MOG - FishPoisonCon's Posts

NIN: 1 Ghosts I

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:00:12 GMT

Ghosts I-IV is a two hour collection instrumentals divided into 4 volumes -- the first of which is available for free here: http://ghosts.nin.com/main/order_options

NIN instrumentals. Not much else needs to be said, it's a given that they're probably gonna be sweet - and they are. All the sounds are typical of NIN. Except one, the guitar sound in track 5... this surfer/western/spy (clean w/ chorus, short delay) thing. It's cool, but I can't remember anything NIN-related that ever used that sound (unless you count NBK).

I only have the first volume, and after a day of listening I don't really have anything negative to say about it... well, ok.. maybe a few things.

Track 8: loud and distorted, but ultimately sterile.
Track 7: not bad, just a little... boring - like the ending of 'The Great Destroyer'... a little too rigid, a little too generic... kinda just falls flat.
Track 6: probably could have benefited from dropping that loop at some point and then reintroducing it later in the song.

but that's it... so, unless the other 3 volumes are totally unlistenable, this could become one of my favorite NIN albums.

AmpLive: Nudez (In Rainbows Remixes)

FishPoisonCon — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:46:21 GMT

Rainydayz Remixes is composed exclusively of source material pulled from In Rainbows, re-envisioned by Amplive and complimented by vocal work from Too $hort, MC Zumbi of Zion I, Chali2na of Jurassic 5, Codany Holiday, and Del The Funky Homosapien.

I've only listened through once, but Nudez (ft. Too $hort & MC Zumbi of Zion-I) stands out immediately. I'll have to listen a few more times before I can really say anything about the album as a whole... so far only 3-4 of the 8 tracks are really working for me...

download the full album and artwork here: http://www.onesevensevensix.com/amplive/index.html

Secret Chiefs 3: The Owl in Daylight

FishPoisonCon — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 00:05:25 GMT

Being a "best of" compilation, I guess this album wouldn't have been included had I made a proper top ____ of 2007 list... it's still better than a lot of stuff that was released last year.

Path of Most Resistance is a decent mix of tracks from Book of Horizons, Book M, Second Grand Constitution And Bylaws and Eyes of Flesh, Eyes of Flame - with a couple "rarities" tacked on to the end. Though, I think they ignored some good tracks from Book M, while including some mediocre ones (like Zulfiqar III). All in all, not a bad representation of their work, but I think I would suggest BoH as an introduction to it.

Animal Collective: Fireworks

FishPoisonCon — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 06:49:30 GMT

I'm not sure how I forgot this album on my 2007 list. I think I liked Sung Tongs more, but Strawberry Jam had 3 (or so) songs that I really got into.

I have to admit, both the Ween and Arcade Fire albums were filler on that list. Ween got a place based on loyalty, I didn't even steal the new album. Same deal with Arcade Fire, even though I haven't liked any of their full-length albums. I liked their first EP back in 2004 (which they're still pulling material from: No Cars Go), and always wanted to like their albums, but it never happened... guess it's not really the same deal at all.

Anyway... Strawberry Jam would definitely replace one of those two albums. Favorite tracks: Fireworks, For Reverend Green and Peacebone

Battles: Snare Hangar

FishPoisonCon — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 07:28:52 GMT

Another album I didn't really get into, but liked some of its songs ...and to be honest, this is how it goes for all Battles I've heard. The recording and mix are A LOT better than any of their EPs, making it easier to appreciate the songs as a whole - rather than being distracted by how fucking loud and abrasive that snare or keyboard part is. Though, they still chose some god-awful sounds that no amount of post could fix. That aside, it's one of the more interesting releases this year, and I think it's worthy of the attention it's getting.

Les Savy Fav: What Would Wolves Do?

FishPoisonCon — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:18:22 GMT

From LSF's latest album, Let's Stay Friends. As mentioned in my previous post, I didn't really get into this album as a whole, but it does have some good tracks. I wouldn't say it was their worst release, but I wouldn't recommend it as introduction to their music either.

