoot Cop bass player Tod A. (born: Tod Ashley), Firewater tied together such influences as Klezmer, Indian wedding music, art-punk, and Tom Waits-style cabaret poetry to create their heady, often quite danceable sound. Coupled with Tod A.'s acerbic, post-apocalyptic, and death-obsessed lyrics, Firewater was a band to be reckoned with almost from the beginning. Shortly after forming in 1995, Firewater released its debut, Get Off the Cross, We Need the Wood for the Fire. Both it and 1998's The Ponzi Scheme featured guitarist Duane Denison of Jesus Lizard, drummer Yuval Gabay of Soul Coughing, and saxophone and accordion player Kurt Hofmann of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. The sultry vocals of Elysian Fields' Jennifer Charles also drifted through both albums. Charles returned for 2001's more pop-oriented Psychopharmacology; other contributions came from saxophonist Ori Kaplan and sitar player Oren Bloedow. In 2003, Tod A. and his "wedding band gone wrong" returned with a stripped-down, razor-wire-wrapped effort for Jet Set entitled The Man on the Burning Tightrope. The covers album Songs We Should Have Written appeared early the following year. Tod A. then went on an extended trek through Thailand, India, Pakistan, Turkey ,and Indonesia, which he chronicled on his blog Postcards from the Other Side of the World. A. also recorded music on his travels, collaborating with producer Tamir Muskat and local musicians along the way. The results were The Golden Hour, which Bloodshot Records released in spring 2008. After touring in support of that album, A. settled in Istanbul, and recorded there and in Tel Aviv during 2011's Arab Spring, reuniting with Muskat as a collaborator. International Orange arrived in September 2012.  From: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/firewater-mn0000143617#biography

The Buns - Stockholm

 #The Buns #garage rock #noise pop #glam rock #punk rock #indie rock #French

The Buns began life playing 'garage secretarial rock' in the basement clubs of home-town Paris, armoured from the norm by pencil skirts, rouge paint and with hair tightly knotted in bouffant buns; they attracted a lot of attention, especially with fans of vintage styles and sounds. The duo quickly progressed from sweat-heavy dives to guest appearances in French stadiums, and a coveted slot on the seminal garage rock compilation, Dirty Mod; the track in question was 'Thrill Me Up', a lyric from which inspired the title of The Buns' U.K debut album, a frantic roller coaster ride of glam punk, and earthy garage rock, Dangerous. The L.P includes the best of the groups earlier 'Mad Men glamour' period, plus the current rock-chic snarl captured to tape by Liam Watson at Toerag Studio.  From: https://wellsuspectrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-buns-dangerous

The Buns' "Stockholm" is 2 minutes 52 seconds of brazen garage rock featuring searing guitar riffs, sultry vocals and heavy drums with the aim to seduce it’s listener into submission.

Where was the video for Stockholm filmed?

The video was filmed in a cellar, a friend's music studio under construction. We needed a dark place because the idea was to film in the darkness with a flashlight.

How does the video compliment the song?

The song is about the Stockholm syndrome so we wanted to connect fear and desire. Being locked and scared, in a dark place, but at the same time loving that feeling of danger. It's a paradox we often find in romantic relationships. An addiction to someone hurtful who keeps us from being free, in a certain way. Being unchained to someone.

Any behind the scenes stories?

We didn't have money to pay a director, nor proper video cameras to film, so we decided to do it ourselves with the video cameras of our phones, it’s flashlights and a vintage video app! Being our own director was fun and easy, because we know each over very well; we knew what we wanted to do and we didn't have to wait for the technical team to be ready. The fact that we were limited with the filming equipment forced us to find simple ideas, with the constraints of that one and only place, as if we were actually stuck in that cellar. One of us also filmed afterwards the mysterious tattooed man in a prestigious hotel in Monaco, but it's top secret. When we got all the pictures, we sent it to a friend of ours who is a professional film editor. We're very proud of this video. It's a rewarding experience to have directed it on our own!

Could you tell us about the ideas/themes/imagery used?

The principal idea was the confinement, the captivity. We wanted to have strong visual elements like the chains and the stone of the cellar from one part, and the mysterious man from the other part, to evoke the prisoners and the sexy hangman. We wanted to mix the dark side and the erotic potential of being trapped. But without falling too deeply into the cliches of sado-masochism.

What is the message the video is trying to convey?

There is a double meaning. First meaning: the clinical Stockholm's syndrome; you can imagine a girl locked in a cellar by a man, discovering she's actually falling in love with him. Second meaning: it's a story about a toxic relationship, a sexual addiction, an emotional dependence, a mental obsession, a fight between reason and desire, love and hate. The girl knows she has to escape from him but she feels too confused and too weak to be able to do it. But people can also just take the song for what it is: a loud rock song with a big guitar riff and a heavy drum!

From: https://whenthehornblows.com/content//2017/10/the-band-explains-the-buns-stockholm.html

Alice Donut - Madonna's Bombing Sarajevo

 #Alice Donut #punk rock #psychedelic punk rock #hard rock #alternative/indie rock #1980s #1990s

Alice Donut is a psychedelic punk rock band originally from New York City. Formed in 1986, the band spent the next ten years touring relentlessly throughout North America, Europe and Japan, building a perversely loyal following. Creem Magazine described Alice Donut shows as “the most decadent punk rock-fueled all-out orgies I ever witnessed.” Between 1987 and 1996, Alice Donut released seven full-length albums and 15 EPs, singles, and other releases on Jello Biafra’s Alternative Tentacles label and various other labels. 2004’s Three Sisters, their first record after their hiatus, was recorded as a four-piece with Tom Antona on vocals, Michael Jung on guitar, Stephen Moses on drums and Sissi Schulmeister on bass. Original guitarist Dave Giffen rejoined the group for Fuzz, which was recorded in Brooklyn’s BC Studio with longtime co-producer Martin Bisi and released in 2006. Both Three Sisters and Fuzz were released by Howler Records.
The band’s style and lyrics are eclectic. Their music is a mixture of hard rock, punk, and post-punk and typically features melodic, guitar-heavy, odd-metered, and rhythm based pieces and is often punctuated with brass instrumentation. Many of the members are traditionally - or classically -trained musicians, though rarely on the same instruments they play in the band. Alice Donut’s lyrics take on what they view as the perversities, odd details, and petty humiliations of life. Their lyrical subject matter focuses on topics including depravity, domestic violence, sexuality and eggs.  From: https://alternativetentacles.com/artists/alice-donut/

