Mix CD #26 - The Music That Nobody Likes

Behold unto thee, yon mix one score and two thrices hath risen! Behold unto thee.

 I've actually really enjoyed listening to this mix a lot lately, I mean, I always do enjoy them but I think there are some cracking songs that work well together this time. You might disagree once you've listened to it but that's coo'.

There are also a few bands that I've only recently discovered too, which is nice. I like finding good new music. The Treeherder track, in particular, is one of my favourites of the year so far, you should give it a listen and if you like it, try their album.

As always, there's a link to download the mix and some waffle by me about each song. You can find both things below. 

Cheers,
Luke

Tracklisting
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - The Music That Nobody Likes
Baby Chaos - So You Think You Can Dance?
Shaolin Death Squad - Race Of The Thinkers
The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster - Psychosis Safari
Treeherder - The Worst Part
In Evil Hour - Help Me Out
Chthonic - Set Fire To The Island
Jenny Owen Youngs - Here Is A Heart
The Gourds - Luddite
Creeper - Lie Awake
Dream Theater - Outcry
Thunder - Fired Up
Cable - Land Speed Record
Strung Out - Black Maps
Mortillery - Black Friday
Tricky - Council Estate
3 Colours Red - Copper Girl
Screaming Trees - Subtle Poison
Eureka Machines - The Golden Lonely
Frenzal Rhomb - Don't Cast Asperger's On Me

You can download the mix HERE if you want.


Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - The Music That Nobody Likes
Taken from the 1993 album Post Historic Monsters

There is a long list of minor Very Important things that I don't like in songs. The Music That Nobody Likes features one of the worst; it starts straight off into the first verse, no intro, just bang, we're off. Therefore, I have attached my own little intro that's vaguely relevant but not really. See if you're geeky enough to know where it's from.
Other than the irksome start this track is great, It's the first real song on their last album as a duo, Post Historic Monsters. It's surprisingly murky and subtle compared to the more usual, bright, chirpy sound that Carter USM are known for. Jim Bob is on top form lyrically and it's stuffed full of dodgy puns, quotable-on-a-t-shirt lines and poignant social commentary. Rather predictably then, it's not really about music at all but the miserable state of the World and all that.
Oh, it fades out at the end instead of having a proper finish, which is also on The List but much further down.

Baby Chaos - So You Think You Can Dance?
Taken from the 2016 compilation album 10 Years Kicking

This Scottish Alt-Rock band originally split back around 2003 time but reformed for a one-off gig in 2010. This resulted in them doing more gigs and finally releasing a fifth album in 2015 that was as good as anything they'd done previously. This non-album track cropped up on a label sampler the following year, It's a fairly standard rocker about enjoying yourself and not being a big old miseryguts, It's an enjoyable song and a good indicator of what the band is about. 

Shaolin Death Squad - Race Of The Thinkers
Taken from the 2015 EP As You Become Us

Shaolin Death Squad are an Avant-Garde/Progressive Metal band from Texas. Their imagery isn't stereotypically Texan however, and instead draws on, actually, you know what? I'll let you work that one out for yourselves. Their music is intricate and experimental but still melodic and easy to listen to. They've released a couple of quality albums and EPs, this is from their last release, hopefully, a full, third album is on the way soon. 

The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster - Psychosis Safari
Taken from the 2002 album Horse Of The Dog

This raucous band peddled a hybrid of Horror Punk and Art Rock for a decade or so before splitting and reforming and splitting again. They take as much influence from folk like Nick Cave as they do from bands such as the Misfits. This was one of their earlier singles, it's a great song, a bit mental but great. There aren't many songs that go on about furry cups but by golly, this is one of them.

Treeherder - The Worst Part
Taken from the 2017 album A Short Cut To Mushrooms

I don't know a lot about this trio, other than they're from West Midlands, they used to be a duo and that there's another, more prominent, band called Treeherder from Santa Cruz, CA that take up most of the internet searching. Whilst noseying through dodgy download sites I liked the cover of A Short Cut To Mushrooms and downloaded it (sorry!) to give it a listen. It's actually a really good album that I've enjoyed a lot, this song, in particular, I can't get enough of. They're billed as Stoner Rock but there's also a strong influence of British Alternative Rock acts like Biffy Clyro, Kerbdog and especially Reuben (there's even a cover of Cities On Fire on the album).