Personal favorites in no particular order: Brace Yourself, What Would Wolves Do?, Raging In the Plague Age and Scotchguard the Credit Card, Patty Lee

18 Albums of 2007

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:05:27 GMT

This started out as a "top 10", but I soon realized I only have 11 albums from 2007, and 3 of them wouldn't even be in the top 10 - but after thinking about it for a while I came up with a list of 18 albums divided into 3 categories.

Full albums that I listened to the most, divided into 3 groups based "good/bad" track ratio.

1. Lung Punch Fantasy - Jerseyband
2. My Downfall - Venetian Snares

3. Year Zero - Nine Inch Nails
4. In Rainbows - Radiohead

5. All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone - Explosions in the Sky
6. Tomahawk - Anonymous

Albums that I didn't really get into as a whole, but have some great songs

7. The Flying Club Cup - Beirut
8. Let's Stay Friends - Les Savy Fav
9. Path of Most Resistance ("Best of") - Secret Chiefs 3
10. Strawberry Jam - Animal Collective
11. Mirrored - Battles
12. La Cucaracha - Ween

Albums/Bands that I personally loathe, but have been all over other top ____ of 2007 lists

13. Icky Thump - The White Stripes
14. Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem
15. Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? - Of Montreal
16. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon
17. Boxer - The National
18. Cease to Begin - Band of Horses

Ministry: Every Day Is Halloween

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 04:49:18 GMT

Most Ministry fans cringe at the mere mentioning of anything before The Land of Rape & Honey - I can't say I ever got into With Sympathy, but Twitch and a couple of the singles released between 81-85 were pretty good. In fact, Isle of Man II, We Believe and The Angel are still some of my favorite Ministry songs.

Anyway, this song was released as the B-Side of the All Day single in 1984. It hasn't aged too well - but at the same time, it's still less embarrassing than the majority of top songs from that year.

Alarm Will Sound: Mt. Saint Michel

FishPoisonCon — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 21:49:55 GMT

Alarm Will Sound is a 20-member chamber orchestra that focuses on recordings and performances of contemporary music. As the title of the album suggests, these tracks are covers of various Aphex Twin songs... but not just "covers" - insanely accurate, acoustic re-creations using traditional instruments; as well as prepared piano/violin, curtain rods, rubber hose, electric engraver, refrigerator rack lamellophone (tuned fridge rack), and tons of other modified and homemade instruments.

It's also worth mentioning that, like Jerseyband, the members of Alarm Will Sound began playing together while studying at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

Radiohead: In Rainbows (update/Reckoner)

FishPoisonCon — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 20:25:46 GMT

Ok... so, maybe my review was a little harsh. After listening to it for a while, it's grown on me... I dig 5/6 of the 10, but it still feels like Radiohead-Brand™ Radiohead. It isn't a bad thing, I guess - but almost all the songs have parts that make me think of other songs... which is a little distracting.

[√] 15 step: Idioteque, kid samples from garbage band's applause and laughter bank (C2, G#/Y)
[X] Bodysnatchers: synth/therimin part from The National Anthem
[√] Nude: the transition from vox/strings to bass in the beginning is a little rough through headphones - drops out too soon. other than that, I like it... but the ending is a little... uh...
[X] Weird Fishes/Arpeggi: boring... but it does make me feel like whistling for some reason.
[√] All I Need: as soon as the bass/synth starts I always hear The Greater Good by NIN (everything you do, everywhere you go...), and at the end of the song I always hear the last part of Vegetable (the water breaks..).
[X] Faust Arp: sounds like Elliott Smith mugging the Beatles... but not as interesting
[√] Reckoner: bridge always makes me hear the horns from Life In A Glass House... not sure why
[X] House of Cards: ...
[ø] Jigsaw Falling Into Place: sounds like a transitional piece between The Bends and Ok Computer - like the tune, not really into the lyrics.
[√] Videotape: I like it, but it's a little repetitive and I'm not totally into the sound of the piano on this one... and the metronome at the end kinda bugs me.