Alice Donut was one of the core bands of Alternative Tentacles back in the late '80s and early '90s. Their first album catches them at their rawest, but also their most fun. Musically, Donut's style has much in common with the psychedelic punk style of the Butthole Surfers, but I regard Donut as being the more straight-up fun-to-listen-to of the two. The Surfers are great, but in a different way. Alice Donut's work is better informed by a sense of humor and a lively attitude than the Surfers, who usually come off as being much darker and more serious. However, this does not mean that Alice Donut does not pack some weight - in keeping with many Alternative Tentacles bands, Alice Donut follows in the footsteps of the Dead Kennedys with their lyrics - heavy sarcasm, but always socially and politically relevant.  From: https://www.amazon.com/Bucketfulls-Sickness-Horror-Otherwise-Meaningless/dp/B00005YELH 

Kristeen Young - Catland

 #Kristeen Young #alternative rock #piano rock #avant-garde #prog punk #operatic punk #multi-genre #no-genre #music video

Holy crap, where did THIS thing come from? I’ve heard some Kristeen Young stuff before and thought it was unusual and compelling, but this record - whoa, mama! It’s full-on ass-kicking weirdness of the kind I used to revel in at the turn of the millennium. Young has been compared to Kate Bush before (her tendency to favor the higher registers, her unconventional delivery), but she also reminds me of a couple of Scandinavian singers such as Sofia Hardig and an artist whose name escapes me. Point is, there is a focused, melodious quality to Ms Young’s voice that you hear at times, but she is making the case here for high-stakes sonic melodrama. Young is a wild thing, untamed and sometimes scary. She takes a risk in virtually every song, and it’s breathtaking. You don’t hear stuff like this very often. And despite the title, Live at the Witch’s Tit, this is NOT a live album. It’s Young’s eighth studio album and, although Tony Visconti is listed as co-producer and he has worked with Young for many years, this album was largely recorded just after David Bowie’s death; Kristeen has said Tony was not around that much. Bowie’s passing and the release of Blackstar affected his availability during the sessions. Guitars growl, the bass lumbers around not necessarily keeping it linear, and Young herself stalks these soundscapes like an utterly fearless musical predator. It’s really quite glorious.
In “You Might Be Ted, But I’m Sylvia,” a title that invites discourse, Young carefully balances some emotive, disciplined singing with a series of loud, boisterous piano octaves. At the one-minute mark, a ferocious sound emerges that sounds at first like it could be an attacking animal, but no, it’s an ominous synth sound distorted to resemble a primitive electric guitar, that bites instead. It’ll take a piece right outta ya if you aren’t prepared. “There’s a chance he might disappear,” the singer tells us, before intoning the song’s title, powerfully, preceded and followed by a hypnotically dissonant piano interval banged over and over, taking you prisoner. You CANNOT remain indifferent to the sound slicing into your ears here. You’ll either find it enthralling, as I did, or you’ll run away with your tail between your legs. “Why Am I a Feelmate” turns up the electronica, and takes things into territory occupied by the Knife (I’d be real surprised if Young was not familiar with Karin Dreijer). The vocal is spooky, partially distorted, and the music seems to celebrate chaos. And yet, Young’s control over this boundary-bashing sound is remarkable. I honestly feel rather inadequate to describe it. It’s thoroughly modern and thoroughly uninterested in anything but its own path. You can follow, yes, but you better stay a few steps behind, or something vicious may chomp into you. “Catland” begins with a child’s voice wanting to coax a sound out of a “kitty cat,” but you just KNOW that kind of cuteness will be short-lived. It is. The song quickly turns into a crazed rocker with tempo and chord changes that the likes of Zappa might have admired. There is no attempt to please the audience here at all, unless you are, like me, in the audience that adores flat-out weird music. The word “challenging” was meant for discs like this.  From: http://zacharymule.com/wp/?p=4370

Amanda Palmer - Want It Back

 #Amanda Palmer #ex-The Dresden Dolls #alternative rock #dark cabaret #dark folk #punk cabaret #singer-songwriter #music video

Last month it was announced that self-styled "punk cabaret" performer Amanda Palmer had managed to raise $1.2 million through crowd-sourcing site Kickstarter, with nearly 25,000 fans donating money to fund her forthcoming album Theatre Is Evil. To celebrate, she performed in a car park in Brooklyn wearing a dress made out of balloons, encouraging any of her fans with pins to come forward and slowly burst each balloon until she was left completely naked.
There's probably a metaphor in there somewhere relating to the open relationship Palmer has with her fans, but it also displays her willingness to bare all for her art. This feeling of being comfortable in her own skin can be seen in the stop-motion video for the excellent Want It Back, in which the lyrics to the song are scrawled on her body (bed sheets, walls and iPad). Talking about the making of the video, Palmer says: "I'm so comfortable being naked at this point that I almost forget. I’m also proud that that video has nudity, but it isn't sexual or erotic. it's using the body as a raw canvas, which I love."
Filmed by Australian director Jim Batt, it's a brilliantly intimate and anarchic representation of the song, the line "it doesn't matter if you want it back, you've given it away" made even more open and honest. Mind you, it could also refer to her no-refunds policy for fans who donated money.  From: https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2012/jul/09/amanda-palmer-want-it-back-video

