Mix CD #46 - Another Fine Day

Well, here you go. I finally finished Mix 46! I'm getting proper slack with it sorry, life gets in the way and all that. I'm gonna have to get on top of it as I've got at least six or seven more playlists worth of stuff I'd like to get out this year. That's not going to happen.

Anyway, Another Fine Day is another collection of, what I think is, great music and it's reasonably eclectic. There's not too much older songs this time, I dunno about you but I'm finding the sheer volume of good stuff huge so far this year. I keep a playlist of current stuff to whittle down for my Albums Of The Year blog in December and it's almost 200 songs long already and we're only halfway through the year.

I digress. Please give the blog a read, give the music a listen and I hope you find something good/new that you like very much. I like you very much.

Cheers,
Luke
x

Tracklisting
Whatever... - Another Fine Day
Whatever - Number One
King Prawn - Seven Seas
Pool Kids - Five-Time 2nd Place Winner
Hey Satan - KO Computer
Svalbard - For The Sake Of The Breed
Better Oblivion Community Center - My City
Quarashi - Weirdo
Grosh - Refuse
The Handsome Scoundrels - Muchacho
Maximum The Hormone - A・L・I・E・N
Odette Michell - Great Old Northern Line
Disgraceland - You Deserve It
The Super Pumas - Psycho Silhouette
Through The Tides - The Walking Dead
Stonefield - In The Eve
Lady Beast - Every Giant Shall Fall
The Moondogz - Better Man
Left Lane Cruiser - Smoke Keeps Rising
Dead Kelly - Put 'Em Up Cunt
Carol Hodge - The Witch Is Dead

The link to the mp3's is HERE


Whatever... - Another Fine Day
Taken from the 1995 album Jabberwocky

I bought this CD many years ago thinking (in the dark old days, before Google and Wikipedia), that it was an album I'd not heard of by the other Whatever (see below). It wasn't.
It turned out to be some gritty US Punk from this trio from Cleveland, with guitarist Ben Wrecked and Bassist Joe Rybicki sharing lead vocals. It's a great album that's never really dropped out of my listening rotations in the 20 or so years I've had it.
Another Fine Day is one of my favourite tracks on Jabberwocky. It could be taken to be about just having a crap day but also about struggling with mental health and how it can make little problems and simple things into complicated, awful stresses.

Whatever - Number One
Taken from the 1997 album Lies & Gold Dust

This band called Whatever were from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the North of England, they're fronted by Nick Parsons and feature Stidi (formally of The Wildhearts) on drums. Both of them are now in Drama Club Rejects, who are also excellent. Just like The Wildhearts, they play a mix of Alternative Metal, Hard Rock and Punk, with big harmonies and catchy choruses Their debut album, Sugarbuzz, is probably their most well known and fondly remembered album but Lies & Gold Dust is just as good. 
Number One is about looking after yourself and being able to cope on your own. It's bright, bouncy verses give way to a slower, anthemic chorus and some big Metal riffs pop up here and there too. It's a great song from an album full of great songs.

Searching for the Facebook pages for both Whatever bands unveiled a couple of things 1) Neither band has a Facebook page and 2) there are a fucking million bands named some variation of Whatever.

King Prawn - Seven Seas
Taken from the 2019 album The Fabulous New Sounds Of...

King Prawn are a multicultural Ska Punk band from That London who incorporate a wide range of styles into their sound. They rose to prominence around the Millenium before splitting in 2003. They reformed in 2012 and The Fabulous New Sounds Of... is their first album in 16 years and Seven Seas is one of the singles from it. It's a fairly standard Ska tune but with an organic 2 Tone/Soul feel, particularly in the brass. Al Rumjen's vocals are instantly recognisable and the chorus is fantastic. It's a feelgood song about choosing love over hate and one that I've found myself listening to over and over lately.