In Evil Hour - Help Me Out
Taken from the 2013 album The World Bleeds Out

Whilst bobbling through youtube videos on a night shift I came across Predators by this peculiarly named band and thought "Well, that was jolly good". I did some searching about and it turns out that they're from Co. Durham where I live, it also transpires that my mate Chris, a gig promoter, has put them on a couple of times too. Small world etc. 
Anyway, They're a Melodic Hardcore/Punk band with some great songs. Alice's snarling vocals remind me of Cinder Block (Tilt/Retching Red) in places. I've recently bought a couple of CD's, which you also can do HERE. T-shirts too, if you like. I think a second album is due at some point very soon.

Chthonic - Set Fire To The Island
Taken from the 2013 album Bú-Tik

This Taiwanese band started in the mid-nineties as traditional Black Metal, albeit with the addition of various folk instruments, but over the years they've evolved a more Symphonic, Progressive sound. Their lyrics generally deal with aspects of the, often violent, tensions between Taiwan and China. Members of the band have been increasing their roles in both activism and politics, Vocalist Freddy Lim, in particular, has had a prominent role with Amnesty International and formed his own political party in 2015. 
Bú-Tik was their last proper album and it's been a few years now so, hopefully, a new album is on the horizon. I realise they're all a bit busy politically at the moment

Jenny Owen Youngs - Here Is A Heart
Taken from the 2009 album Transmitter Failure

Here Is A Heart is a moving song from this singer from New Jersey. It's about caring for someone very close who's dying of Cancer, I don't know if it's a husband, wife or parent but whichever, it's a beautiful song all the same. 

The Gourds - Luddite
Taken from the 2009 album Haymaker!

Like most people aware of this Texan band, I discovered them through their genius Bluegrass cover of Gin n' Juice. I stumbled onto this CD of theirs cheap somewhere and it turns out their own stuff is perfectly enjoyable too. Their songs often have a dry, sardonic humour to them which I enjoy. This song seems to be about Ned Ludd, begrudging leader of the Luddite Revolution in the 19th Century but I guess it could just be about someone who lost their job to a robot. It'll probably happen to us all at some point. Has John Connor been born yet?

Creeper - Lie Awake
Taken from the 2015 EP The Callous Heart

This young band from Southampton have been getting a lot of buzz since their debut EP a couple of years ago. I'd initially lumped Creeper into the same basket as bands such as Escape The Fate, Falling In Reverse, Motionless In White, etc without doing them the privilege of listening first. It turns out I was completely wrong to do so and they're hugely enjoyable Horror Punk along the lines of AFI or Alkaline Trio; there's no songs about zombies or gore but lots about relationship stuff. This song is taken from the third of three EP's they released prior to their debut Eternity, In Your Arms, which came out this March and it's definitely worth an investigate.

Dream Theater - Outcry
Taken from the 2011 album A Dramatic Turn Of Events

One of the things I really appreciate about doing these blogs is that I'm not tied to space like I would be if I were making a CD for someone. If something doesn' fit, I can just bung it on the next mix. This gives me a lot of freedom with what I put on and means I can showcase longer songs if I want and, if you've bothered with the last few mixes, you'll have noticed I've done just that. Well, here's another one for you! Dream Theater are one of the big names in Progressive Metal and I would assume the majority of people reading this blog are already familiar with them. Outcry is one of their less riff heavy songs and deals with revolution. Lyrically it all gets a bit violent but the general sentiment seems to be one that a lot of us around the world can identify with at the moment.

Thunder - Fired Up
Taken from the 1989 single Dirty Love

The first thing I owned by Thunder was a cassette single of Dirty Love, this song was on the B-side. I didn't own much music back in 1989 so I listened to it a LOT. I always thought it was a great song but when I made the transition to CD's I lost touch with this song until I finally got a hold of it a couple of years ago. It's a good, catchy Rock song, and Danny Bowes is a fine vocalist but, the thing is when I was 15/16 I didn't pay a whole of attention to lyrics unless they were written on the cassette inlay. I was also obviously naive and just thought this song was about pretty ladies. 
Now I'm old and world-weary it's quite clearly about having sex with prostitutes and perving at strippers. Additionally, when one of the featured girls is only 17 it all gets a bit weird and uncomfortable. 
Here's an essential little tidbit of trivia for you; Ben Matthews (guitar/keyboards) is an alumnus of the University I work at. So when it pops up as a question on The Chase you'll know the answer now. I bet The Beast won't.

Cable - Land Speed Record
Taken from the 1999 album Sublingual.