This Friday, Amanda Palmer — the boob-showing, armpit-hair-wearing, theatre-loving cabaret-rock misfit who might be reinventing the music industry one tweet at a time — is coming to play a show in San Francisco. It's sold-the-fuck-out, of course (you can catch her again Sept. 26 at the Fillmore) but that shouldn't at all diminish your enjoyment of her excellent (and, coincidentally, NSFW) new video for “Want it Back.”
Here again we get Amanda in the nude, but not to especially erotic ends. Rather, her skin becomes a canvas for the beautifully scrawled lyrics of the song, which race over her chest, around her body, then down her leg and off to the walls of the room, someone's iPad, and a bunch of other places before returning to from whence they came, as Amanda herself turns black with ink. The concept is simple but totally arresting, with the type of the writing (and even some words) changing throughout, and the he whole thing working in a kind of bewildering stop-motion courtesy of editor/producer/director Jim Batt. Musically, Palmer's band, the Grand Theft Orchestra, is in full-on piano-rock mode, with a meaty arrangement of agile, ear-friendly pop. Palmer's voice is always a bit more growly than we remember; she's distinctive and evocative and powerful, although not sweet. All in all this is top-notch stuff — definitely worth that million-dollar Kickstarter campaign.  From: https://www.sfweekly.com/music/amanda-palmers-nsfw-want-it-back-video-the-naked-truth-is-not-necessarily-sexy/article_e89b909a-6068-5e4a-bbd3-2945de572db7.html

Maximum the Hormone - A-L-I-E-N

 #Maximum the Hormone #metalcore #alternative metal #hardcore punk #alternative metal #nu metal #experimental #Japanese #music video

Maximum the Hormone is a Japanese band which derives influence from Punk Rock, Funk, Rock, Pop, Metal, Anime, Manga and Japanese popular culture with lashings of sex. They are not a "comedy" band, but many of their songs, like "Bikini Sports Ponchin", "Chuu Chuu Lovely Muni Muni Mura Mura Purin Purin Boron Nururu Rero Rero" and "(Cutter Knife Dosu Kiri) Honjou Hasami" have pretty damn funny lyrics when contrasted with the upbeat tunes of the songs.
The band are probably best known for their songs "What's Up, People?!" and "Zetsubou Billy", which are the second opening and closing themes of the Death Note anime, and are generally harder-edged and less hilariously perverted than most of their material. It's worth noting that they're also pretty successful in their home country, their latest album being in the top 20 best selling albums of 2013 in Japan.
Their music contains examples of:
Avant-Garde Metal: Genres will get mashed up with impunity.
Death by Music Video: There are two songs that became part of Death Note Anime OST, which were the second opening and ending for the anime version: What's up, people? and Zetsubou Billy. In the videoclip of the latter is shown a lot of kind of Japanese bands and soloists, since Visual Kei to an Idol Singer, all of them dying one by one because of the Death Note written by a mysterious person behind the TV (assumed to be Kira) only to left the real MTH playing the instruments left by the Visual Kei band that recently died.
Digital Piracy Is Evil: Somewhat inverted: the lyric "Stop, stop Winny upload" refers to the old p2p service Winny (comparable to Napster), but when asked in an interview about using such an old reference, the lead singer mentioned that he wanted to have a catchy “Stop” phrase where other stuff like “Stop Nukes” could be replaced. Knowing their self-referential humor and love of playing with expectations.
Dissonant Serenity
Funk Metal: Driving slap bass taken up to eleven just sounds like Funk, especially in the hands of their bassist.
Genre Mashup: They combine and cross genres more-or-less when they feel like it. Few other J-rock bands have achieved the same level of Genre-Busting, the notable examples being Dir en grey and Melt-Banana.
Gratuitous English: "Koi no Mega Lover" - just from the title you can hear this making its insidious presence felt. Their name itself doesn't make grammatical sense either, does it?
Hardcore Punk: Had their roots in this.
Iconic Outfit/Iconic Item: Ryo's toilet sandals of VIC, which he wears almost all the time. It influenced the track "Benjo Sandal Dance", which is about his habit of wearing those sandals.
Indecipherable Lyrics: The screaming and the Motor Mouth lyrics make it very hard to understand a word.
Japanese Delinquents: Mentioned in "Chuu 2: The Beam" ("8th Grade: The Beam" in English). Mentions how grade school punks are known to hang around the mini amusement park areas on the rooftops of stores that are somewhat common in Japan.
Long Title: They have garnered quite a few over the years, "Rei Rei Rei Rei Rei Rei Rei Rei Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma" and "Chuu Chuu Lovely Muni Muni Mura Mura Purin Purin Boron Nururu Rero Rero" in particular being major offenders.
Lyrical Dissonance: "Chuu Chuu Lovely Muni Muni Mura Mura Purin Purin Boron Nururu Rero Rero" sounds catchy and upbeat, but the lyrics themselves are all about sex and violence. "Koi no Sperm" is set to the catchiest, cheeriest tune one could imagine. You're guaranteed to have "Sperma... Oh, Sperma... Oh Sperma!" stuck in your head at some point. "My Girl" from the Greatest the Hits EP is a (mostly) upbeat Nu-metal track (with shades of 80s glam rock/metal). If you didn't know Japanese, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a lighthearted song about a relationship. It's actually incredibly dirty and about how much they love pussy.
Metal Scream: Daisuke provides some very impressively ranged harsh vocals. Luckily for him, Ryo takes charge of the clean vocals, so his larynx probably isn't completely stripped out.
Motor Mouth: The lyricism is delivered so fast, it's hard to understand anything. Sometimes you might even mistake the language!
Nu Metal: Cited Korn as an influence and mixed clean, harsh and rapping vocals. Not your typical Nu Metal band, though, it's safe to say.
Self-Titled Album: Or to be accurate, Self-Titled Song. The eponymous song "Maximum the Hormone" was first released in their "Greatest the Hits" EP in 2011, before being in the "Yoshu Fukushu" album in 2013. The band would eventually release a direct sequel to the song in 2018, albeit with a subtitle.
The Smurfette Principle: Nao is the only female member of the band. She is also the oldest member, pushing 45 at the time of this writing.
Soprano and Gravel: Nao, who sings clean female vocals, represents soprano. Daisuke is responsible for screams, therefore representing gravel. Finally, Ryo is middle ground between those two - he provides singing, but also some screams himself.
Surprisingly Gentle Song/Fake-Out Opening: Parodied with "Chiisana Kimi no Te" (Your Little Hands), a pop rock song that plays at the beginning of the music video for their self-titled song, "Maximum the Hormone". The song seems to end abruptly, after which Ryo is seen vomiting on the TV screen that showed the video for the previous song, leading into the actual song.
Visual Kei: Invoked in the video for "Zetsubou Billy", which depicts a Stylistic Suck Visual band, among other Stylistic Suck takes on other music subcultures.
Vocal Tag Team: A big part of their sound is the constant alternating between Daisuke's rap/screamed vocals, Ryo-kun's middle ground cleans (although he does scream quite a bit as well) and Nao's fully clean, pop-esque style.
While he very rarely sings lead, Ue-chan usually contributes backing vocals. In live performances especially, he frequently fills in for harmony parts, whenever Ryo-kun or Nao would have overdubbed their own backing vocals on the album.
Vulgar Humor: Pretty much their schtick most of the time.
From: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Music/MaximumTheHormone

Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out

 #Sleater-Kinney #Carrie Brownstein #indie rock #punk rock #riot grrrl #alternative rock #1990s

Listening to Dig Me Out on its 25th anniversary feels a little like finding an old Polaroid of our younger selves that used to hang on our bedroom wall. There we were, all wide-eyed in that ready-made frame, but we longed for someone to peel back the film to expose the layers underneath. Sleater-Kinney peeled back the layers for us, and then they stayed to tear the whole damn wall down.
Sleater-Kinney, which started as a side-project of Olympian singer-guitarists Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein, became the only project. In 1997, with then-new drummer Janet Weiss, they were carving themselves out of the Pacific Northwest’s Riot Grrrl movement. They had already released two LPs: 1995’s self-titled debut and 1996’s Call the Doctor. Both albums had gotten attention, but Dig Me Out (Kill Rock Stars, 1997) was about to change the trajectory of Sleater-Kinney forever. A month after Dig Me Out arrived, Sleater-Kinney went from performing in coffee houses and record shops to packed houses across the country, including CBGB in NYC.
In the YouTube video of Sleater-Kinney at CBGB in 1997, Brownstein approaches the mic with her signature red Epiphone strapped over her shoulder, having not upgraded to a Gibson yet. Across from her, Tucker plucks her guitar to help Brownstein finish tuning. Finally, they tune down to C#, which Brownstein admits gives them an intentional “sourness”. Weiss on her throne at the center, behind them, with her hair in quintessential late ’90s pigtails. The stage lights dim, and their set begins with the album’s title track in near darkness. Brownstein is explosive. Tucker wails. Weiss is a force. By the time the lights come up, halfway through the first verse, the audience is awe-struck. Best of all, no one in the crowd has a cell phone yet.
Coming from the DIY punk/Riot Grrrl movement, Sleater-Kinney had more creative control than more mainstream bands. I imagine they chose “Dig Me Out” as the first track because it’s the title track and because the sound exemplifies exactly who they are as a band. It’s real, it’s raw, and it’s ready for anything. In an interview with Sound Opinions, Brownstein described Tucker’s voice as “unapologetic” and able to “say more in a note or series of notes than most people need a whole song to say”. Tucker’s voice literally digs down in each verse, creating a word painting to reflect the text she’s singing. “Dig Me Out”, and almost all of the tracks on the album, are even better when listened to with headphones. Tucker’s guitar is in one ear, Brownstein’s guitar is in the other, and Tucker’s voice and Weiss’ percussion are everywhere all at once. Weiss has a series of snappy drum rolls throughout, and there is almost no better collision of sound than when she hits the crash as Tucker roars in the chorus.  From: https://www.popmatters.com/sleater-kinney-dig-me-out-atr25 

Deerhoof - Scarcity Is Manufactured

 #Deerhoof #indie rock #experimental rock #noise rock #art rock #noise punk #animated music video

At the beginning of 'Can’t Get You Out of My Head', the latest documentary by historian and filmmaker Adam Curtis, is a quote by anarchist activist David Graeber: “The ultimate hidden truth of the world is that it is something we make and could just as easily make differently.” It sets the tone for a sprawling thesis about how we’ve arrived at our current state of global affairs, reminding the viewer that there’s always another path. The film shares the same message at the heart of 'Actually, You Can', the 18th studio album by San Francisco’s Deerhoof. It’s a record of re-imagination, revolution, and reconstruction in the face of a seemingly inevitable status quo.
However, gleaning a clear message from Deerhoof’s music is like drawing water from a stone. Though singer/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki’s lyrics are playfully inscrutable, they contain moments of clarity. Chaotic opener “Be Unbarred, O Ye Gates of Hell” casts wealth disparities and labor rights into the metaphor of who benefits from a household appliance. Next, the shambling guitar-pop of “Department of Corrections” proposes that it’s time to reclaim autonomy from the powers that be: “O jailer, who’s in charge around here? And if not you then is it I? Yeah.” And the anthemic tangle that is “Ancient Mysteries, Described” switches to straight-up power chords for its ode to civil disobedience. Still, for each line that seems decipherable, twice as many are charmingly enigmatic.
The music of 'Actually, You Can' gets its message across much more effectively. With little more than two guitars, a bass, and drums, Deerhoof conjures anxious garage funk, Tejano-infused noise rock, introspective dissonance, mercurial power pop, and just about everything in between. Guitarist John Dieterich has described the record as “utility music that makes you move and motivates you,” and indeed, each of these nine songs contorts with joyous abandon. A song as chock full of dueling riffs and fleeting tangents as “Be Unbarred, O Ye Gates of Hell” could only put people on their feet. Greg Saunier’s splashy and relentless drumming turns art-rock jams “Department of Corrections” and “Plant Thief” into songs that could soundtrack an uprising. Even the dislocated, slow-burning “Our Philosophy is Fiction” still feels like a rallying cry in the hands of a seasoned and uniquely expressive band like Deerhoof. Whatever 'Actually, You Can' may lack in pointedness, it makes up for in raw energy.
Yet with all of the intensity and musical bedlam at work here, the brief sections of calm somehow resonate the longest. There’s something oddly hopeful and pure in the softly strummed verses of closer “Divine Comedy,” where Matsuzaki muses on yet to be realized possibilities for change. The tone of her delivery is flat and her cadence is hard to follow, but they are coupled with tender guitar chords, inviting the listener to dig deeper into the ideas behind this rare emotional break. Such reserved divergences are uncommon on 'Actually, You Can'. So when Deerhoof does step back from their onslaught of prismatic garage band tropes, it’s a welcome reminder that rock & roll spectacle isn’t the only way to inspire change.  From: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/deerhoof-actually-you-can/

