Mix CD #53 - What's The Alternative To The Alternative?

Hello folks, remember me? It's been a good while since the last blog update sorry. For most people the Covid-19 lockdown is a chance for increased productivity with blogs and podcasts and other assorted amusements but, as I do the majority of my writing on company time, I'm finding it hard to make time for it with family stuff and, er, Skyrim. 
Due to my little lad being high risk I'm gonna be off work until everything is alright again so it'll be a while until (my already erratic and lackadaisical) normal service is resumed.

Anyway, this blog. There's no theme as is the norm these days, just some great music. There are artists from all over the world, including six from Australia alone. I seem to be listening to a whole load of Antipodean bands at the moment but it seems to be a particularly fertile source of new, exciting music so expect more on the next blog!

I dunno why it's taken me so long to think of it but I've also included a link to every artist's Facebook page. Just click on their name down where all my blurb is, ta...

Cheers,
Luke
x

Tracklisting
Local Resident Failure - What's The Alternative To The Alternative?
Sky Valley Mistress - Lost In Shock
Rotzak - The Big Leap
Baby Chaos - The Wild Beast
Lunachicks - The Day Squid's Gerbil Died
Southern Empire - Forest Fire
Krosis - Battles Are Won Within
Angie McMahon - Pasta
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Which Way To Go
Huntsmen - Colossus
Knock Off - Labels
Cherry Lips - Messin' Around
Puta Volcano - Sugar Cube
DEgITx - Grim Reaper
Press Club - How Can It Not Be Love?
Stella Donnelly - Allergies
Juggernaut Stomp - Appalachian Mama
Sallow Moth - Ancient Grudge
New Bomb Turks - Minimum Wages Of Sin
Blackwater Holylight - Lullaby

You can download the mix HERE
You can listen to it on Spotify HERE.
Annoyingly, the only track not available on Spotify is the bloody title track by Local Resident Failure. As a substitute, I've gone for the opening track from their 2012 album A Breath Of Stale Air. It's appropriately titled The Opener.

Local Resident Failure - What's The Alternative To The Alternative?
Taken from the 2010 EP Crack Is The New Black

There seems to be a ton of great Rock music coming out of Australia just lately, whether that be Prog, Metal or, in this case, Punk. Local Resident Failure are from Newcastle and this snotty ode to crappy music isn't quite so full tilt as a lot of their songs tend to be but is no less grumpy for it. 
The melodies of the song, especially the chorus, feel very much like a NOFX song, albeit one sung with a strong Aussie accent. There are some nice, singalong harmonies in the chorus 
I discovered this band through a split single they did with The Decline, who are another mint NOFX-influenced Punk band from Australia that you should be checking out too.

Sky Valley Mistress - Lost In Shock
Taken from the 2020  album Faithless Ritual

This young band from Blackburn have recently released their debut album and it's a quality listen. They offer up a contemporary take on Stoner/Desert Rock, presumably naming themselves after the iconic Kyuss album. They give a poppy, modern sheen to the low end fuzz of Kyuss or Queens Of The Stone Age. That fuzz, and Kayley's sneering, self-assured vocals mean they remind me a little of Starcrawler, the Garage Rockers from LA too. 
They were due to be playing near me round about now but that obviously has been cancelled, hopefully, it'll be rescheduled, I'll be off if it is.

Rotzak - The Big Leap
Taken from the 2020 album Step Back, Gushing Eggheads

I'd not heard of this Belgian band a month ago (at time of writing) but one listen to their peculiarly named album and it was instantly my favourite album of the year. It's a bright, energetic album, full of life and unpredictability. Rotzak mix up Hardcore, Stoner, Metalcore and a catchy groove to create a unique, thrilling sound. This track about conquering fears and risk taking is one of the standouts for me. I love those drums int he verses!

Baby Chaos - The Wild Beast
Taken from the 2020 album Ape Confronts Cosmos

Ape Confronts Cosmos is the second proper album Baby Chaos have recorded since reforming, the fourth as Baby Chaos and the sixth including the two they recorded under the name Deckard. It's also the first with new (third) guitarist Alan Easton. 
Much like their previous album, Skulls Skulls Skulls, Show Me The Glory, this album combines the snotty Punk Metal of their origins with the mature, Alternative Rock of their Deckard period and it's fantastic. It's a smoothly varied album that's clearly intended to be listened to as a single piece rather than individual tracks. Not that those individual tracks don't stand up on their own because they do. Their songwriting skills have continuously improved and there's are so many brilliant songs on here, with The Wild Beast being one of my favourites. From that acoustic opening, through to the mint undulating riff and the anthemic closing section, it's just ace.

Lunachicks - The Day Squid's Gerbil Died
Taken from the 1997 album Pretty Ugly

I'd not listened to these NYC punks for quite a while now but over the last month or two, I've rediscovered them and been listening to all of their albums a ton. This track was always one of my favourites and it's lost none of its charm over the years.
Theo's vocals are an obvious focal point as she has such a unique and charismatic voice but I've always loved Squid's (the owner of the dead gerbil) rumbling bass too. It's a shame they did the hiatus thing way back in 2000 but they recently got back together are/were touring again. If we don't all die of the plague soon then hopefully they'll do a UK tour and I shall be there.

