Heyo guys. Its your best-est buddy in the world, Grimjack (also known as Jimmy McHugh to some of you on the list) with another super-awesome music related update. But, before I get into that, I was hoping to clarify a few things first. For starters, some of you might be wondering why Ive decided to start putting these little news-letters/blogs together. Well, to be simple about it, Ive got too much time on my hands. Of course, it goes much deeper than that. Im a music fan. OK, that doesnt really do my obsession any serious justice. Im a HUGE music fan. I live, breathe, eat, drink, and sleep music. And as of late, Ive rekindled my passion for finding new music to add to my ever-growing collection. Not that it ever really left, mind you. Ive just found new outlets for my musical locating endeavors. To be able to share the music Ive dug up with my friends, family, and drunken cohorts seems to make the task that much more enjoyable. So, Ive decided to keep these updates semi-consistent, along with the same lines as my Philly Giglist Updates that Ive been compiling and putting out for the past two years. Maybe this new found journalistic endeavor will pan out into something more lucrative in the not-too-distant future. Until then, Im happy to keep forwarding you my latest picks and musical discoveries into your digital mailboxes.
The Latest Dish:
Ive been plowing away through many of the newer independent Record labels that Ive dug up over the past few months, since my return from SxSW in Austin, TX. Some of the larger of those labels Ive come across have more than one band that has interested me. Financially, its not feasible to go and make a monster purchase (though, Id stinking love to). So, Ive put a few notable selections on hold until the more important necessities of life have been paid and accounted for (like beer, pizza, and the cable bill). With that in mind, Ive been able to procure a few great records.
Acetate Records www.acetate.com
Im sure a few of you remember the huge amount of kudos that I threw out to this Los Angeles based record label. The term Fucking Awesome doesnt really describe exactly how I feel about this brilliant label. Theyve put out some of the best music Ive heard in years, and they dont seem to be slowing down any time soon. Here are a few albums Ive picked up from them as of late:
The Superbees: www.myspace.com/superbees This pick came out of the so-called cheap-bin on Acetates webpage. A 4 piece band out of L.A., the Superbees riff out their stylized early 70s rock anthems with tight and practiced ease. Reminiscent of the early work from the MC5 and the New York Dolls, the Superbees have quickly become a CD player favorite in my household. Also of note, a few guys in the band went on to front The Lords of Altamont (www.lordsofaltamont.com).
SourJazz - www.sourjazz.com & www.myspace.com/sourjazz - This was a tough one for me to wait for. I found these guys on MySpaceMusic and was enthralled with their unique sound. No, there is isnt any jazz within their music (sorry all of you Miles Davis fans out there). Instead, these guys play what can only be described as reworked Iggy and Stooges experience. The vocal work from the singer is prime Iggy, circa 1976. The music take a leap backwards, throwing out the sounds that made the Asheton brothers a famous part of the Stooges catalog. Think of The Passenger if it was played with the volume turned out. Overall, you get a solid, well developed and delivered auditory experience from these guys, and itll keep the Iggy fans in check until his Rockn Roll highness decides to actually start recording music again.
Sonny Vincent www.sonnyvincent.com & www.myspace.com/sonnyvincent - Another NYC native and punk rock legend in his own right, Sonny Vincent is the classic example of punk rocks longevity. Not only does his early music with the seminal punk rock outfit The Testors still stands the test of time, his latest music still continues to enthrall the legions of punk rock devotees everywhere. What freaked me out is that I found a copy of an Acetate Records release in the cheap bin as well, on their website. Another super cool album that highlights the best of what the 70s NYC punk rock scene had to offer. Definitely worth checking out.
Other Finds:
The Black Furies: www.blackfuries.com & www.myspace.com/blackfuries - Switching the coasts from East to West, youll find the city of San Francisco, hometown of the powerhouse Punk nRoll outfit, The Black Furies. I was turned onto these guys after missing their Gearhead Records label showcase in Austin at SxSW. After hearing a few songs from the demo, I was sold. This time around, Ive gone back to their original recording label, and picked up their self-titled first release. Overall, a great album. A little more raw than their Gearhead release, the power and intensity sits with me really well. Definitely worth checking out if youre it to good music with loud guitars, leather jackets, greased back hair, and shitloads of attitude.
Los Pepes - www.lospepes.net & www.myspace.com/lospepes Another one of my random finds on MySpaceMusic, the Columbus, Ohio trio known as Los Pepes really blew me away. Three-chord west coast punk inspired anthems swept across their demos on the website, forcing me to look into the band even more. Theyve got a self-produced, full-length album available from their homepage (theyre currently unsigned) thats at a bargain price. The fan of obnoxious, slap you in the face punk music definitely need to check out these boys posthaste.
Friendly Fire www.myspace.com/friendfire Another one of my blind hits from the Internet, Friendly Fire is a super bad ass trio out of the Anaqkwen Indian tribal grounds out of North Quebec, Canada. At first glance, youd never know that these kids could rock out the way they doso the proverb, Never Judge a Book by its Cover really is true. Angst ridden punk-rock anthems a la Jawbreaker, Minor Threat, and the like arent just revisited by FF. They take the music and make it their own, and rightfully so. Loud, aggressive, and just damn good, this young and unsigned band should really capture the attention of the Punk Rock altruist looking for some fresh blood and music to yell about.
The Comforter - www.thecomforters.com & www.myspace.com/thecomforters While most of my music listening preferences does tend to sway towards the loud side of the force, Im still very open to many a different genre of tuneage. One band that is a definitely on the other side of spectrum (at least for this blog) comes from the Oregon duo The Comforters. Another friend of a friend tip off, I was really excited by the music put out from this Husband and Wife group. Electrified folk/pop very reminiscent of the Cowboy Junkies, The Comforters really utilize their superb songwriting abilities to create a very smooth and listenable sound that mellows out the soul without putting you to sleep. Their demo really engrossed me, and will be a definite purchase when and if their full-length debut becomes available.
