Lydia Lunch and Weasel Walter - Brutal Measures (2016)

New episode of my "I should have reviewed this one earlier" season : Brutal Measures from Lydia Lunch and Weasel Walter, released in 2016. They present it as a "longform composition featuring tense spoken word versus manic free drumming outbursts, glued together by cryptic electronics" and that's a spot on description. I'll just add that it's works really well, for an intense result. Strong stuff (The rest of their respective discography is also recommended, If you don't know them already you should take some time to discover what they did before, and you can start with my review of Weasel Walter's Flying Luttenhacher's Shattered Dimension ).

The BC page.

Glenn Branca - The Third Ascension (2019)

Sadly this one is a posthumous release since Glenn Branca died in 2018. The Third Ascension is a live recording and  a return to the 4-guitar, bass and drums format of his 1981 release The Ascension as well as 2010's The Ascension: The Sequel. The performance is by The Glenn Branca Ensemble at NYC's The Kitchen in 2016. This excellent album is a "no-wave" masterpiece of noise-rock / jazz-rock / post-metal (but Branca wrote that kind of msuic before metal even existed!)  that does not sound like a mix of different genres but truly show a very personal composing style free of any preconceived limitations. Oh, and this is also super heavy !
Highly recommended stuff that really makes me want to dig into Branca's discography.

The Bandcamp page.

The Flying Luttenbachers - Shattered Dimension (2019)

The Flying Luttenbachers is a band from New York formed around avant-garde drummer Weasel walter, with also saxophonist Matt Nelson (GRID, Elder Ones), bass guitarist Tim Dahl (Child Abuse, Lydia Lunch) and guitarist Brandon Seabrook. What they play could be described as no-wave/free-jazz/noisegrind or as chaos unleashed. Won't be for everybody but if you like the hardest of John Zorn music, or bands like Sissy Spacek or Sete Star Sept, then you probably will like it. Anyway it's really good so I recommend it, will you dare trying it?

The BC page.

S.B.S.M - Leave your Body (EP 2018)

So my first review of a 2018 release will be the new EP from S.B.S.M called "Leave your Body". An excellent start for the new year if you ask me. It's their fourth EP, time for a longer release now, please! anyway, most important is that they maintain the quality of their music, and they do! They kept the nice wild no-wave feel while their music is getting harder, sounding on those four tracks even more like a punk/hardcore meeting industrial/noise mix, reminding a bit Youth Code (with also a girl screaming) but less EBM and more noise, rawer and dirtier.
Great stuff again from S.B.S.M, highly recommended !

The BC page

 ps : looks like they share one or two members with Ragana. Expect a review of Ragana latest album, it's really good as well, in a different style.

S.B.S.M. - Joy / Rage (EP 2015)

S.B.S.M. is a band from Oakland, CA. They play an original kind of post-punk that sounds a bit like a combination of power electronics and no-wave. A lot of noise and screaming around some punk elements and spirit. The Joy / Rage EP is their latest release (in 2015) and is a very good and interesting listen. Far from easy listening but really enjoyable. Recommended stuff. 

The BC page.

Dante Augustus Scarlatti - Ameritheism (2014)

Dante Augustus Scarlatti is a "noise" artist (doing also video and other visual arts), but the album I'm reviewing here is noise related but is more in a punk / no-wave / industrial vein. It's, called Ameritheism and released by a very good label called Auris Apothecary (specialised in releasing avant-garde / noise music in limited edition and special format). It consist itn thirteen tracks lasting 1minute each. Everything is made with a guitar, a microphone, and a computer for the beats. As I said it sounds a bit like a kind of post-punk but more like no-wave extremism flirting with noisegrind than new-wave stuff. Dante Augustus Scarlatti is kind of ranting in the mic, in a way between punk singing / screaming and spoken words / rapping. The lyrics are doing a radical critique of some of the dumbest aspects of american ideology / politics. it's quite good. The music is going very well with his angered flow. simple beats and punk /noise / indus rock minimalistic riffing. In a way it reminds a bit Correction house (but is rawer and punkier). It's original, interesting and have a very live / spontaneous feel.
recommended!

The BC page

The Funeral and the Twilight - Lust (2013)

The funeral and the twilight used to be a band in a gothic rock / post punk vein with some theatrical singing, sounding a bit like Slug guts (without saxophone) or early Bad seeds. it was a good band but with the evolution of their sound they are becoming something more special and exiting, injecting life and a dangerous vibe in the no-wave rock formula. it started a bit with their previous release, Sullen life, blighted death but is becoming really evident with their new tape called lust.  it's a bit like they started where Lydia Lunch and her Teenage Jesus and the Jerks left..but with the addition some crust / grind drumming! yes no-wave with blast beat, cool isn't it? a brilliant way to add some more radicality to an already quite sharp and acid take on the darkest noisiest side of punk rock. that's what you'll find in the first side of the tape, less that one minutes grinding no-wave angry songs. the other side being a long song in a more classic gothic rock style. more classic but good as well.
 a really interesting evolution for a band and a really enjoyable and recommended release. one of my favourite for 2013 yet.

check their Bandcamp.  


and read this interview we did by mail :

-can you present The funeral and the twilight, how did the band formed and what was the project at the start?


NOAH: Ben is the founder of the band, and can give the complete history; I joined around December 2011, having known the band for a few years already.

BEN: I started tfatt with some close friends back home in California in 2003. It has always been focused on the darker/negative sides of life, but musically was more pop goth/post punk then. It even evolved into a six person noise group with two drummers before a few of us moved to Colorado. That was where I met Brandon. He joined when we moved to Minneapolis in late 2007. 

