Friendsandwieners's Weblog

SKVLT AND THE SONG OF THE WEEK!

friendsandwieners — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:54:51 +0000

Since my first trip there around 2004, I’ve always counted on the Legion of Doom to somehow keep me connected to Hardcore Punk. It’s a genre that’s as exciting as it is heart breaking. In it I can feel the boiling temperatures of my youth. I am entranced by the break neck pace and stirred by the urgency in its form. But it’s a struggle to keep your faith in it. Some Hardcore can harbor machismo tones and a startlingly capitalist view applied to merchandise and shows. It seems to have thrown one arm around the mainstream and the other into my nose while moshing. From the art to the fashion to the sound of it- some parts seem no more than pose, limited by dogmatic rules. There’s a list of precursors honored at the expense of originality. It seems to have lost the punk parts. *

The Legion offered hope. I walked up the steps on the new porch (hilarious in comparison to the state of the rest of the house…like putting gold rims on a huffy) and down the hazardous planks to the basement. I got wrecked by SKVLT. They were heavy, fast and very pissed; the vocals delivered in lunging blasts through a Holy Grail reverb pedal. The sound was described by one viewer as “a cave in hell.” The Amherst, MA based 4 piece blended heavy things (d-beat,rawpunk,metal,crust-core) for probably 13 minutes. They were real. They got sweaty. They kept me interested. Afterward they sold tour demo tapes for $2-3 as their only merch. They couldn’t order ‘cut to length’ tapes in time so they got the only thing available; 90min tapes from Radio Shack. I now have a 90min tape with only 15 minutes full (at the most).

I love the cassette. I love the photo copied cover. I love that it sounds like one mic set up in a room recording the band live on a boom box. This is accessible. YOU/ME/WE are capable of doing this. This is duplicated easily and shared at a very low cost (or sliding scale or trade). This is punk. No studio/No label/No standard required. It is its own standard to exist. This tape is noisy and violent on the ears and perfect for letting a healthy rage escape. Thanks SKVLT for your fresh offering of brutal sounds.

COUSINS WITH THE SONG OF THE WEEK!

friendsandwieners — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:52:08 +0000

COUSINS – ANXIOUS by RYANJ

Do you know where Halifax, Nova Scotia is on a map? It’s way up there. I haven’t thought about it too much. I think the American government tries very hard to keep Canada off of our radar because they do so many things better than us. We may also end up spending money there if we know too much (or draft dodge). Looking it up online makes me realize how bad my geography is and how big the Earth is. It is so big, it’s hiding this band from most of us in a northerly port! This song prompted me to ask my inner self, “Can you surf in Nova Scotia?” (Yes you can! Thanks for showing me youtube) Is it the soaring falsetto lead vocal reminiscent of Brian Wilson and his buds that makes me think of surfing? The reverb splash? Let me clarify; I’m not thinking exactly of the physical act of surfing with this song- I’m more like, channeling an urge to just float around on a surfboard. Catching a swell if you will; no sporty, beach glorified culture type hang ten in sight. I’ll have a walkman with this song on a tape. It will come on and I will visibly find the mellow but steady groove to enjoy life too. You won’t be able to tell if I’m asleep because I’ll have sun glasses on (I’m not). Maybe I’ll have a huge joint behind my ear and since I’m just floating and not planning on shredding or getting wet, I could probably get to that mini-verde-burrito later while watching the sun depart. I’ll be thinking, damn… the ocean is endlessss. I don’t need to note the irony of a laid back rocker like this being about anxiety. I’m calmed by this song but as an anxious person, happy to be stimulated by it.

I get sick of people saying things are NINETIES. OMG the nineties are back… The nineties are not back/won’t be back. People who grew up in the nineties may have bands and you might recognize some underground mile-markers they have passed. Seems normal. If the nineties are back, I’d prefer it to mean independent bands are making good music. I’d prefer those bands put a new spin on things and keep it independent. My report is that Cousins are 2012 fresh, collecting laid back sounds of indie rock that set you up for a good float. Catch COUSINS APRIL 17th @ CAFE BOURBON STREET, Columbus OH.

NERVOSAS SONG OF THE WEEK!

friendsandwieners — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:25:20 +0000

After dwelling in Columbus for a handful of years, something that is new and also good can sneak by a narrowed view of what it means to exist in said place. Bleak? A little. I guess there is something bleak in human routine and the limits we put up for comfort’s sake. Aside from that, it’s easy to doubt any self proclaimed municipal PROGRESS here. There’s a new Hilton hotel for assholes to come stay at while they decide what to bulldoze next. New condos rise to entice exclusive downtown living. OSU is the hungriest giant known to man. Apparently, the mayor likes bikes. He might have a fixed gear. Someone is snow-blowing money into someones pocket(s) to see just how far the Short North can stretch while E. Main St. and it’s history earn window sized slabs of plywood.

