Man Is the Bastard - Abundance of Guns (1992)

Yeah yeah yeah everyone knows Man Is the Bastard but this shit doesn't get much attention for some reason. I always liked them most at their most primal with the vocals pushed forward in the mix (Our Earth's Blood, anyone?) and that's exactly what you get with this one. At first I only liked those first really short fucking ragers but now I'm all FOREVER HAS BEGUN 24/7 straight up. This whole thing is the shit.

SOCIETY CONDONES YOUR DEATH

Lack of Interest - Take Another Step (2006)

This album is better than the more well known Trapped Inside, a powerviolence classic. It doesn't have the crazy awesome vocals of that other album but makes up for it with piercing guitar work and an appropriate production job. Trapped Inside is just a bit too muddy for their style, though still a good album. This one grows on me with each listen, really charming and fun in some way and very impressive for coming 7 years after their classic. Also has one of the illest album covers of all time.

TAKE ANOTHA STEP

Young Gangstas - Pre-Meditated Gangstarism (1995)

This is the best rap album I’ve heard in months. It has this beautifully consistent dark atmosphere which I think is the best complement to G-funk synths and attitude. There are zero duds. Simple lyrics, great beats, and consistency. Seriously perfect. You always think it’s going to drop off with the next song but it never does. If you’re a lyrics-stickler or no fun, you might not like it, but otherwise I doubt it’s possible to dislike. Unfairly obscure.

 the only thing ya swingin on is nuts when i drop you

Rigor Mortis

Hello mortals, time for a resurrection in this bitch. Starting a group blog can be disappointing because you don't know if people are going to post or not. So I'm just going to start posting stuff, probably about once a week, and if the others want to come back and post at some point they can. Gonna drop most of the pretense of the extraordinarily convoluted bullshit I wrote about some of those albums. Even capitalization is kind of annoying me right now, we'll see how this works out. Anyway, I'll be posting some cool shit so pay attention if like me you're a fan of cool shit.

Lee Hazlewood - Love and Other Crimes

This was such a bad post it just needed it to be gone. Suffice it to say this is a classic and you should have this in your life.

By the way, that fucking mustache

Monoton - Monotonprodukt 07

Extremely dense, atmospheric dark ambient that sounds like it was recorded 30 years later than its retro synths would suggest. Makes me think of a colder, darker Tangerine Dream + scawy German vocals. Definitely recommended for fans of minimalist drone type stuff.


sfisok

Doris Duke - I'm a Loser

In my limited exposure to soul, this album has been singular in consistency and emotional resonance. Though the story of the album concerns a woman desperately lost in life, the production is beautifully varied in mood. Doris Duke herself demands attention with a voice simultaneously powerful and always warning of shattering (if you'll forgive the strange, strange comparison, it is the same captivating balance which Max Varnier struck on Last Tape Before Doomsday). The general sentiment of the album is one of melancholy but it is executed by sensible musicians whose restraint and good taste keep this from being kitsch.

I don't know if I'm better off alive or dead