-do you play or have played in other bands?
NOAH:  I was in several bands in North Dakota, including Toxic Shock Syndrome, Fine Young Knives, Solar Systems, and War On God.  I currently have a solo project called Lazarus Long.

BEN: I play guitar in a band called Submission. Brandon plays drums in a band called Bloat. They are really great.

-on the first half of your new release, for the first time (or nearly) the drumming is really agressive and the songs really short and fast, a bit like if you played grindcore / crust cover of your "usual" songs. what happened?

NOAH: After playing a few shows with our friends Brain Tumors around TotalFest in 2012, either Ben or Brandon suggested we do a 'grindtape'; being a long time fan of grindcore, crust, and power-violence, I responded with a resounding 'FUCK YEAH!' Despite the rather flip manner in which we decided to do this, I feel we ended up with a rather interesting look at the more aggressive facets of our sound.

BEN: I really liked the idea and thought it would be rad to sing and play guitar like I "normally" do while Noah and Brandon just totally destroy.


 
-is the "other" song, cambion asmodeus, a way to make a tape with one side angry and another side more quiet. so people can choose that one that suits their mood of the moment the most? or is it a way to "reassure" people and show that you've not turned metal completely?

NOAH: I'm very interested in quiet/loud dynamics. Loud and fast doesn't mean anything with out some contrast.  I don't think we're at all interested in "reassuring" our audience, in fact I'd say being unsettling is a big part of what TFATT is about.

BEN: We wanted to do a long noise track for the b side, but ended up with a more off putting instrumental. The song was mostly us just feeding off each other.


-are the noisy ambient interludes in the first part a way to let people breathe between to raging blast, or just something you recorded and wanted to use?

NOAH: Feedback is something we play with a lot live, and those interludes are something of an extension of that. They were recorded especially for this recording, done at the same time we did the vocals.  Everything else was recorded live, mostly in one take. 

Ben: Yeah, I really wanted this tape to be a grind/noise/ambient experiment for us.


-I'd say what you play is around gothic rock and noisy post-punk stuff or no-wave, around Birthday party and Lydia Lunch & Teenage Jesus and the jerks. is it scenes that influenced you?

NOAH: Genre labels are always a little nebulous, but all the things you mentioned are pretty relevant.  I can't speak for the others, but I feel there is a connection to underground extreme music, as well as hints of psychedelia and country.  Ultimately, it's more a feeling than a "sound" that defines us.

Ben: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds are my favorite band. Most of the records I own are goth, post punk, and death rock. I am also very influenced by 80's country music and pop music from the 50's and 60's.

-I think your music could really fit as a soundtrack to some occult film noir or some romantic / fin de siècle poetry. other idea? what would you pick to go with your music?

NOAH: Once again your observations are pretty accurate.  I tend to visualize natural forces, like storm clouds, or high winds.  But really any dark, perverse, and/or powerful imagery can fit.

Ben: I see death, decay, departures, doom, and gloom. Something creepy or disturbing.

-have you started writing new songs, how will be the next record?

NOAH: We have been playing a number of new songs for a while now, and hope to be recording before the end of the year.  The next full length will be a pretty natural progression for the band.

Ben: Yeah, the new songs are something a little different but easily recognizable as our sound. Brandon's drumming on the new songs are the best he has ever done, very remarkable and creative.

-which bands from your area (or from anywhere else) would you recommend?
NOAH: We're very fortunate to be in a great music city like Minneapolis.  It seems like every band we know in the Cities is incredible.  CLAPS, Burger Thirst, Serenghetto, Crimes, Hollow Boys, Prostate, With A Gun For a Face, Kitten Forever, Much Worse... The list just goes on and on.

Ben: Yes, also Oaks, Thunderbolt Pagoda, Shakin' Babies, False, Brain Tumors, and many more. Great bands from elsewhere I would recommend are: Mr. Dad (Minot), Populations (Chicago), Loto Ball Show (LA), DEAD (Aus), Smoker (Knoxville),  Species (OLY), Singing Knives (PDX), and Pink Lightning (Detroit).


-which evolution would you like to see for the underground music in the future?
NOAH:  Part of what I love about music is the unpredictable nature of trends, so I wouldn't deign to dictate it's course; that said, I'd like to see support for music by communities increased to include the less mainstream corners of the music scenes.  Important work is being done all the time in spite of a lack of resources and/or exposure.  A bit more emphasis on art and less on profit would be a welcome change.

-a final "full of wisdom" sentence to end the interview?


NOAH: Do cool stuff, meet cool people.

Ben: Death is the end

Slug guts-Playin' in time with the deadbeat (2012)

Mens in a swamp holding pigs heads? no it's not a black metal or sludge record, Slug guts is a band from Brisbane playing a kind of post-punk / no-wave. they released this year their third album called Playin' in time with the deadbeat on sacred bones records. if you like post-punk / no-wave or bands like Birthday party, Nick Cave and the bad seeds or Gun club this record could really be a good pick for you. It ooze with desperation and unease, the guitars are cold and sharp, the singing is on the edge, and the sax adds a nice dark, menacing and dirty groove.
On their Sacred bones page it is said : "Playin’ in time With The Deadbeat was written during a year which saw members of this seven piece endure trips to the mental hospital, jail, court trials, death, rehab, and bouts of violence following thousands of kilometers spent in a van." not surprising all that resulted with this record...I don't recommedn the process at the origin of it but I really recommend the record!

here's Slug guts facebook