Wolfmangler Dwelling in a Dead Raven.....CD

On paper this looked like a winner. "Dwelling in a Dead Raven for the Glory of Crucified Wolves" is the title. Crazy album cover. Obsession with Wolf titled release. Polish misanthrope playing "improvised doomy black metal with classical instruments", "compost with a grudge", or "death folk" or whatever outsider metal cliche that got strung together. Aurora Borealias is the label. 6 songs recorded in Texas. Bass(multiple),drums, flute, and trombone provide the back drop to the whispered, mumbled, and growled vocals(with lyrics mostly borrowed from some non metal sources)
Wolfmangler are a unique experience. Black metal Tom Waits? It has the off kilter slow marching band pacing that Waits has used. You could imagine hearing this playing as a barbarian horde approached your village in a thick fog. Brooding, obscured trouble.

There is also an odd sense of humor at play. The first song is called "Dirge for a Viking Asshole"... Is it a jab at the whole Graveland Medieval scene or declaration of Polish pride? Either way this is some cinematic shit that is not comparable to any other bands I can think of.

Skateboarding at Wallo's in hawaii 1976 Tony Alva and others

Check a couple minutes in for the sick Gorilla Action.

JIMMY SMITH - MOANIN'

Hard to even know where to begin on analyzing how rad this is. The audience?, the band? the hanky?
JS was the man

Giro comes to and end and other race news

An awesome Giro this year, some real aggressive tactical racing. DiLuca should have it in the bag(fingers always crossed). Ricco and Shleck showed the strength of the next generation and Simoni,Peipoli, Mazzoleni,Brushegin, and Noe showed the old gaurd would not go quietly. It all comes down to the las day TT, but unless someone has an epic malfunction the podium is all set(maybe with a2/3 shuffle) Today is Tinkoff's last chance for a stage win. Expect some breakaways.
My only complaint about this race is what did Bougyes,FDJ, or AG2r bring to the table? What if you had selected Unibet instead? A team with something to prove. Imagine the fireworks with Unibet and Tinkoff gunning for it everyday.
Have to say it again, Liquigas and Lampre are having amazing seasons.
Milram get double stage wins at Bayern with Zabel and at the Giro with Pettachi- a lot of broken bikes at the finish after yesterday's stage.
Gorik Gardeyn got stage 2 at the Tour of Belguim. American Tyler Farrar was in third-showing himself at the head of the race for a second day. He is in 6th overall.
Chadwick got the stage at Mt.Hood yesterday. Ben Jacques-Maynes holds the overall lead. Today's stage is an 18 mile ITT.
Commerce Triple Crown kicks off this weekend (Lancaster,Reading, and Philly) Strange not to have Philly be for the US Champ, but times change. Awesome races with a decent Euro presence. JJ Haedo will be there looking to make up for a lackluster Giro debut.

Midnight Complete and Total Fucking Midnight CD

A while back I reviewed a Midnight 7" that was a tremendous slice of Venomy/NWOBHM metal. I finally got my hands on the Nuclear War Now Productions complete CD 20 tracks(LP has bonus tracks!). Once again he delivers the goods. "All Hail Hell" kicks it off with a nice Slayerish riff. Song titles are up to to the standard set by the "Endless Slut" single with classics like "Hot graves","turn up the hell", and"vomit queens"(which is not a concerned ballad about bulemics...) as some top titles.
Originals are all driving evil thrash metal. Why don't teenagers make music like this anymore? Why do they si in their rooms and play with Garage-Band and sound like John Mayer? What went wrong?
Photos in the liner notes show a man with a real sense of style masked in hoods or gasmaks shredding to half naked girls. Exactly the photo collage a thrash metal reissue needs.
To top if off they do covers of Girlschool,Scarab, and the Pagans. That's right, Ohio's finest get their "Eyes of Satan" metalized by Midnight.
Usually "lost classics" either suffer from bad production or have some flaw, but this is truly an unearthed treasure of 80s thrash. If only this had been out when I was a teenager. Hail to NWNP!

Crash??

Saw this ina USCF email. How does a crash like this happen during a crit on a track?

