The Dancing Thumb (aka: music recommendations)

[Dinosaursssssss]

New Mastodon album is super good. I really didn't like the first song they released and was worried the album would be the same, but this is great.

 

I don't really like the direction their vocals have gone; I think somewhere around Blood Mountain/Crack the Skye the vocals got more...sing-y and it just doesn't do it for me. I don't dislike the newer stuff (including the new album) but it just doesn't grab me like Remission and Leviathan did.

 

Anyway, I've been going through all the music on Free Music Archives, and on their blog today someone linked to this band Tunnel of Love that's just the grimiest, gnarliest hardcore punk I've heard in a while. This probably won't appeal to a lot of people but it's punk rock as fuck and I kinda love this cover of Paint it Black.

 

 

I linked it to a friend who called it 'unlistenable' (not an unfair assessment) which then reminded me of Guitar Wolf, a Japanese punk band that's a lot more palatable. But I really love this quote about them:

"frontman Seiji clarified, "I love jet plane. I love noisy music, too. So... There were records... many records... every record have no big sounds. So... easy to listen. I hate that! So! I add jet sounds. Bwaaaahng! Explosion!""

 

 

I was getting a headache not about a half hour ago, and in writing this post I think I've figured out why.

[N1njaSquirrel]

Guitar wolf is great! A pretty hilarious fella called Adam Buxton (From Adam and Joe) did a music video for Guitar Wolf's "Summer Time Blues". Check it:

 

 

I believe they are the loudest band in the world? At least that's what a sticker on one of their albums said. And then advised not to listen on full volume, for health reasons.

[Dinosaursssssss]

Guitar Wolf - Summertime Blues

 

This is incredible. I feel like the "actual lyrics" (I think that's what that meme is called?) thing is kinda tired, but the video cracked me up, old timey bathing suits are hilarious.

 

I thought Electric Wizard claimed to be the loudest band ever, but on investigating I think their actual claim is that they're the "heaviest band in the universe," which I won't dispute. 

[N1njaSquirrel]

Yeah, the actual lyrics thing isn't that funny, but you can turn them off. Kinda feels like a cheap laugh, and maybe a bit harsh considering they're clearly not native English speakers.

 

I think the video was co-directed by Garth Jennings too, who's a super successful Music video person. He's done things.... Can't remember what though. 

 

I was wrong about them being the loudest band. A quote from their 4th album's (Jet Generation) wikipedia article: 

 

 The whole album is labeled with a disclaimer sticker which semi-humorously states "Warning: this is the loudest album ever recorded. Playing at normal volume may cause irreparable damage to stereo equipment. Use at your own risk."

 

Still pretty rad though.

[ihavefivehat]

Guitar Wolf is great! They starred in their own zombie b-movie called Wild Zero:

 

 

I recommend it if you like dumb and stupid fun!

[Erkki]

There is no official Loudest Band^TM

 

But nowadays I kind of wish I had listened to less Manowar in my teens so I would have more of my hearing preserved.

[Trip Hazard]

Magazine is awesome. I'd say that their second album Secondhand daylight is even better than the first, even though Real life is probably more iconic.

 

I've never heard it, or any other Magazine stuff besides Real Life. I tend to do this, where if I find a new artist and try out an album and I really like it, I'll not venture beyond it for fear it brings the band down in my estimation. Stupid, I know. Going to listen to SD soon.

 

 Tunnel of Love that's just the grimiest, gnarliest hardcore punk I've heard in a while. This probably won't appeal to a lot of people but it's punk rock as fuck and I kinda love this cover of Paint it Black.

That was fucking amazing!

 

Edit: That Bill Fay stuff is excellent. Surprised that I've never heard of him before.

[James]

I thought Electric Wizard claimed to be the loudest band ever, but on investigating I think their actual claim is that they're the "heaviest band in the universe," which I won't dispute.

I saw them support Mogwai at the ICA in London years ago (2006, apparently). I guess they must have gone on longer than they were scheduled to, because the staff started flashing a torch at them and, if I remember correctly, eventually just turned the sound off. The band departed the stage wielding furious middle fingers.

