Zach Hill

Drummer from Hella and about a million other things releases his first true solo album and I would have to say that it will be in my top 5 at the end of the year. His drumming style is so fucking ridiculous and is on every track, he never tries to hide his talent while still making his own version of pop music. Like if Hella and the Flaming Lips had a band together. Plenty of guest stars from The Advantage, Deftones, Les Claypool, Marnine Stern, No Age and some others. 2CDs, the second being an epic song called Necromancer which is mostly just free jazz piano and Hill's drums. This is a new stage, kind and take on accessible music.

Zach Hill - Dark Art

http://www.myspace.com/zachhillmusic

Daleth

A one man sludge band. That feels weird to say but there is nothing bad about this in the least. Daleth is just that. One man has made a perfect sludge record and all by himself. I really don't have anything to say because this has left me speechless. Download and rock out.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mtkpwegud6j (Daleth - Split w/ Blue Shift; Daleth tracks only)
http://rapidshare.com/files/78714837/daleth_-_lusitania_disc_1.rar (Daleth - "Lusitania")
http://www.myspace.com/dalethmusic
http://dalethmusic.blogspot.com

Sebastien Grainger

I have always been one for the danceable yet undeniably heavy tunes of Death From Above so I was excited when I heard about Sebastien (drummer/lead singer) making a new solo project. What has come of it is a terribly boring attempt at being more accessible and melodic. I always knew that Saddle Creek bands are sad bastards and mellow but never did I think that they would water down such a hard rocking dude. It has moments where I think it's about the take off (like the last 30 seconds of Ways To Come Home) but not only does it end abruptly, it never gets past about 55% intensity. 

Now I'm not saying that all sad bastard music is bad. I like my fair share of it (Horse Feathers for example) but even his attempt at that seems half assed. His production methods have always impressed me with a new take on the "Wall of Sound" but not only does it not work here, I don't even know if it applies. I will say that Map Of The World is a high point because of the guitar work and the groove that they work into (you can listen as I have posted it below). Otherwise, disappointment galore.

Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains - Map Of the World

Chingalera - Dose

I think long songs are both underrated and overrated. People consider them epics when they are really just showcases for a certain person, not a band. But because of their length people seem to pass them off as worth while songs in today's music biz. Chingalera's shortest song is around 8 minutes long but they work as a band in such a great way that it doesn't matter. These are great progressive and sludgy metal. They have touches of post rock in there but their riffs are great and even the last song has something to be said with guest vocals from members of Circle Jerks, Goatsnake and It's Casual. This is their second album but already they have a reputation among some of the best bands around. These songs actually are epic and definitely rock but can definitely chill out too. The best of both worlds.

For Fans Of: Melvins, Mono, Russian Circles, Harvey Milk, Black Sabbath

Get the album HERE.

http://www.chingalera.org/
http://www.myspace.com/chingalera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jva4IjsWTn8

Apache - Boomtown Gems

There are very few bands that I like that considered "punk". Vibrators, Buzzcocks, Bad Brains, Ramones, and maybe a couple more. Proto-punk is more my style but whatever you want to classify Johnny Thunders and New York Dolls under, then put Apache right there with them. One part punk, one part glam, one part attitude and one part partying. There were times when I was first listening to this album that I thought the song could have been a cover of one of these classic bands but it's all Apache, all original. They formed from the ashes of former bands The Cuts and Genghis Khan and they were signed before even learning a song and having broken limbs. This is good rock'n'roll for your trip across the country or for your dance party.
For Fans Of: Johnny Thunders, New York Dolls, Iggy/The Stooges, getting down


Get the album HERE.

http://www.myspace.com/sfapache
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H89bVj6r3s

Black Skies

Another great local band in the Piedmont of NC. Black Skies play some seriously great metal and have opened for the likes of Boris, Valient Thorr, Big Business, Kylesa, RTX, etc etc. They get the spots because of how fucking awesome they are. They have a new EP out, Hexagon, and it captures their sound greatly for a self-released record. Doomy riffs, intense vocals, galloping rhythm section and brooding lyrics about the apocalypse. It all fits together so well.
For Fans Of: The Sword, High On Fire, Kylesa, Black Sabbath

Get the new EP HERE.

http://www.myspace.com/losblackskies
http://www.blackskies.us
http://www.myspace.com/sirenadiscos

Got Live If You Want It!

After seeing Dead Meadow live I had to get this album. It is them in full force, good jams, serious power altogether. There's nothing more to really say about Dead Meadow other than they are one of the best "retro" sounding bands out there right now, it's for fans of the psychedelic pop/rock and stoner rock alike.
For Fans Of: Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Zeppelin, Spiritualized, Kinski, Nebula

You can get the album HERE. (the files are .wma but most players convert them.)

www.myspace.com/deadmeadow
www.deadmeadow.com

It's the summer.

Kind of. Yet I am more out of the loop on this thing than I ever have been so let's get rolling and try to get a little more consistent. I need to make some blog friends so I can have a good network and more hits/comments but that is something I need to do on my own. Anyways, first post of the summer.


