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A HANGINGTALES OF WOE(SELF-RELEASE)If you like going to punk or metal showsin New Orleans, chances are you’ve seenthese local thrashers. It’s their first release(that I know of) since Food for Rats cameout years ago, and it comes with a bit of apersonnel change. Alix has since departedthe band, leaving the vocal duties toguitarist Scorilla. The “legendary” BobbyParanoize has since joined them on bassand rounding out the three piece lineup isthe awesome Billy Bones (one of the moreexcellent and consistent drummers thiscity has produced). This short four-song/nine-minute teaser (hopefully a precursorto a full length) goes by really fast. Nolyric sheet included, but with songs like“Crucify Him” and “I’ll Be Damned,”you can guess they’re not singing teenybopper pop love songs. Heavy thrashriffs similar to D.R.I. and deep gutturalvocals that remind me of Mike fromLogical Nonsense. If this sounds upyour alley, you can check out this releaseat ahanging504.bandcamp.com. ––CarlElversANDY KAUFMANANDY AND HIS GRANDMOTHER(DRAG CITY)It’s entirely possible that had there beenno Andy Kaufman, there would havebeen a major delay in the mainstreamingof sometimes uncomfortable humor aboutthe everyday, like the kind Jerry Seinfeldand Larry David brought to Seinfeld andCurb Your Enthusiasm (respectively), Penn& Teller weave through their explainit-allmagic shows, and Lena Dunhamhas put on display in Girls. Andy And HisGrandmother offers a glimpse via selectedtape recordings of Kaufman’s madmethods. Some of them are baldly funny,as in “Andy Loves His Tape Recorder,”a series of objections to his taping ofpeople’s conversations by the peoplethemselves strung together in a rapidfireprogression, and “Andy Can Talk ToAnimals.” Some of them search for theabsurdity in the way we speak and in thethings we consider taboo subjects: “Whyis it that nobody understands that... thekind of conversations that nobody wantsme to tape are the kind of conversationsthat should be taped?” Kaufman exclaimsin the middle of a frank discussion with awoman about sex, conception, abortionand relationships. There are some primeexamples of classic Kaufman put-ons,evident in how he pits two women againsteach other in “(Honk) vs. (Dog) A & B,”and in “Sleep Comedy,” a bizarre takeon hypnosis recordings. Though the bitson this album were not of Kaufman’schoosing, there’s enough on here to holdup to repeated listens and give a fullerpicture of Kaufman’s particular comedicgenius for collapsing the lines betweenreal life and staged hilarity. ––LeighCheckmanBALLZACK AND ODOMSACE N ERNIE(SNOWBALL STAND)The premise of Ballzack and Odoms’first album in years finds the two takingon the personas of junior high-agedkids Ace and Ernie, who embark on apartnership born in a school hallway,fused in “Hobgoblin Demon Drawing”(presumably scrawled in pen on a denimcladbinder, or on the back of a sleevelessdenim jacket), and driven to do one thing:become Satanist heavy metal rock starsin a world more attuned to hip-hop hits.Having satirized regionalism in songs like“Rainbow In Marrero” and in the AvenueQ-puppetry of Lil Doogie, the duo turnsto exploding metal’s clichés in AceNErniewith gusto, putting records on and playingthem “Backwards” for their messages,referencing horror flicks, H.P. Lovecraftand pentagrams at every opportunity, andeven creating some death bounce with“Bounce For The Blood.” This extendedmetal fantasy, as explored through rap,culminates in “The Dark Scary Woods,”in which the two metalheads are facedwith a choice that can only end badly...or will it? More than a comedic romp,AceNErnie’s songs hold up well on theirown musically, keeping the horrors andthe beats going. The biggest problem withBallzack and Odoms’ latest? It’s tough toplay a downloadable album backwards.––Leigh CheckmanBIPOLAROIDSUPERNATURAL BEAUTY(GET HIP)The latest 45 from NOLA pysch-popkeeper of the flame Ben Glover is pure60s worship, without hardly a corner cutin its faithful reproduction of that bygoneera—though it’s hard to find any rightangles on this record or Vikki Vaden’sloopy artwork. Glover claims Syd Barrettas his muse and if you played this recordfor anyone just crawling out of a bombshelter, you might convince them theBritish Invasion is still in full swing. Thetitle track is a blurry-eyed, early morningshuffle (possibly from being up all night),eased along by a few well-placed churchbells and soft background cooing; andthe video (on Get Hip’s website) makesexcellent use of the 9th Ward’s “Endof the World” stretch of levee. Side B’s“Beautiful (In the Morning)” is anotherstudied track in the same