Southern Empire - Forest Fire
Taken from the 2016 album Southern Empire

The first of those many Australian acts on this mix and another from the burgeoning Prog scene that's developing there. Forest Fire is the first track from their debut (they released a second in 2018) that only has five proper tracks and is still over an hour long. Proper Prog!. 
Anyway, Forest Fire is a song I can wholeheartedly relate to, being about the older you get the quicker and quicker time burns away. It starts off as a fairly commercial sounding old school Prog track, full of melody with a great chorus; Vocalist Danny Lopresto has a strong, versatile voice but doesn't resort to histrionics. There's a really cool quieter section around three minutes in with orchestral parts and some nice harmonies that I like a lot. Just after five minutes though, the gloves are off and it breaks out into a guitar/keyboard wank off that's as brilliant as it is ridiculous. It's half Dream Theater and half Zappa. All awesome and that.

Krosis - Battles Are Won Within
Taken from the album

Krosis are also a progressive, technical band but with a completely different to Southern Empire. Battles Are Won Within is a pounding, crushing monster of a song with brilliantly undecipherable growled and screamed vocals and chugging riffs with that rubbery Djentiness thing. There are a few quieter moments here and there to break up the assault but this is pretty much all out Deathcore heaviness.
Regarding their name, I was very disappointed to find out that they weren't actually named after the Dragon Priest in Skyrim and it was just a coincidence. It was the main reason I listened to them in the first place!

Angie McMahon - Pasta
Taken from the 2019 album Salt

While this track was released last year it's perfect for anyone currently suffering from isolation blues. It's a dry account of lethargy, loneliness and despondency, of being sat at home mulling over stupid things you've said, wanting to go out but not being arsed. There's a great video for it that perfectly fits the song too. You can watch that HERE. It's got doggies in it. Towards the end, it picks up from its gentle malaise, gets a bit more positive and upbeat with Angie adding "But I've been trying" to the mournful running mantra of "I've been lost for a while".

Eddy Current Suppression Ring- Which Way To Go
Taken from the 2009 album Primary Colours

Following on front a song about lethargy is one about indecisiveness and lack of direction in life. Just like Angie McMahon, they're also from Melbourne in Australia. They're a Garage Rock band but with a lot of Post Punk characteristics, particularly Brendan's almost spoken word vocal delivery. This song is one of their older singles and they released their fourth full album, All In Good Time, last year but I'm reasonably new to the band and this is the song drew me in. I hope it does you too. It's essentially Brendan explaining how he's evaluated his life extensively but still none the wiser what he wants to do with it.

Huntsmen - Colossus
Taken from the 2020 album Mandala Of Fear

The second album by this Chicagan band is yet another of my favourite albums this year. I really enjoyed their debut, American Scrap, but this album is a massive step forward from that. American Scrap was relatively short but Mandala Of Fear is a sprawling epic over an hour long. The addition of co-vocalist Aimee Bueno adds another dimension and the vocal harmonies are excellent. They switch from Doom Metal, Stoner, Sludge and Progressive Rock, often within the same song. Mastodon are a lazy and slightly inaccurate comparison but if you like them then I'd recommend giving Huntsmen a go.
Colossus starts off as a fairly melodic Stoner track that's pretty good and all but the latter half of the track morphs into an extended galloping riff that's kind of old school Heavy Metal. It really sets the song apart for me, love it.

Knock Off - Labels
Taken from the 2019 album You Get One Life

Knock Off are a UK Punk Trio from London that play a catchy brand of punk that's very much influenced by old Seventies' Street Punk and Oi! but still feels relevant rather than a retro tribute. I guess in today's weird old world (the perplexing rise of the far right, dangerous buffoons in power and them killer coughs that are keeping us inside) we need their shouty brand of singalong anger and frustration more than ever. 
Labels is a typically anthemic track about being yourself, not conforming to people's perceptions of what you should be. If they don't like you as you are then that's their issue. The chorus is a nice  throwback to their second album This Is Who We Are, This Is What We Do too

Cherry Lips - Messin' Around
Taken from the 2009 album Cherry Lips

The self-titled debut by this Italian band is the first of two albums they released but, following Blow It Away in 2011 I don't know what happened to them, I assume they split? Anyway they're a Pop Rock/Hard Rock band and there are several pleasantly catchy tracks on this album, Messin' Around is just the one that caught my ear. It's a jaunty track about being judged for liking and playing Rock n' Roll. 
You know that how, in feelgood, coming of age teen movies, the protagonist and his/her band get up on stage for the Battle Of The Bands and it turns out that, against all the odds, everyone loves them? Mid'song, they catch the eye of the main antagonist who either storms off and comes to a hilarious cropper or they just nod and smile in a way that means "Yeah, you're alright kid". Messin' Around sounds like that song.

