Funeral Oration: Funeral Oration (1987)

During a moment of what I hope was temporary insanity, a friend claimed that the high pitched squeal of the Bronksi Beat’s singer was an instrument. That is, he used his voice just like one would use a guitar or bass or in the BB’s case, synthesizers. Nice try, I snickered, as I struggled to regain a modicum of respect for his musical insights.

Of course, every singer uses their voice to contribute to a song. Many do it well, and others like the aforementioned Bronski Beat, use it fucking horribly. Then there’s Funeral Oration. If ever there is an example of a singer using his voice as an instrument in an awesome way, Funeral Oration is it. That dude can sing! His voice is so unique that I won’t even bother trying to describe it, because I could never do it justice.

I got this record a while ago, but wasn’t able to rip it due to my crappy record player. I finally got it work a few days ago and have been loving Funeral Oration’s 1987 release ever since. Funeral Oration rule! This album is all about punk rock played with the melody that is Funeral Oration’s trademark. Check it out and appreciate the gnarliness that belongs to Holland’s favourite sons.

Image is from Kill From The Heart

1. Here We Go Again
2. This Time & No Longer
3. The Wishing & Overland
4. The Aim I Choose
5. Used To Be
6. It Ain't Easy
7. Like Any Other Life
8. We Are Not One
9. Failers Fall
10. If You Can
11. Didn't Want to Die
12. To the Fire
13. Would You Understand
14. Find a Way
15. Tell It Like It Is
16. This Ain't Heaven

Download it here! Funeral Oration

Defoliants: Grrr (1989)

"Grrr" is a pretty diverse record from the Defoliants. As Flex says, “Intelligent & diverse hardcore with influences from Articles of Faith, Wipers, R'n'R, surf, DC sound etc. [7].” Total mouthful, I’d say.

What I find interesting is the surf influence on "Grrr". When they incorporate surf stylings in their songs, they sound almost like a heavier Agent Orange. I know it’s pretty lame to compare them to the godfathers of surf punk, but in this instance it works.

When it comes to lyrics though, the Defoliants share nothing with Agent Orange. While Mike Palm of Agent Orange likes to hang 10 on a wave of existential angst, the Defoliants are much more obnoxious. That’s not to say they lack intelligence. It’s just that the Defoliants aren’t as concerned with being too young to die.

On a completely unrelated note, I really like the album title and cover. The title is cool because it actually reflects a lot the record's mood and the cover compliments the title rather well. It gets the title across rather well me thinks.

“Steakhouse”, the first song, is a total winner with its catchy chorus of “This is my steakhouse” and gnarly guitar. "Bad Day At The Beach" will burrow its way into your head and make itself quite comfortable there. The instrumentals are also rad with their brooding guitar work.

Come to think of it, you can't go wrong with any band that makes you think of Agent Orange.

Image is from discogs.com

(missing the last two tracks, “Safety Town” and “Wide World of Animals”)

1. Steakhouse
2. Quinn Martin
3. Speed Racer
4. Jack The Ripper
5. Rooked
6. Rectal Inferno
7. Bad Day At The Beach
8. West Bank
9. Art Is Dangerous
10. The Guy Who Got Mad
11. I Wish You Were Fiction

Download it here! Grrr

Go Sailor: Go Sailor (1996)

Go Sailor played top notch twee pop. Lots many of their songs' subjects are sad and brooding (though there a few that are extremely happy), but the music and singer’s voice is just so happy that you can’t help but smile. Their music is nothing but fun melancholy to me.

Go Sailor seems to be a soundtrack at pivotal moments to me. Like on this extended road trip I did they made themselves quite comfortable in my stereo or when I began this real cool correspondence, they were right there too and I imagine they will be clamoring for a spot in my rotation the next time something cool happens. I should also mention they suite regular day to day listening quite well :)

There are two reasons why you might know of this band. First, the bassist played in Crimpshrine. I remember seeing a review of this CD and some poor punker was quite pissed that Go Sailor weren’t another Crimpshrine. Personally, I’m not a fan of Crimpshrine, so there is no comparison. The only similarity between the two is, you guessed it, the bouncy bass lines. Another reason is that a couple of tracks are featured in the seminal movie “But I’m A Cheerleader”. If you haven't seen, make time for it.

This CD brings together a couple of compilation songs and three EPs. Thanks to Lookout Records’ incompetent book keeping, it is out of print.

Image is from Wikipedia

1. Last Year
2. Fine Day for Sailing
3. I'm Still Crying
4. I Just Do
5. Bigger Than an Ocean
6. Silly
7. Long Distance
8. Windy
9. Blue Sky
10. The Boy Who Sailed Around the World
11. Don't Go
12. Ray of Sunshine
13. Together Forever in Love
14. Every Day

Download it here! Go Sailor

Malefice: Lotus Blossoms (1990)

Whoa, long time, no see. It’s been a while, mainly due to some stuff for which I blame the government for , but I is back and have a psychotic little goody for your listening pleasure. Now, when we think of the "D.C Sound", we might have some preconceptions what that entails. For some it’s the wicked early eighties hardcore embodied by the likes of Minor Threat. For others, it might be the mid to late eighties stuff that took hardcore’s energy, jazzed it up and became more introspective. When it comes to Malefice though, you’re best to throw both out the window. Then yourself because this shit will drive you crazy.

