Songs of the Past Few Months

It's been a damned long time since I've done a Song of the Week post. Having given myself a chance to catch up on recent releases, I'm bubbling over with songs to where the SOTW format just won't cut it. That's right, it's mixtape time! This is NOT a best of 2009 mix. It's merely a sampling of some records I picked up last year and which refuse to stay in their sleeves. Hell, some of them may be as old as 2007. I also made an effort to choose LPs that have NOT been posted either as a SOTW or complete download here in the past. The genres showcased tend less toward the violent grinding ensembles this time, and lean decidedly toward the heavy and gloomy, as well as the melodic. I can't say why-- that's just the way it happened. I'm super stoked on all the records represented below, so if you're not familiar, give 'em shot!

All the tracks were ripped from vinyl (@256) so there may be some minor editing issues. As usual, if you like what you hear and have the cash, support the bands, labels, etc.

1. Never Healed- "Where The Crosses Grow" from the s/t 12"
2. Battle Of Mice- "The Bishop" from the split 12" with Jesu
3. Extortion- "Losing Battle" from the "Sick" LP
4. Preying Hands- "Preying Hands" from the "Through The Dark" LP
5. Insuiciety- "Left For Dead" from the s/t LP
6. Contrast Attitude- "Life" from the "Apocalyptic Raw Assault" 12"
7. Agrimonia- "The Decay" from the s/t LP
8. Organism- "Hell" from the "Hope" LP
9. Morne- "Untold Wait" from the "Untold Wait" LP
10. Assassinators- "A For Anarki" from the "Sigt Efter Hjertet" LP
11. Aussitot Mort- "On A Qu'à Se Dire Que L'on S'en Fout" from the "Montuenga" LP
12. Grails- "Reincarnation Blues" from the "Doomsdayer's Holiday" LP
13. Masshysteri- "Istiden" from the "Vår Del Av Stan" LP


Download The Mix

Song(s) Of The Week: Leatherface Mix

Two things sparked this post: 1) I fuckin' LOVE Leatherface! 2) I finally saw Leatherface live this summer and while I was having a religious experience of it, a large majority of the crowd (what I like to call the hair-style-of-the-week crew) was sitting OUTSIDE during the band's set (!), probably waiting for the flavor-of-the-week band that was to come on after. Since the late eighties, the UK's Leatherface have consistently (more or less) written some of the most driving, powerful, beautiful, sad, joyous punk in the history of that musical style. Although they have legions of reverent fans worldwide, my encounter with the pathetic enclave mentioned above leads me to believe there are a few unanointed, could-be Leatherface fans out there. For better or worse, the band influenced a ton and a half indie rock-via-punk bands like The Sainte Catherines and Hot Water Music, but I have yet to hear a band of this style as heart-breakingly powerful.

Seeing that it's impossible to choose only one Leatherface song, I've put together a mix of 10 favorites. That was still a hard task, so I limited myself to one track from each album, and a couple of singles selections. As usual, if you like what you hear, go to BYO Records and order some of the band's fine work. Their early LP, "Mush," is unanimously considered their opus, but you can't go wrong with any of their releases (especially "Fill You Boots," "Horsebox," "Cherry Knowle," and their split with Hot Water Music).

Link has been removed. Go to BYO or the Leatherface myspace.

Tracks:

1. "Dead Industrial Atmosphere"
2. "Sour Grapes"
3. "Here Comes The Judge"
4. "Deep Green Beautiful Levelling"
5. "Patrick Kills Me"
6. "Animal Day"
7. "Books"
8. "Dreaming"
9. "Hops and Barley"
10. "Hoodlum"

A Whale's Vagina

vs.

Okay, now that I have your attention... since the inception of the FE blog one year ago today, I've been wanting to do a San Diego mixtape. The purpose? To prove to myself that San Diego doesn't (completely) suck. It does, but as a music lover I have to do something to make existence in this musically/culturally retarded part of the world tolerable (until I make my escape...). The most appropriate analogy for the music produced in this town is a geographically accurate one: It's a desert. But, as you make your way across it, you're bound to find some oases which are all the sweeter for being so rare. As much as I complain, some of the most important music (at least in my life) was born of this land of dire scarcity.

So what does this mixtape hold for the brave few who venture to download it? Not an easy answer. There's a little something for everyone... I've included Tijuana as part of the San Diego area in order to include the crusty bestias, Bümbklaatt and Coäccion, you'll get plenty of speed and brutality from the likes of Crossed out and The Neighbors, some of that often maligned chaos of the Gravity Records crew from Heroin and Clikatat Ikatowi, a whole heap of the idiosyncratic and sometimes downright nutty rock experimentations from Creedle, Drive Like Jehu, Last of the Juanitas, Tarantula Hawk, and lots more noise besides. I was going to assemble two volumes: hardcore and rock. But that wouldn't do much to open up musical boundaries. So here it is. It's a mess, but it's teeming with genius at many points. Hopefully you'll discover some new favorites.