Patti Smith - Dancing Barefoot

 #Patti Smith #art punk #proto-punk #art rock #hard rock #new wave #alternative rock #singer-songwriter #1970s

Jeanne Hebuterne was married to a famous artist in the early 1900s. They had a child together, and she was pregnant with another. In 1920, her husband died, from either drug addiction, illness (or both). Two days later, Jeanne threw herself off a building, killing herself and her unborn child, leaving their first child orphaned. In ‘Dancing Barefoot’ Patti Smith looks at this shocking story of love, loss and grief, probably through the lens of her own relationships. She grabs the cliche "Oh God, I fell for you" with both hands, and twists it into a grotesque meditation on love and death. That last line is repeated over and over while Smith recites some cryptic poetry, probably representing the last thoughts in Jeanne's mind before she died.  From: https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858544768/

"I had the concept to write a lyric line that would have several levels - the love of one human being for another and the love of ones creator," Patti Smith wrote on her website. "So in a sense, the song addresses both physical and spiritual love."
The lyrics didn't come with the album, but a blurb on the sleeve read, "Dedicated to the rites of the heroine," which was the only way to know for sure that Smith wasn't singing the homophone "heroin." Smith says she was asked to change the word to avoid confusion and make the song more marketable, but she refused. This certainly stymied the song commercially, but Smith wasn't going to compromise her art.
Jim Morrison of The Doors was an influence on this song. "I always imagined Jim Morrison singing it, which resulted in me singing and recording it in a lower vocal register," Smith wrote. "I wanted the verse to have a masculine appeal and the chorus to have a feminine one." At the end of the song, Smith recites some of her poetry ("The plot of our life sweats in the dark like a face..."), which is something Morrison innovated on Doors songs like "Peace Frog" and "The WASP (Texas Radio and The Big Beat)." In some live versions, Smith would start the song with this spoken intro:
    We shut our eyes, we stretch out our arms
    And whirl on a pane of glass
    An affixation
    A fix on anything
    The line of life, the limb of tree
    The hands of he
    The promise that she
    Is blessed among women
"Dancing Barefoot" is one of Smith's most popular songs, and one of her favorites, performed at most of her concerts. It was never a hit, but neither were any of her songs with the exception of the Bruce Springsteen-written "Because The Night." Considering her acclaim it's surprising how few albums she sold and how rarely she made the charts. A song like "Dancing Barefoot" certainly could have become a hit if she had made some concessions and did the standard promotion, but that wasn't her M.O. Fans, journalists, and other musicians (like Springsteen) did what they could to spread the word, but mass appeal eluded her, which seemed to be for the best. Even decades later, many listeners are pleasantly surprised to discover her music and peel back the layers of her lyrics.
On the album notes, the song is dedicated to "Jeanne Hebuterne, mistress of Amedeo Modigliani." Modigliani was an Italian painter who died from tuberculosis in 1920. The next day, Hebuterne joined him in death by jumping out of a window.
"Dancing Barefoot" is the theme song to the 2023 miniseries Daisy Jones & The Six, about a fictional band from the '70s. The series uses a lot of original music, but producers felt "Dancing Barefoot" encapsulated the story better than anything they could write. The main character, Daisy (played by Elvis Presley's granddaughter Riley Keough), makes a spiritual connection with music that eventually leads her to the band.
From: https://www.songfacts.com/facts/patti-smith/dancing-barefoot

The BellRays - Infection

 #The BellRays #garage rock #soul #punk rock #punk funk #rock & soul #R&B

Blues is the teacher. Punk is the Preacher. It’s all about emotion and energy. Experience and raw talent, spirit and intellect. Exciting things happen when these things collide. Bob Vennum and Lisa Kekaula made The BellRays happen in 1990 in Riverside, California but they weren’t really thinking about any of this then. They wanted to play music and they wanted it to feel good. They wanted people to want to get up, to need to get up and check out what was going on. Form an opinion. React. So they took everything they knew about; the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, the Who, the Ramones Billie Holiday, Lou Rawls, Hank Williams, the DB’s, Jimmy Reed, and Led Zeppelin (to name a very few to whom “blues is the teacher”) and pressed it into service.
Those bands and artists have since become “buzz words”, things to imitate and sound like. That was never The BellRays intention. The BellRays were never about coming up with a “sound”, or fitting in with a scene. It was about the energy that made all that music so irresistible. The BellRays’ influences learned from the Blues and then learned how to to make it their own. The Beatles wanted to play R&B, converted that energy and invented “Rubber Soul”. The Ramones were trying to be Del Shannon or Neil Sedaka and out came “Rocket to Russia”.
The BellRays believe combining Rock and Soul is not meant to be a conscious effort. You shouldn’t have to force them together because they’ve never really been separated in the first place. It’s an organic trail that flows through Bob and Lisa and the current rhythm section of Bernard Yin (Fur Dixon, Par Avion) on bass and Dusty Watson (the Sonics, Dick Dale) on drums, and comes out honest and urgent. You will learn and you will feel. Blues is always teaching and Punk is always preaching. The BellRays are always listening.  From: https://first-avenue.com/performer/the-bellrays/

The Creepshow - The Devil's Son

 #The Creepshow #psychobilly #horror punk #hard rock #punk revival #indie rock #music video

Formed in the dirty back alleys and dive bars of Toronto, Ontario in 2005, The Creepshow has redefined the saying "No Rest For The Wicked". Since their inception, the band has brought their genre-defying blend of country-tinged, psycho punk rock n' roll to over 25 countries worldwide with plans to conquer many more as soon as possible. Fronted by the vivacious Kenda (guitar/vox) and backed by the swarthy Sean "Sick Boy" McNab (stand-up bass/vox), The Reverend McGinty (sermons/organ/vox) and the righteous Sandro (skins), The Creepshow is an explosion of live energy that is a tasty treat for the ears and eyes alike... Whatever you do though, don't write The Creepshow off as just another psychobilly band. While their lyrics draw inspiration from b-movies and early horror films, they're also full of personal insight and personal stories dealing with everything from addiction to mental health to tales of love gone horribly wrong. The Creepshow's passion for touring is borderline obsessive-compulsive. They have an incredibly personal dedication to their fans and their live show that is nothing short of astounding. Watching their set is a full frontal assault on all your senses and you definitely have to stay on your toes when you're at one of their shows. You never know when they might rush into the crowd for a scream-along with fans or launch their band mates across the stage from the neck of the stand up bass.  From: https://www.sailorsgraverecords.com/artist.php?id=thecreepshow

