Free Download - The Pixies: "Bagboy"

Proudly presenting a free download of "Bagboy," the first new PIXIES track in nine years:




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A Dog Named Gucci

Please do me a favor and check out the Kickstarter link below. The video is incredibly difficult to watch, but drives home what this film is hoping to accomplish. This film is being made by the people behind the amazing Replacements documentary, Color Me Obsessed, so I already know this will be done with the respect and care it deserves. Please spread the word for these guys by using the Kickstarter link below. Thanks!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gormanbechard/a-dog-named-gucci-a-film-about-ending-animal-abuse-0

Also, please take the time to check out dog rescue-related projects by Ministry's Al Jourgensen and Effectionhate.



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Full Album Stream - Gitane DeMone: The Reflecting Shadow

It gives me great pleasure to offer a free stream of Gitane DeMone’s new album, The Reflecting Shadow, below.

The Reflecting Shadow is Gitane’s first full-length solo album since 2000’s Stars Of Trash. Unlike that album, which was mostly Rock-oriented in nature, The Reflecting Shadow is closer to the dark and seductive vibes of her earlier post-Christian Death material. (With Love And Dementia immediately comes to mind.) Recorded in collaboration with Jean-Paul Garnier (who shaped much of the album’s musical style), The Reflecting Shadow is another great chapter in a legendary aural history built on work with Pompeii 99, Christian Death, The Crystelles and various other projects. (Listen to audio of Gitane discussing Christian Death's Ashes album HERE.)

It’s especially meaningful for me to hear new Gitane music right now, as I first met her 10 years ago this month. While living in Los Angeles circa 2003/2004, I played in a band called The Sixth Chamber with Gitane’s son, Sevan. (More on The Sixth Chamber is available HERE.) Although that era of my life was a tremendous amount of fun, it was also quite challenging. Gitane was wonderful towards me, and I recall crashing and eating at her place more than once back then. I’ll always be thankful for her friendship and support in those insane days.

What an amazing woman. What an extraordinary talent.

Plans are underway for a stateside vinyl release of The Reflecting Shadow in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, enjoy the stream and please consider downloading the album for only $10 and supporting Gitane's work by hitting "Buy" in the widget below.










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Black Sabbath: 13 (Standard Edition)

Please allow me to skip the obligatory opening paragraph about this being the most important Metal album in 35 years, how Black Sabbath soldiered on despite Tony’s illness and Bill’s departure, the addition of studio drummer Brad Wilk and blah blah blah and dive right into the kiddie pool of lukewarm musical water that is Meh-ster of Reality. (Sorry, I mean 13.)

First, the bad news: As a whole, 13 is an unsatisfying hodgepodge of past glories chopped up and glued together by the band and album doctor Rick Rubin, resulting in very little more than a Frankenstein caricature of a greatest hits package.

Ozzy’s singing (as well as the band’s groove) at the beginning of “Age of Reason” is immediately reminiscent of 1976’s “All Moving Parts (Stand Still),” while “Zeitgeist” (cool as it is) shamelessly bastardizes “Planet Caravan” (1970) and “Solitude” (1971) to create the album’s stoned-in-mom’s-basement moment. The drum fills in album opener “End Of The Beginning” are so close to those played on “Black Sabbath” (1970) that it’s downright embarrassing, while “Loner” is 1970’s “N.I.B.” with stale, barely-disguised dashes of “Air Dance” (1978) and “Dirty Women” (1976) thrown in for added blandness. (Couldn’t Ozzy think of anything to add at the end of the song’s first verse other than a dopey “alright now”?) And strip away the studio massaging, and all we really have on 13 in terms of vocals are the fumes and moans of a tired, once-mighty frontman who switched off ages ago.

Criticisms aside, there are some genuinely great moments on here. Every single guitar solo on this thing is (of course) extraordinary, as Iommi clearly put down each note with commitment and vigor. The band interplay during the last two minutes of “Age Of Reason” is pure, classic Sabbath and serves to remind the world of what makes this band so damn special in the first place, while Brad Wilk’s drumming on the album is undeniably solid and respectful of the task at hand. (That said, I yearn for Bill’s beautifully sloppy swing around the 3:25 mark in “End Of The Beginning,” but this is a mere quibble.) And I can’t get enough of “Live Forever,” even if the chorus does subtly pilfer 1973’s “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.”

Considering that 13 is obviously the only modern Black Sabbath album in the marketplace – and thus the most-likely purchase a kid is going to make if he or she wants to check the band out – I suppose it does serve as an adequate “young person’s guide” to a crucial band. However, the album will ultimately fail to stand alongside the group’s greatest material - or add to the band’s legacy - once more experienced Sabbath listeners remove the rose-colored earbuds of nostalgia and reverence and actually listen to it with objective minds.