All in all, it's a good album - and even though I wasn't totally impressed, I would agree that it's one of the best of 2007.

Radiohead: In Rainbows (All I Need)

FishPoisonCon — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 01:54:15 GMT

It's been almost 24 hours now, so, it's probably safe to assume everyone has already heard it... but in case you haven't, don't worry - there are no surprises to spoil. If they didn't have the whole "pay what you want" gimmick, they could have easily sold the idea as "A tribute to Radiohead, by Radiohead"... with songs titles like "National Anthem 2007 Mix", instead of "Bodysnatchers".

To me it just seems like they're revisiting all their styles from Pablo Honey through Kid A/mnesiac, resulting in something that feels more like a Sting or Rod Stewart album than Radiohead. Not to say it's horrible, but, out of context the actual music seems rather unrewarding to long-time fans looking for something other than nostalgia.

...and really - a band with a massive fan base finishes contract, releases an album on their own as pay-what-you-want downloads of relatively low quality (160 kbps), or an $80 box set that you will get in a couple months. How is that NOT going to work? Face it, many, if not most, of Radiohead's fans are getting.. uh.. older, and probably have a decent disposable income. Not to mention the idea that I've been seeing in various forums of paying more than you need to just to "stick it to the suits" (wonder how many actually followed through). I'm sure it will be a financial success - even if they do lose money on it, they still get credit as being "ground breaking".

Either way, it's a win/win situation. Especially since it creates anticipation for their next album, which I think is more important than this one. This was a relatively easy way to get their name back in the spotlight, what they do now that they are free will be interesting. Will they proceed to rely on their fans' loyalty and record recycled albums that make money they don't even need, or will they continue to evolve?

Overall I give this album "a 'meh' and a slightly apologetic shrug of the shoulders". It's Radiohead, of course it's good... and maybe it's just me, but the fact that it feels like "just another Radiohead album" is its biggest fault. Their choice of album art was a little questionable, too... :P

Personal favorites: All I Need, Videotape and Reckoner... and 15 Step, I guess

Tomahawk: Sun Dance

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 04:44:36 GMT

Tomahawk's latest album, Anonymous, is a collection of interpretations of public domain Native American songs. The album's concept was the result of guitarist, Duane Denison, wanting to find native music that was "more aggressive, spookier, and more kinetic" than the generic, "blues and country...or 'new age' type stuff" played during gigs at Indian Reservations while he was on tour with Hank Williams III.

other tracks worth checking out: Antelope Ceremony, Mescal Rite 1 and Crow Dance

Brazzaville: Christmas in E.C.

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:09:26 GMT

Another Brazzaville song, another song about heroin. Motel Room could almost be seen as a chapter from the story of this song - which is about "a couple of young low budget travelers whose lovely existence gets destroyed by heroin".

While trying to think of something else to write about this song, I read that they played Joe's Pub (NYC) back on June first. ONE show, the first time since leaving the US in 2002 and I missed it! I guess they are in Siberia/Far East Russia now, but are coming back for a few shows in September... but only to the midwest. :|

Beirut: Bandenburg

FishPoisonCon — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 05:27:24 GMT

I usually try to offer some information about the bands/songs I post, but I see moggers are already quite familiar with Beirut - which is good... I'm feeling kinda lazy.

I will say this... I SWEAR I saw him (and possibly one other person... can't quite remember now) playing at the Lorimer/Metropolitan stop on the G train (smith/9th side) 4-7 weeks ago. At this point I had never seen zach, or even been formally introduced to Beirut. I had heard the name and the music, but never made the connection. I remember walking by and looking right at him, not really thinking much...stoned and having just escaped the hipster hell that is the L train, I was thinking (and therefore probably looking like I was thinking) it was just another suburbanite hipster from the midwest or connecticut trying to find his european roots - he was facing the greenpoint-bound (polish neighborhood) platform.