vein and teasesthe forthcoming Twin Language LP (also onGet Hip), due in August. —Dan FoxBOARDS OF CANADATOMORROW’S HARVEST(WARP)After an eight-year hiatus and a recentsuccession of cryptic clues and onlinevideos, Boards of Canada have finallyreleased Tomorrow’s Harvest in all of itslong-awaited, gloomy glory. Whilefans of the Scottish IDM duo willimmediately recognize ambient andanalog themes exclusive to BoC, theywill also notice those themes taking on adarker role. Still adhering to a simple songstructure, the 17 tracks on Harvest playlike an eerie backdrop to impendingdoom and the life that is to come afterit. “Telepath” features groggy vocalsound bytes and feels like it was pluckedstraight out of a movie about intergalacticespionage, while “New Seeds” and “SickTimes” are suggestive in title alone, butprovide some of the brighter momentsof the entire album in tone. As weavingoscillators and choked-off beats continueto swirl out of their cache of handcraftedsounds, tracks like “Nothing is Real” and“Palace Posy” almost feel like a call backto their 1998 debut, Music Has the Rightto Children. But now, given the context ofimplied demise, these tracks seem to carrya lot more weight than those on Children.Tomorrow’s Harvest is, by far, the darkestBoC album to date, but it is also the mostambitious and cohesive. —Kevin ComardaCLASSHOLEDEMOS(SELF-RELEASE)Another New Orleans “super group”with an excellent line-up: Matt Muscle(ex-Mangina, Tirefire) on vocals, PaulWebb (multi-talented instrumentalist) ondrums, Gary Mader (Hawgjaw, EHG,Headwoundz, etc.) on guitar and GrantTom (Mountain of Wizard, ex-haarp, etc.)on bass (the first band I’ve seen him playbass for). I was lucky enough to get anunmastered CDr last year of these elevensongs, but this is now a proper democassette release with fancy artwork (handscuffed giving the middle finger to society)and lyrics (yes!). Similar to Matt’s previousprojects, it’s fast, loud, snotty and verypissed off: “my life’s a total wreck, fuckeveryone I meet, I can’t stand anythingI see” (from “Frustrated”) or “trappedin a world of shit, wander directionless,I see you’re dense, ain’t got no sense”(from “Corrupted”). This is the type ofhardcore New Orleans has been waitingfor! I suggest you bottle up all youraggression and take it out on everyonenext time they play Siberia or Saturn Bar.This is music for the hateful. ––Carl ElversDIRTY BOURBON RIVER SHOWVOLUME FOUR(INDEPENDENT)The talented musicians that make up theDirty Bourbon River Show occasionally24
make a bit too much of their affinity forthe circus, be it in their takes on JuliusFucik’s “Entry of the Gladiators,” or theirnods to three-ring theatricality via vocalistCharles Skinner’s operatic baritone insongs such as “Mama I’ve Been AbductedBy Creatures Of An Unholy Sound.”They are far better when they lean backon their “19th century barrelhouse saloonby way of Otis Day and the Knights inAnimal House” strengths as an ensemble,which are far more in evidence onVolume Four. Once they settle down andconcentrate on the music, the fun trulybegins. Noah Adams’ multi-instrumentalarrangements and the saxophone workof Matt Thomas successfully overcomeeven the most inane of lyrics in “JewishGirls Who Went To Art School KnowAll The Angles” (and, speaking as oneof those girls, I say the groove the musicthrows down is far better than the lewddeclaration of the lyrics) and hits in all itsfury and humor upon the Gogol Bordelloesque“Stomp For Mr. Mustachio.” TheRiver Show even takes some time to slowthings down with the Skinner-croonedballad “I Need Your Love,” an exhibitionof their range that, in the wrong hands,could be mawkish and campy, but isplayed wonderfully earnestly. Despiteits flaws, Volume Four is still a funky kick.––Leigh CheckmanDUMMY DUMPSTERHALF HUMAN HALF SHRIMP(SELF-RELEASE)Another homemade package by theselocal legends, this time with multi-talentedBill Heintz on drums. Some people trytoo hard to analyze or understand thisband; all I know is everytime I see them, Ihave a huge smile on my face. This is thetype of music to listen to after a bad dayat work because it’ll make you laugh andfeel better without taking drugs. Similarto Captain Beefheart (eclectic musicalpace) and vocals similar to Dave fromPere Ubu (high pitched and screechy),with song titles like “I’d Rather Have SexWith a Mule” and “I Really Don’t LikeThat Motherfucker,” you can’t take thesesongs too seriously (but don’t write themoff as a joke band––they are serious aboutentertaining you). Mike Schadwell startedthis band as a solo project, but sinceenlisting Isidore Grisoli (from HiGH andex-member to many great N.O. bandsover