The Black Diamond Heavies play some of the dirtiest blues around. Just an organ and drums, they have some of the most soulful songs I've heard in a long time. The lead singer sounds a hell of a lot like Tom Waits and some of the songs even have longtime Waits collaborator Ralph Carney contributing some horn work. The album includes a Tina Turner cover and a Nina Simone one too. Overall it's a great work, the only question that I can't answer for myself is if this album is better than their first. As of right now, I feel both are equal but I haven't had the time to listen to this one as much. This one is funkier and has some better jams but that doesn't mean it's overall better. Thanks to Alive for putting out some seriously amazing records.

www.blackdiamondheavies.com
www.myspace.com/blackdiamondheavies
www.alivenergy.com/

Get the new album, A Touch Of Someone Else's Class, HERE.

Death

These songs were taken from chunklet.com who received them from Ben Blackwell, drummer for the Dirtbombs and Jack White's nephew. A little about Death and these 2 songs:


"Recorded in 1974, released in 1976. Three African-American brothers from the east side of Detroit who were Jehovah's Witnesses. They later went on to do Christian psych music as The Fourth Movement, and two of the brothers are now in a reggae band in Vermont."

A little bit ahead of their time, methinks.

For Fans Of: Bad Brains, Jimi Hendrix (slightly), proto-punk

Get the songs HERE.

They are definitely the Gods of something.

The Sword are this generations masters of doom metal. They might as well be our Black Sabbath. Their latest album improves upon Ages of Winter quadruple fold with a bigger sound, bigger riffs, more mystifying lyrics, and more hooks. I knew from their new tracks on their split EP with Witchcraft that the guys were definitely bringing it harder than ever before but this is ridiculous. The titles of the songs pretty much explain how awesome they truly are. With titles like The Frost Giant's Daughter and Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians, how could this band not be one of the greatest metal bands of the past 30 years. The song How Heavy This Axe really is THAT heavy. Mind crushing. They are on tour with Torche and Stinking Lizaveta through May on the East Coast. The tour is making sure to demolish your ear drums within a matter of seconds. This is the soundtrack to a war of the Gods and whoever's side The Sword is on will win for sure. Thunderous.


Get the album HERE.

www.myspace.com/thesword
www.swordofdoom.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqOxYDGF_Co

Straight from Isriffrael.

Monotonix are banned from most places in Tel Aviv. They have 3 members but only 2 instruments. They have sick as fuck riffs and call on bands like Black Sabbath and The Sonics as their influences. They were just signed to Drag City and put out this new EP which is awesome. They were produced by Tim Green of the Fucking Champs so you know they fucking rock to some extent. Bluesy proto metal riffs galore with a good dose of attitude, a reputation for being possibly the best live band ever and you have a definite rock'n'roll band.

Their new EP is HERE.

www.monotonix.com
www.myspace.com/monotonix
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BC-pJMA_n0

The best Karp song ever.

This song deserves it's own post.

Karp's contribution to the Project: Echo compilation "How Si Si How" is their best song in my opinion. It shows the transition between the Karp sound and the Big Business sound. So fucking rocking.

Get it HERE

The Catheters - Hoowwwlllling...It Grows and Grows

These guys were/are awesome. Straight outta one of the rock capitals of the world, Seattle, they really bring the dirty rock'n'roll tunes. Howling would be a great adjective for the vocals, I would say. The album title and artwork are a perfect match for the sound, this is probably their most cohesive garage punk though their album before this was definitely harder and edgier, this is more palatable. They don't really push the limits of the genre, they usually go for volume and riffs over melody or hooks but this is something for anyone who likes the sounds of yesteryear and the attitude of greats like MC5, Iggy and the Stooges or most bands out of Detroit around the same time. The obvious influences are there from grunge to proto-punk, meshed together for a good air guitar or roll down the windows and cruise record. It's a shame they broke up only 3 albums into their career but I hear some of the members formed a new band but have yet to find out what that is yet. Anyways, this is raunchy, blistering, rock'n'roll. The end.
For Fans Of: MC5, Mudhoney, Iggy & The Stooges, Young Heart Attack

Get It HERE

Boris - Smile

Oh yeahhhhh buddy, nothing else needs to be said. Rock'n'roll motherfuckers.

Smileeee

Link taken from http://soundweave.blogspot.com

Apes - Ghost Games

These guys have been around for a while. I saw them with Modey Lemon over 2 years ago and king of forgot about them except for the occasional play on my iPod. They are back with a new singer and better written songs than ever before. They start rocking on track one and never stop til the end. Less funny skit things than before but that just leaves more room for the music. A great combo of 60's/70's rock, noise and underground rock from the past 20 years.
For Fans Of: Death From Above, Modey Lemon, Liars, Deep Purple



Download the album here

www.myspace.com/apes
www.theapes.com

Caltrop

I have to get this out there now because these boys have an LP coming soon. Doom/stoner/riffs at their best. Caltrop throws down with the best of them opening for the likes of Mastodon and Big Business. Just some local boys who know how to rock, really. Everything about this is awesome. Only 4 songs but all 4 are masterpieces.

For fans of: Black Sabbath, Sleep, Electric Wizard, Melvins.

Get the EP here