Live At The Deaf Club

Closing out the first week of D's with some Dead Kennedy's. Oh yes that wonderful Bay Area punk band once fronted by Jello Biafra. Dead Kennedy's were one of those late 70's early 80's punk bands that gained some attention. Mainly due to Jello's open mind. Great band with some funny songs. 'Live At The Deaf Club 1979' was a Live album issued a few years back and features an early lineup. If fact it's the last show for guitarist 6025 and features original drummer Ted. Album also features a few tracks that haven't been on any DK releases.'Gaslight', 'Have I The Right', and their cover of 'Back In The U.S.S.R' are only found on this release. Also of note the 'Disco' version of 'Kill The Poor' and an early version of 'When Ya Get Drafted'. Great live album from a great punk band.

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The Ultra Violence

Changing gears again. Today we've got some Bay Area thrash. Death Angel were one of the many thrash acts in the mid 80's to come out of the Bay Area scene. Posting their first record 'The Ultra-Violence'. Solid piece of thrash metal. Could be grouped in the other Big 4 of thrash, with the likes of Testament, Exodus, etc. Their 'Kill as One' demo was produced by Kirk Hammett of Metallica fame. Great underrated thrash metal.

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Kind of Blue

Today I'm posting what's widely considered as the best Jazz album of all time. 'Kind Of Blue' from Miles Davis is an incredible Jazz album. Perfect for someone new to Jazz or that missing piece in someones collection. Either way this is a must have record. Of course Miles made many great albums throughout his long career, but nothing holds up quite like this record.

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Metatron

Time to switch genres and go with some female fronted Goth Metal. Darkwell hails from Austria and while the band has only released two albums, they're still a band worth checking out. Uploading their second LP 'Metat[r]on'. Good solid piece of Goth Metal here. Worth checking out if you're a fan of female fronted metal.

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Damned

New week and new letter. Moving into the D's. Oh yes have some good stuff lined up through here. Starting the week off with The Damned. Another great punk/alt band to come from across the pond. Really an influential band that sometimes doesn't get a lot of respect. Posting their first release, 'Damned, Damned, Damned'. Great first album that gave us 'Neat, Neat, Neat'. This is the first disc of the 30th anniversary 3 CD set that I have, so sound quality is cleaned up a bit. Enjoy.

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None So Vile

Closing out the week and the C's on a crazy note with some Canadian Grindcore. Crytopsy gets some credit as being more of the more extreme bands, I use that term lightly, to come out of Canada. Fronted at one time by Lord Worm, who was known for eating worms during live shows. Crytopsy blends brutality with some really excellent drumming. 'None So Vile' is their second LP and is widely regarded as their best. From the opening scream of 'Crown Of Horns' it's a scary ride into madness. For the extreme metal fan.

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Mr. Soul

Further going off the beaten path tonight with diverse postings, decided to bring some Soul into the blog. Sam Cooke was one one the best soul singers ever. The man had a voice that could melt hearts and make you dance. His version of 'A Change Is Gonna Come' is the definitive and only version in my books. Judge for yourself it's include on probably the best single disc collection of his music. 'Portrait Of A Legend, 1951-1964' outlines his gospel roots to his many soul hits. Great collection. Just another voice we lost way too soon.

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Mad Dogs

Back end of yet another double post. Once again going in another direction. Joe Cocker has probably one of the best voices in rock. For those of you unfamiliar go watch an episode of The Wonder Years, that opening song, yeah that's him. Although for my money his Woodstock set was sublime. He swears he wasn't high during that show, I disagree, but damn that was a good gig. Anyways posting the live record 'Mad Dogs And Englishmen'. Recorded at The Filmore East in NY over two night in March of 1970 and released in August of 70. This albums features an enormous choir, horn section, and several drummers. Mainly comprised of cover tunes from rock and soul, it's Cocker's voice that makes this record what it is. Great 70's live record.

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Relentless

So I said it's gonna be a diverse week of postings and I meant it. For today it's some Taiwanese Black Metal. Gonna let that soak in some. Chthonic hails from Taiwan and has been putting out their music since the mid 90's. Probably some of the most bizarre stuff I have in my collection. 'Relentless Recurrence' blends traditional Asian musical instruments with the brutality of black metal. It's so obscure the album was released in 2002 in Taiwan only. It wasn't until SPV picked up the album and reissued it with English subtitles and new cover art in 07 that the American metal heads got a taste of the far east chaos. Like I said very diverse, for the open minded and curious listener.

