I thought I’d try something new today. Since Friday is now “release day” for new albums and such, I thought it would be a good idea to put together all the songs and or albums that came out today and throughout the week. There is so much music being released these days, it’s hard to keep up sometimes but, with this, there’s a better chance you won’t miss something that came out. So here we go…
Mastodon- Fallen Torches (featuring Scott Kelly of Neurosis):
Spirit In The Room- If You Must:
Justin Stewart Cotta- Longing Is Not Love:
Alain Johannes- If Morning Comes:
Sumac- The Iron Chair:
King Buzzo (Buzz Osborne) with Trevor Dunn- Delayed Clarity:
Greg Puciato has premiered his new track “Roach Hiss” from his upcoming solo album Child Soldier: Creator Of God. This is the fourth single released from this record and it’s definitely showing yet another side of how versatile Greg is a vocalist and songwriter. One this track, Ben Koller, Greg’s bandmate in Killer Be Killed, as well as a member of great bands like Converge and Mutiod Man, slays the drums on this one. October 23, 2020 is the release date for the full album via Federal Prisoner Records.
Marilyn Manson is back with a new album entitled We Are Chaos (out September 11). The first song released is the title track. This album was produced by Manson’s longtime friend Shooter Jennings. Based on this one song at the moment, I don’t know what to think about this one. There is definitely a Bowie influence and presence in this track. When Manson released The Pale Emperor a few years back, there seemed to be a resurgence and return to what most of us liked. This new song (granted it’s just one song at the moment) doesn’t have the same feel of urgency like The Pale Emperor did or any of the early albums. There is a bit of a Bowie vibe to this song that makes it interesting but, there is something off about it. I can’t quite place it yet. That being said though, I’m sure some of you out there will quite enjoy this.
During this age of quarantine, there is a lot of free time on musicians hands. Some are being very productive with writing new records and experimenting with new things. One of the things I’ve noticed is there is a huge flood of covers being done. A lot of them however are pretty meh and bland but, thankfully there is the people at Two Minutes To Late Night to save the day. Most recently, they conjured up a pretty impressive set of players to cover the Rush song “Anthem.” I’m not a big Rush fan but, this was too damn good not to share. Also if you haven’t seen the Rush documentary (I believe it’s still streaming on Netflix) you should check it out. It’s quite good. Anyways, this cover features Danny Carey of Tool on drums, Bill Kelliher of Mastodon on guitar, Les Claypool of Primus on bass, Stephen Brodsky of Cave In/Mutoid Man on guitar, Jordan Olds (aka Gwarsenio Hall) on guitar and Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria on vocals. What a killer job they did on this. Enjoy!
Visual artist Jesse Draxler has put together a pretty damn awesome array of different artists to create an audio/video project that is sure to make your head spin (not in the Linda Blair Exorcist way). The forthcoming album Reigning Cement, is based upon using solely environmental sound recordings to create some very interesting and introspective songs. This new one in particular “Valerian,” which features Chelsea Wolfe and Ben Chisholm, is super eerie and haunting. It feels more like a piece you’d find in a score to a film (maybe even a David Lynch or David Fincher film). Without a doubt though, this project is definitely one of the more innovative things I’ve heard in a long while. A few other tracks have been released as well featuring the band Vowws (another favorite of mine), and Full Of Hell. Definitely keep an eye and ear out for this when it’s fully released on September 4th via Federal Prisoner Records.
Chelsea Wolfe, Ben Chisholm & Jesse Draxler- Valerian:
Jesse Draxler- Reigning Cement:
Participating artists include:
Chelsea Wolfe & Ben Chisholm
Dylan Walker (Full of Hell)
Eric Ghoste (Ghostmane)
Exploited Body
Gendo Ikari
Greg Puciato
Intensive Care
Jaye Jayle
Lisa Mungo (Fucked & Bound)
O Future
Planet B
Portrayal of Guilt
Reeko
Shifted
Street Sects
Surachai
Thirst Church
Trentemøller
TR/ST
Uniform
Seb Alvarez (Meth.)
Vowws
I love it when it’s been a while since you’ve heard from a band you like and they drop new music and it’s really good. That’s the case with this weeks Band Of The Week, (Damn) This Desert Air. It had been a few years since there was new music from this band. Their last album, Pyramids, still finds its way into rotation for me and it’s still a rocking record. Now, they have released a new EP called Nebulosity and it’s chock full of crunchy riffs, hard hitting rhythms and soaring melodic vocals. (Damn) This Desert Air is a band that has taken their cues from the space rock of the 90’s (Failure and Hum), added some cool post-hardcore vibes (a la Quicksand) and some melodic grunge in the way that STP did on Core and Purple. When you listen to the song “Body Anchor (Back In Atlantis),” you can definitely hear all three of those influences come into play. There is also a real maturity to this band as well that will probably get overlooked. That element has given these new songs a real sense of purpose and urgency. The passion you can hear in the performances are undeniable and it truly gives new life to this band. A song like “Lonely Train” is a great example of this. Nebulosity is a great way for (Damn) This Desert Air to come back. This EP is an encapsulation of what they’ve done in the past and are working towards. I urge anyone that reads this to really take the time to listen to this band. The pure nature of what this band is really shines. I’m quite excited to have them back and hope this is just the beginning of more to come.