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Get Shot!

Way back in 1996, my love for the great California band Spitboy led me to purchase their 12-inch split with a Latino Hardcore group from Chicago called Los Crudos. While Spitboy’s side (Roughly Living) boasted some of the band’s strongest (and, as of this writing, last) recordings, the other side of the record nearly blew my ears off.  Boasting 11 songs in 12 minutes, the Los Crudos contribution (Viviendo Asperamente) offered hyper-fast, Spanish-screaming rage that was far more incendiary than anything else hitting my ears at the time. Surging through subject matter ranging from violence against women ( “En Mi Opinión”) to the empowerment of oppressed people (“Victorias Y Ganancias”), Viviendo Asperamente was – and will forever be – a jolt to my system. In my mind, it’s not a stretch in the slightest to say that Viviendo Asperamente was the Damaged of the 1990s. As the years carried on, I often referred back to this record when I needed to vent some heavy frustration, and this thing never once let me down.

Last Wednesday, I dug out that record and put it on the turntable again after a considerable layoff. (I guess marriage has mellowed me in recent years!) Yup, the record was as ferocious as ever. With the vinyl blaring away in the background, I decided to do see some digging online to uncover the current activities of former Los Crudos singer Martin Sorrondeguy. Following the end of Los Crudos in 1998, Martin launched Limp Wrist, a Queercore group that survives to this day. In addition to serving as a longtime “shitworker” at Maximumrocknroll, Martin recently unveiled a hefty photo book called Get Shot: A Visual Diary 1985-2012.

Outside The Purple Palace, 6/20/13

In an amazing case of synchronicity that I still can’t get over, it turned out that Martin was doing an exhibit for his book at The Purple Palace in Cambridge the very next evening (June 20)  - and I would just happen to be in the area for another commitment earlier that afternoon. I simply couldn’t pass on the opportunity to check out the exhibit and learn more about what the singer on one of the most intense records I own was doing in 2013.

Paul and Martin of Limp Wrist

What Martin is doing in the present tense makes my jaw drop. The beautifully designed Get Shot (published by San Francisco’s Make A Mess Records) features more than 400 photos of people and bands (GWAR, Fugazi, Screeching Weasel, Operation Ivy and tons more) that Martin took over a 27-year period in more than 10 countries on five continents. Some of these shots not only graced the walls of The Purple Palace, but are reproduced in this blog courtesy of my camera. (Note: Martin is a photographer; I’m a picture taker. There is a difference, so please don’t remotely expect any of my shots to do his work justice.)

Like most people I’ve met who scream their lungs out on record, Martin was friendly, polite and accommodating. We talked at length about many of his past and recent endeavors, including Limp Wrists’s just-concluded east coast tour. It was clear from his wide smile and animated speech that he approaches his work with great passion, enthusiasm and care. It was a true pleasure meeting him.

Not surprisingly, the event drew some interesting people. In addition to chatting it up with Nothing Mattress creator Brian Connolly, I met the great Al Quint of Suburban Voice and his lovely wife, Ellen. Al and I both wrote for the zine Hit List back in the late ’90s, so it was a thrill to finally cross paths with the guy behind some of my favorite music columns of that era.

In addition to copies of Get Shot, other goodies available at the exhibit included Susto (a signed/numbered zine of some of Martin’s more recent photography), an awesome set of poster-sized black-and-white shots and (drumroll) a 24-by-18-inch Limp Wrist 2014 nudie calendar featuring the band, bare (or it that bear?)-assed and all. It is one of the most Punk Rock things I’ve seen in years. :)

The Get Shot exhibit energized me. Looking at Martin’s shots, I was transported back to a time in my youth when newsprint – not a computer keyboard - greeted my fingertips whenever I wanted to explore underground cultures. I found myself back in a time when the thought of playing a Punk show was still appealing despite having to walk through three inches of puke and piss in some rathole in order to pack my drums in the back of my car during a hail storm at 2am. This night was a remainder that there are people still in the game and doing great things.

It made me realize that I need to do more – and I love when that happens!

More information on Martin and Limp Wrist is available HERE. Get Shot can be ordered HERE.

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Revelry and Rebellion: Os Mutantes Live

Raw humanity is often found in unexpected places.

From bombings in Boston to riots in Rio de Janeiro, the world circa 2013 is an increasingly dark place. Debt and job losses have replaced security and prosperity, and many are wondering if they will again feel the safety of the past. Through all this pain, one has to wonder why there isn’t more fire and anger being expressed in the arts. Where are the protest songs? Where are the sounds from the streets? On a Friday night in New Hampshire, the true spirit of revolution was alive in the music of Sérgio Dias and Os Mutantes.