There are a few bands with the name Cable (and an X-Man) and all of a reasonably similar genre. This particular one were from Derby, UK and were active from the mid to late Nineties and released three albums, of which Sublingual was the third. They had a fairly unique sound, full of off-kilter, buzzing Post-Punk riffs similar to bands like Fugazi. They were also surprisingly melodic and had a lightweight edge, mainly down to Matt Bagguley's cheery, heavily accented vocals.
Land Speed Record is probably my favourite song from probably my favourite album. Probably. I love the chorus, particularly the line about breaking every rule to cover one mistake. 

Strung Out - Black Maps
Taken from the 2015 album Transmission.Alpha.Delta

Not counting NOFX, Strung Out are my favourite band associated with Fat Wreck Chords. On the face of it, they're a typical So-Cal Punk band but they're all very technically proficient and some of the arrangements and time signatures they use are almost quite proggy at times. I wouldn't go as far as to call them Prog-Punk but they're definitely the thinking person's Punk band. If you're not so thinky then they also have a knack for a catchy chorus too. 

Mortillery - Black Friday
Taken from the 2016 album Shapeshifter

Mortillery are a Thrash Band from Edmonton, Canada, they have a great, classic Thrash sound that's retro without being too derivative. I think the trouble with a lot of 80's Thrash bands was that the vocalists tended to be the weak link and, unfortunately, a lot of modern day Thrash resurgencists* follow that trend to sound authentic. Vocalist Cara McCutchen has no worries there, she has a powerful, soaring voice that's admittedly an acquired taste (think Painkiller era, Rob Halford) but definitely holds it's own. From that opening riff, this song is a monster though, sadly, it's not about mental shoppers but about a big, fuck off tornado destroying everything in its path. I'm assuming this happens on a Friday.

*I'm not entirely sure resurgencists is a word.

Tricky - Council Estate
Taken from the 2008 album Knowle West Boy

Originally in Massive Attack, Tricky quickly became one of the biggest names in the Trip Hop movement in the nineties but, unlike the majority of his contemporaries, he's still releasing quality albums culminating in last years Skilled Mechanics. This song is rare in that's almost exclusively just Tricky singing rather than a guest singer and I think it suits the song well. It's about taking pride in yourself even if you come from a shitty area with no money.

3 Colours Red - Copper Girl
Taken from the 1997 album Pure

During the late nineties, 3 Colours Red were one of the more popular Post-Wildhearts Britrock bands, all 4 singles from Pure reached the Top 40. I had a couple of singles from it, and the two albums that followed (Revolt and The Union Of Souls) but I've only recently got around to buying Pure for some reason. It's a great album and it's surprising how many of the songs I knew on it, to be honest. I never had this particular single but I always liked the song. It's a little less full on than some of their other songs but sounds like a classic. I've only just realised it only has the one verse and chorus that's repeated. Weird.

Screaming Trees - Subtle Poison
Taken from the 1989 album Buzz Factory

Screaming Trees were one of the earliest Grunge bands though they never really got the recognition they deserved. Sweet Oblivion was one of the best Grunge albums from that period and the album got them mainstream success but still doesn't have half the status of Nevermind, Ten, Badmotorfinger etc. It was actually their sixth album and their second on a major label not their debut as sme people assume. This album, Buzz Factory, was their final album to be released on SST Records and started the band's progression from Psychedelic Garage Rock to the Grungier sound they became known for. When the band split in 2000, vocalist Mark Lanegan went on to further success with Queens Of The Stone Age and, er, Mark Lanegan. It's strange to think that those fresh-faced kids in the photo above are now in their fifties!

Eureka Machines - The Golden Lonely
Taken from the 2015 album Brain Waves

You may or not remember that I featured a Chris Catalyst song on the last mix stating that he was the frontman of Leeds based Alternative Rock band Eureka Machines. Well, he is and here they are. Because I played that I've been listening to them quite a bit and wanted to include something by them. I settled on this track from their last album, the excellent Brain Waves, and it's about how money can't but you love and so forth. 

Frenzal Rhomb - Don't Cast Asperger's On Me
Taken from the 2017 album Hi-Vis High Tea

There are some songs that you can quite clearly tell the title came before the song and this is surely one of them. It's typical burst of cheerfully offensive Punk that this Aussie quartet do so well. It's a song that's about that fact that just because you're a bit weird doesn't mean you have a syndrome. There's a lovely little Country guitar solo to the end which highlights the point nicely.