James Booker Cool Turkey b/w Gonzo 45

A Peacock 45. Some organ driven instro's by New Orleans Legend James Booker-otherwise known as the dude with the ill eye patch. Mid Tempo with a modish Booker T feel. Veers a little towards hockey rink hooks on "Cool Turkey", but the bluesier guitar and bass keep it cooking-organ is actually king of low in the mix. "Gonzo" has an ill flute groove and has a laid back summer time kind of groove. Definitely the winner. Booker played keys for a veritable who's who of blues,R&B, and soul.Discography here.
If you are a fan of organ grooves, check this crucial article at the Funky 16 Corners site.
An effigy of James is carried every year at Mardi Gras by the Krewe of OAK. That is an amazing memorial.
In a city of musicians who were pretty extreme, James Booker may have set the standard.

Funky 16 Corners Blog

Stumbled onto this blog and man is it banging. Sick podcasts, killer information. Go check it out. Support F16 Radio!
Funky 16 Corners

Zoncolan aftermath and other race results

The performances of DiLuca and Shleck are especially impressive today. DiLuca limits his loses and Schleck moves up a spot on the poduim. Mazzoleni cracks and allows Simoni to jump onto the Poduim. He is the king of Zoncolan, but Piepoli buried himself to get his captain up the slopes. Hats off to Leo! That was some serious work.
The final ITT should still be a critical day as times will be tight amongst the top 5. WIth only 4 seconds between Shcleck and Simoni, he will have to be very attentive the next few days, and you can't count out Mazzoleni if Gibo or Cunego choke during the time trial.
1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas 77.35.3
2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 2.24
3 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval - Prodir 2.28
4 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - Fondital 3.29
5 Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Astana 3.46

In other race news the first stage of the Bayern Rundfahrt was wone by André Schulze with O'Grady in second and Zabel in 4th.
Tour of Belgium opening stage went to Wouter Weylandt, but Cofidis yankee Tyler Farrar was in 4th! Nice. Team Slipstream is racing in Belguim as well
Tour wildcards where selected Astana, Barlaworld, and Agributel. No Unibet. Ouch.
This could really be Vino's year.

Zoncolan!!

Today should be an epic day at the Giro. Yesterday's win by Garzelli was also epic when you factor in the snow! in late May. The potential for upsets on a day like this are huge and hopefully DiLuca does nothave a "black day". Should have some answers by lunchtime. Simoni and Cunego could both move onto the podium if Mazzoleni or Schleck falter.
Salvodelli's ride in support of Mazzoleni the other day was an impressive show of teamwork and good sportsmanship.
In other cycling news
A surprise winner at opening prologue of the MT.Hood stage race, Devon Vigus California Giant/Specialized beat Nathan O'Neil by 11 seconds. Should be a good race
6 stages in total.
Navigator's sprinter Hilton Clark got the win in NJ at the tour of Somerville. Mass pro Adam Hodges Myerson was in 9th!
Tour of Belgium and Bayern Rundfahrt start today-both short stage races. Rundfahrt.... hard not to laugh at that one.
Cyclingnews.com has a great diary from Keith Bontrager who is racing the Trans-Scotland race. Very intersting perspctive. check it

King Coleman Lookey Dookey Parts one and two 45

This R&B rocker is a scorcher. No bells and whistles just get down and do it rock. Must have been juke box classic in all the scary bars. Dade Records. Has a Frat House meets Screaming Jay Hawkins vibe. Some good R&B. Part 2 has more vocals and a good sax solo. His other singles have appeared on comps like Pow City, Savage Kicks, Talkin Trash and All night soul stomp. That should give you an idea of the type of killer tunes he delivers.
Discography here.
And you know he is alive and kicking and on >myspace!
Be warned he is down with Blowfly!
This record and several other 45s(check picture#2) to be reviewed in the coming days come courtesy of the hardest working garage sale master in the Brighton Area. Thanks for first crack at this score!

Giro

Today looks like a day for a breakaway or opportunists to strike. With the GC guys probably focused on saving energy for tomorrow's Zoncolon monster stage, it should open some doors for riders out of contention for the overall. Climb at the beginning and 27K from the end give to places to launch. I am guesing a team like Tinkoff will go for it. They still need a stage win to justify their wildcard.