Originally formed in Brazil in 1966, Os Mutantes (“The Mutants”) create avant-garde Psychedelic Rock/Pop/What in the World? music that has to be heard to be believed, understood and appreciated. The group released a series of head-scratchingly brilliant albums (including the amazing 1969 mindfuck Mutantes) before imploding in the late ’70s. The ensuing years saw Os Mutantes’ albums gain a cult following in the States: Beck called his 1998 album Mutations in tribute to the group, while Kurt Cobain famously pleaded with the band to reform in 1993 (they declined). Os Mutantes finally returned to the stage in 2006, releasing the album Haih Or Amortecedor three years later. Today, the band revolves around sole original member Sérgio Dias.

Released on April 30, the group’s extraordinary 10^th album, Fool Metal Jack, is the sound of a heart breaking: From the dirge that accompanies a dying soldier’s final thoughts on the title track to Dias’ reflections on his brother (and original Os Mutantes member) Arnaldo Baptista’s suicide attempt on “Into Limbo,” Fool Metal Jack is simultaneously the most breathtaking and the most brutal album released so far this year. Fool Metal Jack is street music born of pain, anger and the desire for a better world – perhaps what Crass might sound like if they were from São Paulo and released a new album in response to today’s planet.  

That said, imagine how surreal it was to see Os Mutantes turn up in Londonderry, New Hampshire (of all places!) on a sleepy Friday night to play at the Tupelo Music Hall at the start of an eight-date US tour. Driving to the show, I couldn’t help but wonder who in the world would show up at an Os Mutantes show in the Granite State. The answer? A very small but intensely loyal crowd of fans who knew. As riots raged in his home country, Dias (now living in Las Vegas) made it clear throughout his performance that his heart was with all people struggling to survive and understand a savage world.

Os Mutantes live in New Hampshire, 6/21/13

With the mostly English-language Fool Metal Jack dominating the majority of the set list, emotions ran high as Dias alternated between singing tales of heartbreak (“This song is about all the foreclosures” ushered in “The Dream Is Gone”) and airing his soul through Hendrixesque guitar solos. Of course, that is not to say that the band’s performance was all doom and gloom. If anything, the group’s show was uplifting, as many in the audience happily danced, sang and shouted as the band played. Just as “War Pigs” or “Sunday Bloody Sunday” help listeners rise above the horrors of war, the live tunes from Fool Metal Jack offered catharsis in chaos.

There was no “phoning it in” for Os Mutantes. Not a single note was wasted. Not a single lyric was shared without passion and compassion. They were utterly electrifying.

Watching the six-piece band bow to an audience of (at most) three dozen people, I couldn’t help but think that Os Mutantes’ summer tour will be far from a raging financial success. Music this pure, this challenging rarely packs ’em in, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the band ultimately pays out of their pockets for the privilege of being on tour. So why would Sérgio Dias, a 62-year-old man, venture out on the road in a country that barely knows that his band exists and play for what will very likely be tiny crowds every step of the way? Because the man's heart has something to say. He is the kind of person who has to play, and I’m eternally grateful that I got to see him play last night. 

For tour dates and more information on Os Mutantes, visit www.mutantes.com

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Stranglers in the Night

In 1988, an 11-year-old boy went left of the dial and heard The Stranglers for the first time. Twenty-five years later, he finally saw the band perform live - VIP pass in tow.

In early June, The Stranglers toured the United States for the first time in two decades. When word got out that the Meninblack would be playing at the Brighton Music Hall in Allston, MA, I knew that I not only had to go, but also had to make it a point to shake the hands of the musicians behind some of my all-time favorite songs.

Meeting up with the band as their crew wrapped up soundcheck, I was immediately taken by how friendly they were. Dave Greenfield greeted me with an ear-to-ear smile and an enthusiastic handshake, while current frontman Baz Warne and co-founder/bassist JJ Burnel could not have been nicer. All three seemed genuinely pleased to be playing the States and meeting people on the road, despite the fact that the great Jet Black (who turns 75 this August) was too ill to drum on this stateside jaunt.

Hanging Around with the Meninblack (left to right): JJ Burnel, Baz Warne, your humble narrator, Dave Greenfield

Soon after leaving the fellows to their pre-show business and hopping out of the bar to get some fresh air, I received a message on my phone from Massachusetts resident, former Gang Of Four drummer and all-around great guy Hugo Burnham, who wrote that he was in town for the gig and having a bite down the street. Hugo was one of the very first people I interviewed way back in 2005 for my perpetually-in-progress book, Albums that (Should've) Changed the World, and we’ve kept in touch ever since. Warm, good-natured and armed with a sharp sense of humor, Hugo is fantastic company - and, in the case of our chat outside the Stranglers show, kindly tolerant of my incessant fanboy interrogations! I’m so pleased we touched base.

