voice to the useless

2011-07-10T23:51:00.001-07:00

Martyrdod (Martyrdӧd):

Origin of M:

Slowmotions:

Crazy Spirit:

No Statik:

Burning Leather:

Doom w/ Hellshock @ Branx: Portland Oregon May 30, 2011

2011-07-10T23:43:00.000-07:00

Doom video (doom is fucking d-beat now, oi!)

Hellshock 2011:

Ain't it just a ripoff:

What the fuck is punk anyway?

2009-08-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

So, over the years people have beat themselves to death trying to define the subculture/counterculture/music/movement/lifestyle/fashion of punk.

Of course, the first logical stop in the journey is our noble source of divine information in the age of the internet, wikipedia. Typing "punk" into the search engine yields these results:

"Punk may refer to:
Punk rock, an anti-establishment rock music genre
Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock
Punk fashion, clothing styles associated with the punk subculture
Punk ideologies, a group of social and political beliefs associated with the punk subculture
Punk visual art, artwork associated with the punk subculture
Punk (magazine), a 1970s United States punk fanzine
Punk (fireworks), a utensil for lighting fireworks
Punk, an archaic term for prostitute, as used by Shakespeare
Punk, one of the Mega Man Killers, robots in the Mega Man Classic video game series
"Punk", a single from the 2003 album Right of Way by Ferry Corsten
"Punk", a song from the band Gorillaz's debut album "

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk taken on 08/06/2008.

At the basis I think that the problem in defining punk as an umbrella term is that it can't be defined in that manner. Rather, punk exists in 2 different manifestations: punk as subculture and punk as counterculture.

Punk does exist as simply a group of different people who adapt whatever branch of punk fashion and can actually believe politically, socially, and culturally in any sort of system--whether they're republican, anarchist, or simply the "punk's about doing whatever the fuck you want, whenever the fuck you want!!! blarghh!!!!!!!!!!". This is the punk as subculture situation that many of the people you run into within the scene are existing.

The reason those who believe in punk as a revolutionizing force become so frustrated with the scene in general. The people who exist in the left-wing, anarchist, feminist, etc. side of punk are usually hardworking, organized, and informed individuals, and are easily jaded and alienated by the subculture side of punk. This is because in being a part of the counterculture side it is hard to understand or empathize with the subculture side. If the countercultural side didn't exist, there would barely even be a scene for the subcultural side to exist in at all. They would simply be left with commercial shows at the bigger venues with Social Distortion, The Misfits, and whatever other Clear Channel/Ticketmaster/Target-core bands are out there riding punks to the bank-alongside the shitty nihilist/GG Allin local punk shows where the bands just play to their friends at bars. Left to the subculture the DIY scene doesn't exist, and there are no smaller bands from around the world touring smaller bars, DIY venues, and basements/houses.
That is the base of the frustration of the counterculture against the mantra of the scum fuck "punk's all about not giving a shit, and doing what you want" punk. And, the goal of the countercultural punk is to remedy that frustration by attempting to educate-via various media-others about alternative ways of living, being open-minded and feminist, and political and social organization.

I am not insane--I would never be as bold as to say that the subculture will be swayed by the counterculture into being more radically minded. A lot of people that end up in the subculture are just alcoholics who like the music and fashion and could care less about anything else. But, the frustration will always exist as long as there are two conflicting branches within the punk scene. Hopefully, though, the countercultural side will always be willing to work to convert sub to counter, because it is worth while, and there are converts won everyday. It is hard and depressing at times though, especially when the subcultural side is hellbent on their apolitical and apathetic stance. Being apolitical and apathetic create a long line of problems, but one consistent element (and for some reason this is specific to the punk and oi! scenes) is to allow those on the radical right to have a place within the scene which is neither alright nor safe for the scene at all, ever.

Oh well, this rant is complete, and probably should, and might be edited at some point. But, there are my thoughts on defining punk.
The subculture are those who like punk and adapt listening to the music and potentially attending shows, adapting the fashion, but refrain from any of the social/political aspects of the movement-and are often apolitical and apathetic.
The counterculture are those who are not only attracted to the music and fashion, but also immerse themselves in anarchist or left wing movements, and often work within the punk scene in booking, promotion, and/or creating and maintaining alternative spaces to host events.

Dictionary.com:
coun·ter·cul·ture: -noun: the culture and lifestyle of those people, esp. among the young, who reject or oppose the dominant values and behavior of society.
coun·ter·cul·ture: n. A culture, especially of young people, with values or lifestyles in opposition to those of the established culture.

subculture: A group within a society that has its own shared set of customs, attitudes, and values, often accompanied by jargon or slang. A subculture can be organized around a common activity, occupation, age, status, ethnic background, race, religion, or any other unifying social condition, but the term is often used to describe deviant groups, such as thieves and drug users.
sub·cul·ture: n. A cultural subgroup differentiated by status, ethnic background, residence, religion, or other factors that functionally unify the group and act collectively on each member.
sub·cul·ture: -noun: the cultural values and behavioral patterns distinctive of a particular group in a society.