Villains Drenched in Poisons CD

I guess the US retro-thrash revolution is a few years behind the Euro wave, but it killer none the less(Dead Child, Early Man, Mericless, Toxic Holocaust,etc). That's what I was expecting when I picked this up. It opens with a more black metal type vibe (blackened thrash perhaps?) but is clearly under the influence of the 80s
Villains are from NYC and dropped this 8 song killer on Aurora Borealis Records.
Featuring Thralldom and Unearthly Trance member Killusion.
Classic song titles like "Seduce and Destroy" let you know whats up. Kreator'ish vocals, but they aren't scared to drop some high pitch screams either-more King Diamond than Overkill, but it works. It shifts into a more straight ahead thrash metal style for the middle 2-3 tracks and then heads back into a more black metal style.
They seem to be trying to channel the scummier side of life in NYC and this comes through in the art and graphics. I'm sure the lyrics further the effort, but I didn't check them out. They have managed a metallic alphabet variation that is extremely illegible. Good job guys!

Giro Tragedy!!

Wim Van Huffel has abandoned! Another nail in the coffin of my prognostication skills.

Withdrawn Records care package/triple threat

Got three releases from Withdrawn records today. Mammoth Hunter, Randy Colbourne, and Mirror to Mirror/Revivor. All in some sort unique/non traditional packaging. Highly limited so you better act fast.
The Withdrawn Records/Randall Colbourne relationships spans many years and records so before you start blabbing about Corsano this or free-wave that stop and recognize that this guy was making (insert Forced Exposure skronk hyperbole here) free music back when "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was blowing your mind in junior high. Anyway Randy moves from drums only to all instruments here. 12 tracks recorded in a cellar 2001-2003. Not unexpected based on his previous catalog of work and fear not he is still playing the drums. "Mr.Ra" has an awesome Godzilla'ish effect in it. Brother RM has some killer noise and effects and kind of reminds me of that scene in Patton when he flashes back to his past life in the Roman Empire. This is a great record. It is greater when you realize that one dude played it all. Can you improvise with yourself?

Mammoth Hunter drop 5 tracks of guitar and drum damage recorded live on 11/19/2006. This is LiveII which reminds me of the classic High Rise album title High Rise II(Read. I mean literally the title. Do not expect some Blue Cheer blown out shit. Same rule would apply if I said Led Zeppelin II-don't expect some over the top Brit Blues Rock-you follow me?). You might think you are in for some trippy meandering shit as the first track starts off, but give it a minute and it builds up to some intense yet restrained rock. Kind of like the quiet kid in the back of the class that will stab someone before senior year. A little Unwound perhaps maybe a touch of Bitch Magnet. Heavy but with a dark melancholy sort of vibe, that is not spoiled by some stupid singer. Nice. This is my favorite out of the bunch, but I am closer to a classic rock jughead than a free music or experimental music aficionado so that should be no surprise.

Last up is Mouth to Mouth/Revivor split 3" CDR. You know I thought the regular 5" CDR scene was getting too commercial so it is nice to see a new medium keeping it underground.... This is some experimental electronic shit. Not my cup of tea. Fairly dynamic for this style of music. Cover is rad. Over before you are bored which is a plus.
Withdrawn Records is like the Baskins and Robbins of oddball CT and Central Mass outsider rock and noise, so no matter what your flavor, they have what you want.

WMBR Stax tribte

Had the good fortune to be out and driving around last Thursday when Christopher Vyce dropped a Stax tribute show. Mega. Regardless of how you feel about the Stax rebirth, you can't fuck with that catalog and the hits.
I can't figure out a more elegant way to do this so apologies up front, go here and select the the 05/24 Lost and Found show. Rock out and if you know a better way to link this let me know.
Killer show. Big ups to Mr.Vyce.
PS if you don't know about MBR check the site and especially the Sat AM Backwoods show by John Funke
And daily they are dropping hits on Breakfast of Champions and Late Risers Club so use that computer if you are out of radio range!

PS there is a version of "wade in the water" that is so mega, wait for it. get it.