It turned out that my time with Hugo and the Stranglers guys was the tip of a pretty sensational iceberg, as the crowd inside the club boasted some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met at a show. This included an incredibly nice and talkative husband-and-wife team who first met at a Stranglers gig in the late '70s – and who brought their adult daughter along for this most-recent ride. Very cool.

With a young fill-in drummer taking the place of Mr. Black, The Stranglers were absolutely amazing. Newer material like  “Freedom Is Insane” mixed flawlessly with classics like “Peaches” and “Golden Brown” and proved that a band could be at the top of their game nearly 40 years after their first show.

Personal highlights:  I was blown away by the band’s spirited rendition of “Always The Sun” (a brilliant tune from 1986 that proves that  The Stranglers were one of the very few bands who made the leap from Punk to Pop in the ’80s with great aplomb), while my jaw continually hit the ground thanks to Dave Greenfield’s (often one-handed) keyboard mastery. And seeing Hugo happily sing along and bang his fist in the air next to me as his fellow old school UK Punks blazed the stage was a thrill in itself.

Some nights are just perfect, you know?

The Stranglers’ Official Website: www.thestranglers.net

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Gausten on GNR

Mars Attacks Radio asked me to write a few words for their "Classic Albums" feature on Guns N Roses' Appetite For Destruction, so I did. :) Other contributors to the piece include Dave Ellefson of Megadeth, Phil Rind of Sacred Reich and Aaron Rossi of Ministry.

Check it out: http://marsattacksradio.com/2013/06/audio/classic-albums-guns-n-roses-appetite-for-destruction/

Also, check out my full live review of Guns N' Roses' Halloween 2012 show in Las Vegas: http://www.bravewords.com/features/1001294


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LA WEEKLY Piece on Henry Rollins

Very pleased to report that the current online edition of the LA WEEKLY features a piece I wrote on Henry Rollins as part of the publication's "Henry Rollins Week" editorial series. Although they edited out my mention of Henry's work on behalf of the West Memphis Three for some reason, I'm generally happy with how the piece came out. It appears about halfway down the page at the link below:


http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2013/06/henry_rollins_fans_stories_ess.php?page=5


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Glory Is Noise on iTunes

The seven most recent episodes of my online radio show Glory Is Noise are currently available for free on iTunes. Guests include Penny Rimbaud (Crass), Brendan Canty (Fugazi/Rites of Spring), legendary photographer Edward Colver, Martika, Al Jourgensen (Ministry), Paul Roessler (Screamers/45 Grave) and Joe Lally (Fugazi).

Go Here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcasts/rfs-glory-is-noise/id574321556

Glory Is Noise was a show on RADIO FREE SATAN (http://www.radiofreesatan.com/blog/category/gloryisnoise/) that ran from 2010 to 2012. Each episode, I presented an eclectic mix of music and exclusive interviews with mainstream and underground recording artists.

PAST GUESTS

Bill Ward (Black Sabbath)

Al Jourgensen (Ministry/Revolting Cocks/Buck Satan & The 666 Shooters)

Steve Zing (Danzig/Samhain)

Martika

Bobby Steele (Misfits/Undead)

Duckie Rodriguez (Siren Productions)

Gitane DeMone (Christian Death/The Crystelles)

Zara Kand (The Crystelles/Shark Egg Blues)

Martin Atkins (PiL/NiN/Ministry/Pigface/Killing Joke)

Troy Gregory (Prong/Flotsam And Jetsam/Swans/Killing Joke/The Witches)

Richard Lloyd (Television/Rocket From The Tombs)

Carl Begai (Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles/ Metallus Maximus) 

Bob Daisley (Blizzard of Ozz/ Black Sabbath/ Rainbow)

Steve Ignorant (Crass)

Penny Rimbaud (Crass)

Alan Tecchio (Hades/Non-Fiction/Watchtower/Seven Witches)

Dan Lorenzo (Hades/Non-Fiction/The Cursed)

Shannon Gausten (Effectionhate)

Sal Canzonieri (Electric Frankenstein/The Thing/Maggott SS/Kung Fu Killers)

Lee Popa (soundman/producer/remixer for Rolling Stones, Queen, Cheap Trick, 

Prong, Ministry, Killing Joke, KMFDM, Pigface and many more)

Mike Coles (Malicious Damage Records)

Dave Ingram (Benediction/Bolt Thrower)

Paul Roessler (The Screamers/45 Grave/Twisted Roots)

David O. Jones (Magnolia Thunderpussy/The Deadbeats)

Dim Wanker (F-Word/Thrasher Cadillac)

Loren Molinare (The Dogs/Little Caesar)

Dave Travis (Carnage Asada/filmmaker, "A History Lesson")

Joe Lally (Fugazi)

Edward Colver (Legendary LA photographer)

Brendan Canty (Fugazi/Rites of Spring)

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