It’s a few weeks early, but let’s flashback to Halloween of 2008. The Shrine Expo Hall, good friends, and Simian Mobile Disco. Justice’s DJ set left us a bit unfulfilled, but Perry Ferrell (and the 7 people that showed up) gave the night an interesting, yet unforgettable twist. Hard Fest, kids… circa: 2008.
Tag Archives: 2008
Blue Marbled (Guilty) Pleasures
When Alkaline Trio’s self-titled EP comp received its first vinyl release in 2008, it was given the rainbow treatment. Have a seat, because this is a hefty list. Orange marbled, gray marbled, clear with black smoke, brown marbled, and this blue marbled vinyl version. On constant rotation back in the early 2000s when it was first released digitally, Alkaline Trio is a great introduction to a pop-punk band whose glory days are far behind them, and deserves a proper listen, or at the very least, warrants owning five versions of the same album. Listen with pride, kids.
See You in Magic
Gearing up for my double date at the end of the month with San Diego’s finest, Rocket from the Crypt, tonight’s gem is 2008’s debut from The Night Marchers, See You in Magic. Arguably the most pop-oriented of anything offered by Mr. John Reis (save, maybe for Rocket from the Crypt’s 1998 major label killer, RFTC) SYiM is lover’s garage rock on two pots of coffee, with that sweet aroma of genius-Reis-guitar, perfect for wiping the worried sleep from your morning eyes, and great for that little get-me-the-hell-out-of-the-office-if-only-in-my-ears, afternoon pick-me-up.
SYiM is John Reis music for your significant other, if submersing them into the paradisiacal world of Mr. Reis is your number one music objective, and believe me… it damn well should be.
Post #450 aka Dust it Off and Jerk It
Comfort answers to no fashion Queen, and raunchy, sex-minded, worked-tongue-wiping, paid-lap-dance-dirty, baby-makin’ pelvic beats answer to no, conventional, receptive ear. Thunderheist, the Toronto based, globally minded, five-year international outbreak, very much like the cheese, stands alone. None match their sex = sex + more sex-resolved, blood-churning, infectious rhythms, and none do it so devilishly glamorous.
Words… that these are, do absolutely no justice to the concrete weight that, Grahmzilla and Isis effortlessly exhale with every gasping, rhythmic beat present in every one of these five, remixed (save for one) tempting trax.
If it ain’t dirty, it ain’t Thunderheist.
Editor’s note: For this, my 450th post, I’d like to thank global warming, overly-sensitive neighbors, and hangover victims, but seriously, I’ll thank the unspoken will that fuels so many able, and socially alienated victims… affordable whisky. Dust it off, dear frequenters of PG nonsense… dust it off and jerk it.
Melodic Repetition, Melodic Repetition
Have you ever wanted to live inside an 80s, cutting edge tech film? Well, you can’t. Sorry to break the bad news, but k’mon… let’s hitch a ride back to reality, shall we? Don’t worry, I’ll cover your bus fare. Simian Mobile Disco’s 2008 EP, Clock is something straight out of War Games, or any other Mathew Broderick movie loosely involving 1980s DOS-based operating systems. Melodic repetitions unfolding in waves of hip-gyrating force throughout four catch-tastic dance favorites… what more could you ask for? No, really, what do you want? I’m serious, because I certainly have no idea what you people listen to.
I was fortunate enough to catch SMD here in LA a few years back at a HARD fest. There were a lot of people, but the music was loud, so everybody went home a winner. This is more a confession to myself, but I don’t know why I stopped listening to electro. I’ve never been a dancer, but have always enjoyed hard-hitting, and filthy dirty programmed beats. SMD flirts with the dirty side of electro, but falls short when considering them next to MOTOR and / or Boys Noize. Clock however, is certainly worth a listen, especially on a Monday morning a day before the end of the year.
Let’s Turn This Thing Electric
The Chemical Brothers are known the world over for their elaborate, Big Beat landscapes. This isn’t news. Something a little less talked about however, but just as obvious and synonymous with their crunchy, heart-stopping grooves, is their visual persona. I’m not talking about their mind-melting stage shows. Instead, I’m talking about their nostalgically futuristic cover art and album design.
Presented here is not even the tip of the iceberg. The Chem Bros have been penetrating ear holes for over 20 years, and have released seven proper albums, one soundtrack, six EPs, five comp albums, one live album, 15 promo singles and 26 singles… with an eye catching design, layout and scheme unique to each release. This amazing print was offered as an insert in their 2008 double LP comp album, Brotherhood.
I’ve got a bunch of Chem Bros releases, so keep your eyes peeled, and your ears lubed because the Groove is about to go Big Beat berserk.
Beware the Vegas Sun
This may be a no-brainer for the majority of you fine lovers of high fidelity, but unfortunately, I had to learn this bitter reality the hard way. Let this be a lesson to those of you to whom this has yet to happen.
A few years ago, wow! It’s been five years now. Crazy. Moving on… a few years ago, I was visiting my parents in Las Vegas. You see, my father is the President of a Steel Workers Union in Wisconsin, and every once-and-a-while he needs to travel to Vegas for meetings. My mom joined him, and since Vegas is only a 4-½ hour car ride from Los Angeles, I met up with them for the weekend. Plus, at the time, one of my closest High School friends lived in Vegas, so it was a gathering of the happies if you will. Or, if you won’t. This happened 5 years ago, so there really isn’t anything you can do about it now.
Long story short, my buddy took me to Zia Records where I picked up the (then) new self-titled Weezer album (their 3rd self-titled album). For those of you who are unaware of how violently hot Vegas gets in the summer, allow me to paint you a wet, sticky picture. Being mindful that records warp when exposed to extreme heat, I opted to place my recent find in the trunk of my car instead of in the front or backseat where the Sun had been playing all day. So, this guy here thought the hot, oven-baked trunk would be the logical solution to a potential $22.99 problem.
As you can see, my decision was a poor one, and this copy of Weezer’s 3rd self-titled album is clearly unplayable. I’ve since repurchased this album (with grave hesitation), and I keep this guy around to remind me of how stupid I was on a hot summer day in Las Vegas.
Learn from the idiots, kids. Take your records indoors instead of locking them in the car where they die a painful, never-played death while warping in the 112 degree Vegas heat. Weezer would hope you’ll learn from the errors of The Prudent Groove, and take better care of your records. A thought just occurred to me. Maybe Weezer was working closely with the Sun so they could sell more records. Well played, giant middle-sized star & Weezer. Well played indeed.
The Prudent Groove 