I kept walking - my stop is at the front of the train. When I finally stopped walking I stood and listened, and thought.. wow, this is actually really good. The acoustics of the subway tunnel in combination with the specific location... and, of course, being stoned made for a completely surreal scene.

I was gonna walk back and see what it was all about, and who this person was - but could see the lights down the track and soon he was drowned out by the rumbling of the train. I got on and didn't give it a second thought... until I read that he's living in Brooklyn. Now I can't stop thinking about it - does anyone know if he's been playing the subway platforms during the last couple months?

Electric Waves of Resistance: The Great Silence

FishPoisonCon — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:13:45 GMT

This is a track off EWoR's second album, Simulations. Recorded back in April (2007), but this time, instead of two guitars and an array of effects pedals, using a drum machine and mini-synth... and an array of effects pedals. As with all EWoR songs, this was improvised - so there are some rough spots, but it's still more approachable (even though that wasn't the point) than anything from Dismantle Thyself.

Electric Waves of Resistance: Evil Pockets (VIII)

FishPoisonCon — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 02:08:58 GMT

EWoR is an improvised noise project started with a friend (and ex-roommate) of mine back in December of 2006... it was also the first thing I did since "quitting" music in 2003.

Warning: Loud!

Dismantle Thyself is actually a 46 minute performance cut into 11 movements, then edited as single tracks - the first 9 each representing one circle of hell, with the last 2 representing purgatory and paradise.

Unedited 46 min version (audio)
Stream or download (zip) single tracks: http://paperforplastic.com/ (audio gallery > Electric Waves of Resistance > playlist 1)

PauntyWASTE: forTuna

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:11:39 GMT

ok... so, the last two songs bombed... not all that suprising, awkward silence is the usual response to my stuff. Plus, moggers seem to prefer songs with slightly more structure...

This, of course, means that it's the perfect time to post PauntyWASTE.

The year was 2000, the top songs on emptyV were by N'Sync, BSB, Britney Spears, Eminem and Christina Aguilera... oh, and Sisqo's Thong Song. It was a dark time for popular music - but then again, when hasn't it been?

The concept for PauntyWASTE didn't emerge until weeks after it was written and recorded. The only real intention at first, was to do something that was more... rock influenced/band oriented - as my new roommate (and the only person I knew in Ithaca) was more of the classic rock...kinda hippie-ish variety, while I had been recording mostly abstract soundscapes and noise collages during the previous 3 years.

Recorded during the fall of 2000, on the same basic set-up as FD (4 track), but now in a sweet 4 bedroom house up in Ithaca, NY. Everything was written and recorded in about a week, except for the vocals. This was at the tail end of my 17 Seconds/Surfa Rosa phase... no disrespect to the Cure or Pixies, but the influence is fairly obvious :P ... as a result I couldn't think of anything to say that was "cool" enough, or didn't seem totally derivative - so in the meantime, I decided to yell something into the mic anyway, just to form some ideas for phrasing and such. Then something happened... after about a week of listening to the scratch vocals I realized they captured the exact sentiment of what I planned on saying: production-line pop, no matter the sub-genre or how easily it gets stuck in your head, should be considered an insult delivered by a whiney, no-talent hack.

For weeks after this I fantasied about all the pop stars singing lines like "I shit on her face, and then she ate it for dinner" (about your mom). The ironic twist of this all comes from fact that everyone I played this for loved the idea - during "Heaven" one person even commented on how "crazy" it would be "to see them live". This all came to an end once I revealed that PW wasn't some band I found in the dollar bin, but in fact, Jeremiah and myself. Back to the awkward silence - which, I guess, isn't all that ironic (see paragraph 1)... but it does kinda make me wish we had done a cover of "That's What Friends Are For".