[clyde]

I started looking into the vocaloid stuff after reading that Polygon article. Did not occur to me that the feminization of a digital voice would lend a Pygmalion-esque tone to the contexts of lyrics about personal isolation, until I found English subtitles for the work of Utsu-P.

[BadHat]

Saw that too, and it reminded me of this song I'd heard in an anime, which I guess is also an Utsu-P track! Neat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YDnwMDv2uI

[Sleepdance]

Edit: That Bill Fay stuff is excellent. Surprised that I've never heard of him before.

 

Not really surprising. The guy has released two albums in the early 70s and then disappeared from putting out music until a few years ago when he release an excellent third full length. The thing I most enjoy in his music is the sincerity that he manages to get across.

 

As far as the loudest bands ever go I have to say I am bit turned of by the idea of a bend being loud just so that it is loud. It seem like most of them are trying to hide their mistakes/non-musicianship behind being loud to the point when no one can recognize what they are fucking up. There needs to be some reason for it for me. That said, the loudness of seeing GY!BE live and even more hearing My Bloody Valentine performing Holocaust live was quite an out of body experience. 

 

Just saw Arcade Fire live in this old castle near Verona. Their new album just came into place for me now. The whole concept around the show was based on mirrors and light reflecting from them into the audience. They even had a guy dressed in a suit covered by shattered mirrors walking through the audience. 

[clyde]

 

 

Saw that too, and it reminded me of this song I'd heard in an anime, which I guess is also an Utsu-P track! Neat.

 

I just watched the first episode of Watamote. I enjoyed it.

[N1njaSquirrel]

Move over Miku, Luka is where it's at:

 

 

[clyde]

Does anyone know of some experimental stuff where the vocaloids have some weird recursion or something crazy that only vocaloids can do.

[feelthedarkness]

As far as the loudest bands ever go I have to say I am bit turned of by the idea of a bend being loud just so that it is loud. It seem like most of them are trying to hide their mistakes/non-musicianship behind being loud to the point when no one can recognize what they are fucking up. There needs to be some reason for it for me. That said, the loudness of seeing GY!BE live and even more hearing My Bloody Valentine performing Holocaust live was quite an out of body experience. 

 

You don't want to go back in time to experience 16 x 200 watt sunn amps?

 

[Erkki]

Wow, Moondog (has its own thread) and Bill Fay are excellent! Nice finds!

[Jay Tholen]

Asa Chang & Junray are radical:

[Nachimir]

Pretty Lights tend to put stuff out for free.

 

[Twig]

I don't know if I posted this in here before, but if you're a fan of nerdy music, there's this band called Chamber Band! They made an album full of love songs that take place within a D&D-type universe.

 

Here's one of my favorite songs from the album.

 

[melmer]

in case you guy didn't know Les Savy Fav fucking rule. start with: Les Savy Fav – Go Forth (2001)

 

Also, RYAN ADAMS HAS A NEW SONG! Ryan Adams – Gimme Something Good new album in september

[ariskany_evan]

Really enjoying the new James Ferraro mix:

 

https://soundcloud.com/user703918785/sets/suki-girlz

 

Last I checked in with him was Far Side Virtual in 2011, and though I appreciated the concept and execution, it left me pretty cold.  The new mix is a really good collection of beats.

[Jay Tholen]

Anyone have any shoegaze suggestions? I'm more into the pretty mixed guy+girl vocals like MBV or Slowdive or Lush than the completely noisy lo-fi stuff like Whirr or whatever. I like strong reverby melodies buried under layers of guitar.

[Golden Calf]

I found some cool music online today for my barbecue today

 

[TheLastBaron]

I found some cool music online today for my barbecue today

Nice.  I'm probably just going to go with my usual

 

[feelthedarkness]

Anyone have any shoegaze suggestions? I'm more into the pretty mixed guy+girl vocals like MBV or Slowdive or Lush than the completely noisy lo-fi stuff like Whirr or whatever. I like strong reverby melodies buried under layers of guitar.

 

I suggest peeping Bailter Space's Robot World! They have a lot of great records, but I particularly like that one.