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Nugget Of Fashion

Continuing on with the last of the C's this week. Got to say have a pretty wide mix of stuff lined up this week. Kicking it off with some pop/alt rock. Cake gained some mainstream attention in the late 90's with the song 'The Distance'. Love it or hate it, it was damn catchy. The band put out a few more records before the attention began to fade. But make no mistake the band is still alive and kicking and putting out new music. But for nostalgia's sake I've decided to post 'Fashion Nugget', the album is which 'The Distance' came off of. Pretty solid sophomore effort and probably my favorite Cake album. So break out the flannel jacket and enjoy a flashback.

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The Shape Of Jazz

Back end of the double posting is going to be some essential jazz. Ornette Coleman put out one of the most influential Jazz albums in 1959 with 'The Shape Of Jazz To Come'. Largely considered a masterpiece and the first avant-garde Jazz album. Not only was this album influential but it helped start the Free Jazz movement. Perfect album for someone curious about Jazz in general. Must listen for the Jazz fan.

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Robot Hive

Double posting to close out the week. First up is Clutch. An interesting blend of stoner rock/jam rock/metal. Band has been doing their thing for a number of years now. They've put out a few really good albums, but I've picked out 'Robot Hive/Exodus' for your ears to indulge in. Crazy good album full of riffs and general what? Besides how can you hate a band that has it's own beer? Oh and the beer is mighty tasty too.

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From Here To Eternity

Going back with some more Punk this week. The Clash were at one time dubbed the only band that mattered. At one point that was probably a pretty true statement. One of the more well known acts to come out of the punk movement. The Clash were the smart band of punk. They were also a really good live band. So to prove it somewhat, I'm posting 'From Here To Eternity-Live'. This album was released in 99 well after the Clash had called it a day. It features songs from over the years recorded at different venues. A few overdubs here and there, but still a great live record.

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Slowhand

Time for a Guitar God posting. Eric Clapton, what else can you say about him that hasn't already been said a million times over. The man has played is some amazing bands over the years and has had a great solo career. 'The Cream Of Clapton' covers the older stuff here. A great collection of his material through several bands.

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Group Fun

Last post going back for some punk. Circle Jerks were another one of the great punk banks to come out of the early 80's. Led by former Black Flag frontman Keith Morris. 'Group Sex' is their first LP and their best. Short, sweet, and by the time its over it leaves you wanting more. Once again, another great version of 'Wasted' on here, and of course my personal fav 'I Just Want Some Skank'. Enjoy some classic punk.

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Skeletons In The Closet

Back end of the Finnish postings finds us with some Children Of Bodom. Named after a gruesome murder in Finland, these crazy Fins have been going at it non stop for 15 years now. The band has released cover songs throughout their career. Amusing and sometimes really good the band compiled most of em into a record. 'Skeletons In The Closet' is just that, a cover album. Featuring covers of Alice Cooper, Poison, The Ramones, CCR, Britney Spears, and King Diamond to name a few. This is definitely an album not to be taken seriously. Grab a few beers and enjoy some laughs with this one.

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Songs For Sinners

Triple posting time. Double shot of Finnish bands here too. First up is Charon. A band that started out as a death metal outfit before changing to a more gothic metal approach. 'Songs For The Sinners' is Charon's final studio album. The band recently called it quits. Somber gothic metal that still maintains a heavy edge to it. Vocals for me have always been a selling point for the band. So throw on some dark eyeliner, dim the lights and enjoy the music.

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Solitary Man

Back end of the double posting I'm going with some Man In Black. That's right Johnny Cash. One of the best country musicians ever. Cash crossed over recording a series of albums dubbed the 'American Albums'. Produced by Rick Rubin, they featured very unlikely guest musicians and some interesting covers. The most famous being the cover of Nine Inch Nails 'Hurt'. They are all outstanding albums, but the one that stands out is 'American III - Solitary Man'. Covers of Tom Petty, Nick Cave, U2, and Neil Diamond to name a few on this album. Tom Petty and Sheryl Crow lend their vocal talents as well. The gem in my books here in the U2 cover of 'One'. Simply haunting and beautiful.

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Funny Man

Digging out some comedy for the first of another double post. George Carlin, what can I say that hasn't already been said about this comedic genius. Heard him first when I was in my teens, haven't stopped loving him since. Posting 'You Are All Diseased' if not just for the final track about religion. Solid hour of laughs.

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Telephone Free

New week, new letter. Time to dive headlong into the C's. Starting the week off on a offbeat note. Camper Van Beethoven is a band that's really hard to nail down to a certain genre. Think along the lines of Pop/Punk/Ska/Alt Country. Yeah that narrows it down. The band features in its ranks David Lowery. The name sounds familiar if you dig 90's alt rock band Cracker. I'm posting their first LP 'Telephone Free Landslide Victory'. Take a minute to digest that title. Great debut with some great songs. Check out their cover of 'Wasted' by Black Flag.

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