All right...thats it for now. I hope you enjoyed what I had to offer this time around. As always, let me know what you think of the music.
-Grim
The Latest Dish:
Ive been plowing away through many of the newer independent Record labels that Ive dug up over the past few months, since my return from SxSW in Austin, TX. Some of the larger of those labels Ive come across have more than one band that has interested me. Financially, its not feasible to go and make a monster purchase (though, Id stinking love to). So, Ive put a few notable selections on hold until the more important necessities of life have been paid and accounted for (like beer, pizza, and the cable bill). With that in mind, Ive been able to procure a few great records.
Acetate Records www.acetate.com
Im sure a few of you remember the huge amount of kudos that I threw out to this Los Angeles based record label. The term Fucking Awesome doesnt really describe exactly how I feel about this brilliant label. Theyve put out some of the best music Ive heard in years, and they dont seem to be slowing down any time soon. Here are a few albums Ive picked up from them as of late:
The Superbees: www.myspace.com/superbees This pick came out of the so-called cheap-bin on Acetates webpage. A 4 piece band out of L.A., the Superbees riff out their stylized early 70s rock anthems with tight and practiced ease. Reminiscent of the early work from the MC5 and the New York Dolls, the Superbees have quickly become a CD player favorite in my household. Also of note, a few guys in the band went on to front The Lords of Altamont (www.lordsofaltamont.com).
SourJazz - www.sourjazz.com & www.myspace.com/sourjazz - This was a tough one for me to wait for. I found these guys on MySpaceMusic and was enthralled with their unique sound. No, there is isnt any jazz within their music (sorry all of you Miles Davis fans out there). Instead, these guys play what can only be described as reworked Iggy and Stooges experience. The vocal work from the singer is prime Iggy, circa 1976. The music take a leap backwards, throwing out the sounds that made the Asheton brothers a famous part of the Stooges catalog. Think of The Passenger if it was played with the volume turned out. Overall, you get a solid, well developed and delivered auditory experience from these guys, and itll keep the Iggy fans in check until his Rockn Roll highness decides to actually start recording music again.
Sonny Vincent www.sonnyvincent.com & www.myspace.com/sonnyvincent - Another NYC native and punk rock legend in his own right, Sonny Vincent is the classic example of punk rocks longevity. Not only does his early music with the seminal punk rock outfit The Testors still stands the test of time, his latest music still continues to enthrall the legions of punk rock devotees everywhere. What freaked me out is that I found a copy of an Acetate Records release in the cheap bin as well, on their website. Another super cool album that highlights the best of what the 70s NYC punk rock scene had to offer. Definitely worth checking out.
Other Finds:
The Black Furies: www.blackfuries.com & www.myspace.com/blackfuries - Switching the coasts from East to West, youll find the city of San Francisco, hometown of the powerhouse Punk nRoll outfit, The Black Furies. I was turned onto these guys after missing their Gearhead Records label showcase in Austin at SxSW. After hearing a few songs from the demo, I was sold. This time around, Ive gone back to their original recording label, and picked up their self-titled first release. Overall, a great album. A little more raw than their Gearhead release, the power and intensity sits with me really well. Definitely worth checking out if youre it to good music with loud guitars, leather jackets, greased back hair, and shitloads of attitude.
Los Pepes - www.lospepes.net & www.myspace.com/lospepes Another one of my random finds on MySpaceMusic, the Columbus, Ohio trio known as Los Pepes really blew me away. Three-chord west coast punk inspired anthems swept across their demos on the website, forcing me to look into the band even more. Theyve got a self-produced, full-length album available from their homepage (theyre currently unsigned) thats at a bargain price. The fan of obnoxious, slap you in the face punk music definitely need to check out these boys posthaste.
Friendly Fire www.myspace.com/friendfire Another one of my blind hits from the Internet, Friendly Fire is a super bad ass trio out of the Anaqkwen Indian tribal grounds out of North Quebec, Canada. At first glance, youd never know that these kids could rock out the way they doso the proverb, Never Judge a Book by its Cover really is true. Angst ridden punk-rock anthems a la Jawbreaker, Minor Threat, and the like arent just revisited by FF. They take the music and make it their own, and rightfully so. Loud, aggressive, and just damn good, this young and unsigned band should really capture the attention of the Punk Rock altruist looking for some fresh blood and music to yell about.
The Comforter - www.thecomforters.com & www.myspace.com/thecomforters While most of my music listening preferences does tend to sway towards the loud side of the force, Im still very open to many a different genre of tuneage. One band that is a definitely on the other side of spectrum (at least for this blog) comes from the Oregon duo The Comforters. Another friend of a friend tip off, I was really excited by the music put out from this Husband and Wife group. Electrified folk/pop very reminiscent of the Cowboy Junkies, The Comforters really utilize their superb songwriting abilities to create a very smooth and listenable sound that mellows out the soul without putting you to sleep. Their demo really engrossed me, and will be a definite purchase when and if their full-length debut becomes available.
All right...thats it for now. I hope you enjoyed what I had to offer this time around. As always, let me know what you think of the music.
-Grim
....nah. Because the latter drives monkey boy CRAZY and thats so much more fun.
A new album i purchased recently and can't get enough of is the Gossip. I have everything, but this last one is so amazingly good. I mean, it even dips its toe into discuss but still rocks harder then most of the crap out there. I seem to pepper this album between repeated listening of the Detroit Cobras, because nothing cures the blues like a well-piped blonde woman.