It’s not the psychotic guitars or vocal stylings alone that does it. Nor is the melding of hardcore energy with these two. No, no, no. All together though, along with a fuck of a heavy sound, is what brings the insanity. Why it’s so crazy they even have spoken interludes between songs. How’s that for insane when it comes to a DC band? This is epic shit and well worth your time. Enjoy.

Image is from Kill From the Heart

1. Acid Death
2. Sea Level*
3. Overboard
4. Dr. No
5. This Is No Place
6. Chronic Thoughts*
7. Carrion
8. Into The Grinder
9. Lost Sheep*
10. Bloody Insane*

(*I'm not too sure of where these titles go in the song order :P)

Download it here! Malefice

The Micronotz: 40 Fingers

It's been a while. That might have something to do with the fact that I'm in South Africa right now. Cheap excuse, what with technology being the way it is and all, but it's all I got when it comes to this here blog. I've listened to little music, on account of being too busy in love, but I did have a night of listening to Barry White. Love and the big man seem to go hand in hand.

So I thought in honour of my last post, I'll continue the college rock theme with The Micronotz. Not only were they named after a cool comic based on a toy line I remember reading when I was younger, The Micronotz also rocked hard. They were from Kansas and apparently played out lots. "40 Fingers" is a definite departure from their earlier stuff, due to having a new singer and perhaps being better able to play their instruments. They also seemed to have listened a lot to Husker Du, because the influence is all over the record. As the Flex discography says, "More Minnesota hardcore, melodic, melancholic, rough vocals." Yep, and to top it all off, the Simon and Garfunkel cover doesn't even suck.

The image is from Mental Excursions

Last Days of Man on Earth has more info on The Micronotz and their Smash ep to boot:

http://www.lastdaysofmanonearth.com/blog/?p=77

Dressed for the H Bomb has yet more Micronotz info and the 1984's Live Recording of the Video Soundtrack:

http://dressedforthehbomb.blogspot.com/2005/12/mortal-micronotz.html

Two live recordings of the Micronotz can be found at Mr. Fink, along with even more info:

http://mrfink.com/oxideflake/?p=130

http://mrfink.com/oxideflake/?tag=micronotz

1. Pay your bill
2. Mannequin head
3. Scarborough fair
4. Exit 301
5. Psychodeli & Push it out
6. Fall down
7. Black and white & 40 fingers
8. Breakdown
9. I want your soul
10. Carnival freak show
11. Summer of hate

Download it here! The Micronotz

Electric Love Muffin: Playdoh Meathook (1987)

Back in the mid to late eighties, college rock was a force. A lot of this wasn’t shoe gazing shit or the crap that got passed off as indie in the nineties either. No, it was more like college rock was the kissing cousin of the musical family’s black sheep, punk rock. So what you usually got from college rock was honest, rollicking tuneage that was just a bit more restrained, refined if you will, than punk.

Electric Love Muffin is a pretty good representative of this restrained, refined approach to music. This Philly quartet demonstrate that bands can be able to play their instruments and still make upbeat music. And don't let the silly name fool you: this is pretty earnest stuff from a band that by all accounts should've been huge.

Image is from discogs.com
　
ELM’s MySpace page: www.myspace.com/betterstartrunning

Information on the band can be had here: ELM info

1. Backstreet ride
2. I should have
3. Look for me
4. This time I’m gone
5. Blackness that could be blue
6. The muffin march / One year removed
7. Tomorrow’s regrets
8. Magna opus

This is missing a Beatles cover because they, being the most overrated band ever, suck.

Download it here: Electric Love Muffin

Belching Penguins: Draft Beer...Not Me (1986)

So, does a belching penguin sound like early DRI? In this case, there are remarkable similarities: fast songs with an anti-authoritarian attitude come to mind, though these Penguins burp a bit more melodically than those thrashers from Texas did.

A quick glance at the song titles gives you a basic idea of what their subject matter is about: militarism, drinking, cops, amongst other things. Come to think of it, just a quick glance at the record cover should give you a clue about where they're coming from; a skeletal Reagan pouring beer leaves little to the imagination.

"Dead People Can't Drive" absolutely rocks, with its solid hardcore tuneage and the great line, "Watch out for that Cadillac, the driver’s got cataracts." Being from Florida, it must have been a daily occurrence to dodge cars driven by folks who were no longer able to get behind the wheel. Come to think of it, that happens here as well.

Enjoy the music :)

The image is from Last.fm.

Demos can be had at Going Through The Motions blog: Belching Penguins demo

MySpace: www.myspace.com/belchingpenguin

1. There’s gonna be a war
2. Better off dead
3. Dead people can’t drive
4. Money well spent
5. Shitfaced
6. Box lunch
7. My friends
8. Forget the world
9. You suck
10. Brain damage
11. Governmental screwover
12. Anorexic
13. Suburban life
14. We’re the cops
15. My girlfriend is in porno
16. There’s no food
17. Theme of the Belching Penguin
18. Our children are missing
19. Hangover

Download Belching Penguins here: Belching Penguins