Snake Apartment

This splattered green vinyl platter opens with a track "Paint the Walls" that sounds like later era Black Flag jamming with Jesus Lizard-and it sounds good on 33 or the 45RPMs it is supposed to spin on. Snake Apartment hail from Providence RI and Parts Unknown Records is the label bringing this to your attention. 6 songs
A sick guitar sound will go a long way in my book and these guys got it. Ginn like solos, but a much heavier guitar sound. A throw back to the glory days when armies of drugged up scum bags were dropping endless hours of slugdey punk and dirgey noise. Remember back when it seemed like AM REP could do no wrong and you were psyched to grab records on Sub-Pop and Touch and Go?
Cover is some Bad Trip Savage Pencil looking thing and the insert is more trad hardcore look. The Endless Bummer cartoon is a nice twisted piece.
Before you take a handful of pills and half a bottle of vodka and try and jam on Funhouse or Big Jesus Trashcan, save your self the time. Put this on the turntable and chill.

Jiva S/T LP Krsna Rock V#13

Jiva were a band signed to George Harrison's Darkhorse label. The featured Gary Wright (yes Dreamweaver Gary Wright) on keyboards and dropped a 10 song lp back in 1976.
This alone would not land them in the WWIS Krsna Rock series, it is their connection to Indian Guru Maharaji that lands them here. I previously reviewed a record by the band Blue Aquarius-also followers of Guru Maharaji. Even though they are not followers of Prabupadha, I feel they've earned a spot in the KR series.
Now for the music "soulful,white funk rock" is a likely description if you ever see it for sale. To me I was hearing pretty typical 70s California colonic-rock. Slight Framptony feel to the vocals. Side one went by with very little catching my ear. Side 2 opens up with "World of Love" which was much more memorable. They keep a funky disco rock groove going on the next track. They kind of dabble in the Steely Dan type of rock. "Don't be Sad" has the bass player stepping up on a catchy tune -something familiar about it, but I can't place it. Sounds like it could have used some steel drums or something. "All is Well" seems to bear the George Harrison influence the heaviest-sounds like something Paul McCartney might have sung all right. Another way to say that could be, "the last song on the record sounded like a cut rate ham handed stab at 'let it be'". If this band could have come up with some compelling hooks or chorus, they might not have been lost to the cutout bins.
I couldn't end this review without commenting on the cover. I think the pudgy dude on the right is a little uncomfortable next to his hunky waif bandmates. I cannot stand musicians who appear shoeless on their record covers. Millions of people could potentially buy your record and you can't even fucking put shoes on? What is wrong with you? I guess these guys should get a pass since they look like they are in some Utah salt flat or something.

Week in Cycling

Week long stage races are usually decided by seconds not minutes or quarter of hours. So the tactical wisdom of letting a break in the TOG get a 30 minute lead may be in doubt. Unless the tactics of the teams not represented in the break was to haul out the white flag and shoot for stage wins. Yesterday's time trial was won easily by Levi Leiphemer who might just end up the sole Discovery leader at the Tour if the Basso/Puerto/DNA thing keeps going. Today on the Brasstown Bald should finalize the GC. Brajkovic might be in a position to snag the overall win which would be a great victory for him. Leiphemer makes it 2 stages in a row with a decisive ride on the Brasstown Bald. The GC battle between Brajkovic and Vandevelde continues with Brajkovic still holding the overall. With a race this close some Vino like tactics and aggression will be necessary to upset the GC.
Amstel Gold is Sunday Rabobank and the back on track Oscar Freire have to be favorites. CSC have a strong team ready including the currently racing in Georgia Christin Vandevelde.... straight from the airport to the race? Seeing that he is in 2nd place in Georgia and the race ends Sunday his presence seems unlikely. Valverde will be here prepping for the Ardennes races the following weeeks.

Clarene Reid Allston 45

Clarence Reid drops 2 shots of Southern Soul on Allston. Still hard to believe that this is Blowfly. "Good Old Days" is the Plugside from 1971. Pretty forgetable feel good track about doing it better the second time around. Although I guess it was one of his billboard charting hits. Back up vocalists kind of overpower him on the track. "10 Tons of Dynamite" is how hard her sweet love hit him. Nice mid tempo track that is better than the A-side. I can only imagine the lyrics his alter ego Blowfly would have given to a track called "10 Tens of..." anything.
I have yet to grab a 45 on Allston that was killer. They have the right artists, but I have yet to been floored by one of their records.

A bike for every purpose

It is pretty amazing when you look at all the under $1000 bikes that cater to small sections of the cycling community -cross, single speed cross, commuter, fixed gear galores etc. Seems like you used to have to build all this up on a frame or mutate and existing bike to get what you want. Now almost any configuration is waiting to ride out of the shop. It wasn't too many years ago that a single speed mountain bike or cross frame would have been custom only.
You want a single speed commuter with mustache bars stock? Redline is waiting.
Generators, fenders, and internally geared hubs? Bianchi's got you. Bianchi aslo has your single speed cross bike (with or without disc brakes even) and pee wee commuter ready as well. Bianchi just keeps pumping them out.
29" rigid single speed mtb? You can try SE Racing or Raleigh and not break a grand. Bianchi also an offering-of course.
You want something that looks like an old beach cruiser but might ride better? Van Dessels waiting with the Counry Road Bob.
I have not mentioned Surly but they have nine highly flexible frames you can build up (8 really since one is a unicycle)
Soft goods kings, Swobo, even have three bike choices for all your urban transport needs.
Nothing will ever match getting a custom bike built just for you or stumbling across a cool old frame and building it up exactly as you envision it, but it is amazing what you can grab off the rack that is so specialized.

Freeze Live on Cape Cod LP

I was surprised by the cover art and graphics of this release, it looked more like OBEY! style graphic art than a land of the lost collage. But for a live Freeze set from my hometown from when I was 11, I'm not going to worry too much about cover art.
That said even the color scheme was something new for a Freeze record. Not to worry about the music this is classic Freeze live at the Mill Hill Club a dive bar for college kids in the summer. The combination of the new wavey back up vocals and the bass driven poppy hooks brings to mine the Jabbers more than the Pistols. They definitely had an LA influence on some of these tracks-Dangerhouse. 19 songs with 9 unreleased or at least unknown to me. Sound Quality is patchy but we are talking about something that probably should not have been recorded let alone survive. If you care enough to buy a live Freeze LP from 1980, you are probably ready to accept some issues with sound quality.

Watain Sworn to the Dark

Ajna Offensive unleash this record (double lp limited to 500 and CD) on the world. Brutal and unrelenting black metal. Production is super powerful and all the riffs are incredibly catchy. This builds on their first to records but pushes well beyond what they were doing. Graphics are awesome dark,satanic, and cryptic. Touring the US with AngelCorpse and Nachmystium in May!