It will be small new things; secret new things that we must find hope in. Aside from some good company, these secrets seem to define Midwestern charm and keep us. A new special on vegan pizza or hot dogs, a happy hour deal, cheaper records, a new summer swim spot, a place with real trees. In this case and on behalf of this blog, I am going to be excited about a new(ish) band.

NERVOSAS. This 2011 born Columbus trio gives an obvious nod to punk classics but skips a total rehashing of them. Is it in their shit kicking combat boots? Their rebellious haircuts? No! There’s more! With three members who have all done time in a list of Columbus underground and/or indie bands of varying genre, the fresh collaboration yields driving, neurotic and angsty songs that hold their own. Shattered melodies sound like they’re almost escaping from the constant, down strum pace. The guitar goes heavy on the chorus pedal with slicing leads. Now, I can be all for a sloppy beer drippin’ heart spillin’ band that can barely stand, but there is something refreshing about Nervosas delivery. They are precise. They are rehearsed. They are one unit executing hits together. Overly sober. They seem almost paranoid while playing. You can see the knots in their tense shoulders tightening. I am excited about this band. Maybe someone will actually give recognition to a Columbus punk band that is NOT New Bomb Turks. No offense. I just know they were from here and that everything was better then, of course. Check Nervosas out soon before Columbus Alive gives them a misleading review. Download / PWYW pay what you want

DEATH HYMN SONG OF THE WEEK!

friendsandwieners — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:58:59 +0000

The Boy Who Could Fly – Death Hymn by RYANJ

Hymns. The Boy Who Could Fly sings modern hymns. They are life affirming songs of renewable hope and courage. For the misfits, the mismatched, the ones who may have been misunderstood in high school, her songs are the survivor sounds; the hand on the back that says, “It’s ok now. Here we are still.” Amongst that overall theme, her work is grounded by underlying moments of faith wavering and post-teen life crisis. It stays real.

Each release to date features minimal guitar playing with a display of clever variations on the power chord. Her Squier Tele (guess I’ve seen her play live a lot) gets a turn to maybe five on the amplifier knob. The vocals are layered texts, also reverb dosed. She sings thin and sweet and the sound is deeply earnest. I am always surprised by her candy jar of pop sense spilling all over the melodies. They keep me and I keep them.

2009′s Kindergarten cassette release proves The Boy Who Could Fly is the master of the bedroom recording. Deep thoughts filtered by a lo-fi recording device from someone who may have just slept in and is late for work. That’s how relatable it is. Legacy. An afterlife. Will we rejoin our loved ones when we go? Here is a short acapella number called DEATH HYMN to help us cope and carry on though the answers lie only in the great beyond. Fly along here and stream three of The Boy Who Could Fly’s self-released, self-scrawled art and layout, underground gems.

“If only death could be

like going to the movies.

You get up afterward

and go out

saying, how was it?

Tell me, tell me how was it.”

Maxine Kumin, Summer Meditation from Where I live 2010

THE LOON & THE SONG OF THE WEEK

friendsandwieners — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:26:39 +0000

Red Sled Choir is a musical project under the direction of Matt Gordon (New Paltz, NY/Hudson Valley area). He has released a handful of albums under this moniker. His sound takes influences from French folk music and contemporary American folk and indie. Characterized by songs that often revolve around accordion, the music also boasts a rhythmic and percussive signature that makes it stand out in its class. I imagine the percussion to be pieces of an ex-roommates drum set used in various bedrooms, muted by old t-shirts. There are stomps and handmade sounds. Sometimes you may hear an unidentifiable rustling or the presence of a toy being wound. Bells wander in here and there like street lamps coming on in a snow storm. Somewhat lo-fi, occasionally ambient; sounds like 8 track home recordings guided by experienced hands, able to place mics in the right place.

Red Sled Choir’s latest full length, Swim Smoke, features a powerful collection of songs that travel well with a listener. I played this album probably ten times in a row while chuggin’ along in my van. After seeing Gordon perform twice in the Midwest with the duo well-worn and speaking with him about the album, I gathered that many of the songs were born during his time spend working on farms in Southeast Ohio and Vermont. I don’t know why but this album makes me think of Cattails in the wind rather than feeding pigs or turning dirt. It’s just the image I get. Swim Smoke features an assortment of mostly acoustic instruments (accordion/banjo/guitar) taking turns providing counter melody and background to Gordon’s unique bellow-style singing. Clarinet (Cheryl Ernst) and backing vocals (Sarah Ayton) are woven in as well. The album is released on CD format with a recycled cardboard CD jacket. It features a crisp, legible screen print on the front/inside flap/back and a full color copied lyric sheet inside a dye cut pocket. Durable and very DIY. Check out Red Sled Choir’s music.

