Maynard James Keenan has always been one of my heros, and on the top 10 list of people I would love to meet. After spending years fronting Tool, one of the most musically experimental rock bands in the history of the genre, he decided that he had too many friends and that he wanted to play. In addition to the more popular, A Perfect Circle, Keenan spread his twisted little thoughts across countless one offs, EPs, soundtrack singles and internet phenomena. All the while, the man who seemingly never sleeps was also busy building up his own vinyard and organic food collective.
Something struck him in 06-07 when Keenan realized that he had done enough collaborations to almost fill an album; Puscifer was born. Working with such names as Danny Lohener (NIN), Lisa Germano (Iggy & the Stooges), Lustmord, Tim Alexander (Primus), and Brad Wilk (RATM), Keenan began to create a twisted new variation of Trip Hop which was both dark and sinister, but also cheeky and self-mocking.
Today's bump exists because Puscifer is back at it, and with one of the strangest collaborations yet. Tomorrow marks the release of "C Is for (Please Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference HERE)", thus continuing with the tradition of ridiculous album names. The first single, which you can listen to below, is a joint effort with Milla Jovovich (yes... THAT Milla Jovovich... as though there's another) called The Mission. In addition to a trippy beat and some creepy vocals, it features a very clever video involving a dancing CGI cowboy, and some background which resembles Google Street View on meth amphetamines.
-I've got no plan, but I'm not planning to lose
Monday, November 9, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Smokeless Stoner
It's funny; I've never been a stoner in my life and yet I've always had an uncontrollable draw towards stoner rock. There's something about the slow, drudging, head bobbing beats and thicker than molasses guitar riffs that jive right with me. Maybe I've got the music thing right and I'm doing life all wrong: I should really be smoking copious amounts of ganja to match my habits with my listening taste.
During my previous year in England, I chucked out a lot of stoner bands for you to see what might stick. I was hanging onto one but never did have a chance to write about them until returning home. The Kings of Frog Island have one of the greatest stoner names ever. In fact, it's quite relevant, as the boys are from Leicester (the inner city of which is called Frog Island).
Formed in 2003, this sludge trio has since released 2 full length albums and gained a great deal of notoriety in (surprise, surprise) Germany and Scandinavia. It's precisely what you've come to expect from my posts; mammoth riffs with ethereal harmonies laid over cooler-than-shit hopping beats.
Yes, we've come to that point where I've already said more than enough and I need to shut up and let you listen to the song.
-If a picture's worth a thousand words, then a song is worth nothing.
During my previous year in England, I chucked out a lot of stoner bands for you to see what might stick. I was hanging onto one but never did have a chance to write about them until returning home. The Kings of Frog Island have one of the greatest stoner names ever. In fact, it's quite relevant, as the boys are from Leicester (the inner city of which is called Frog Island).
Formed in 2003, this sludge trio has since released 2 full length albums and gained a great deal of notoriety in (surprise, surprise) Germany and Scandinavia. It's precisely what you've come to expect from my posts; mammoth riffs with ethereal harmonies laid over cooler-than-shit hopping beats.
Yes, we've come to that point where I've already said more than enough and I need to shut up and let you listen to the song.
-If a picture's worth a thousand words, then a song is worth nothing.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Almost Worthwhile
On Sunday night, I spent 2 hours watching one of the worst movies of my life. Observe & Report, featuring Seth Rogan, was quite simply a painful experience. However, this is not a movie review site, so I won't get into describing the intimate details of why this movie was worse than having sex with a cactus.
Always the opportunist, I chose to make positive of this situation by realizing that the movie did have one good thing going for it: the soundtrack. The best part about the soundtrack was that it did not use well known hits of the 80's & 90's, nor did it continue the circle of media dutch-rowboating (thank you Kevin Smith) by putting in the upcoming single from the next big rub-one-out-angsty-rock-band. This meant that I had some research to do.
I stumbled across a few gems, however the diamond in the rough for this movie was found in the form of a 70's progressive jazz-rock band named Patto. Since frontman Mike Patto died of Cancer in 1979 at the tender age of 36, there obviously hasn't been any material in a while. However, sometimes, it's nice to just be able to listen to the legacy.
Patto is a chilled out cross between Miles Davis, T. Rex's Slider, and a sheet of acid so large it could cover a California King. Long, tripped out songs are accented by powerful, repeated melodies and then laid back to just sit for a while. It's the perfect music to listen to while sitting down, slowly nodding your head and saying to yourself, "I am the most epic human being to ever grace this beautiful earth."
You know... that or you could have sex to it.
-I don't love you so you're ok with me
Always the opportunist, I chose to make positive of this situation by realizing that the movie did have one good thing going for it: the soundtrack. The best part about the soundtrack was that it did not use well known hits of the 80's & 90's, nor did it continue the circle of media dutch-rowboating (thank you Kevin Smith) by putting in the upcoming single from the next big rub-one-out-angsty-rock-band. This meant that I had some research to do.
I stumbled across a few gems, however the diamond in the rough for this movie was found in the form of a 70's progressive jazz-rock band named Patto. Since frontman Mike Patto died of Cancer in 1979 at the tender age of 36, there obviously hasn't been any material in a while. However, sometimes, it's nice to just be able to listen to the legacy.
Patto is a chilled out cross between Miles Davis, T. Rex's Slider, and a sheet of acid so large it could cover a California King. Long, tripped out songs are accented by powerful, repeated melodies and then laid back to just sit for a while. It's the perfect music to listen to while sitting down, slowly nodding your head and saying to yourself, "I am the most epic human being to ever grace this beautiful earth."