Puta Volcano- Sugar Cube
Taken from the 2020 album AMMA

I stumbled across this Greek band earlier in the year when they popped up on a sponsored Facebook ad. I gave them a listen, they seemed ok so I liked their page and thought no more of it. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and they released a new album, their third, and it's pretty great. Smooth, sophisticated Alternative Rock with a hint of QOTSA Stoner in there too. Sugar Cube starts fairly sedately, a cool groove with Anna Papathanasiou's smoky vocals gliding along on top until halfway through when the slightly fuzzy guitars kick in with a smooth but hefty riff and the drums gradually build in intensity until the song finally fizzes out. 

DEgITx - Grim Reaper
Taken from the 2017 album Red Flower

I think this is the first time I've included an artist from Belarus on one of my mixes and it's definitely an interesting one. DEgITx is the brainchild of a chap called Alexey who combines bleepy Chiptune with Prog Metal Griffey. There are smatterings of Folk Metal, Power Metal and Death Metal across his albums. The majority of his stuff is instrumental but there are several guest vocalists who pop up now and again.
Grim Reaper is one of the instrumental ones and sounds like the theme to something with spaceships and explosions in it. It's surprisingly hummable for a song with no words. Great riffs and the Chiptune stuff manages to be both prominent and subtle. He's got a few albums (including one that's all covers of video game themes and music) and EPs that are all available to download from his website HERE

Press Club - How Can It Not Be Love?
Taken from the 2019 album Wasted Energy

The fifth Australian act this month is an Indie Punk band from Melbourne called Press Club. Wasted Energy is their second album and I've been enjoying it a lot. How Can It Not Be Love? is one of the faster, shorter tracks on there and a stand out for me. It's a song about getting dumped but due to someone's own issues and fears rather than because they've fallen out of love. Vocalist Natalie Foster perfectly captures the angry disappointment you'd feel at their giving up. Her Aussie accent tends to come out a lot more when she's singing these angrier songs rather than the more introspective ones.

Stella Donnelly - Allergies
Taken from the 2019 album Beware Of The Dogs

Allergies is a fragile Pop Folk song, again about a breakup and again, by an Australian singer. It's a gentle, emotional song with bitter, miserable lyrics. What sets it apart from plenty of other similar songs is the fact that Stella had split up with someone the day of recording and was a teary mess. 
Not only can you hear the heartbreak in her voice but there are one or two sniffles throughout it so you clearly tell she's crying. There's a trill to her voice in the chorus that I don't know if it's intentional or just because she's so upset. Either way, it sounds gorgeous.

Juggernaut Stomp - Appalachian Mama
Taken from the 2019 album Juggernaut Stomp

Gradually picking up the pace again, Juggernaut Stomp are a heavy Blues Rock trio from Tennessee. I was originally going to use the single from the album as it's a proper Rock song and it's called Titties & Dragons which are two of my very favourite things. In the end, though I went for this less obvious song because I love it so much, 
It's just as fast-paced, if not more so but starts with a jingly-jangly, Bluegrass-y, bouncy guitar line. As the song progresses it picks up more and more until it's flying along. I'm not entirely sure what the song's about, other than a beguiling woman who lives in the mountains and is a bit of a handful, but I do know it's had me shouting "Baby, I can't get down!" at random intervals over the last couple of weeks.

Sallow Moth - Ancient Grudge
Taken from the 2020 album The Larval Hope

Sallow Moth is the solo project of a guy called Garry Brents, who also plays in Post-Black Metal duo, Cara Neir. With Sallow Moth Garry moves into classic 90's era, Death Metal, handling all instruments and vocals himself.  
The Larval Hope is Sallow Moth's debut album and continues the concept started with the previous EPs, concerning a war between humanoid moths and cyborgs. Ancient Grudge is a fantastic slice of old school Death Metal with some great riffs and cavernous vocals that are drenched in reverb and echo so sound like a demon trapped in a well. I love this album and it's well worth checking out if you're into a sore neck.

New Bomb Turks - Minimum Wages Of Sin
Taken from the 1998 album At Rope's End

I've not heard this album in years but I used to love it. I recently dug it out and it's just as good as I thought it was back then. Rock n' Roll greaser-tinged Garage Punk with a gleeful sense of experimentation. At Rope's End isn't a straightforward album but it's a great one.
Minimum Wages Of Sin is a frenetic amalgamation of Punk and Honky Tonk, speeding along merrily with Eric Davidson, distinctive yarp vying against the plinky plonking of professional Jazzist, Derek DiCenzo. It's ace.

Blackwater Holylight - Lullaby
Taken from the 2019 album Veils Of Winter

I thought I'd finish the blog off with a bit of soothing, trippy Psychedelia, provided in this instance by five women from Portland, Oregon. Lullaby is anchored by a cool, undulating bassline with interweaving, unobtrusive guitars, drums and synth, as well as the gently ethereal vocals, all complimenting each other. 
If I can go back to using movie reference points then lullaby sounds like the kind of song playing when someone drops a whole load of hallucinogens, goes right off their nut and the filmmakers get to show all the fancy camera tricks and special effect skills they have. Staaaaarrr wwwwiiiipe...