(Damn) This Desert Air- Nebulosity:
(Damn) This Desert Air- Body Anchor (Back In Atlantis):
Last night, I was watching the documentary Life After Death From Above 1979 for the I don’t know 6th or 7th time (definitely check it out when you have a moment) and it set me on a path of I know what I’m posting about tomorrow. In the doc, they showed a clip from back in 2005 when the band was promoting their debut album, You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine (which is still one of my all time favorite debut albums ever), they performed “Romantic Rights” on Late Night with Conan O’Brien I remember watching it when it aired and thinking this band is so damn cool and good, and they really are. Plus the surprise at the end just really makes this a very memorable TV performance. If you haven’t ever really delved into Death From Above 1979, I highly suggest you do. They are a phenomenal band and are one of the best live acts I’ve ever seen too.
Death From Above 1979- Romantic Rights on Late Night w/Conan O’Brien 2005:
I’ve spent a lot of the past year or so doing a huge deep delve into The Smashing Pumpkins and rekindling my love for this band. It’s been pretty obvious, if you haven’t been able to tell by all the posts. Being able to watch so many different live performances of the Pumpkins of just Billy solo throughout the years has been truly awesome. There are so many great shows online as well as individual performances of certain songs. The other evening as I was falling asleep, I somehow wound up thinking about the song “Tonight, Tonight” and found myself drawn into a rabbit hole of different versions of the song on YouTube. One such performance really grabbed me for some reason and that would be from back in 2012 when Billy appeared on the Howard Stern show and performed “Tonight, Tonight” at Howard’s request and gave a little history on the song. This alternate version has been stuck with me and now you can enjoy it with me!
Billy Corgan- Tonight, Tonight on The Howard Stern Show/2012:
Metallica’s “Black Album” is quite a classic at this point. Not only did it mark a shift in style but, it’s also a game changer. Think about it, it truly is a game changing album when you examine the album. That’s a topic for a different day and one that will come up soon on Audioeclectica. There are a ton of songs on that album that deserve more acclaim and to be played live. One song that has been a staple for the most part since the album was released in 1991 is “The Unforogiven.” That song is absolutely epic. The melodic nature of the song and power that is emitted in this one is astounding. The other thing about this song that stands out is the guitar solo. Damn this solo is so good. Kirk Hammett really nailed a perfect complimentary solo to go along with the song. The video is pretty awesome too.
There are many bands that have tried to go back to their roots while still remaining relevant but, often the end result isn’t quite what it should be or it feels rehashed. That is not the case with the new album The Kingdom by Bush. Their new album is refreshing and a welcome back to what many loved about them in the first place. Let me start off by saying this is a full on rock album and Gavin and company have really delivered. If you’ve been waiting for them to get back to some good riff rock, this is the album for you.
From the time the album starts to till it ends, the consistency and balance of rock is there. Gavin Rossdale promised a “heavy” album and he along with his band have truly delivered on that. The album is chock full of riff heavy songs like “The Kingdom,” “Ghost In The Machine,” “Bullet Holes,” “Blood River,” and “Our Time Will Come.” There are also the more melodic heavy songs like “Flowers On A Grave,” “Send In The Clowns,” “Quicksand,” “Crossroads” and “Falling Away.” One of the more standout tracks is “Undone,” which has some similarities to the more mid tempo songs in the bands catalog but, it feels fresh and current.
The Kingdom is a bit nostalgic but, not in a bad way. It has the best elements of both Sixteen Stone and Razorblade Suitcase along with a bit of an Institute vibe. Also, Gavin working with Tyler Bates (who helped resurrect Marilyn Manson’s career with the great album, The Pale Emperor) has made a real impact and have made Bush relevant again in 2020. Another element that makes this album truly good are the performances by Chris Traynor and Corey Britz. Both of these guys have a very distinct style and it shines through on these songs. Most of the drums on the album were done by Gil Sharone (Current drummer Nik Hughes played on the title track and “Flowers On A Grave” and he did a killer job as well) and his work on this album is pretty damn stellar as well as usual. The songs on this album when played live will be huge. I can’t wait for the day that comes again. The only thing that feels off about this album is how the songs were put in order. Personally, I would have chosen the title track, “The Kingdom” to start the album off with.
If you have given up on Bush, this is the album that will definitely bring you back into the fold. If you are looking for a really solid rock album, this is one that you should really take a listen to.
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