If there was one man here who had possibly the most eclectic and wide-ranging tastes I think most people might agree it was Jackhammer. He ran a very successful journal - more than 200 posts - which is now languishing almost on the edge of journal land, on page 17. In this journal he did nothing terribly original, just reviewed albums, but to get an idea of what he reviewed, the range and breadth of his musical taste, this journal deserves to be brought back into the light. Here's his opening post, also featuring a review.
Of a grindcore album.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackhammer
The only criteria I'm giving to this is that the albums or tracks reviewed will almost certainly be a first time listen on what I have recently acquired or dragging an lost gem out of it's hidey hole kicking and screaming.
Agoraphobic Nosebleed- Altered States Of America (2003)
99 tracks long and clocking in at well under 12 minutes this is certainly an acquired taste. Four vocalists, a drum machine, one guitar and endless samples and F/X create one hell of a racket. Is it a gimmick or is it a sincere attempt to make one of the most intense albums ever?
Luckily I was growing up when Grindcore first reared it's head in the late 80's over here and I have been to many all day Hardcore/Grindcore/Punk festivals so I can 'tolerate' this a lot easier than if I was reviewing my first Grindcore album.
Listening closely I can say that it is certainly not a gimmick and despite the ridiculously short length of the tracks there is plenty of imagination and variation to keep me entertained. What used to bore me after a while with Grindcore was the guttural vocals. After a few tracks I got bored. With 4 vocalists on board and only one employing this vocal technique my attention is still kept up. This along with the electronic backbone in many songs give the band a 'Cyber Grind' tag (just in case I start being corrected on their genre tag).
I thought the album was enjoyable in both concept and product. If you fancy your ears being cleaned out or an experience in just how far Music can go sonically, then give it a go brave people. It's f ucking mental.
-- Official Agoraphobic Nosebleed Site -- |
And then he went on to write about this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackhammer
New Zealand Reggae/Dub Scene
New Zealand has over the past 10-15 years seen an explosion of Dub and Reggae bands that fuse Maori past along with the musical leanings of Funk and Soul. The most well known are Fat Freddy's Drop who are a firm festival favourite who wow their audiences with their improv slow jams and sleek delivery. Yet there are many others too worthy of a mention. Rhombus, The Black Seeds, Trinity Roots and the Roots Reggae band Katchafire (who started out as a Bob Marley tribute band!) all keeping the Reggae flag alive. Although the music does splinter and span many genres it's gratifying to know that a new audience is being introduced to Reggae infused music and still have something new to bring to the table.
Here is a selection of vid's for ya to bump and grind to:
The jam that kicks in just after3 minutes through this track is just toe tappingly good and they are a band I would love to see live:
Love the guitar work on this one and a great soulful voice too:
A band that likes a side order of fun:
Terrible vid but Fat Freddy's Drop are one of my absolute faves:
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You can catch up on his musical musings here
What's the sound in my headphones today?