Stream or download (zip) full album here: http://paperforplastic.com/ (audio gallery > PauntyWASTE > playlist 1)

FUNeral DEPT.: ewigerEinsturz

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 01:55:10 GMT

This is a rough mix of a track from, what was going to be, FD's first official release. Recorded during the spring of 2002 using an out-of-tune electric guitar, a fake bell on a casio keyboard, a delay pedal and lots of feedback... then slowed down to an almost unrecognizable speed. At this point I was using a digital multi-track recorder and the extreme pitch/time shifting left a digital whine through the whole track. This annoyed me at first, but after a few listens I decided that it complimented the images produced by the rest of the sounds perfectly - like the buzzing of fluorescent lights, or a dripping faucet.

FUNeral DEPT.: Phase IV

FishPoisonCon — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:33:01 GMT

This is from my first [completed] album, recorded on my living room floor during November of 1999 - using an assortment of effects pedals, guitar, a keyboard rescued from the garbage and an abused 4-track cassette recorder.

It's always hard for me to talk about my own music... i've never really thought about what any of it means... like the majority of my "art", i never have a conscious objective - there's never a specific idea i'm trying to express.

anyway... this song was recorded using "samples" from a clock radio, a delay pedal, chorus pedal, a yamaha mixer from the 60s(with cheesy rhythm patterns fed through delay) and acoustic guitar played like a dulcimer with a lighter as the hammer.

Stream or download (zip) full album here: http://paperforplastic.com/ (audio gallery > FUNeral DEPT. > playlist 1)

Venetian Snares: Öngyilkos Vasárnap

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 06:29:02 GMT

From the 2005 album Rossz Csillag Alatt Született, Öngyilkos Vasárnap is, essentially, a cover of the infamous "hungarian suicide song" based around samples of Billie Holiday's version (Gloomy Sunday) - but leaving out the third stanza added by Holiday's producers, which was meant to soften the song's imagery by claiming that it was all "just a dream".

The original song was composed by Hungarian pianist, Rezső Seress, after he broke up with his girlfriend in 1933. By the time it reached America in 1936 it was associated with numerous suicides throughout Europe, and was said to have been banned by the BBC. The US media took note of its marketing value, but deemed it too intense for mass consumption - leading to the decision tack on the 3rd verse. Despite this, the song's reputation was set in stone when Seress jumped to his death from his apartment in 1968. It's also said, that after the song became popular, Seres contacted his ex-girlfriend and the next day she committed suicide - leaving a two-word note that said simply "Gloomy Sunday".

Billie Holiday version

Negativland @ the Highline Ballroom

FishPoisonCon — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 06:40:11 GMT

First, let me say that I've been a Negativland fan for just over 11 years now, saw them on the True/False tour in 2000 and loved it. so, just as a forewarning, this rant doesn't reflect my feelings toward the band ['s work] as a whole, but....

this show sucked. :(

It's All In Your Head FM
Basically, it was the Over the Edge radio show on stage. In fact, it WAS Over the Edge.. on stage... in front of a dinner audience. so... it was $19.95 for the ticket, plus a $5.50 fee (no explanation, just "fee"). then, $10 min per table/booth... of course, that means you can't sit by yourself... and if you're not sitting (or not having ten more dollars, or anyone to sit with), you're standing in the back... watching a radio show on stage O_o the people seated got sleeping masks to play up this irony. the real irony, though, is that the people standing were the ones who could have used them, as most everyone else was chatting over beer and french fries.

ok... fine. that's kinda lame. but it's negativland!
well... ya...

