Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Oh yeah...

And, if that's not enough, we here at Honest Engine live through the doctrine of SYNERGY! That's right, more for your money. Here's American electro musician Maxx Klaxon doing The Internationale, everyone's favorite communist pop tune.

SYNERGY!

By popular demand

As you may well know, I'm always getting requests for more Italian Communist Skate Punk music.
"Josh," they say, "When are we finally going to get to hear a strident call to arms in a language we don't understand over squeeling guitars?"

Now.
The band is called Klaxon, and I recommend Piazza as my current favorite.

Give 'em a listen, then comment here...

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Given the choice

Between Prussian Blue [direct mp3; hosted at National Vanguard. Beware] and crazy creationists, I'll take the creationists every time [WFMU mp3 link].

At least the Monkey Song is catchy. I can hear myself humming it in the middle of the day as I go about my, I dunno, praying or whatever. Repudiating evolution or screaming at abortion clinics, cursing idolitors. Whatever.

But the Prussian Blue girls? Man, if that ain't the most bored-soundin' studio band they got behind 'em. And the reworking of Kipling's The Stranger? Ol' Rudyard was saddled with one of the worst first names in the history of white people (say it slow... "Rud-yard" and see if you can keep from smirking), so his resentment towards the Nehrus and Mahatmahs is kinda understandable in a perverse way.
I know, I know. Everyone's supposed to be so scared of Prussian Blue (well, us liberals is) because they're young and innocent. But if that's the best those inbred albinos can whip up to captivate the youth, they've already lost the war. Those girls'll be double-dicked by the mongrel races before they hit 18, I tell you what.

(Speaking of which, I'll have a new YSI mix up in a little bit, full of afropop sure to twist the titties of any SS types that might stumble across this board in their random googling...)

Small changes

Been without the internet for a little bit, then doing some changes once I got back.
NOW WITH SIDEBAR FEED! IT'S AWESOME!

Also, now with Haloscan comments, so that I can stop getting "GRATE BLOG TRY MINE V!AGRA IS SEXXXXY" in my email.

All of your comments are still there, but they're hiding. So leave some new comments so I know this is working.

And I'll give you some music.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Holiday Music

It's Thanksgiving, which means that it's OK to post Christmas music. You know, to be festive.

Speaking of festive, here's Suicide's Hey Lord.
It's a rip from out of print vinyl, so the sound quality is a little muddled. On the other hand, I like that as it makes it seem more reverent. It's a beautiful song and one that reflects my general emotional state around the holidays.

Give it a listen, then comment.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

I am the loneliest blogger

I know that at least one person reads this, though I don't know who. If you do read it, please, drop me a comment so that I may feel the basking warmth of your love.

I even turned off the thing that makes commenting kinda a pain in the ass but prevents most spammers under the vain hope that someone out there is reading this, but those verification things in the comments are just a little too much.

To sweeten the deal, there'll be a song hidden in the comments.

Monday, November 21, 2005

Hope this finds you

Probably my favorite Dabenport song. Finds You Well. Buy their album at Dabenport.com

This one always reminds me of a trip I took to St. Louis, missing my girlfriend and standing around in the airport.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Mohammed's Radio

Something sweet and soulful? No Warren Zevon though.

The Traxxorz—

Keleya Moussa Dombia

This comes from the Luaka Bop World Psychedelic Classics 3: The Fuzzy Funky Sounds of West Africa, as does a previous selection (which had the name and the artist transposed on the tags, and me being an ignorant honkey didn't even notice— though I suppose I can be forgiven since the album has the wrong band billed. "Guajira Van" is the name of the song, performed by the Star Band Number One). It's long and varied, like an endless James Brown vamp. There's a little digital noise in there, so maybe you should Buy the album.

College Girl I Love You Bappi Lahiri

From WFMU's On the Download page comes a tale of love and funk. Universal, really. We all love a college girl. By the way, the familial testing of this song (played in front of parents and girlfriend) reveals that I'm the only one that I know who likes it. Help me be not the only one! (No links to buy, as this doesn't seem to exist on any western album, and both All Music and Amazon mock me...)

Get The Lead Out Greg Guffey

From Bob Chaos records in Muncie, Indiana, comes a fantastic bit of power pop, layered with the slow warp of tape noise.

Shape Of Things To Come Les Baxter

Apparently, there was this movie in the '60s called "Wild in the Streets." It was about lowering the voting age to 14 or so, and the subsequent election of a 16-year-old congressboy. The shape of things to come? From Denny, Esq.

Alone Again Biz Markie

Gilbert O'Sullivan doesn't want you to hear this song! All copies were ordered destroyed, yet Illegal Art has copies. Hmmmm...

Straight Outta Compton Kid606

I first heard this song in the glory days of Napster, and had a slightly different version. Alas and alack, that song's gone now and what I have comes from the Wire magazine. It's just a fucking assault though, this massive explosion. And it's still by far the best thing that Kid 606 has ever done.

