The Men - Immaculada (2010) [Self-Released] // Grade: A

Here I am, living in Brooklyn thinking there’s no good hardcore punk left in NYC. All the bands I grew up listening to from the NY scene have dissolved and call it a lack of motivation, but I never really actively searched out the new generation. Satisfied with metal for the time being, I haven’t dabbled in the genre a whole lot as of late. My disconnect from the hardcore punk scene is probably the same reason why many of you stopped listening to it. There was a time period in the late 90′s where the music was just really fucking good. A lot of bands paved the way for a new generation of bands to shamelessly impersonate. The end result was the 2000′s and hardcore died. Cry shields and skin tight jeans became a staple at every show and rather than moshing for fun, kids would practice ‘moves for the pit’ at home. It was laughable and for a lot of people, was enough reason to ‘move on’. The bands included. Even the great Cave In went down a shoegazy and post-punk path. It didn’t stop there.

While some bands find a way to keep hardcore punk in its roots, others fell victim to the trends. Fast forward to modern times. Hardcore is, generally speaking, going through a bit of a revival. Much like thrash and death metal, there’s a new wave of ‘old school’ hardcore punk brewing and much to my surprise, Brooklyn’s The Men are one of those bands. Their new self-released LP Immaculada has found new ways to revive a long dormant genre. Immaculada builds its character from sounds of the past and present, something that usually proves to unsuccessful model, however with Immaculada they pick just the right direction. Much like Refused did, The Men mix mod, punk and post-hardcore to offer up a healthy breathe of fresh air to the scene. This may sound like a bit of a stretch but I imagine The Men to have taken all their musical influences and combine them in one heterogeneous mixture. If you listen to Side A, you’ll hear a bit of Earth, Lightning Bolt and even Emperor. It’s an interesting combination for sure.

“Stranger Song” sets the stage for Immaculada. An instrumental composition filled with distortion, feedback and one big crescendo. The second track, “Problems/Burning Up” is set up in a similar way. A long intro that collapses into a punk-infused culmination of sounds. In fact, most of the album is set up in this manner. Long, instrumental intros that are pulling in influences for various genres create a bit of a dichotomy in each track. “Grave Desecration” is just about one of the only tracks that begins with a furious upheaval. Akin to early black metal, the sound is heavily compressed, vocals are non-distinguishable and all that’s maintaining order are the constant blast beats accompanied by tremolo-picking and cascading riffs. Here’s where a pattern emerges in Immaculada, each side of the album has a different theme; it’s an ever-apparent schism in the album. “Madonna; The Star Of The Sea” marks another Earth-influence, lots of distortion, sub bass and layers upon layers of texture; it’s gritty as all hell. As the longest and best composed track on the album, it really shows an immense knowledge of music and proves that The Men are composers moreso than musicians.

Immaculada rises from the dead with “Lazarus”. If you recall that schism I referenced earlier, this is where it begins. The little bit of hardcore and punk influence is gone and The Men pull in sounds akin to post-punk and bands like the Lemonheads and the Buzzcocks. There’s a youthful resurgence to the album. It’s more upbeat and holds firmly to the saying that there cannot be darkness without light. This theme continues with “Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition” which reminds me of a lot of bands that were on Initial Records in the mid-90′s. Think more so The Jazz June and Elliot than Planes Mistaken For Stars but it even eerily echos the sounds of early Dinosaur Jr. Now, pause a minute. This album went from being self-reflective and cold to energetic and youthful with one singe flip from side A to side B. Even the up-beat and energetic track “Oh Yoko”, while being slightly abrasive, is still done so in a positive tone. More upbeat than d-beat, it revitalizes Immaculada in its final moments. The title track “Immaculada” brings the LP to a close with one really solid 5-minute long experience.

Somehow The Men have breathed a breathe of fresh air into my lungs. With my teenage years spent flipping through splits and LPs at the local record shop and my adult years spent downloading and deleting files, Immaculada offers up a bit of nostalgia. Don’t expect to hear break-downs and circle pit anthems. Focus on the energy and beauty of the album and you won’t be let down. The Men show that hardcore punk can be beautiful without losing its balls and Immaculada, like albums of the past, will hopefully go on to influence a revival in the NYC hardcore punk scene.

