Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Beastie Boys - "Slow Ride"(Dylan's Dumb iPod #19)

OMG. The plane totally says "Eat Me" backwards

I was born a solid year after Licensed to Ill's release, but it was still my initiation to the Beasties a few years later. Listening now, it does swing a little clumsy and plays heavier on the cheapshot party anthems than the technical prowess they'd later showcase. Though it doesn't hold a candle to the masterpiece pastiches of Paul's Boutique and Check Your Head it's still an exuberant nod to a special and transitionary (nerd journalists say "Golden Age") time in hip-hop, and for a suburban white male still feeling his way around 70's dinosaur rock and 90's alt, it was the perfect jumping off point.



Anyone with a fistful of brain cells to mash together will spot the sampling of War's "Lowrider" (copyright rules were much different then, just ask Biz Markie), as the Beastie's freely wore their influences on their respective sleeves. The track tackles heavy-handed issues like grubbing at White Castle, physically assaulting school teachers (she chased me outta class/ she was strapped wit a ruler) and doing drugs (I went to the bathroom and rolled myself a wooler). [Editor's note: The Wu-Tang Manual describes a "Wooler" as a joint that's been lightly dusted with Cocaine].

Personally, I dig 80's hip hop because of all the references to "dust" and "brew." Somehow the terminology seems delightfully archaic, but maybe that's just because I grew up in the midwest. It's a tight, danceably giddy song in blatant celebration of rebellion, pranksterism and youthful indifference, and one worth spinnin' on a leisurely bike ride or a house party when the folks have bounced.


MCA RIP


Saturday, July 14, 2012

Millenial Reign - "Moore's Law" (Dylan's Dump iPod #18)

Rejected Milwaukee Bucks logo design

It wasn't any secret that the ultimate purpose of this band was to worship Humanity... era Integrity, and in that regard it's spot on. With a lineup comprised of Damien Abraham (Fucked Up), Jordan Posner (No Warning, Terror) and Jesse Labovitz (No Warning), and some additional vocals by Chris Colohan (Cursed, Left for Dead, tons more). I once read an interview in which the journalist asked Damien condescendingly about his interest in Hatebreed and Integrity and Damien backed both bands...I wish I remembered his exact response.



Mr. Clean

Though only a four song EP, Bones Dust Nothing is remarkably well formed and complex, full of tempo changes and musical shifts, and the guitar work is absolutely stellar. Dwid vocals are seamlessly achieved, as is the chilling (and sometimes wacky) subject matter of the Holy Terror ilk.

"Moore's Law" gives me nothing to complain about as it contains great Melnick's style riffing at 1:16, a concrete mosh bit at 1:42, and again with those Dwid vocals. "A Final Evolution/ to a homeland where our spirits reborn/ pure information living together/ this is the heaven we prophesied/ we are destined for immortality." Sounds like the kind of stuff I was learning in LDS Sunday school, that we are all "intelligences" and our minds eternal...that when we die, all we take with us is the crap in our brains. Furthermore, besides taking their name from a famed Integ track, "Milennial Reign" references the belief that Christ will reign for 1000 years, prior to the final judgment (something you can find more about in the last track on Humanity is the Devil).


Anyway, to my knowledge the band only played one show (maybe a handful) and it's likely that this 7" is the only remnant of their existence, but if it was merely meant as a tribute to Cleveland's most infamous band, it stands resoundingly well on its own and comes highly recommended. Nothing to complain about.

Copyright 2007, A389 Records, blah blah blah

Sunday, July 8, 2012

World Peace Can't Be...Pun

Tommy Carroll 2012
Thoughts on Harley going to jail:

1) How long must we await the famed Harley's War album on Southern Lord?

2) JJ's mags are kewl, but those who don't acknowledge Best Wishes are (to quote the aforementioned) "pussies."

3) Is there any famed NYHC guy that uses commas on social media? Do y'all need editors? *I'd do it.*

4) Haven't heard from Rick Ta Life for a while...are we sure it wasn't him? (ever?)

Friday, July 6, 2012

Black Cross - "Let Me Sink" (Dylan's Dumb iPod #17)

Goggles
These three song EP's (cleverely titled Sink, Knives and Chrome) were officially "released" at an exclusive Black Cross show in 2004 (?). I was grounded so I had to have my good friend Keith pick it up for me. High school was a bummer.

Black Cross was a band I don't think I fully appreciated at the time, though I saw them plenty of times. They were Louisville mainstays, played a ton of shows and I liked 'em, but I don't think I ever LOVED them the way many others did. I preferred Coliseum. Looking back, Art Offensive is a really cool album, and listening to it now it really speaks (sings) to me and makes me realize how unique Louisville's music scene really was. Still, Rob Pennington's vocals are an acquired taste and have always been a stumbling block for this reviewer. Also, I never really got that into Endpoint. Kinghorse on the other hand...


Pushead? Who wants Pushead?
Anyway, a totally serendipitous moment happened when I started writing for a magazine in Salt Lake City called SLUG and when I went in for my interview, I saw a Black Cross sticker on their trashcan. Being a nostalgic ninny, I got all bleary-eyed and longed for home.

The CD pacakging for this was awesome, I think it was hand-screened on some heavy cardstock, but if I remember correctly the disc itself was just a CD-R. Auxilliary Records, which was (is?) Ryan Patterson's label and bore his distinct visual aesthetic.

Anyway, La Cruza Negra (That's mexi-speak, pendejo) was doing that wirey post-punk thing at this point and I remember thinking that it was great musically, but seemed like throwaway cuts compared to Art Offensive's material. I didn't hate it, and listening to it now, I can key into its brilliance. It honestly reminds me of the stuff Coliseum did on the Parasites EP last year. If I have to pick the standout track of these three, "Playing with Knives" takes the cake because I love those ringing guitar lines.

Maximum Louisville

Quick and (not that) funny Black Cross anecdote, lots of kids at my high school had the hoodie that kind of looked like a motorcycle gang logo. Once at lunch, our janitor came to our table to talk to my friend Brandon about it...and it took forever for him to realize that none of us knew anything about motorcycles.

Also, if we're being honest Severance Pays was a really boring record.


To my knowledge, Sink, Knives and Chrome is pretty long out of print, so go download it and see what you think. Also, it ain't on Youtube, so just watch a live set.