Red Sled Choir – The Loon by RYANJ

DELAY, NEW ALBUM

friendsandwieners — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:46:47 +0000

DELAY * RUSHING CEREMONY * JAN 2012 www.shoutoutloudprints.com

Watch this… for real

www.delayoh.bandcamp.com (a little preview)

MONSTER HOUSE PRESS @ BOOK AND PAPER ARTS SALE

friendsandwieners — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:28:35 +0000

BOOK AND PAPER ARTS SALE to feature Monster House Press table
Friday Dec. 2nd @ OSU Urban Arts Space
50 W. Town St. Columbus, OH 43215
6-8pm

more info here
We were invited by this very cool and on going Columbus event, Paging Columbus
This is my reading from a Paging Columbus event; live, under stimulating and a little hard to hear.
The pieces I read are Toss The Future (Real Bad Scrape 2010), Tenderness (Unreleased), Charles’ Cats (Unreleased), Free Pony Rides (Unreleased), and a Margaret Atwood poem, Nothing New Here from her book, Two-Headed Poems (1978)

COPYRIGHT ME FOREVER.

LET’S KNIFE THE SONG OF THE WEEK

friendsandwieners — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:54:20 +0000

Shonen Knife! This band makes me feel like I just saw a freaky rainbow explosion commercial for a cereal I really wanted and then immediately got to eat! Instant gratification! There’s lots of sugar (and it’s fortified with calci-YUM). You can like Shonen Knife because Kurtd Cobain told you to but I’m not that easy. I like Shonen Knife because cool girls told me to! I’m realizing this band makes me want to abuse the exclamation point!(!!!!) Anyway, this band is clever, cheeky and funny in a language that is not theirs from birth. They maintain memorable buzz pop songs on each album I’ve heard and although it’s cute, it’s never a barf-o-rama of lameness. There are hooks and attitude. Sass and sweet riffs. It is rough around the edges and totally accessible because you can hear the fun in it. This song comes from their album 712. It’s a song for all Mondays, forever… or really any day you have to go to work or do bullshit you don’t want to do. I don’t want to flatter silly people! I want to sing along with Shonen Knife! It’s always appropriate.

This message endorsed by Time and Temperature
and The Boy Who Could Fly

LAST, SONG OF THE WEEK

friendsandwieners — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 08:13:18 +0000

Last, The first Saintseneca full length presents the Columbus, OH based band a step beyond their lo-fi indie-folk demo days. The songs, all acoustic, have a studio big quality and in this become arguably more memorable than their earlier work. All the sounds are within any music listener’s grasp. Purists and 8 track die-hards may need a few listens to adjust ears to a more polished sound, but from my stand point, it does not hurt this band because of the strength in each song. At no moment do I feel a need to skip.
Eric Cronstein, operator of The Tone Shoppe, was behind the boards for this album and mentioned that he thought Last blows by like a punk album. I agree; nothing drags and it hits hard. However, there’s a depth and intelligence within the rich lyrics of harsh, theological skepticism that most punk albums could never shoulder up to. The vocal leads display melodies that are never a cop out. The harmonies are close to flawless and full in a way that is never distracting.
Subtle; yet a driving force in the music is Saintseneca’s ability to play with rhythm in a way that breaks out of monotonous, played out, indie-folk go to devices often heard on NPR; edgeless and predictable. Their attention to rhythm and tempo is fresh sounding; creative and stimulating.
Don’t say it’s folk punk. Don’t say it sounds like Neutral Milk Hotel. That type of review is much too short sighted. From the album art, created by singer/songwriter of Saintseneca Zac Little, to the final line (you can listen for yourself), this is an album I’ve enjoyed again and again, earning a spot amongst my top three favorite releases in 2011. Here is Blood Drawing.

Saintseneca – Blood Drawing by RYANJ

OH BABY, IT’S THE SONG OF THE WEEK

friendsandwieners — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:16:57 +0000

Baby Washington’s greatest hits CD plunked down into the bin behind the check in wall during my last hour of work at the library. It checked in as AVALABLE so I put it on the busted public CD player to see what a lady with such a name had to sing to me. This song pulled me close. Listen to the hook. She has Harlem born soul in her voice. I gave it a couple of plays in a row. Never a chart topper until this reputable blog came along.
Heartache. People can warn you it’s coming; it could be in the 10-day forecast for months but still, you will trudge on for that best love satisfaction. That’s how heartaches are made and, good songs.