The Creepshow is a band from Burlington, Ontario, Canada. The band formed in 2005 when the four original members got together with the purpose of starting a psychobilly band. The Creepshow writes the majority of their songs about horror films. The band has its roots in the 905 music scene with most members having been in various garage bands before The Creepshow. McNab was the singer/guitarist for local legends Outspan and Jersey. McGinty was the songwriter and trombonist for 905 ska band two-face and played trombone in Outspan as well. Matt "Pomade" Gee splits his time between The Creepshow and punk band Rehab for Quitters for which he also plays drums. The Creepshow is known for their fast-paced songs filled with lots of backup vocals from McNab and McGinty and sing-alongs that the whole crowd can participate in. The band is also known for their live shows.  From: https://www.theaudiodb.com/artist/132835

The Courettes - Misfits & Freaks

 #The Courettes #garage rock #garage punk #wall of sound #garage psych #surf music #lo-fi #1960s retro

Raw and raucous garage rockers the Courettes are an international phenomenon in more ways than one -- not only have they attracted a loyal following in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, their guitarist and singer is from Brazil while the drummer hails from Denmark. United by the universal language of rock & roll, the Courettes play no-frills garage punk with plenty of energy and a melodic sense that makes room for old-school punk, '60s pop, girl group sounds, surf music, and revved-up psychedelia. The Courettes sounded elemental and energetic on their 2015 debut Here Are the Courettes and were tighter and a bit more musically ambitious but still capable of shaking the house on 2018's We Are the Courettes, while 2021's Back in Mono boasted more tough rock & roll captured in the group's own vintage recording facility.
Based in Denmark, the dynamic duo behind the Courettes is lead singer and guitarist Flavia Couri, originally from Brazil, and drummer Martin Couri, a native Dane and Flavia's husband. The two met in Brazil in 2013, when his band played on a bill with hers during a tour of South America. They quickly hit it off musically, and in 2015 Flavia relocated to Denmark, where she and Martin formed the group. The duo went into the studio to lay down some songs, and while they had initially planned to add more musicians to the lineup, they were so happy with the way they sounded with just guitar and drums that they made their duo permanent. They struck a deal with the German label Sounds of Subterrania and quickly cut their debut album, 2015's Here Are the Courettes, a 20-minute blast of rock & roll initially released on 10" vinyl.  From: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-courettes-mn0003738730/biography

Alabama Shakes - Gimme All Your Love

 #Alabama Shakes #blues rock #roots rock #soul #R&B #Southern rock #punk blues #psychedelic soul

Alabama Shakes were an American roots rock quartet that achieved commercial and critical success with a genre-defying sound and electrifying live performances. The group’s principal members were lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, bass player Zac Cockrell, drummer Steve Johnson, and guitarist Heath Fogg). Frontwoman Howard began writing songs as a young teen and taught herself how to play guitar. She was soon joined by Cockrell, a high-school classmate, and the pair experimented with a variety of styles that ranged from American roots to the music of David Bowie. Johnson, a drummer who worked at a music store in the duo’s hometown of Athens, Alabama, brought a punk beat to Howard and Cockrell’s evolving sound. The trio began circulating a rough demo tape, and it caught the attention of Fogg, another Athens-based musician, who was already established in his own band, Tuco’s Pistol. Fogg asked Howard, Cockrell, and Johnson to open for his band, and the trio agreed, on the condition that Fogg perform with them. He consented, and the success of that performance eventually led to Fogg’s joining the band full-time. In 2009 the group christened themselves the Shakes, and in May of that year they began a relentless touring schedule. While playing as much of their own material as time would allow, they punctuated their live shows with crowd-pleasing cover songs. Independent music tastemaker Justin Gage posted their song “You Ain’t Alone” on his Aquarium Drunkard music blog, and the band’s profile skyrocketed virtually overnight. They soon found themselves opening for fellow Alabama natives the Drive-By Truckers and performing in Nashville at the Third Man Records store belonging to Jack White. Renaming themselves Alabama Shakes, the group released a self-titled EP in September 2011 and continued to draw critical praise for their live shows, which were anchored by Howard’s arresting stage presence.  From: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Alabama-Shakes

Alice Glass - Suffer and Swallow

 #Alice Glass #electronic #goth #industrial #electropunk #avant-pop #ex-Crystal castles #animated music video

Alice Glass’s Los Angeles home is a picture of gothic splendour. Her kitchen resembles a graveyard of dead flowers; she is annoyed that her living black lilies never droop when she is looking. There is a fake Goya on the way down to her basement studio, where skulls surround the drums. A spider crawls out of the toilet roll when I use her bathroom. It is probably not part of the decor. Glass is less macabre: there is a tattoo of Bambi on her thigh. She loved the royal wedding. Her voice only rises above its perpetual whisper when she calls to her cats, Mr Peanut and Fuzzy, the alpha who dominates her pit bulls, Jacob and Shadow. She apologises for the boxes that entomb the sofa, merch from her recent debut solo tour. She had polled fans on Twitter to ask which song she should play from the back catalogue of her former band, the anarchic electro-punk duo Crystal Castles, which she quit in October 2014. Ultimately, she decided to play the material to which she still felt connected – “where I’m feeling worthless and hopeless”, she says. It took time in rehearsals to shake off their negative associations.
It was not until allegations surfaced against Harvey Weinstein that Glass (born Margaret Osborn) was emboldened to go public with detailed allegations of abuse against her ex-bandmate, Ethan Kath (real name Claudio Palmieri). She felt it was her responsibility, “especially after I had been told he had done similar things to at least one other woman”. Glass had previously alluded to her experience when she released her debut solo single, Stillbirth, in July 2015: “You don’t own me any more,” she shrieked over music that she likened to “being eaten by fire ants”. The song allowed her to speak covertly at a time when she was scared of going outside in case she was served with a lawsuit, she says, claiming that Kath started making legal threats in response to her tweeting stats about domestic abuse fatalities shortly after she announced her departure from the band. Glass says she received cease-and-desist letters from the same firm that represented Bill Cosby, which quoted her tweets and intimated that Glass was making these statements to benefit her career. But seeing other women speaking out about abuse last October was like watching “someone jumping off a cliff”, she says. “If someone goes first, it lets you know that you’re safe. It really put things into perspective. If it wasn’t for them, I’m not sure how long it would have taken me to speak out.”  From: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/15/alice-glass-on-leaving-crystal-castles-the-cruelty-never-ceases-to-amaze-me

