Here is the mighty twenty fifth mix! Only another seventy five and I'll have done a hundred, whoop! I'm not that sure I've got the songs for that, to be honest. In fact, I'm not totally sure I could do another twenty five. Still, it's a milestone of sorts so jolly good and all that.
The mix this time is another with no unifying theme other than "These songs are ace, you should listen to them" and they are and you should. There's a reasonable amount of variety to be had, I guess Erasure and Crypticus don't feature on many things together, but it's all good stuff.
The cover art is a photo of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man who was beaten to death by homophobes in 1998. I loved the photo and it kind of tied in with the Apes, Pigs And Spacemen song so I used both for this mix.
Since I started writing this particular blog last week, there's been the bombing at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, the execution of a bus full of Christians, some of which were children, in Egypt, the stabbing to death of two men trying to stop Anti-Muslim abuse in Oregan and another suicide bombing in a church in Israel. The tragedies and atrocities keep mounting and it's getting to be a pretty depressing time, one that's probably not going to get a peaceful conclusion if any.
I guess songs like Do I Need This?, The Struggle and Cathedral are as relatable today as when they were written 15-20 years ago. They shouldn't be.
Apes, Pigs & Spacemen - Do I Need This?
Mary Bell - Waste
The Briggs - Train Of Thought
The Wildhearts - Schizophonic
Drain S.T.H. - I Don't Mind
She Loves Pablo - Ain't No Blossom Here
Blueline Medic - Cathedral
Scott Sorry - Give It
Crooked Saws - Bad Luck
Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Song Eleven Could Last Forever
Amorphis - Shaman
Erasure - Drama!
The Band With Rocks In - She Won't Change Her Mind
Chris Catalyst - I Need You Around
Black Train Jack - The Struggle
The Company Band - Company Man
Devin Townsend - Ocean Machines
Crypticus - Rogues In The Haunt Of Horrors
Sarah Shook & The Disarmers - No Name
There's blurb about each track below and you can download the mix
HERE if you need this.
Cheers,
Luke
x
Apes, Pigs & Spacemen - Do I Need This?
Taken from the 1997 album
Transfusion
One of many great British bands of the '90's that made up the Britrock scene spearheaded by The Wildhearts. But where many of their peers headed down a melodic Punk/Metal route, Apes, Pigs & Spacemen had more of a Grunge flavour to them. Their debut album, Transfusion is full of quality songs that have aged well. They had a bit of bother with line-up changes with vocalist Paul Miro being, I think, the only constant. The albums that followed this were both pretty good but didn't quite match Transfusion I don't think.
This song is probably their most well known and is about society's apathy towards war, violence and tragedy; how we're more bothered about how it inconveniences you. "Tch typical, 3 car pile up, that's ME being late to work then!"
Mary Bell - Waste
Taken from the 2017 album
Mary Bell
This vitriolic Parisians spew out angry, fairly lo-fi, Post Punk/Art Rock in short bursts. I'm really enjoying their debut album that you can download from Bandcamp on a name your price basis HERE Their name comes from the 11-year-old girl who strangled two toddlers to death in the 1960's, mutilating the corpse of one. Lovely
The Briggs - Train Of Thought
Taken from the 2001 album
Is This What You Believe?
Following a conversation in the Facebook group Punk Rock Junkie Project about this band, I dug this CD out of the attic and gave it the first listen in years. I was surprised that a) I remembered every song on it and b) how good they were. The band have released a few albums since this and they're a little more polished and professional now but I don't think Is This What You Believe? loses anything in its raggedness. This song always puts a smile on my face and, after 10+ years, the chorus popped straight back into my head with just one glance at the CD, let alone a listen.
The Wildhearts - Schizophonic
Taken from the 1996 album
Fishing For Luckies
As I mentioned briefly before, The Wildhearts kickstarted an entire genre back in 1991 and are still my joint favourite band (along with Savatage and Half Man Half Biscuit) and their lasting influence on me is evidenced by the fact that (including AP&S) there are four other Wildheart related acts on this mix alone. This song is about listening to music because you enjoy it not because it's cool, popular or because of what people think etc. It perfectly showcases their ability to blend various forms of Rock music. There are elements of Punk, Metal, Pop and Prog in this beast of a song and it's one of their classics. They have a lot of classics, mind.