Pool Kids - Five-Time 2nd Place Winner
Taken from the 2018 album Music To Practice Safe Sex To

There are elements of Math Rock, Emo, Prog and touches of Punk in this Floridian Indie Rock band. Their debut album from last year took me a couple of listens to get into but I've been listening to it a lot now. 

Five-Time 2nd Place Winner is sung from the viewpoint of someone coming out of an abusive relationship and trying to balance developing self-worth with hatred of their abuser. There's no real chorus to speak of, the song just slowly builds in intensity towards a raw, emotional crescendo. It's as bitter as it is resolute.

Hey Satan - KO Computer
Taken from the 2019 album Orange Moon

This Swiss trio are a melodic Stoner Rock band, along the lines of QOTSA and Fu Manchu etc. They have a ton of grooving riffs and catchy melodies. They have two guitarists and no bassist but don't seem to be any worse off for it. Orange Moon is their second album that, along with their debut, is currently Name Your Price on Bandcamp. I advise you to investigate.

KO Computer is one of their slower songs that bumbles along on an undulating, twirly riff that ramps it up for the chorus. It's a cool little song by a cool little band.

Svalbard - For The Sake Of The Breed
Taken from the 2018 album It's Hard To Have Hope

A few months ago, I saw this article about frontwomen in metal shared on facebook. I was unaware of either band (Svalbard obviously, but also Ithaca were also featured) so I listen to a few songs and both bands are pretty decent. Svalbard are, at the heart of it, a ferocious Hardcore band, the vocals are mostly harsh Black Metal screams and lyrically they're as angry and political as you'd expect. But, as ferocious as For The Sake Of The Breed is, as furious as those pounding blastbeats are, the music actually feels sedate and calming, there's almost kind of a mournful Progginess to it and I really like that juxtaposition.

Better Oblivion Community Center - My City
Taken from the 2019 album Better Oblivion Community Center

Better Oblivion Community Center are a collaboration between Conor Oberst (from Bright Eyes) and Phoebe Bridgers (from Phoebe Bridgers) Like their regular stuff, BOCC is Country and pop-tinged Indie Folk, Conor's voice is instantly recognisable, I hadn't heard of Phoebe until this album but she's got a nice voice and her solo album is also worth checking out. My City is built around a nice, carefeee guitar melody with Conor taking main vocals but Phoebe is still prominent and obvious how surprisingly well their voices mesh together. 
This might not be a new Bright Eyes album but it will do very nicely instead, ta.

Quarashi - Weirdo
Taken from the 2002 album Jinx

This is another CD I dug out of storage and hadn't heard for years, it's been good revisiting it. There are some great tracks though it's definitely of its time. Quarashi were a Rap Rock band from Reykjavik, Iceland and Jinx was their major-label debut though their fourth overall. They drew a lot of comparisons to the Beastie Boys, not only in the style of music but because Hössi Olafsson has that odd nasal squawk of a voice that Ad Rock has. 
Weirdo is one of their rockier songs and boasts the particularly enjoyable, though not very 2019, lyric: 

"They call me Mr. Boombastic, fantastic. Don't do nothin' drastic, ya spastic"

Grosh - Refuse
Taken from the 2019 album Whether Or Not You Know

Grosh are a Rock band from Buffalo, New York. There are elements of Grunge and Blues in their sound, in the latter case, particularly in Megan's strong, Bluesy vocals. Whether Or Not You Know is a solid, varied album. The standout thing on it for me is Grace's guitar playing. She has an almost Country-like twang to her tone that I love. It's especially prevalent on this track. Refuse is probably the fastest song on the album with a great rolling riff that's soaked in that twang I was on about. There's a cool, trippy midsection that sort of reminds me of Led Zep's Whole Lotta Love's weird bit too. 

The Handsome Scoundrels - Muchacho
Taken from the 2019 album Ooh La La

This trio from Alabama pump out some great Pop Punk reminiscent of 90's classics like MTX, Sicko, Boris The Sprinkler, Screeching Weasel, etc. Their songs are fun and lighthearted but sometimes there's underlying air of reflection and depth that makes them feel a little more somber or bittersweet.
Muchacho is a catchy little tune about a 'regular guy with a jetpack' who just wants to left alone but people keep expecting him to be some sort of superhero. 