Pom Poko - Crazy Energy Night

 #Pom Poko #art rock #post-punk #noise rock #indie rock #avant-pop #pop punk #Norwegian #animated music video

Norway's freewheeling Pom Poko combine their jazz school training and experimental leanings into equally sugary and explosive music. Inspired by math rock, post-punk, West African music, and weird pop bands such as Deerhoof, the group introduced their loose-limbed, playful style on 2019's Birthday, then emphasized the contrast between their meticulous compositions and chaotic performances on 2021's bracing Cheater. Named after a film by Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli, Pom Poko consists of Ragnhild Fangel Jamtveit (vocals), Martin Miguel Almagro Tonne (guitar), Ola Djupvik (drums), and Jonas Krøvel (bass). Tonne, Djupvik, and Krøvel met while studying at the Trondheim Music Conservatory and initially aspired to be a noise punk trio. However, when they were asked to perform at a literary festival in 2016, they added Jamtveit on vocals and quickly wrote a set of sugary pop/punk songs with unexpected twists.  From: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4RkC3KmYWnr6PM1FM5Shwz

There is a sense of miraculous deconstruction in the work of Norwegian foursome Pom Poko – a drive to pull down the support structures of their influences and create something slathered in both art-punk ferocity and a welcome assortment of wickedly colorful pop impulses. It all feels so prickly and slightly out of phase with everything around it, possessing an endearingly boundless perspective on how to combine certain sounds for full impact while also knowing when all that should simply be torn down in favor of something without any recognizable parts. Similar in feel to the genre-hopping of Deerhoof or Xiu Xiu, the zigzagging branches of Pom Poko’s music are unconcerned with specific genres or the limitations they can present.
Their 2019 debut Birthday was built from outbursts of burly pop noise and lonesome lyrics, setting a stage both emotionally forceful and sweetly combustible. A product of the band’s tightly-wound instrumental expertise and singer Ragnhild Fangel’s insightful narratives, it was a taut and expressive collection of songs, filled with punk-lite eruptions of sustained energy and art-rock elasticity. This feeling of cheerful adaptation has carried over to their second record Cheater, and the band has further pushed onto the fringes of their collective inspirations. They embrace this ruptured pop chaos and expect their audience to do the same.  From: https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-pom-poko-cheater/

Mary's Danish - Hoof

 #Mary's Danish #alternative rock #power pop #indie rock #funk rock #pop punk #1980s #1990s

“I’m caught between hideous and forgotten,” bemoan Mary’s Danish in one of the finer tunes from the lamentably forgotten band’s far-from-hideous and impossibly eclectic catalog — a catalog whose eclecticism is especially notable considering its relatively small volume. Mary’s Danish, which came together in Los Angeles in the late ’80s, was itself a diverse lot — in personality and background — that served up funk, pop, punk and country. The blending of the last two genres clearly betrays the influence of X, from whom lead singers Gretchen Seager and Julie Ritter also inherited intricately woven harmony vocals. They were joined in Mary’s Danish by bassist Chris “Wag” Wagner, drummer James Bradley Jr., guitarist David A. King and second guitarist Louis Gutierrez, who had played in the Three O’Clock. All were accomplished musicians with an uncanny pliability, but their secret weapon was frequent sax sideman Michael Barbera, who added jazz and R&B flavor to the mix. Mary’s Danish were as varied thematically as they were sonically, with religion, domestic violence, social criticism and biting self-analysis all receiving narrative attention.
'There Goes the Wondertruck' ably introduces the band’s offbeat stylistic fusion. The bizarre narrative of “Mary Had a Bar” does not seem to be a band theme song, and “What to Do” is not a Stones cover. It’s not revealed what “BVD” stands for, but “It’ll Probably Make Me Cry” does just that. The catchy college rock favorite “Don’t Crash the Car Tonight” impressed some in the West Coast music biz, including Peter Asher, who became the band’s manager.
Five of the six live tracks on 'Experience' are more fully realized versions of songs from There Goes the Wondertruck, particularly a frenzied, beefier “Blue Stockings” and the high lonesome croon of “It’ll Probably Make Me Cry.” The disc’s studio track, a riotous take on Hendrix’s “Foxey Lady,” slyly recasts the classic rock staple with a letter-perfect Led Zeppelin quote inserted into the bridge.
With funding from pseudo-indie Morgan’s Creek, Mary’s Danish beefed up the production values to adequately match their expanded palette of musical ideas. A veritable omnibus of musical styles, 'Circa' encircles just about every genre imaginable. The metallic crunch of “Mr. Floosack” leads into the introspective back-porch southern rock of “Hoof.” The folky instrumental jam “Down” begets the Devo dada of “These Are All the Shapes Nevada Could Have Been.” It’s easy to get lost within the stylistic shifts of Circa, where “Julie’s Blanket (pigsheadsnakeface)” is the only straight-ahead rocker. As few of the 17 tunes exceed three minutes, the five-minute “7 Deadly Sins” seems positively epic. Despite its attention deficit, the presence of songs as clever as “Beat Me Up” and “Cover Your Face” helped make this label debut a promise of big things to come.  From: https://trouserpress.com/reviews/marys-danish/

Tartar Control - Diabolical

 #Tartar Control #punk #punk metal #comedy punk #TV pilot #music video

Robert, Sean and Robot are three fun time buddies who looove music. They're on a mission to bring rockin' good times (via the bowels) into your heart. Robert and Sean started their epic journey in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, Utah where they performed in The Tabernacle Choir, gave hugs to sweetly handicapped cancer-children, and lip-synced to Huey Lewis and The News. With the invention of their drummer/bassist Robot, they hit the road with their sights set on Los Angeles. Inspired by such bands as The Vandals, Left Over Crack, and Lawrence Welk, Tartar Control brings to you a musical experience that can only be described as a "loud hug." Today Tartar Control galavants all over the greater Los Angeles area giving sonic high-fives and handshakes to the masses.  From: http://www.tartarcontrolisyourfriend.com/about.html