1-800 Back in blogger land dot com

2009-07-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling really lazy, and have been so tied up in working...my job and in the music scene that I haven't really done much writing or written reflection or anything like that. So here's a shot at restarting this.
I've noticed that working full-time, having a band, and booking/promoting shows pretty much eats up an entire life. I definitely miss the grad-school days where I just had to be a student, barely worked, and had plenty of free time for side-projects and taking care of myself and my house. Now I only really have a couple free hours a day to try and feed myself, hang out, and clean...lame...but I'm partially paying for the mistake of not working much during grad-school. Hopefully I get into a PhD program--though that would be the same as a full-time job, but actually be somewhat fulfilling.

I have decided not to attend my 10 year high school reunion. After deliberating with a few friends who thought I was ridiculous for even considering it, I agreed and got drunk @ the Gypsy Hut instead of ordering a ticket. It made me kind of reflect on that time in my life, and I realized a few simple things when I looked at the list of people that were going.
-I don't really know many people from high school that I ever pursued a relationship past acquaintance.
-I counted the days until graduation.
-I do not miss high school at all, and don't regret missing my prom or homecoming dances.
-Anyone I did want to maintain a relationship with I still have contact with, and for the few I have a slight curiosity about aren't going to the reunion anyway...probably because they care about it about as much as I do.

I also never get 2 weekend days off in a row on a weekend, so I'm going to go actually have fun somewhere besides Cincinnati!!!
I feel bad, because I like the organizers, and want their even to succeed, but I have good friends that run punk shows around town that I don't even make it to, and I have a greater vested interest in doing that moreso than anything affiliated with the horror that is the high school experience.
Besides, I'm a city guy--I've been like that my entire life. I need an inherently social atmosphere in my environment, if there's a party in the 'burbs and it's not at my parents' house, chances are I won't be there.

Fighting Dogs-2005 Summer Tour Pre-Release CD

2007-04-20T01:05:00.000-07:00

Fucking brutal crusty-hardcore-punk out of Philly and Baltimore. Fighting Dogs bring a heavy and intense technical hardcore to the punks. Trade-off female and male vocals round out the sound (and both are super-interesting and original) that is carried by the constantly chugging strings backed by a solid and interesting drummer--then all the sudden there are crazy leads out of nowhere. I love this fucking EP-CD...check this band out if you can, you'll love yourself for doing it. Cut off all of your sleeves, throw away all your shirts that aren't black, get out your sewing machines and taper your jeans, Fighting Dogs is coming!

Graves at Sea/Asunder split CD

2007-04-20T00:34:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful mix of sludge and doom on one disc. Graves at Sea starts off the album with 2 tracks of brutal destruction coming in on around 22:00 minutes total. Brutal funky beats that basically epitomize contemporary sludge. "Pariah" starts out with crazy vocals and great sounding heavy drums and guitars, then switches to a 'witch' sounding vocal that startles and amazes as the song moves along the stoner-sludge riffage. I love this fucking track. "Reclamation" keeps the momentum going. It is another great sludge song chock-full-o-riffage that makes me want to start a band tomorrow. This song starts off with more brutal riffage and vocals, and stays pretty slow, then works into some breakdown parts, and works back and forth between those 2 contexts. It's a great follow up to "Pariah".

Asunder keeps it classic with a doom metal track called "Whited Sepulcher". Clocking in at one second shy of 19:00 minutes this track will fulfill every doomy intuition you've ever had. There are some seriously sick funk riffs at times...I love them, mixed with your favorite (doom) metal methods.

As a whole I love Graves at Sea, and respect Asunder for what they're doing...but can't get into the music that Asunder is making as much as I can for Graves at Sea. Check out this split, it's worth your time.

Graves at Sea myspace
Asunder myspace

Noothgrush: "Erode The Person"

2006-12-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

Kings of sludge, Noothgrush, just released their second collection of tracks recorded in 1997-1998. Some tracks were previously unreleased, but most are from 7"s, splits, tour CD's, and various other formats. They broke up in 2001, and unfortunately, I don't think I picked up anything of theirs until that point--I usually don't find out about sweet bands until they are already broken up.

The disc starts out with "A People Defeated Will Never Be United" which is definitive Noothgrush, funky rhythms and guitar-work slowly trudging along with vocals that you can tell are for real--unlike a lot of the "screamy" bands gracing the TV screens and magazines today who simply turn the volume up on some throaty whispers. For a collection this one, and the first, "Failing Early, Failing Often vol. 1" definitely fit together like an album. If you didn't investigate further than popping the CD you wouldn't know that this was a collection of a couple years' worth of material spread across a handful of releases.

It's a slow, doomy, depressing tribute to the idea that things will only get worse, and that we are all a part of the problem. Definitely one of the best sludge bands ever--this CD is chock full o' classic sludge hits.