The chances of you getting a hold of one of the original 500 pressings is slim so head over to their blog to pick up a free copy.

What better way to celebrate a Casual Friday than with a naked lady in (and out) of some Мишка? And my friend if you’re viewing this post at work… then you’re indeed having a casual Friday. Just lets not get too casual shall we? Anway…

A few weeks ago we promised there would be a part two of Driven by Boredom’s shoot with adult starlet Dana DeArmond. Well here it is and what a set it is! Dana wears nothing but a Tacoma Plain Flannel as she struts around her bathroom. Definitely a good use of product placement.

Head over to Driven by Boredom for the complete set of the very sexy Dana DeArmond getting very naked! These get even more NSFW… Casual Fridays brah!

So it’s been talked about on Violent J’s twitter for a bit and it’s finally here! His first born son Violent JJ’s debut music video that is. Honestly, I’m at a loss for words. I mean it’s cool that the kid seems to be living the dream life, but the whole thing still reeks of “WTF is going on here!?”

I’ll let you guys check it out and give your opinions, hate, LoLove, whateverthefuck. Until next time, enjoy or something…

Download Telephoned – Keep Them Heads Ringin’ (Click Here)

Here’s a good treat to get your weekend going right, a brand new mixtape (or is it a covers album?) by Brooklyn duo Telephoned. Telephoned consists of vocalist and our old pal Maggie Horn and Sammy Bananas handling all the production.  The duo got their by redoing T-Pain’s “Can’t Believe It.” into their own abstarct club thumping monstrosity. The track proved super popular and the two kept working together eventually releasing their self-titled debut EP on Fool’s Gold earlier this year.

Well the two are back at it again with this fresh new release destined to be in heavy rotation for weeks to come. Keep Them Heads Ringing serves as a great starting point to not only what original tracks Maggie and Sammy are currently working on, but also a heaping spoonful of what’s becoming their trademark “not-quite-cover” songs.

A few choice cuts I’m really feeling are Telephoned’s rendition of Gucci Mane’s “Lemonade” into the Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love” and Maggie crooning Yeasayer’s “O.N.E.” to close the whole thing out. One go through this thing and you’ll understand why they’ve been tapped to support Chromeo (along w/ Holy Ghost!) on their Summer tour.

Unfortunately the tour rolled through NY yesterday and if you missed it…well that sucks. Sorry for only posting this a day late but hey the show was sold out for a while anyway so like me telling you day of was really going to help? Just download this mix, shut up and be happy.

Night Gallery - Constant Struggle (2010) [Rainbow Body] // Grade: A-

I will not say Night Gallery sound like Depeche Mode. I will not say Night Gallery sound like Depeche Mode. I will not say…ok, it’s a comparison you just cannot avoid on the duo’s soon-to-be-released (August 10) LP, Constant Struggle. I earnestly hope the public allow themselves to dive into the eight tracks contained within, and take the time to look deeper than the vocal tones. Those willing to enter Night Gallery’s fold with an open ear, will be rewarded with lush, astutely prepared instrumentation that draws from the glory days of dark-tinted pop.

Constant Struggle is not as much an homage to Music for the Masses-era Depeche Mode, as it is a blending of references already drawn from in members Aaron David Ross and Adam Griffin’s other musical projects. As a collection, the tracks lean closest to definition as synthpop, bolstered with the spirit of the New Romantics. But in the ambling, rhythmic industrial pulse of “Real Normal” and the throaty, low-pitched words of “Sex Curse” you’re tipped to that same sense of cinematic forebodence heard in Ross’ work with Gatekeeper. And while Golden Birthday, the Chicago-based outfit Griffin tours with, is often followed by the genre assignment “lo-fi pop”, the keyboard synthpop that forms that base level of their sound is not far off from the less brooding of Constant Struggle‘s selections (“Mary Bell”, “Fever Dreamer”).

