Autechre - Anti

Autechre was one of the main bands to create electronic music in the early 90's that wasn't easily accessible and/or written for dance clubs. They're known for their complex rhythmic lines and use of odd time signatures and chord progressions. This particular single was created in response to the British Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 which, in an attepmt to destroy the rave scene, prohibited music that contained "repetitive beats" to be played in a public setting. The first two tracks contain repetitve beats, but the third track has no repetitive beats in the whole thing. While it may seem gimmicky (and really, it is), it also works well, and ends up being one of Autechre's best songs. Lost is also decent, though Djarum falls a little short. Flutter more than makes up for it, however.



1. Lost
2. Djarum
3. Flutter

Sage Francis - A Healthy Distrust

A phenomenal hip-hop album from one of the best rappers in the business today. Sage is intelligent, agressive, humorous, introspective, and politically-minded. His music is grounded in the classic hip-hop he grew up listening to, and though he wears his influences on his sleeve, he manages to push the boundaries of modern hip-hop. He's won numerous rap battles and is an accomplished spoken word artist. Attacking everything from the government to love to the current rap scene with wit and insight, Sage may not always be upbeat and optimistic, but his music remains smart and catchy as hell.



1. The Buzz Kill
2. Sea Lion
3. Gunz Yo
4. Escape Artist
5. Product Placement
6. Voice Mail Bomb Threat
7. Dance Monkey
8. Sun Vs Moon
9. Agony in Her Body
10. Crumble
11. Ground Control
12. Lie Detector Test
13. Bridle
14. Slow Down Gandhi
15. Jah Didn't Kill Johnny

Random - Necrophonic Zombie Rocket

Random is a band whose members used to go to my old high school. Then they graduated and broke up. This was their last album. It's full of awesomeness and good times. It's a hybrid of funk and ska with some weird touches and a keyboard thrown in for good measure. Their bass player is really really good. Enjoy.


(This is not the cover for the album. I couldn't find it on the internet, and I was too lazy to scan in my copy.)

1. Hello, my name is Man Costume
2. Amerigo vs. Existentialism
3. Martania
4. Find me a Curve
5. Bulldog's March
6. Coffee Coffee
7. Radical Adequacy
8. 5th Ave.
9. Funk-O-Tron
10. Until She's Dead
11. Primeate
12. Shotgun
13. Secret Track

Langhorne Slim - When the Sun's Gone Down

I'm too lazy to write a lot about this album, so take my word when I say it's a mix of country, folk, rock, and a little bluegrass, and that it's also one of my favorite happy albums. If this doesn't make you smile, you're wrong.



1. In the Midnight
2. Set Em Up
3. Mary
4. Sisterhood
5. Electric Love Letter
6. And If It's True
7. Hanshaw Shuffle (Drunken Horse)
8. Drowning
9. I Ain't Proud
10. Loretta Lee Jones
11. By the Time the Sun's Gone Down
12. Hope and Fullfillment
13. I Will
14. Checking Out
15. I Love to Dance

Nurse With Wound - Livin' Fear of James Last or... Joy in the House of Dada!!!! a Nurse With Wound variety pack

Nurse With Wound is one of the most prolific musical groups ever, though to call them a "musical group" is probably misleading for two reasons:
1. Apart from their first three releases, NWW has been one man, Stephen Stapleton, along with a small collective of people he frequently collaborates with, and
2. Quite often you'd be hard pressed to call what Stapleton does "music", at least in the common sense of the word.

Stapleton is more prone to rampant sonic experimentalism than actual music. Contained on this album alone is everything from typical rock instruments randomly being "played" and then chopped up and processed like crazy ("The Six Buttons of Sex Appeal") to extreme industrial music ("Cold") to Brian Eno-esque ambient music ("Sea Armchair") to an almost normal rock song ("Two Shaves and A Shine" with David Tibet of Current 93 on vocals). Every song presents a different facet of Nurse With Wound, whether dark, scary, comedic, upbeat, relaxing, and pretty much everything in between.

While cramming 27 years and 100+ albums into two and a half hours may seem impossible, this two disc set, compiled, mixed, sequenced, and edited by Stapleton himself, does an honorable job. It may trip up a little in including multiple tracks off a couple albums when there were over a hundred albums to choose from, but the tracks are all so different that had the back of the CD case not listed what album each song was off of, I never would have guessed that some of the tracks were off the same album.

Expect more NWW albums in the future, as I'm only a handful of albums away from having their entire catalogue.