Flying Turns Crash Course In Science

Track recommended by ILXors. Apparently post punk from Pennsylvania. It just fit really well with the 606.

Trance Kwaku Baah & Ganoua

From the No Condition is Permanent folks. You read that, right? Fuckin' fantastic, innit? Yeah.

Baby Talk (Lost '77 Mix) Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers

There's a reissue of LAMF that's just come out, but this isn't it. It's a vinyl rip from the original album, which was decried for having a shitty, impenetrable mix at the time, but now sounds just fine. Since I think that the guy who runs Regnyouth and I listen to the same music, I got this album about two days before he put it up to download. Tasty stuff, it sounds like the music that the Rolling Stones should have been making in '77, and should be in any well-formed record collection.

I Love You Too Much Michael Dracula

A Scottish band signed to the newly reformed ZE Records, it's No Wave like your moms used to make.

It All Falls Down Band Of Fun

More from Muncie. Go, Muncie, Go! There's a great pop song deep beneath the muck and samples, one that reminds me of The Dirtbombs more than anything else. Fuckin' fantastic. Where is the Band of Fun now?

Say Dub Errol Brown & the Sky Nations

Er.. um... More No Condition is Permanent, only this time some amazing dub. You should really check his site out, as he does a better job of making you love this stuff than I do.

George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People The Legendary K.O.

It was topical a couple of months ago, so I know that a lot of you have heard this song. But what I like about it is that it still carries weight outside of the context of the Katrina disaster. The sample's catchy (even though it's a little weird to use Jamie Foxx riffing on blind Mr. Charles), and the flow is impeccable. Let the rediscovery of George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People commence.

I'm Gonna Run The Fiery Furnaces

A couple years ago, these guys were indie darlings. Their debut album, the Gallowsbird Barks, is a catchy mishmash of indie rock, blues and pop, and this is about the best track on there. The next to albums they've put out have been more and more self-indulgent and "cute," but their first really does bear relistening. Unless you're my girlfriend, at which point you just declare that "She sounds like a man!" and refuse to listen to it.

The Christian Life (Rehearsal--Take) The Byrds

An alternate take from the extended reissue of Sweetheart of the Rodeo, the beautiful album when The Byrds stopped being a second-rate hippy Dylan knock-off and became a gorgeous country ensemble. Again, my mother hates it. I've yet to play it for any Christians, but I plan on needling my friend the Pastor with it...

May The Earth Open Here Gallon Drunk

From the album "Tonight... The Singles Bar." Years ago, I picked up this sampler called Volume that had a cd with it (and a weird early 90s booklet full of Bomb the Bass and EMF). On it was a live version of Gallon Drunk doing a Silver Apples cover ("Ruby"). At the time, I didn't know who either band was, but for 50¢, the sampler was worth it (YEAH CUT OUT BIN!). I loved their version of Ruby, sounding like hell in a swamp, and about a year later saw a compilation of their singles in a free bin, so I swooped down upon it. Fucking great, deranged country/western doom, like Nick Cave meets 16 Horsepower. Apparently they were considered Nick Cave knock-offs, but I'd listen to them over that dingy Aussie any day. May The Earth Open Here is a fantastic, fatalistic end to any night of drinking and sobbing. Oh, and the albums are as cheap as 94¢ on Amazon.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Long songs in the morning

We all listen to WJLB's strong songs in the morning, right? Right? Yeah, of course. I love Coco and Foolish.

On the other hand, you need a way to start your work-a-day off right: A long song in the morning. As with everything else on this blog, it'll be an intermittent feature.

Today we start with Can's Bel Air from Future Days. A 20-minute album-ending sprawler, Bel Air features the softer side of Can. I'd like to think that this is how they thought of California, sprawling and warm. The slow intro is the sun coming up, with Damo Suzuki mumbling under the mix.
The last song on the last album that Suzuki recorded before leaving the band, Bel Air transitions from beachfront morning to a soft goodnight.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Amazing blog

It's rare that I find a blog that I fall in love with nearly instantly, but No Condition is Permanent is one of them. From dub to afrobeat to just plain oddities, it's the sort of place that I feel like I can download anything and trust them. Add to that top notch writing, with a sense of narrative and place, and solid music, and you can't go wrong.
It's already been highlighted by The Wire, apparently, but I found it through an ILM link. Enjoy. I know I have been.

Monday, November 07, 2005

Happy Birthday, Chris

Well, his birthday was last Thursday, really, but I made him this mix for his party. It's mostly pop from around the world, which I hope he enjoys.
I had given him another mix about a month ago; it was initially made for this girl he was dating named Nikki. She'd come with him to a party of ours, and asked for a copy of a mix that I made. I didn't have any handy, but when I knew Chris was coming over, I gave him a copy of one that I had just run off. He said that he'd just broken up with her (because he's going to be moving at the end of the year), so I told him not to give the mix to her, but to enjoy it himself. He went ahead and gave it to her anyway. Which I think is pretty lame.
It was funny, getting stuck in conversation with her about the mix and being too polite to be like "I don't care if you like it, it was for him..."