This balance of lighthearted, early electronic pop peppered with darker colors provides Constant Struggle with a framework that allows for endless variety. “Wild Palms” pairs breezy tropicalia with swaying vocals, arriving a product of the Pet Shop Boys influence. On the opposite side of the sonic spectrum, “Too Many Men” is beat-driven, assisted by elongated, heavy words. But the most interesting element in Night Gallery’s mix is that through all their many reference points drawn from the past, they still imbue a sense on nowness to the album. Both the title track and “Fever Dreamer” present themselves vocally as thoroughly modern slices of electronic pop.

If at any point in your life you’ve spent time immersed in the genres of darkwave, synthpop or new wave…or, if you just really love Depeche Mode, Night Gallery is a name that needs to be on your radar.

Phillip Bailey (feat. Phil Collins) - Easy Lover

Sade – No Ordinary Love

Chromeo – Don’t Turn the Lights On

Spandau Ballet – True

Everything But the Girl – Don’t Leave Me Behind

Coolrunnings are a pretty sweet band who i have to assume from their myspace are partially from Knoxville, Tenessee and maybe California? I really don’t know. Regardless where they’re from any band that’s willing to name itself after the John Candy film from the early 90s about the Jamaican Bobsled team is pretty chill in my book!

What I do know is their a pretty great lo-fi band who’s got two free EPs over on their Bandcamp that you should download along with a remix of Twin Sister’s “I Am You” which was recently featured on Pitchfork’s Forkcast. This is their brand new video for “Burnout” off their Buffalo EP. I have no clue what movie the footage is from but it’s not from Cool Runnings.

Coolrunnings will be in NY for three shows at the end of August. You should check one of them out… or all three if you want to accrue bonus scene points.

I’ve been wanting to post about this shadowy Brooklyn outfit for a couple of months now but I had very little information to go on. No video, news or anything with which to really make a post after I first saw them. But just a short time later that has all changed and Minks are set to be a breakout band for the coming year.

Minks sound can vary a bit from track to track (which is part of the appeal) but they tying it all together is their nose for making very doom and gloom drenched pop. The bands first single “Funeral Song” is as eerily upbeat as they get. It’s new wave jam that sounds to me like a long lost Cure demo with Richard Hell handling the vocals. It’s backed with “Drunk Punks” which has a more of psychedelic tinge.

I’m a sucker for this shit but really whats not to like? You can grab the 7″ for “Funeral Song” along with their just released  7″ “Ophelia” from Brooklyn’s Captured Tracks who are steadily becoming a force to be reckoned withs.

Hopefully that will be enough to hold you over until Minks releases their first full length later this Fall also on Captured Tracks.

In the meantime Minks has been busy playing around New York and I for one could not be happier. They’ve got two shows around NYC set for August. The first is on August 14th at the new Jelly NYC space called The Rock Yard. On August 28th they play what is basically a Captured Tracks showcase at Bowery Ballroom along with Wild Nothing, Cosmetics and Blank Dogs. Both shows are going to be great.

If after reading this you are hooked and just can’t seem to get your fill of Minks then head on over to their website I Am Witchcraft which is chock full of images that band draws inspiration from. It makes for a nice diversion when you’re bored at work.

American metal band Quiet Riot is perhaps best known for their 1983 smash hit “Cum On Feel the Noize” (the first heavy metal song to make the Top 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart) But did you ever wonder who was behind this seemingly one hit wonder sensation? Did you know the legendary Randy Rhoads was a founding member and part of their original line up? Probably not and that’s kind of the point of this post… If you can wring a documentary out of the story of Anvil, why not Quiet Riot?

Frankie Banali is a world renown drummer you probably remember from the 80′s band QUIET RIOT. He was in the band for 27 years and the last 13 he was also the band’s manager. His career took a major sideswipe when his singer Kevin Dubrow died three years ago. As a single soccer dad in the suburbs, his long hair and tattoos frighten the neighbors, but to other drummers he’s a hero. At a cross roads in his life he must forge ahead and make a new life for himself and his daughter. Lots of never before seen home movies from QUIET RIOT’s heyday, interviews with dozens of rock stars, deeply personal footage and a few surprise twists. The most real, raw rock and roll documentary of it’s time.