i'm sure it's just me, but... i'm sick of atheists! well, to be fair... from what i saw (i walked out..more on that later) it seemed to be more agnostic in approach - attacking organized religion and acceptance without proof, rather than the idea that a higher power cannot exist - which, i personally believe, is just as illogical as knowing one does. not to mention hypocritical, as atheists pride themselves on the misconception that their beliefs are based only on facts, while religion is merely faith. what they fail to realize is A) you cannot not prove there is no god, only that religious texts are inaccurate... making them a victim of their own favorite weapon, the "god of the gaps"/doesn't follow the scientific method B) if they are not one of the scientists involved in the study of the information they quote, their belief is just as faith-based as the xians they mock.

again, nothing against negativland... and really, nothing against the idea of atheism. if this was 1990, 95 or even 2000 it may have been worthy of the title "Over The Edge", but in 2007 "christianity is stupid" is the equivalent of boys in tiny pants and girls in big glasses. btw, it seemed most of the audience didn't even catch the jazzed-up version of "the loudspeakers spoke up and said...", but all gave a pseudo-rebellious chuckle at the line "christianity is stupid". anyway... it kinda felt like a real-life version of an atheist circle jerk on reddit or digg. actually, with half the audience not really paying attention, and the other half-heartedly cheering or clapping on occasion, it really just felt like..... church. go figure.

the one thing that didn't remind me of church was that i was actually hungry, instead of sick to my stomach. i forgot to get cash, and only had $5 on me - not to mention i couldn't sit at a table by myself even if i did have enough to eat. i needed a cigarette.

i walk out, get stamped, light up and stand in the little area by the door. "if you're gonna smoke, you have to go on the other side of the street" wtf? so, i walk over to an empty parking spot, but was told i have to be ON the other side, away from the club. now, this is in the meat packing district, ok? the club is built into a western beef building. it's dead out. the only people around are from the projects right next to western beef. in order to get to the sidewalk on the other side i had to walk around shipping trucks parked, literally, bumper to bumper for more than half the block. so there i am, half a block away, hidden behind a line of shipping trucks, smoking my cigarette and wondering wtf i was doing there. then i realized they were right - it IS all in my head, and there wasn't anything this show could provide that wasn't there before.

Drumcorps: Pig Destroyer Destroyer

FishPoisonCon — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:44:17 GMT

from the album Grist (2006), by Drumcorps - a breakcore / hardcore / grindcore hybrid project started in 2004 by breakcore/ambiant dj, Aarron Spectre.

Aaron Spectre started out playing drums in central Massachusetts hardcore bands at age 16. At 19 he moved to New York City and began DJing and producing Jungle, Drum & Bass, and Ambient music. He moved to Berlin at 23, released several sold-out vinyl 12"s, and began touring on the strength of his live sets. Aaron started Drumcorps at 24, adding live guitar to his sets, as always bringing raw energy and enthusiasm from his hardcore days.

Farmers Market: Kind of Blues

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 02:17:34 GMT

Farmers Market (another band absent from this site) was formed in the fall of 1991 by 5 guys in the jazz department of the Conservatory of Trondheim (Norway). they started out as a free-jazz band, but soon started adding elements of traditional bulgarian folk music. by the time they released their first studio album in 1997 (a live recording from Molde International Jazz festival 1994 was released feb '95), gluegrass, metal and r&b we also part of the mix.

it was a hard to choose one song to post, almost every song has something worth hearing in it - but i think Kind of Blues is a good representation of their overall sound, as it captures all the previously mentioned elements.

from Musikk Fra Hybridene (Music From The Hybrides, 1997). "Kind of Blues" is a reference to the Miles Davis album, Kind of Blue.

Brazzaville: Motel Room

FishPoisonCon — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:53:25 GMT

seeing as i let my MOG page slide for so long, i've decided to post a new song every day this week. i was about to post today's song when i noticed that not a single mogger has listened to Brazzaville... how can this be? i first heard these guys back in 2003 and was kinda hooked for a good 2-3 years. i don't listen to them as much as i did 2 years ago, but they're still one of my favorite [current] bands. they've been pretty big in europe and russia for a while now - being from LA (originally) it seems odd that they're still relatively unknown here in the US.

this song is from the album Rouge on Pockmarked Cheeks (2002). i thought this would be the song that would break them, but it seems that never really happened. not to say that i think this is their best song, but it's probably their most "mainstream-friendly" song... even though it's about two friends overdosing (in a motel room).

