Mid November Is The End Of The Year In The Music Biz

I was recently asked about my top ten favorite albums of the year, since all of a sudden its almost the end of the year. It was tough this year, since I can't say I was too proactive about checking out new music. I did keep up with the new releases by bands I've always tried to keep up on, however, and here's what I had in no particular order. I highly recommend checking them out if you haven't already.

Mastodon – Crack The Skye
-So yeah, I guess this was one of the biggest "heavy rock" records of the year, so you've probably heard it. The best possible direction this band could have gone in at this point in their career, if you ask me. It's such a well produced record filled with excellent hooks and riffs. Seeing it played live 30 something nights in a row never got old.

Baroness – Blue Record
-Again, a great example of a band evolving, but not necessarily recreating themselves. The production has a unique feel. Heavy drums, great guitar tones, great RIFFS, and hooky vocals. Not to mention the recurring musical themes throughout, which is something I always love.

Ulcerate – Everything Is Fire
-This pretty much came out of nowhere for me. I think I heard this coming out of Danny Walker's room and fell in love. Gorguts meets Immolation, but times infinity. This is basically what I look for in death metal.

Om – God Is Good
-I always wanted to like this band, but it wasn't until their last album "Pilgrimage" that they really struck a chord with me. This record is fucking awesome. I guess I'm just a sucker for anything with a tanpura drone behind it, and they have it all over this thing. The drummer from Grails really adds a nice touch too, while keeping the "Hakius shuffle" - as I like to call it - in tact, as to retain the feel this band has established as their own. I also liked how the beginning of this record is almost completely the same as the beginning to our song "The Reptilian Brain". I'm sure they've never even heard it or us, but it made me happy knowing that there's another great mind out there!

Big Business – Mind The Drift
-Pretty sure I am the only one who loved this album. Every review I read, and every person I spoke to about it had nothing but negative things to say about it. I suppose everyone liked this band for a different reason than I did. It was never about having a balls-out, dirty sound, but rather being bombarded with unanticipated melodic hooks. That's what made Karp great too, at least to me. So yeah, this album doesn't sound like a fuzzbomb going off during Black Sabbath's set at the US festival back in the 80's, but it's got all kinds of tall harmonies and clever songwriting, which pretty much no other contemporary band would be capable of doing. Give it another chance, you scenester-ass posers!

Ancestors – Of Sound Mind
-Being from LA, I have seen this band evolve for quite a while now, and I think they have finally done something truly remarkable here. My only problem with their last record was that it had two songs on it. Here, they obviously waited until there was more than enough material to choose from, which makes it all a bit more epic to me. I even have an unreleased recording from a while back that has at least one of these songs on it, and listening to both versions back to back, you can tell how much more time went into refining each part. Very impressive record, and I can't wait to see where they go from here.

Keelhaul – Triumphant Return To Obscurity
-I don't really know what to say here, but I've been down with this band for a long time now, all the way back to their first record, and they just keep getting better. If you know Keelhaul, you like this record. If you don't know them, you are a poser who doesn't like good music (unless you get this record and like it).

Isis – Wavering Radiant
-Hands down the best sounding Isis recording ever. Songs are great, performances are rock solid. Now that I'm getting old, I'm watching all these bands who I saw in some garage ten years ago evolve into something that will be influential to generations of new bands for years to come, and I think it's beautiful. Missed the show out here, but hopefully they do another US tour soon.

Black Math Horseman – Wyllt
-I first heard this band when we played with them last year some time. They kind of reminded me of a less bluesy Dead Meadow. We got to know them a bit, and when this record came out I was all over it. It pretty much sounds like they do live, which is perfect as far as I'm concerned. I think they have a new one coming???

Exmortem – Funeral Phantoms
-Another death metal record I stumbled upon somehow. I guess this band has been around for like 17 years, but this is the first record I've ever heard of. Dark and sludgy like Immolation, and brutal like Knut. Great production too. Get into it!

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Rupees, Groupies, and Watery Poopies

Well, we made to and from India in one piece. I'd like to thank our hosts at RSJ & Co. (Sid, Manish, and everyone else!) for an amazing experience! We'll post a whole bunch of pictures soon, but for now check out this brief video of our trip, and another clip of us performing in Delhi.

Why Aren't You Listening To Dysrythmia Right Now?

These guys killed my face last night at Mountain Bar. Seriously, I can't think of one thing I don't love about this band. An octopus on drums, a "shit-taking" faced guitar player, and Colin Marston. If I have to explain why any of those things are awesome, then go check them out on their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/dysrythmia.

This just makes me happy

Just saw this on buddyhead. I guess some leg warmer wearing band called The Mint Chicks came up with this, and it's just awesome:

People Like To Feel Important.

And I guess the ones who don't have a blog like to go to restaurants and pretend like the employees are their best friends. I've always thought it was hilarious how people will come into restaurants I've worked at and walked around fishing for adoration from everyone, starting with the managers all the way down to the non-english speaking kitchen staff. "Amigo! How are you! Can you make me my oatmeal? How are the kids?" As if they give a shit. And as if they are the only fucking person to have ever stepped foot into this place. I can only imagine the notes their hookers have to keep ("sweetheart, I'll take my blowjob now, thanks...").



There was a guy once who would come in with his wife EVERY night and demand to sit at the same table in the front so that everyone who walked by had to stop and have meaningless small talk with them while they ordered only a side of overcooked broccoli and three (yes, this stupid bitch would literally order THREE actual) french fries. And if they were cooked wrong they'd get sent back!

I can't stand how grown people can be such babies, but I guess that's what keeps the service industry going. If you are a career waiter or hospitality person, I give you props.

And yes, this entry has everything to do with music, dickhead.

Weed Detox pt. 3

Ok, so I'm not proud to admit this, but I slipped up a couple times last week. I've been jamming on a new top secret side project (news on this coming soon...) with some guys who are practically weed chimneys, so its been hard to hold back. Still, thats six out of eight days weedless and I'm pretty proud of that.

First bout with weird dreams last night. In the first one, I was running through a city and it was really windy. Almost dark out, like dusk, with leaves and crap flying everywhere. Probably inspired by some cheap post-apocalyptic movie scene I saw at some point. There was some bomb raid-type alarm going off all around me. I woke up to my cell phone alarm going off in my pocket. Not too crazy.

I went back to sleep and woke up again from a dream where my real life boss and I were laughing hysterically at some anti-semitic joke. This is weird because she is jewish, although she is one of the most openly racist people I have ever met. So yeah, weird dream.

Weed Detox pt. 2

Day 3. I haven't had any weird dreams yet, probably cause I was really drunk on Saturday and really tired yesterday, so with any luck I'll be paid a visit by some horrific shit tonight.

Physically, I've been having some serious mood swings, like ecstatic to suicidal in 10 seconds. However, I'm pretty good at reminding myself why the severe emotional fits are taking place and that helps. Not really feeling any more alert, but its still early.