Drain S.T.H. - I Don't Mind
Taken from the 1996 album
Horror Wrestling
This all-female, Swedish band released two quality albums of heavy Grunge back in the late '90's before splitting in 2000. They're often quite slow, dirgy and almost Doom Metal in their execution. This song was the opening track on their debut album and it's a mid-paced crunch, slightly reminiscent of Alice In Chains. Vocalist Maria Sjoholm is married to Tony Iommi and I guess his, quite famous, band are an influence too.
She Loves Pablo - Ain't No Blossom Here
Taken from the 2009 album
Mother Of All
This Croatian band featured in my top albums of 2016 mixes with Try Mandarin but their previous two albums were also pretty good too. This song starts with a gentle intro that soon morphs into a massive Stoner Rock riff. I've myself singing both the riff and the song's running refrain of 'I ain't dying' all this week.
Blueline Medic - Cathedral
Taken from the 2001 album
The Apology Wars
As far as I'm aware, this Australian Alt-Rock/Emo band are still going but, as I only have this one CD, I should probably get the others because The Apology Wars, is a well-written thoughtful album and Donnie Dureau has an instantly recognisable tone to his voice, kind of a like a soft gravel if that makes sense? Like Brian Fallon off of The Gaslight anthem. This is the opening track and one of the more energetic songs on the album, a lot of it is quite subdued and mid-paced.
Scott Sorry - Give It
Taken from the 2016 album When We Were Kings
One of the several artists connected to The Wildhearts on the mix; Scott is the current/former/it’s complicated bassist in The Wildhearts. Previous to that he was in chaotic US Punks, Amen. He also fronted Sorry & The Sinatras who I've featured previously and who pretty similar in style to this album. It's Rock n' Roll influenced Punk along the lines of Social Distortion etc. There's a definite Wildhearts kick to some of the songs, such as this one, too.
Crooked Saws - Bad Luck
Taken from the 2015 album
This Machine Sells Cars
I think this band might have actually just broken up as their name on Facebook just changed to Jesse Revel. They were pretty much a one man band anyway so I don't suppose it matters all that much. Jesse plays a twisted, smokey version of the Blues with some occasional distortion and power chords. I loved This Machine Sells Cars when it came out and still listen to it regularly. This song was a highlight for me
Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Song Eleven Could Last Forever
Taken from the 1995 album
Brainbloodvolume
This was one of the CDs I'd dug out of the attic last Month, as I mentioned in my previous blog (and in the bit about The Briggs above). I've not heard it in years and I'd forgotten what a good album this is. It was a little more mature and experimental than the two that came before but in a good way thankfully. This song utilises their unique twin bass thing well and I love that duggaduggadugga bit.
Amorphis - Shaman
Taken from the 2007 album Silent Waters
This Finnish band used to be a straight up Death Metal band but since the arrival of vocalist Tomi Joutsen they've pursued a more Gothic, Progressive path. Whether it's his death growl or clean singing voice, Tomi's vocals are impressive, as are the six albums they've released since he joined. They're both anthemic and atmospheric, with lyrics based around Finnish folklore and legends. Shaman is a good example of that.
Erasure - Drama!
Taken from the 1989 album
Wild!
I've always loved Erasure, even in my most militant Metal phase I couldn't not. I guess that's as close to a guilty pleasure as I get. Maybe Michael Jackson. Anyway, it's hard not to love their ridiculously catchy melodies and occasionally witty lyrics. This song isn't quite as immediate as some of their bigger hits, Blue Savannah, Oh L'Amour and yes, A Little Respect for example but it's an insidious little song that worms its way into your head. It also boasts the very enjoyable lyric 'God only knows the infinite complexities of love'
The Band With Rocks In - She Won't Change Her Mind
Taken from the 1996 album
Soul Music
In 1994 Terry Pratchett released the 16th Discworld novel, Soul Music, in which a young man from Llamedos acquires a guitar possessed by the primordial music that created the universe. It wants to reshape reality and destroy the world etc, it gains more influence the more it's played. Death and his daughter, Susan, become involved and try to save the day. In 1996 an animated film was of it was made and a soundtrack released. A lot of the music was weird psychedelia but there are a few poppier gems in there, much like this one, which is more jangly, 60's Pop. There should have been more like this cos it's a great song.