You know... that or you could have sex to it.
-I don't love you so you're ok with me
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wake those eyes
So I was out for a few the other day at Bier Markt (and no, I did not just spell that wrong). I know it seems crazy that I might be out at a bar... but just go with me for a bit on this one. It was a Friday night and the boys were jumpin around the town looking for some action, when we stumbled across one of the tightest bands I'd seen in ages (granted I'd been in England a while).
Daylight for Deadeyes are a TO based trio who have been kickin it together for about 6 years. Their time together shows. After watching their drummer do justice to a John Bonham solo, they played an infectiously catchy little number called Are you Ready. I immediately became obsessed with this song and listened to it more than recommended by the Surgeon General.
After getting my fill of that song, I poked around on their myspace and dug up a plethora of gold. While Are You Ready was everything I hoped for in a song and more (catchy hook, funky beat, vocal harmonies, meaningless lyrics) the remainder of their song library was very different, but still full of catchy tunes. My only problem was how in the world to classify this band. In the end, I settled on 'fun' and got tired of thinking.
And yes... I am the laziest blogger you have ever met.
-Rejoice. Salvation is nowhere to be found
Daylight for Deadeyes are a TO based trio who have been kickin it together for about 6 years. Their time together shows. After watching their drummer do justice to a John Bonham solo, they played an infectiously catchy little number called Are you Ready. I immediately became obsessed with this song and listened to it more than recommended by the Surgeon General.
After getting my fill of that song, I poked around on their myspace and dug up a plethora of gold. While Are You Ready was everything I hoped for in a song and more (catchy hook, funky beat, vocal harmonies, meaningless lyrics) the remainder of their song library was very different, but still full of catchy tunes. My only problem was how in the world to classify this band. In the end, I settled on 'fun' and got tired of thinking.
And yes... I am the laziest blogger you have ever met.
-Rejoice. Salvation is nowhere to be found
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Rebirth of Shananigans
The past few months have been rough. Not only have I missed out on updating this little corner of the world and providing you with beautiful new music designed to give you eargasms, but I also spent 30 days being sodomized by a bike seat (albeit, for an incredible cause, and an amazing group of people). That said, I'm slowly but surely settling back into something of a normal life in my new home of Toronto.
I could get hung in certain provinces for saying this, but this city kicks ass. Knock it if you must, but I have never found such a large, accessible, and cool music scene as I have here (and yes, I am not having amnesia about the 8 years I spent in Montreal). The key to Toronto is that it is MASSIVE, and there is something for everyone.
I have a lot to catch up on from the past few months, but unquestionably, the most important piece of news in the music industry, if not in the entire world is the threat of earth collapsing upon it's self under the shear awesomeness of Them Crooked Vultures. I don't care if you're too cool for popular names, or if you don't like rock and roll... you will like this or I will find a way to curse you and 18 generations of your ancestry.
What happens when you take 3 of my favorite bands in the world and collide them in a particle accelerator? Dave Grohl is God. Josh Homme is the icon of 00's (or the naughty's as I've heard them referred to) rock and roll. John Paul Jones is... dude... fucking Zeppelin... what more do you want? Sometimes, the term 'Supergroup' just isn't enough, you know?
I'm probably babbling like a school girl, so I'll sum it up with this: album drops Nov. 17, so don't expect anything from me that day. I've already made plans involving a warm bath, a bottle of Jack Daniels, 2 ferrets and an intricate network of copper piping.
LASTLY!! If you're in the GTA and wanna rock out (with or without your cock out) this Thursday, Oct 29 my band, The Noble Rogues, is playing a show at Kathedral on Bathurst & Queen. It's a costume party, so dress appropriately (we will) and we hit the stage at 9pm SHARP.
-I'll get there when I get there if I even get there at all
I could get hung in certain provinces for saying this, but this city kicks ass. Knock it if you must, but I have never found such a large, accessible, and cool music scene as I have here (and yes, I am not having amnesia about the 8 years I spent in Montreal). The key to Toronto is that it is MASSIVE, and there is something for everyone.
I have a lot to catch up on from the past few months, but unquestionably, the most important piece of news in the music industry, if not in the entire world is the threat of earth collapsing upon it's self under the shear awesomeness of Them Crooked Vultures. I don't care if you're too cool for popular names, or if you don't like rock and roll... you will like this or I will find a way to curse you and 18 generations of your ancestry.
What happens when you take 3 of my favorite bands in the world and collide them in a particle accelerator? Dave Grohl is God. Josh Homme is the icon of 00's (or the naughty's as I've heard them referred to) rock and roll. John Paul Jones is... dude... fucking Zeppelin... what more do you want? Sometimes, the term 'Supergroup' just isn't enough, you know?
I'm probably babbling like a school girl, so I'll sum it up with this: album drops Nov. 17, so don't expect anything from me that day. I've already made plans involving a warm bath, a bottle of Jack Daniels, 2 ferrets and an intricate network of copper piping.
LASTLY!! If you're in the GTA and wanna rock out (with or without your cock out) this Thursday, Oct 29 my band, The Noble Rogues, is playing a show at Kathedral on Bathurst & Queen. It's a costume party, so dress appropriately (we will) and we hit the stage at 9pm SHARP.
-I'll get there when I get there if I even get there at all
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