This film takes a real journey back through time to the decade of debauchery and decadence. Real home videos shot backstage, on the tour bus, in the recording studio, and in hotel rooms with one of the 80′s top platinum selling bands and most notorious bad boys. Never before seen footage from the milestones in Frankie’s long career in music and his personal life now. Funny, and deeply personal and poignant exploration of Frankie’s long time friendship with his bandmate Kevin Dubrow. The loss of his close friend and his career as he knew it, and his life after Kevin. Follow his journey at his current moment of truth and beyond.

So it looks like Quiet Riot’s interesting story may be told after all. Frankie Banali their drummer is now trying to raise enough money through Kickstarter to make a documentary film chronicling their story. It is supposed to show the glamor and glitz of the 1980′s metal in it’s heyday.

The film will consist of never seen before footage from Banali’s home video vaults with interviews, tour bus debauchery, back stage footage and glimpses into his personal life. The rise and fall of the band and I’m sure even speak about the death of singer Kevin Dubrow a few years ago. Well, it will consist of all that stuff if people can raise enough money to get the film made. For what it’s worth, donating an easy $10 (or more) is a very small price to contribute to something as interesting as this.

I’d embed the trailer for the project, but Kickstarter’s site doesn’t really give you the option. So head over there now, watch the trailer and pitch in a few buck. They’re about 25% of the way to their goal of $20,000…  Bang your head!

Dead Luke - American Haircut (2010) [Floridas Dying] // Grade: A-

On Dead Luke’s MySpace, there are profiled pictures of modded toy synths, a theremin and a sitar. Locating each of these instruments on the nom de music of avid Wisconsin home-recorder Luke Gasper’s third long-player, American Haircut, is not such an easy task though. Most of these nine songs require multiple deep breathes and dives to the base of their murky bottom to come up with anything entirely separate from the album’s entire mix.

The third release under the Dead Luke name, Gasper (a Zola Jesus and Dead Hookers contributor and founder of cassette label Jerkwave Tapes), has succeeded in making one of the most candid and raw approaches to walled-in swirling psychedelia I’ve heard all year. Attempting at merely lobbing it as a form of ‘psychgaze,’ it’s vital to note that these nine tracks do a few key things over the course of the 37 minutes you’ll spend lost in its haze. Released on imprint Floridas Dying—following a pair of singles on Sacred Bones—Haircut switches through churning garage pop in its washed guitar flutters of the noodled 60s variety (“Luke is Not Dead”); sun-soaked, delicate cheer (“Trapped In Lust”) and heavy gulps of alienation played out like some deadening tale of a gloomy backroom drug trip (“Sunrise”).

American Haircut is a full-palette chameleon record, though its powers of reverb-soaked sonic shape-shifting are much more obscure and leisurely done than simple white-to-black shuffles. On first listen, you’d like to think this music is made by one skronky bedroom fiddler caught deep in Midwest boredom; the kind of guy that wouldn’t give a shit about buzz bands of the Pitchfork variety. After further listens you do start to notice just how accessible this record attempts at becoming. It’s this type of line walking that makes American Haircut so precious in it’s playing power. Hard to swallow at first, there are buried bridges along the way to guide you— guitar lines, drum sputters or vocal leads— and after you locate them, track by track this record starts to shine.

For those singing the praises of King of The Beach, Haircut’s “Dreaming pt. 3” could very well be the best Wavves-record interlude you’ve never heard, whereas the luminous, wonderfully titled sing-a-long, “God Bless The Midwest, God Roast The East” sits comfortably for those contemporary fans of something like The Black Lips or The Growlers. The following, Panda Bear-fueled “Acid Forest” is American Haircut’s most experimental in result accompanied by a cheap machined synth throb, choral harmonies and cymbal washes, while the aptly-named closer, “The Best Drug I’ve Ever Done,” is a flawless sonic companion for an under-the-covers trip down the rabbit hole with spiced hints of Anton’s BJM trippiness or Darker My Love’s rustic revivalism.

American Haircut is swelling, raw and hazy psychedelia and it’s limited to 500 copies, so quit thinking about it and go buy one of my favorite releases of the year already.