Pissed Jeans Hope For Men CD

It seems like a strange trip from Parts Unknown Records to SubPop, but that is the path Pissed Jeans have taken. 10 songs on Sub Pop. I had been hearing all about this band, but missed out on their 1st record and 7". Supposedly some super abrasive hardcore with a heavy nod to the early Touch and Go noise scene. A lot of good bands get name checked in regards to these guys so was definitely intrigued and psyched to throw this on, but I was also ready for a let down.
Opens up with a pounding anthem that brings to mind the Jesus Lizard and Birthday Party. Rambles,shambles, and stumbles along that short of a path. Other names like Black Flag, Germs,Dicks come to mind here and there. This is truly some fucked up and abrasive post-core/post punk whatever. Gets a little "how much art" on the last couple tracks, but still holds it together. The last track is a 7 minute plus tour de rock that gets popping after a few meandering mintues. Despite the fact that this is good and a unique take on some past giants, I don't think that I would pick this over some of the previously mentioned bands, if I had a few minutes to rock out to some demented rock action. I would be tempted to go see them live and see if the live up to their rep.

Ricco!!

I pray his success does not cause cycling pundits to resurrect the "rico sauve" line and I hope Ricco is a name to watch in the next few years. Saunier Duval are pounding people in the mountains. Piepoli(who I am sick of being called "pint sized" and "pocket sized", etc) has been a serious veteran presence for Ricco and support for Simoni. Sad to think he and Simoni will be gone soon. DiLuca did not crack and that is huge for him. If he can avoid the one bad day he seems to be plauged with every year, he might just win the Giro! Mazzoleni is lucky not only to hold onto second, but to be engaged to the lovey Elisa Basso. That makes up for the aqua blue kit anyday. This is a great giro and is the podium(at least steps 2 and 3) is still fairly open. The time trial will be key and Zoncolon should be huge, but I am waiting to see if it is too hard to really make a difference.

Several other races wrapped up today. Vlad Karpets gets the overall at Catalunya. Sammy Sanchez got the win on the last stage-managing to beat Vino. Vino has been so quiet, his TDF will make or break his season. That is risky.
Jesse Anthony from Sierra Nevada got 4th in Ireland at the FBD Insurance Rás. Sierra Nevada stomped on this race.
All in all an exciting week in cycling. Good racing, doping revelations,etc. If the Giro is any indicator the TDF should be wide open this weekend and will suit and aggressive rider with a strong team.

Cycling Sunday

Garzelli jumps Simoni for the win yesterday, but Simoni is the big winner grabbing back 50 seconds from DiLuca who remains in pink. DiLuca has been dealing with the mountains much better than the past. With 2 decisive stages left after today(Zoncolan and ITT) it is getting close and someone is going to have to get aggressive to shake this race up. Today will be critical for guys like Simoni and Cunego to put the pressure on and pull back more time. The 3 big climbs today should help. Top Ten:
1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Liquigas 62.10.40
2 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - Fondital 0.55
3 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 1.57
4 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - Fondital 2.40
5 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Saunier Duval - Prodir 2.42
6 Francisco Javier Vila Errandonea (Spa) Lampre - Fondital 2.44
7 David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 2.51
8 Evgeni Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit System 3.11
9 Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Astana 3.15
10 Emanuele Sella (Ita) Ceramica Panaria - Navigare 3.52

Schleck and Brugseghing are having the rides of their lives with their careers at oppostite ends of the age spectrum. Can they hold on to the podium?
Wed is the Mt Zoncolan stage which is a beyond epic climb with pitches 20,22, and 18%. These epic Giro stages often don't shatter the race as much as you'd expect, but a bad day here for anyone in the top five could have them dropping right off the map. Especially when it comes at the end of 142K and 3 other climbs. Ouch!

In other news John DeVine holds the lead at Ronde de l'Isard with only today's stage remaining. US U23's kicking ass!
Kodak Gallery Sierra Nevada's Canadian powerhouse Dominique Rollin took his third stage win at the FBD Ras stage race in Ireland. Jesse Anthony needs to get back 12 seconds to poduim there.
T-Mobile's Mark Cavendish grabbed a stage at Catalunya. Great results for him this year. I feel somewhat better about this race since Vladmir Karpets as taken the lead. Between Brutt and Karpets, you would think the only known cyclist in Russia was Laurent Brochard. Or maybe it is Ekimov's fault?