Disc: 1
1. Six Buttons of Sex Appeal [Edit]
2. Dirty Fingernails [Edit]
3. Stick That Chick and Feel My Steel Through Your Last Meal
4. Subterranean Zappa Blues
5. Ag Canadh Thuas Sa Spèir
6. Die, Flip or Go to India
7. Cold [Edit]
8. Strange Play of the Mouth [Edit]
9. Swansong [Edit]
Disc: 2
1. Optical Illusion Pad
2. Sea Armchair
3. Piece of the Sky Is Missing
4. Home Is Where the Heart Is/Monument for Perez Prado
5. Intravenous [Edit]
6. New Dress
7. Yagga Blues
8. Two Shaves and a Shine [Edit]
9. Rock 'N Roll Station [Edit]
10. I Was No Longer His Dominant [Remix]

AFX - Hangable Auto Bulb (2 EPs)

These two EPs, released 8 weeks apart in 1995 and limited to 1000 copies each, mark a significant change in Richard D. James's style from the analogue and ambient sounds of his old releases to the new IDM and Drill n' Bass style he's been working in up until the rebirth of his classic acid style with the Analord series of singles. These two vinyl-only EPs were re-released together on a single CD last October, though the track times differ slightly between the vinyl and CD releases. In case anyone cares, these are the vinyl versions of all the songs. Track two on Hangable Auto Bulb 2, "Arched Maid Via RDJ", is one of my favorite songs ever.



Hangable Auto Bulb EP (1995)

1. Children Talking
2. Hangable Auto Bulb
3. Laughable Butane Bob
4. Bit
5. Custodian Discount
6. Wabby Legs

Hangable Auto Bulb EP.2 (1995)

1. Every Day
2. Arched Maid Via RDJ

Current 93 - Black Ships Ate the Sky

This album is one of the best ones I've heard recently. At this point it's vying for my favorite album of the year, along with Brother, Sister by mewithoutYou. Dark, folky, apocalyptic, scary, sad, doomy, and beautiful, it's best listened to beginning to end.



1. Idumæa [Vocals: Marc Almond]
2. Sunset (The Death of Thumbelina)
3. Black Ships in the Sky
4. Then Kill Cæsar
5. Idumæa [Vocals: Bonnie "Prince" Billy]
6. This Autistic Imperium Is Nihil Reich
7. Dissolution of 'The Boat Millions of Years'
8. Idumæa [Vocals: Baby Dee]
9. Bind Your Tortoise Mouth
10. Idumæa [Vocals: Antony]
11. Black Ships Seen Last Year South of Heaven
12. Babylon Destroyer
13. Idumæa [Vocals: Clodagh Simonds]
14. Black Ships Were Sinking into Idumæa [Vocals: Cosey Fanni Tutti]
15. Beautiful Dancing Dust [(Vocals: Antony]
16. Idumæa [Vocals: Pantaleimon]
17. Black Ships in Their Harbours
18. Idumæa [Vocals: David Tibet]
19. Black Ships Ate the Sky
20. Why Cæsar Is Burning, Pt. 2
21. Idumæa [Vocals: Shirley Collins]

patton oswalt - the pennsylvania macaroni company along with other accidental hilarity

This album downloaded while I was sleeping last night. I didn't know Eugene Mirman was on it until I started listening to it 3 minutes ago. It's the last night of the most recent Comedians of Comedy tour, and it features Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, and Maria Bamford in addition to Eugene Mirman.

Antony and the Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now

As a sort of counter to the last post, here is the most depressing album I think I've ever heard. It's so sad, but it's so good. Listen and have your heart broken. It's not healthy to be happy all the time... or something.



1. Hope There's Someone
2. My Lady Story
3. For Today I Am A Boy
4. Man Is The Baby
5. You Are My Sister
6. What Can I Do?
7. Fistful Of Love
8. Spiralling
9. Free At Last
10. Bird Gurhl

The complete Eugene Mirman

Yay update!

I've uploaded everything by one of my new favorite comedians, Eugene Mirman. His style is pretty original, with non-sequiturs, letters to random things (such as shapes), various lists, and stories of things that have happened to him which may or may not be true. If you're into off-beat comedy at all (Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Louis CK, etc.) make sure to check this out. Take a look at his his website for some hilarious videos of him doing things and making fun of stuff.


Includes:
The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman (full album)
En Garde, Society! (full album, minus dvd)
Live at Caroline's (recording available at his website)
Anti-Gay Phone Company (a series of recordings with an anti-gay phone company, again available on his website)
His two sets from the comedy compilation Invite Them Up
His CD from Patton Oswalt's "Comedians of Comedy" tour