Anyway, here's the new mix I made for Chris. Y'all get to enjoy the run-off.
Chris Birthday Mix.zip. EDIT: ALL THOSE LISTED AS SWEDISH ARE REALLY NORWEGIAN. THAT'LL TEACH YOU TO LISTEN TO ME.

The House On The Hill Armando Piazza

I found a copy of his album up on a noise board that I lurk on. I'm not sure why it was there; it's an acid folk album. What I really love is that squared-off overdriven guitar that runs just below the song.

no 1 de no 1 Guajira Van

Off of The Fuzzy Funky Sounds of Africa, someone sent this to me saying that I might get a kick out of it. I do. I wish I could find the comp, but it seems to be out of print. Maybe if I had more money, I could dig it up...

Are You The One? The Presets

Electropop! I remember Chris as liking Technotronic, so I kinda hope that he can still dig the unrepentant pop. He gave me a mix when I showed up at his birthday, but it was all Spoon and Arcade Fire and like that. I fear that he's begun the long, slow decline into the Moderate Rock that 93.9 the River used to play.

Aluminium The Thing

Pitchfork did this Big Outside article, and the comp got posted on the ILM boards. About three quarters of it was absolute crap, but this jazz track and a couple of the pop tracks were really tasty. The opening bass line sounds like Seven Nation Army.

Space For Rent [The Rapture/HUSH HUSH Remix] Who Made Who

MORE DANCE POP! My father, while we were cleaning out my basement of all my parent's and grandma's crap (so that the city could dig) put on New Order's Substance and then turned it off when he thought that I was mocking him for enjoying the synthpop ("homo music"). I thought he was finally coming back around after having made fun of me for listening to stuff like that for so long. Alas, we're still working on musical raproachment.

Second Song Afrirampo

I helped Amy with a Radiozilla show, and asked for Asian pop. Somebody sent this to me, and I love it. Girls in a garage in Japan.

Fake Your Beauty Bertine Zetlitz

More Norse pop. Bouncy.

Single Girl, Married Girl The Carter Family

After years of vaguely feeling that I should buy that damned Smithsonian folk comp ("Anthology of American Folk Music" that Alan whassisfuck field recorded) but not feeling like paying the government for music that wasn't going to go back to the artists, I found it online and downloaded the whole damned thing. Say yeah for the Carter family.

Fa-Fa-Fa Datarock

What's that? More Norwegian pop!

FRENZY! Screamin' Jay Hawkins

I got a Screamin' Jay Hawkins album on my last trip to New York (or maybe Boston, I don't remember). Most of it was disappointing, sounding like it had been smoothed out and having backing vocals added. But Frenzy is still wonderful.

Go Tones on Tail

Always been curious about these guys. Finally hear this track and think "Hey, I know that one!" It was unlabeled on my harddrive, and I have no idea where I originally got it.

Hearts In Exile The Homosexuals

One of the 142 singles that John Peel had in a box that he wanted to spirit out of the house if it caught fire. I love the echo on it, most punk didn't get that psychedelic. And I vaguely hope that Chris's straight-laced parents see the artist name, since I know that it'll mean disapproving looks. My parents aren't very easily freaked out by my music anymore, so I have to hope for havok elsewhere.

Surfs Up Ungdomskulen

Norweeeegish. "I tried to bribe the Deceptocons" is the first line. I often wonder if they know what they're singing in English...

In League With Satan Venom

For days, the "Eeeevil, in leage with SAY-TAN" has been stuck in my head. Metal isn't supposed to be this catchy.

Who Is It (Vitalic Mix) Bjork

Back to the dance pop. More and more, I tend to dig the remixes of Bjork over the actual album tracks. This is a good one.

Bucky Skank The Upsetters

Lee Perry plus skankin'? Classic.

Nausea (restructured) Adult

This sounds so cheerful, it's hard to believe that it's Adult. And yet, it is.

Jellycones The Unicorns

I hate the Unicorns, but I love this song. It's one of the few times that their quirkyness doesn't override the tune they're playing with. And how did Vice magazine end up championing something so fucking twee?

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

I sent it elsewhere, I might as well send it here

My Last Xmas by The Dirtbombs, Detroit's finest rock band. A reissued 7" off of their new(ish) If You Don't Already Have A Look. Dirtbombs site here. This is one of those rare times when I just say to buy the goddamned thing. Just do it. You'll thank me.
Terrorized by The Posies. Good jangle pop from the Pop Culture Press Summer Sampler from, what, like 1999? 2000? I think from the summer of 2000. I'm sure with a cursory amount of research you could find somewhere to buy this track from, but the sampler was really awesome...