From Wikipedia: Named after the river-port capital of the Republic of the Congo, Brazzaville, originally a US septet, was founded in 1998 by David Brown (USA), who is the leader of the band. The current cast is US-Spanish. Their style is formerly bossa nova.
(the MOG bio needs to be updated, btw)

other Brazzaville songs worth checking out: Christmas In E.C. (Welcome To Brazzaville), Voce (2002), Foreign Disaster Days (Somnambulista), Xanax and 3 Hours of T.V. (Rouge on Pockmarked Cheeks), Peach Tree (East L.A. Breeze), Star Called Sun(East L.A. Breeze)

Jerseyband: Shave Your Shelf

FishPoisonCon — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 04:53:15 GMT

From Jerseyband Live: Lung Punch Fantasy, recorded at the student union center at SUNY Purchase September 14, 2006

Just got this album last week (even though they were selling it at the show back in april) and i can't stop listening to it. one of the few recent albums i can listen to from beginning to end several times in a row... which is strange for me, as the cheesy synth trumpets of the 80s and the nauseating ska revival of the mid 90s kinda put me off brass. anyway... for those who still haven't heard these guys, i would definitely recommend this album before Little Bag of Feet.. - even to those who have. despite it being a "live" album, the sound is superior and the songs are just plain better.

Negativland: Long Distance Dedication

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 02 May 2007 16:03:14 GMT

In August of 1991 SST Records released a single by Negativland called U2 featuring snippets of U2 (the band) recordings, outtakes of Casey Kasem's American Top 40 and a mangled version of U2's song I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. Shortly after the release, Island Records filed suit against Negativland and SST over copyright infringement and deceptive packaging (the cover featured the letter 'U' and the numeral '2' - is that how I say it - in huge type). An out-of-court settlement was reached, but Island demanded repayment for its legal expenses.
The single (along with other related material) was re-released in 2001 on a "bootleg" album entitled These Guys Are From England And Who Gives A Shit (a quote about the group U2 taken from the Casey Kasem outtakes), released on "Seelard Records" (a parody of Negativland's record label Seeland Records). It is thought likely that Negativland themselves were responsible for the re-release, and that U2 gave their blessing.

Don Joyce and Mark Hosler of Negativland Interview U2's The Edge

Britney Spears' NEW Single!

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 02 May 2007 04:11:08 GMT

ok. it's not new. ...and it's not a "single". but it is britney spears. now, i know britney bashing is passé these days - and i wouldn't normally post something like this, but... uh. well.. just listen

this, um.. medley is made from some files i found online a while ago. leaked from the mastering session of her Live in Las Vegas DVD, these tracks are just britney's mic solo'd - most likely used to mix in breaths and movement to make it seem "live".

/don't ask.

Leonard Cohen: The Partisan

FishPoisonCon — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:18:57 GMT

From Leonard Cohen's 2nd album, Songs From A Room (recorded October 1968), a cover/adaptation of the French folk song La complainte du partisan (1943).
original song & info: http://www.leonardcohensite.com/partisaneng.htm

This is one of those songs that I've known so long that I can't remember not knowing it... and no matter how many times I hear it, it makes the hair on my arms stand up - especially the verse in french.

Les Allemands étaient chez moi, The Germans were at my home ils me disent, "résigne toi," They said, "Surrender yourself" mais je n'ai pas peur; But I am not afraid j'ai repris mon arme. I have retaken my weapon J'ai changé cent fois de nom, I have changed names a hundred times j'ai perdu femme et enfants I have lost wife and children mais j'ai tant d'amis; But I have so many friends j'ai la France entière. I have all of France Un vieil homme dans un grenier An old man, in an attic pour la nuit nous a caché, Hid us for the night les Allemands l'ont pris; The Germans captured him il est mort sans surprise. He died without surprise.

