Rolling over Minds

Just lovely, beautiful, euphoric, sludgy release. Thank you, Hawkeyes.


-My God's in my head and I'm thinkin I've been thinking too much

Crushed Underfoot

The Great Sabatini... Montreal's masters of sludge... just released a new EP, Sunday School.

I love it. Oh how I love it. But most importantly, they released a new version of one of my favourite tracks, "Tiny Kingdoms."

Bathe in noise.
-What purpose do you serve anymore if not to hold me back?

Wordless Gunk

It seems that every NXNE unveils a new band or two for me to drool all over. While this was a rather light year of concert-going (relatively speaking), that didn't stop me from stumbling across a few new gems. There's the obvious answer of The Public Animal who I will impatiently await to release anything - mp3s, CDs, vinyls, 8-tracks, a tin cup with a string and someone screaming into the other end - and subsequently give them all of my money.

However, sometimes there's too much ground to cover, too much rock to be rolled and to much love to give. For situations like this, I've got people like my coworker Jayar who introduced me to one of his picks of the festival, Saskatchewan's own Shooting Guns. This instrumental 5-piece generates a massive wall of slow-moving, grimy, distorted stoner metal that feels heavy enough to stop a bull moose in it's tracks. This stuff is kind of like the rock n roll version of molasses, if molasses were as hard as fucking nails and cooler than all of your friends put together.

And yes, to answer your next question, said molasses would make the most badass gingerbread cookies ever.

Their debut 12", Born to Deal in Magic: 1952-1976, made the Polaris prize long list and is VERY much worth the $5 to pick it up here.

  -Surround yourself in a layer of hope to keep you warm at night

Sludgeheads Rejoice

It's a new year and I'm going to take the opportunity afforded by my first post to do a shitty job. There you go... I'm setting expectations low for 2013.

Truth be told, I already kinda screwed this one up. I managed to give an honourable mention for EP of the year to a band that I hadn't even been kind enough to share yet. I am of course referring to The Great Sabatini. In addition to having one of the most amusing band names ever, this band creates a wall of sound that is both unique, intense, catchy and deadly. They've been around since 2007, which makes me a little pissed off at the Shaking Judy & Big Fat Pie boys for not sharing sooner (or they did and I was too drunk and forgot). I honestly do want to describe this band more, however, their sound is best described as genre-defying. Their songs are often sporadic, unsettling and completely unpredictable, yet through all the madness, they still stumble across tune that completely captivate.

Best of all, while Matterhorn, their latest EP, can be purchased through bandcamp for a measly $8, my personal favourite, The Royal We, can be downloaded for free.

So, what are you waiting for?


-A) I love you, B) I hate you... C) ?

Shanies: EP of the Year

A new award this year, I wanted to create the EP nod so that newer, indie bands who were still in their infancy but already doing incredible things could get a bit of acknowledgement. That, and there were a ridiculous number of EPs that I fell in love with this year, and I simply couldn’t let them go unrecognized.  Sharing is caring, afterall.

A rare thing happened this year – I actually started getting solicitations from labels and artists requesting reviews. Some of the reviews may have been a bit unappreciated, however, when a band like The Blue Stones fell in my inbox, I considered myself lucky. Somewhat skeptical of being pushed an album, I listened to the opening track from their 2012 EP, How's That Sound?, with a lot of reluctance. However, my walls were broken down within 30 seconds of the opening track and I was sold. This Windsor two-piece hits a great balance between writing songs that are graspable and comfortable, while still pushing the envelope just enough to make for interesting, dynamic and original tracks.

 I can’t wait to see this band live, however, in the meantime, I’m happy to keep listening to the recording of my EP of the year. Granted, at 7 tracks, I may be stretching the definition of EP, but blow it out your ass... this is my blog.

Honourable mention must go to sludge masters, The Great Sabatini, for their epic (and free!) release The Royal We.



-Keep my head above the water, but never let me climb too high

Light My Fire

When I was living in England a few years back, I went through a huge stoner metal phase.  While this part of me has laid dormant for quite some time (just like those strange rabbicidal tendencies), I recently stumbled across a band that revived my dormant, inner sludge (time will tell as to whether the rabbits are safe).

Torche has been around since 2004 with a grimey, grungy, thick and juicy psych-rock sound. They balance their thick sound with nimble, riff-heavy songwriting that produces sing-along-able anthems and head-banging good times. In short, yes Jesse, this is a "Shane band."  Sounding like a more badass, modern-day version of Fugazi, Torche has just released their 3rd LP Harmonicraft, and it fucking rocks.

Also, their videos are really, really weird.


-So I'll kill the music and bury it at sea