Maximum The Hormone - A・L・I・E・N
Taken from the 2013 album Yoshu Fukushu

Maximum The Hormone are an Avant-Garde Metal band from Japan and are as every bit batshit mental as you'd expect them to be. A・L・I・E・N is all over the place genre-wise. Kicking off with chaotic, Proggy Hardcore with Daisuke and Ryo-Kun trading off frenetic vocal lines before dropping in a sloooooow, heavy breakdown. Halfway through, from out of nowhere, drummer Nao takes over vocals for some dreamy J-pop melodies then they all close it up with some mammoth Pop-Rock harmonies. 
I originally thought they were singing "Don't stop winning at love" but apparently it's "Stop, stop Winny Upload". The Winny Upload in question was a Japanese P2P filesharing site that was involved in a massive copyright infringement type thing, much like Napster and The Pirate Bay, etc.

Odette Michell - Great Old Northern Line
Taken from the 2019 album The Wildest Rose

Somewhat of a change of pace after Maximum The Hormone, The Wildest Rose is the debut album by this singer/songwriter from the UK and I've been listening to it quite a bit lately. She plays fairly standard Contemporary Folk but with a few touches of Country and Americana here and there. Great Old Northern Line is her new single, it's kind of about people watching on the train, and showcases little snapshots of various folks' lives. I like it a lot and the whole album, in general, is pretty good.

Disgraceland - You Deserve It
Taken from the 2019 EP EP#1

Disgraceland are a Punk n' Roll trio from the arse end of England somewhere. Ollie, the vocalist/guitarist, posted a link to their Bandcamp in The Wildhearts Facebook group so I checked them out and liked what I heard. They have a lot of similarities to, if you remember them, Groop Dogdrill in that beefed up Rockabilly/Garage Punk/Grunge hybrid sound thing.
You Deserve It is the opening track and kicks right in with an urgent riff that doesn't let up and it's about a not very nice person getting their comeuppance.
EP#1 is a fine little EP and I hope EP#2 (or LP#1 even) comes along shortly.

The Super Pumas - Psycho Silhouette
Taken from the 2019 album Ambient Animal

Another trio, this time an Alternative Rock band from Inverclyde in Scotland. I'm not sure how I stumbled onto them, to be honest, but I'm sure it was the name that piqued my interest. This is a really good album with strong songs and big choruses. Psycho Silhouette utilises the quiet/loud dynamic well and has one of those previously mentioned big choruses and a menacing riff. It's one of their more aggressive songs and reminds me of Therapy? and early Manic Street Preachers in places. 

Through The Tides - The Walking Dead
Taken from the 2019 album Through The Tides

The first of three (farken) Aussie bands this month, Through The Tides are a Thrashy Metalcore band from Melbourne who released their debut album earlier this year. It's a slamming album and every track is decent. There are a few clean vocals but they're sparse as, vocalist, Bradley would rather risk rupturing something as he roars and snarls his way through. There were several tracks suitable for inclusion so, obviously, I went for the one called The Walking Dead. Remember when that was good?

Stonefield - In The Eve
Taken from the 2018 album Far From Earth

With a name like Stonefield, it's probably no surprise that they're a 70's inspired, Psych-Rock/Stoner band with fuzzy guitars and psychedelic organs. What IS unusual is that they're four young sisters from a tiny village in South-East Australia. In The Eve is all about getting off your tits with friends and has a weird, unsettling feel to it, kind of Culty and I mean like Jim Jones, not Ian Astbury. It sounds like it was recorded in 1971 and someone gave them the brown acid. I absolutely love this song and can't get enough of it just lately. Check out the inexplicably creepy video for it. I kept waiting for it to cut to some bloke strung up for human sacrifice, sadly/thankfully that doesn't happen.
They released their fourth album, Bent, last month and that's ace too.