Sean Hart and Robert Selander grew up in Salt Lake City, where they practiced Mormonism. Everything was swell, but something — a desire, a longing for more, or maybe just a mission call from Joseph Smith — told them they needed to head to Los Angeles. And there, they found their holy grail: punk rock music. This is, at least, the story they tell on stage. In reality, the duo are an Angeleno-bred set of comedians simply searching for a little more meaning through punk. Formerly an acoustic pair called The Smiths, performing hits by Stevie Wonder and Kenny Loggins, Hart and Selander knew punk rockin’ was their calling after learning about the likes of The Vandals and Leftover Crack. That’s when they formed Tartar Control.  “We were taken aback,” Selander said. “After that, it was one of those things where you see something once and you’re slightly revolted, then you think about it for a few days and you’re obsessed. We started playing around with different sounds and, after a while, we decided we wanted our own punk rockin’ band.” There was just one problem: they needed bass and percussion. With Hart on guitar and Selander on screaming vocals, the band was lacking a much-needed rhythm section. Luckily, they ran into a perverted, drunken robot uniquely named Robot, who filled the void (though he lacked the same morals as the bible-thumping Hart and Selander).
While Tartar Control has gained a following in the punk scene, they know their music won’t be accepted everywhere, especially in the Mormon church. “Mormonism and punk rock don’t blend together at all. Our church doesn’t know we’re in a band, and neither do our parents,” Selander said. “We’re going to assume the Mormon church is going to ignore the Long Beach Post. But you never know. They have tentacles everywhere.” Still, Tartar Control insists their lyrics, with titles like “Satanists are Fuckin’ Dicks,” “Brush Your Fuckin’ Teeth,” and “Cramps Don’t Mean You’re Pregnant,” are positive messages. “I feel like punk rock and metal of the harder core tend to get unfairly labeled,” Hart said. “For music, as long as you’re there speaking the truth, you have a voice. We’re certainly not fundamentalists in any sense of it. We’re not Amish. We’re not churning butter. I feel like music in general is something that people approach with a much more open mind.” They also said they like singing about things they know, like traffic on the way to Ralph’s, and things they enjoy, like Pokemon. Selander hopes to eventually incorporate Jigglypuff’s theme into their set to help audience members get sleep. “If I could lull an entire audience to sleep, I would think that would be a gift in itself and a mission accomplished,” he said. “Who doesn’t enjoy a good night’s sleep?”
With positive vibes like these, the group said the most vulgar piece of their performance is Robot, who goes out to party every night at 8PM but still manages to arrive to shows on time. But there’s a reason for this. Quoting Robot himself, he said he’s “just there for the bitches.” As Hart and Selander play sweet songs like “Jesus is Love” and “Fuzzy Bunnies,” Robot constantly interrupts the show by catcalling to women in the crowd while playing ’90s R&B from his speaker. “Robot will find his own road to recovery, for sure,” Hart said. “He seems to find a woman at every show and harass her. He’s kind of a womanizer. We don’t ask him a lot of questions about where he goes at night. He used to live in our garage, but he must still go through there because I’ve found so many Four Loko cans that look like they’ve all been opened with a can opener, so we know it’s him.” Hart added that several child support notices have showed up at their apartment for Robot. “I opened one and I think he’s the father to several children,” he said. “I don’t know how that’s physically possible, but somehow he’s in charge of someone’s child.” This odd blend of crudeness from Robot and angelic playfulness from Selander and Hart has garnered them a following that crowd funded a television pilot, which can be viewed on Tartar Control’s YouTube channel. The group hopes to release the second episode within the next year.
Tartar Control looks forward to spreading the good news of Jesus in Long Beach this weekend, but just has one request of audience members. “I would like people to know it’s okay to put on deodorant before they come to our shows,” Selander said. “It’s okay to be clean. You can wear your black clothes and put all the glue you want in your hair, but it’s okay to take a shower because the glue won’t wash out.”
From: https://lbpost.com/hi-lo/music/jesus-sodomy-and-peach-cobbler-tartar-control-bring-the-punk-love-to-long-beach-2/

Kristeen Young - Nice

 #Kristeen Young #alternative rock #piano rock #avant-garde #prog punk #operatic punk #multi-genre #no-genre #music video

Missouri-born singer-songwriter Kristeen Young has been producing her unique cocktail of ‘dissonant piano bashing, operatic vocals and serrated lyrics’ since her debut album Meet Miss Young And Her All Boy Band in 1997. She has toured and worked with artists such as Morrissey and David Bowie. Kristeen Young is the rarest of beasts - a musician on their 11th album who still sounds, and looks, like they are fresh out of the gate, with all the vitality, energy and innovation that suggests. An artist brimming with ideas and idiosyncrasies, laser-focused on living in the here and now. In a world where pop-culture, aimed at even the youngest demographic, is awash with nostalgia this a musical unicorn indeed.
Backed by a series of arresting, self-made videos, The Beauty Shop was released digitally last month with a physical edition to follow in September. It is a fabulously rage-infused genre-mash of left field punk opera, discordant instrumentation and sublime melodies that isn’t afraid to touch on the darker aspects of personal and political life. Written as a song cycle detailing “snapshots of the life of a serial killer with each song based on a major emotion” the album, Kristeen says, is a metaphor for contemporary American culture exploring “how life can systematically kill your emotions”. More personally, and evocatively, the touchstone for the album was a real life salon: “I grew up in a beauty shop. My adopted mom had a shop in our little house. My adopted dad walled in a breezeway to make the shop.”
The title evokes a ’50s/’60s retro feel, somewhere between Little Shop of Horrors and Beauty School Drop Out, that connects with the fucked-up version of old school glamour on display in the visuals. There is a conflict present in the videos that many women can relate to, as they appear to pick apart our own sense of image from the commercialized product of femininity and female adornment.  From: https://louderthanwar.com/kristeen-young-interview/