Jerseyband @ The Knitting Factory

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 03:36:04 GMT

The Knitting Factory, NYC - April 9, 2007 (more photos here)

This was completely unexpected... never heard of this band until I saw they were playing with Estradasphere. Before the show I had only heard two songs from Little Bag of Feet for Shoes, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. 3 saxophones (1 baritone, 2 tenor), a trumpet, 6-string bass, electric guitar and drums. Estradasphere, SC3.. even Ministry or Melvins sound huge, but this is completely different. The baritone sax and 6-string bass combined with the 2 tenors creates this insanely smooth, dense wall of sound - add in the rest and it's a brutal aural orgasm. Definitely see this band if you get the chance.

Not sure when this is from, but check it out

from Little Bag of Feet for Shoes, 2005

Estradasphere @ The Knitting Factory

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 02:17:31 GMT

The Knitting Factory, NYC - April 9, 2007 (more photos here)

I'm not exactly sure if I need to go into detail about how much this show fucking rocked... if I do, I'm not sure I could do it without seeming like some gruesome fanboy panty-tosser. Seriously. So, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, watch this video.. from beginning to end.
It's from 4 years ago, but it's probably their best live performance on YT

...and if you don't have the attention span for that, here's a track from the album Palace of Mirrors (2006)

NIN: Year Zero - Listen to the complete album

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 23:53:48 GMT

http://yearzero.nin-thespiral.com/FLJoi4gjw2f/player.html

Listen to the new NIN album, Year Zero. Just give your/an email address - I'm not exactly sure how this is set up, though. I've been getting the newsletter for a while now, so I'm guessing you'll get an email and a chance to opt-out. As far as the album goes - I was a little worried at first, the "leaked" songs didn't really do it for me, but the 2nd half of the album is great. Based on my first time through, the stand-out tracks are "The Great Destroyer", "Another Version of the Truth", "Zero Sum", "The Warning" and "Meet Your Maker"... which is pretty much the whole 2nd half - even as I'm writing this, I'm listening to the first half and it's kinda growing on me.

Les Savy Fav @ the Bowery Ballroom (04.01.07)

FishPoisonCon — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:33:48 GMT

more picts here

..and for those who have yet to hear LSF

Sylvia Plath: Lady Lazarus

FishPoisonCon — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 02:53:02 GMT

October 1961 saw Sylvia Plath on a poetic rampage, writing over 25 poems during the month - including Stings, Wintering, The Jailer, Lesbos, Lady Lazarus, Daddy, Ariel, The Applicant, The Detective, Cut and Nick and the Candlestick – most went on to be published in 1965 as Ariel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Lazarus

from: Poetry Speaks (Disc 3)

Negativland: Truth in Advertising

FishPoisonCon — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 17:54:41 GMT

First track from Negativland's 1997 EP, Truth in Advertising

Plaid: Itsu

FishPoisonCon — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 17:42:06 GMT

Unreleased video track from Plaid's 2003 EP, Dial P.

Produced by Pleix

Secret Chiefs 3: Renunciation

FishPoisonCon — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 04:55:54 GMT

First of two songs (2nd Song: Ciocarlia Su Suite) from SC3's 1998 appearance on the Australian Saturday morning live music and variety show, Recovery.

The Residents: One Minute Movies

FishPoisonCon — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 04:17:50 GMT

After recording an LP made up of 40 one-minute songs, "The Commercial Album," The Residents found it appropriate to create this video consisting of four one-minute movies. Working with director Graeme Whifler, the group developed a more sophisticated look than the earlier "Third Reich 'N' Roll." This film is also in the New York Museum of Modern Art film collection.

1980, The Residents/Graeme Whifler