Lady Beast - Every Giant Shall Fall
Taken from the 2017 album Vicious Breed

Lady Beast are from Pittsburgh and are a Metal with a sound that lies somewhere between traditional Heavy Metal and NWOBHM. Deborah Levine is a powerhouse of a vocalist, avoiding the shrieks and operatics that a lot of the men in this genre tend to go for, instead, she just relies on the strength of her voice which is deep and commanding.
Kicking off with galloping riff and twin guitar melody that's pure Maiden, Every Giant Shall Fall tells the tale of a tribe of humans at war with giants, desperately trying to survive until morning when the sunlight will turn the giants to stone. It's a great song, catchy and head nodding. I've been meaning to put it on one of these mixes for a while now but it's been another song that keeps getting bumped for something else. Not today, little bird.


The Moondogz - Better Man
Taken from the 2019 EP Resurgence E.P.

Formally known as Irwell, The Moondogz changed their name after new guitarist (and friend of the blog) Gaz Morgan joined, beefing up their sound somewhat. Personally, I thought Irwell was a little nondescript and forgettable so I welcomed the change, I'm still a bit dubious about that Z though.
Resurgence is their first release under this name and Better Man was the lead track from it. The fuzzy intro brings to mind old 90's Britpop but when the main riff kicks in there' also elements of Hard Rock and Alternative Rock. The chorus isn't huge but sometimes they don't need to be, Better Man is plenty memorable as it is. Frontman Ant Machin has a simple but versatile voice that's suited to singing old Classic Rock songs as it is to Indie Rock. Better Man is a cool track from a promising EP.

Left Lane Cruiser - Smoke Keeps Rising
Taken from the 2019 album Shake And Bake

I hadn't heard of this Blues Rock band until I stumbled onto this album earlier this year. They're just a duo with Joe on guitar and lead vocals and Pete on drums and Shake And Bake is actually about their eleventh album. They sound a little like a livelier Seasick Steve, with having that ramshackle, homemade feel to them. Joe's voice is impressively gravelly and his slide guitar very slidy. Shake and Bake sounds great played too loud in the car, at work and just in general. They're a great band that I wish I'd discovered sooner.

Dead Kelly - Put Em Up Cunt

Taken from the 2018 single Put Em U, Cunt

If you were in any way unsure, Dead Kelly are the third of the Aussie bands featured on this mix. They're essentially a Metalcore band but they're much more aggressive and confrontational in approach. I love how prominent Pine Cone Throat's accent is, it somehow gives their anger more authenticity as well giving the band a distinct identity.
On the face of it, Put Em Up, Cunt might seem like a bone-headed fight anthem but it's actually a surprisingly positive song about standing up against all the rubbish shit life throws your way and not letting it dictate who you are.
They've got a couple of albums, an EP and some other bits and pieces (not this song though, I had to acquire it through illicit means) up to download free on their website if you like Put Em Up Cunt.

Carol Hodge - The Witch Is Dead
Taken from the 2018 album Hold On To That Flame

Carol spends a lot of her working time in the backing bands of artists such as Ginger Wildheart, Ryan Hamilton and Steve Ignorant but, at the tail end of last year, she released her debut solo album and after one listen it soon clear she deserves to be centre stage herself. Hold On To That Flame is a brilliant album, mostly just Carol and her piano, She's has a great voice and is an excellent songwriter; clever, emotive lyrics that are often sociopolitical in nature but never supercilious in well structured, catchy songs. 
The Witch Is Dead is about, er, the death of a witch. That, and how, no matter how wicked she was, does she have family and loved ones who mourn her passing? Would a mother still love her? I might be wrong but I think it might be about Margaret Thatcher, a lot of people were pleased when she died, so much so that there was a campaign to get Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead into the charts to celebrate. It seemed in poor taste to me but then, I've never been a miner.