the years) on bass, I feel they’ve reallytaken off. Six songs in six minutes, thispasses you by if you’re not paying closeattention. I’m not sure where you canget this from––I got my copy when theyplayed at Dragon’s Den recently. Highlyrecommended! ––Carl ElversFUJI-POPREALIST(SELF-RELEASE)Realist, New Orleans-based duo Fuji-Pop’sfirst album, is a step in the right direction.Overall, the record is a halfway successfulattempt at dark emo-pop that could beplayed at venues like Sibera. Broodingvocals intertwine with staccato guitarnotes and quirky synths to create a sulkypop album that writhes with agitation andregret. On the album’s most solid track,“A World Before,” the vocals and loopinginstrumentation strike a balance andcreate a resentful mood. Like most debutalbums, Realist is unrestrained. Just whenAlexander and Uribe hit a clean stretch,they layer too many elements and overuseloops. Instead of creating a climax, thisheavy-handedness creates chaos (listen to“Clouds,” which has a good intro but thendevolves into noise at minute 1:00). Theexaggerated loops spring to mind a quotefrom Keith Richards’ memoir Life, wherethe guitarist describes the Stones’ reactionto working with pre-recorded loops:“Ronnie Wood... moaned, ‘All that’s left isthe ghost of Charlie’s left foot.’” Lyrically,Fuji-Pop prefers broad strokes to specifics,which comes across as too vague for thelistener to emotionally connect with.For their next album, which is alreadyunderway, I’m looking forward to a morebare-bones approach that surprises thelistener. ––Kate RussellPUMPKINDENNIS EP(SELF-RELEASE)Pumpkin keeps it simple, stupid. While alot of guitar bands around town seem tobe trying to deconstruct everything thatmakes rock music good and sexy, thesefour songs (released posthumously) bangstraight ahead with abandon, in exquisite4/4 fury. The vocals are buried underreverb, delay and the non-stop drone ofguitars, synths and a fuck-ton of drums,so you won’t exactly be able to sing along,but who cares? It’s all being “said” in thismad sprint to nowhere and with titles like“Voidman” it’s probably about space orpizza or video games; in fact, “Dennis”is like one huge sugar-fueled adolescentall-nighter. Their presser says the bandhas “quietly dissolved” but there’s nothingquiet about this release. What’s up fellas?You gonna play live again or what? —DanFoxSIGUR RÓSKVEIKUR(XL)With the exit of multi-instrumentalist andlongtime collaborator Kjartan Sveinsson,the remaining members of Sigur Róshad an opportunity to make a bold moveand create a new identity for this nowtrio. Kveikur is a challenge accepted andbested. Without sacrificing any of theemotion or beauty that built this band,their seventh studio album is trading a bitof subtlety for a lot of dirty and wastes notime hammering out an aggressive soundthat may require a little less patience thanprevious works. “Brennenstein” starts thealbum with a bang and is a far cry fromanything we’ve ever heard from theseIcelandic shoegazers, including Valtari,released just one year ago. I’ve been aloyal fan for a long time and I have toadmit, this is a side I’ve been waiting tohear from these guys. Even when trackslike “Ísjaki” end up sounding more like aJónsi solo project than a Sigur Rós album,as a whole, Kveikur is where that blurry linedisappears. The drums are bigger and thebass is now deeper and dirtier than ever.And just when you think they can’t go anybigger, the title track blows the top off ofthis monster creation. Consider yourselfproperly warned! —Kevin ComardaSTAR AND DAGGERTOMORROWLAND BLUES(CAULDRON 333)Don’t let this album’s artwork fool you:while it might suggest Star and Daggerare some kind of uber-stylish jazz trio(or on the back, stoned board gameenthusiasts), in fact they are serious axewieldingrockers, as if Alice in Chainsactually had some Alices in it (and theexplosion of opener “In My Blood”reminds me of the impact “Them Bones”had on Dirt). The rhythm section, held25
Page 1: Vol. 10 No. 9 July 2013 #108
Page 8 and 9: Featured ColumnistParts One through
Page 11 and 12: photo by Kevin ComardaWeird Al Yank
Page 14 and 15: y M. BEVISphotos GARY LoVERDECreepy
Page 17 and 18: intro KEVIN BARRIOSinterview by KEV
Page 19 and 20: y. I did so much of the shit on my
Page 21 and 22: I listened to a lot of Chrome andHa
Page 23: derivative of bands I’ve never he
Page 27 and 28: y Dirk Fontenot“For your own sake
Page 29 and 30: FRIDAY: 7/5Circle Bar: Debauche, 10
Page 31 and 32: featuring Kristopher Batiste, Seizo
Page 33: Spotted Cat: Andy Forest, 4pm;Washb
Page 38 and 39: words and photos Robert OffnerWe di

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