Noothgrush on myspace

Kid Ginseng "Blesse CD EP"

2006-11-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

Um...what the fuck can I say? This EP is fucking awesome--straight outta Westport, CT. Kid Ginseng blends together the artistic electronic-synth-pop-rock sound in a way that destroys everything the Faint was trying to do. The first two tracks off of the "Blesse" EP are great electro-synth-punk songs . They get you dancing, and his low-end heavy voice mixed with a kind of "stuffy nose" sound really carries the songs along, and sounds great, and lulls you into a trance. I couldn't find any lyrics anywhere, otherwise you'd get some serious quotage right now. The third track "Boom Boom Kid Song (featuring Anat Ben-David)" sounds like Eve Libertine brough some old material off of the old "Penis Envy" album and had Kid Ginseng we-write Crass' music electronically. Think "Poison in a pretty pill". The fourth track is a collaboration with Jonny Steady that takes a more purely electronic sound. And the fifth is what seems to be a return to his roots of using video game samples mixed with manipulated horror sounds.

His live shows also look off the chain.

If the Refused didn't so pretentiously name their last album "The Shape of Punk to Come" it could've definitely been the title of Kid Ginseng's next release (and it wouldn't be a lie) . Especially if it was a split-release on a zip disk with Mother 33 from Russelville, Arkansas.

"Blesse" is on La La Land Records
You can get it in the US here: Sacred Plague Records
Check out Kid Ginseng's myspace for the jams: myspace.com/kidginseng

score: 3/5

MC Copulation "I Trust My Boner, etc."

2006-10-31T15:01:00.000-08:00

This is basically the best white-dude-hip-hop album I've ever heard in my life. It's 20.5 minutes of off-the-muthafuckin-hook rhymes over electronic beats. The beats sound kind of like DJ Shadow or Kid606, but with more straight-forward rhythms like Spank Rock or the Faint. So, basically it's the white kid version of the Deltron 3030 album.
The shining point of the album for me is in the track "I Fucked A Computer" where MC Copulation raps about fucking a computer alongside an exchange between him and the classic cpu voice. The lyrics are awesome on all the tracks, and the extreme sexuality paired with the über-extreme nerd-core themes make for, possibly, the album of the decade.

http://copulation.destructo.org/
I Fucked A Computer.mp3
A Reflexive Anthem.mp3

score: 3/5

Acme "...to reduce the choir to one soloist"

2006-10-29T20:06:00.000-08:00

I guess when Acme first started their onslaught of mid-tempo-metallic-hardcore it actually fit into more of a sludge category. Currently sludge is a lot slower than what is on this album. Acme hails from Bremen, Germany and if I had to guess, was probably around for 3 years or so. I found out about this band from a friend who was more into the underground hardcore punk and metal coming out in the mid-90's. I actually ended up finding it on Wal-Mart's website (apparently Edison Recordings has some serious distribution) through google searches, and couldn't find it anywhere else (and didn't care as much about anything at the time) so got it via Wal-Mart online, which is hilarious-to me anyway. All the information I'm writing on these guys comes from mostly second-hand sources, but I'll give it a shot. This is a discography of stuff that Acme put out on a 7", some compilations, etc. It came out in 1996, but the material is from the early to mid-90's formed by members of Systral, Carol, and Morser.

I poked around a bit on the internet to see what others had to say about it, and pretty generic references are made to sludge and Eye Hate God and the like. But, as far as sludge goes these guys don't fuck around with the stoner metal Black Sabbath guitar work that's typical for the genre. They play heavy as hell hardcore with metal riffage that doesn't show intense experimentation or genre destroying innovation, but instead, exactly what should happen happens. Depending on what sort of bill they played on you could probably find kids doing windmills or burning blunts and headbanging. However, the borderline "mosh" parts aren't complete and utter musical bullshit signature to a mosh-core genre. Instead they have a couple layers of guitar that allows for some lead guitar work over the chugs and juds. They also mix up these parts by not riding on open "E" chords all day, but actually showing some craftsmanship. The drums are constantly hammering along, and always tight, with some skillfully placed double-kick (which is often way overused, misused, and abused). Sound-wise it's probably a more straight-forward and faster version of Ire with more metal guitar, some crazy old-school Dillinger Escape Plan guitar sounds, but obviously not as techy, and some Catharsis type feels are accomplished by the contrast as the album progresses, which I can respect in a discography-style album. The vocals are really throaty, and he sounds like he's out to brutalize his vocal chords (which I always love since there are so many kids out there that just fake it), and more mid to high in pitch of scream. The lyrics are very socio-poetic, and in English, not German.

Basically, the songs go from fast in your face blast parts, to brutal breakdowns, and sweet mid-tempo parts that carry the songs where they should go, so check it out.

Attempt.mp3
Repress.mp3

score: 4/5