Chris Catalyst - I Need You Around
Taken from the 2017 album
Life Is Often Brilliant
Life Is Often Brilliant is the debut solo album by the Eureka Machines frontman and moves away from EM's Punk/Pop Metal to more of a Britpop feel. It's an excellent album and hanging around the top of my faves this year. I Need You Around was one of the Pledge exclusive tracks and not actually featured on the main release. I find it strange it was omitted because it's one of my favourites, it's about loving someone and not telling them enough. It's actually closer in sound to a Eureka Machines song than a lot of the other tracks, maybe that's why it was left off? I dunno.
Black Train Jack - The Struggle
Taken from the 1995 album You're Not Alone
This Melodic Hardcore band from New York released a couple of albums in the early '90's. I don't listen to No reward too much, but You're Not Alone has stayed with me and I often play it still. You're Not Alone was quite eclectic and had a few slower songs that worked well. I think it helped that Ernie was a talented guitarist and Rob a classically trained singer. The Struggle is one of the more straightforward Punk songs on the album and is about a man coming to terms with the fact that the hatred and racism he's grown up with maybe isn't the right way to go about things,
The Company Band - Company Man
Taken from the 2005 album
Sign Here, Here And Here
The Company band are a Stoner Rock supergroup featuring members of Clutch, Fireball Ministry, Fu Manchu and CKY. They peddle a fairly no-nonsense, Stoner Rock with the emphasis on Rock. I would hazard a guess they were they Neil Fallon's impetus (hoho, in-joke for Clutch fans) for steering Clutch back down a more Rockier path, away from the Bluesier style they'd been dabbling in for a couple of albums. Clutch's Earth Rocker came out the year after The Company Band's final EP Pro's And Cons and is pretty similar in style
Devin Townsend - Ocean Machines
Taken from the 1996 album
Ass-Sordid Demo's 1990-1996
More Prog Metal genius from this Canadian loon. I think it was recorded just after the album Ocean Machine: Biomech which would explain why this semi-title track wasn't included. Instead, it wound up on the first of two collections of Demo's he released. Whilst it's definitely unfinished, he tends to produce demo's of a higher standard than usual so the quality is pretty decent. For such a long song it's based around quite an aggressive and driving riff. I'd have loved to have seen a completed version of this on the album, probably instead of The Death Of Music which was a bit of a throwaway track in any case.
Crypticus - Rogues In The Haunt Of Horrors
Taken from the 2014 album
The Barrens
Whilst I do enjoy Death Metal, I tend to find it very samey and stick with bands that have some individuality; bands you can instantly recognise when you hear them, e.g. Septicflesh, Behemoth, Abysmal Dawn and Crypticus. Patrick Bruss does everything but the drums and 'sings' in a ridiculously guttural voice that I can't even begin to emulate. The majority of his songs tend to be quite fast paced and also quite short. He churns out some great riffs too which is never a bad thing.
Sarah Shook & The Disarmers - No Name
Taken from the 2017 album
Sidelong
a few weeks ago I had the radio on in the car and it was Whispering Bob Harris' Country show (I put the radio on when I have company, it tends to go down better than my usual music). A lot of it really 'wasn't my thing' but one song stood out that I really liked, it was by Sarah Shook. I can't remember what the actual song was but knew it was from this album, thankfully the whole thing is great! She has an interesting warble in her voice that sounds almost like she's laughing.
This particular song evokes old Johnny Cash style songs like A Boy Named Sue etc. that were about sharpshooters in the Old West. It's about a sharpshooter in the Old West.
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