25 tracks, 21 bands

The Bands:

Battalion of Saints, Drive Like Jehu, Crossed Out, Bümbklaatt, Three Mile Pilot, The Neighbors, Spanakorzo, Heroin, aMiniature, Find Him and Kill Him, Last of the Juanitas, Second Story Window, Coäccion, Hot Snakes, Gehenna, Swing Kids, Tarantula Hawk, Run For Your Fucking Life, Clikatat Ikatowi, Spring Break, Creedle.

Link has been removed.

No new posts for about a week. I'll be traveling around Oregon (a place to which I may one day make my escape), but don't let that stop you from leaving a comment. I had to exclude a lot of bands from this mix in consideration of file size and low attention spans. I just wanted a good representation of talent and diversity, both new and old (and plenty of personal favorites). Feel free to bitch and complain that I didn't include your favorite SD band, or offer suggestions, stories, new favorites...

Fugitive Equilibrium 101: A Retrospective Mixtape

Before I go on with post number 101, I'd like to say hello and thank you to the folks that stop by every once in a while and read/download. And, of course, a much bigger and sloppier thanks is due the to the handful of you kick-ass people who have left comments in the past (and hopefully in the future) as well as to the bloggers who have been kind enough to link this site (if you have me linked but I haven't returned the gesture- let me know!). Those who have mustered the volition and time to leave comments know what blogging is all about, and realize how crucial the sharing of encouragement, suggestions, stories, information, and opinions are to the on going dialogue (it also helps direct our future posts-- a sort of participatory blog experience). So thanks again to all of you.

Today's mixtape is a sort of "best of" sampler of the bands I've posted. It serves two purposes: 1) It gives newcomers a musical treasure map of previous posts (and some motivation for those of you who have not downloaded something because you suspected that you wouldn't like it or that it wasn't worth the wait to download). 2) It's a really rockin' playlist of some great bands! To keep this thing within the bounds of the 100 MB limit, I had to cut a lot of bands (very reluctantly). I first cut bands that only appear on split EPs, then had to cut some remaining ones because they are already fairly well known. It sucked to have to do that, but the mp3s for those records are all still up and ready for download if you scroll around. However, some of the download links on this sight are going to be removed soon for one reason or other (Post Regiment, Zero Hour, Life... But How To Live It... Just to let you know.

The Bands: 1. Zero Hour 2. Jeremin 3. Unhinged 4. Daymare 5. Hatred Surge 6. Zygote 7. Abc Weapons 8. Life... But How To Live It 9. Seized 10. Systral 11. Post Regiment 12. La Casa Fantom 13. Mine 14. Saké 15. Suppression 16. GOB 17. Waifle 18. Acursed 19. Fallout 20. Bonescratch 21. Sink 22. Silence 23. Asebia 24. Plutocracy 25. Spine Wrench 26. Short Hate Temper 27. Harsh 28. Quill 29. Damad 30. Brainoil 31. Dearborn SS 32. Grimple 33. Logical Nonsense 34. Arma Contra Arma 35. Bad Influence 36. Stapled Shut 37. Strychnine

Link has been removed.

The Cover Songs Strike Back!

I had such a great time making the last Mixtape, I decided to make one more (final?) cover song collection. It tickles me to no end hearing crust and grind legends like Nausea and Crossed Out sharing the same musical space as my "guilty pleasures" like Friction (US) and Car vs. Driver! Some favorite bands from the last Mixtape make a repeat appearance, but the only repeat song is the Stooges' "Search and Destroy," this time by Terveet Kädet (if you haven't heard the version by Cursed, I highly recommend downloading the first mixtape). The emphasis this time around is on variety in order to keep this 22 track leviathan rockin' your sonic world from beginning to end. Thanks to the commenters on the last mixtape post who gave encouragement and feedback. This one's for you, and for anyone who likes to see musical boundaries smashed! (Note: At the bottom of this post there is an "index" of cover songs that appear in other posts in case you're interested or missed them).

Track List:

1. "Work for Never" (ENT) by Sanctum from their split LP with Stormcrow
2. "Search and Destroy" (The Stooges) by Terveet Kädet from the "Horse" LP
3. "I Don't Care" (The Big Boys) by 8-Bark from the "How the Midwest Was Won" Comp.
4. "From Enslavement to Obliteration" (Napalm Death) by Capitalist Casualties from their S/T discog. CD
5. "No Truth" (Christ on Parade) by Crossed Out from their discography LP
6. "Selfserve" (Crossed Out) by Denak from their "Grindcore" 10"
7. "Dead Shall Rise" (Terrorizer) by Le Scrawl from their "Too Short to Ignore" LP
8. "Ghetto" (Presley) by Leatherface from their "Cherry Knowle" LP
9. "Mr. Suit" (Wire) by The New Bomb Turks from their "Destroy- Oh-Boy!" LP
10. "Power" (derived from the Union Protest Song Lisa Simpson sings when Homer becomes union president) by Cluster Bomb Unit from the "Less Bank More World" Comp.
11. "Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing" (Discharge) by Nausea from their "Punk Terrorist Anthology 1" CD
12. "Children of the Grave" (Black Sabbath) by Detestation from their "Unheard Cries" demo
13. "Am I Demon" (Danzig) by Coliseum from their split LP with The Doomriders
14. "Banned from the Pubs" (Peter and the Test Tube Babies) by Filth from their split LP with Blatz
15. "Savior" (Neon Christ) by Car vs. Driver from their "Out of a Silent Sky" LP
16. "Lack of Intelligence" (Disrupt) by Hatred Surge from their split EP with Insect Warfare
17. "21st Century Schizoid Man" (King Crimson) by Rorschach from the "God's Chosen People" comp.
18. "Taste the Steel" (Beowulf) by Despise You from their "West Side Horizons" CD
19. "Split" (Jawbreaker) by Friction from the "How the Midwest Was Won" comp.
20. "Prejudice" (Crucifix) by Aus Rotten from their "Not One Single Fucking Hit" discography CD
21. "Pink Houses" (John Cougar Mellencamp) by Avail from their "Dixie" LP
22. "Boys Don't Cry" (The Cure) by Sheer Terror from their "Bulldog Edition" 2xCD

Download Here

Index of Previously Posted Cover Songs:

Grimple covers Celtic Frost
Quill covers Infest, and Harsh covers The Nihilistics
Drop Dead covers SSD, and Lack of Interest covers Negative Approach
Manifesto Jukebox covers Born Against
Health Hazard does "Funky Town"
Under Pressure covers Jesus and the Gospelfuckers
Seized covers Black Sabbath
Life But How to Live It? covers The Beatles ("Norwegian Wood")
Hatred Surge covers Despise You

Fugitive Equilibrium Mixtape #1- Cover Songs

While listening to the new Leatherface Tribute 2xCD comp., I couldn't help but recall all the great cover songs Leatherface and many other favorite bands have produced over the years. I figured, why not do a mixtape with a few of these? Finding no reason not to, I went to work for the past week ripping some of my favorite cover songs from new and old CDs and records (a couple were downloaded). The end-product is the 21 track monster you will hopefully be downloading shortly. Considering the different sources, you can imagine the variation in sound quality. But the quality of the music is undeniable! Many of the tracks are favorite bands covering other favorite bands, but several are songs I only like as they appear here in their more punk interpretations. I can almost guarantee this will make for a most entertaining ride to work tomorrow, or an enlivening soundtrack to your spring-cleaning adventures. I hope you enjoy listening to this half as much as I enjoyed assembling it!

Tracks:

1. "Raise the Curtain" (Jerry's Kids) by His Hero Is Gone from the "Fool's Gold" 7"

2. "Search and Destroy" (The Stooges) by Cursed from the "Hell Comes Home" 7"

3. "Largactyl" (Amebix) by Depressor from the self-titled 7"

4. "No Sanctuary" (Amebix) by Crow from the Prank 7"

5. "My War" (Black Flag) by Rorschach from the split 7" w/ 1.6 Band

6. "Purple Haze" (Jimi Hendrix) by Antischism from the "All Their Money Stinks of Death" 7"

7. "Greedy Bastards" (Antischism) by Capitalist Casualties from the "Pigs Suck" Comp.

8. "Candle in the Wind" (Elton John) by Leatherface from the "Fill Your Boots" Lp

9. "Razor Blades and Aspirin" (Leatherface) by Drunk from the Leatherface Tribute Comp.

10. "The Usurper" (Celtic Frost) by High On Fire from the "Art of Self-Defense" Lp

11. "Clutches" (Nausea) by Kylesa from the "Delusion of Fire" 7"

12. "Time After Time" (Cyndi Lauper) by Action Patrol from "The Weak Force" Lp

13. "Stigmata Martyr" (Bauhaus) by Angel Hair from the Gravity Recs. 12"

14. "Pressure" (Negative Approach) by Union of Uranus from the "Reproach" Comp.

15. "Chory" (Post Regiment) by Ballast from the "Fuse" Lp

16. "Memories of Tomorrow" (Suicidal Tendencies) by Despise You from the "Reality #2" Comp.

17. "Right Brigade" (Bad Brains) by Shank from the split Lp w/ Iron Lung

18. "It's Time" (The Faith) by Under Pressure from the "Still No Future" 12"

19. "Who Are You?" (Void) by Under Pressure from the "Still No Future" 12"

20. "My Rules" (Void) by MK-Ultra from the "Melt" 7"

21. "Movin' On Up" (The Jeffersons TV show theme) by Born Against from "The Rebel Sound of Shit and Failure" collection Lp

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