Mustard's Miscellaneous Meandering Musings

When the value of a human life is nothing...

Ya know there was a time, during the several years when I was drinking 24/7, that I didn't think I had long to live and really I wished I was dead. If I was a brave person, I had a gun, I could have been dead, but thankfully I was not brave. Shit, the amount of alcohol I was consuming, I should have been dead anyway. God knows, with how utterly and completely self centered and selfish I was, I deserved to be dead. With that in mind, I'm living on free time, every minute is a bonus and easy to enjoy (or not).

I've mentioned the movie Friday on a few occasions over the years around here. In my random wanderings over the net I saw that it made the BET list of Top Ten Black Summer Movies, but the criteria there is movies that have a black guy staring in it. Lists are so subjective anyway, but it's a plain and simple fact that Friday was one of the funniest movies ever made (the sequels were lame though). So here's a treat that I found, again in my wanderings, they came out with an animated series. Not as funny as the movie but still entertaining, and I'm a sucker for animation. I've only watched a few episodes so far, there's 8, but you can download all of them HERE. While I'm on the animated comedy tip, there's another I used to watch when my son was a wee tyke, The Jackie Chan Adventures. This ones definitely geared towards a young audience, but like any good kids cartoon it has adult humor hidden in the dialog. I'm a big martial arts movie fan and Jackie is include in what I call the big three in that genre, joined by Bruce Lee and Jet Li. Jackie's voice is the one used for his character and I can't help but think that he had a lot to do with most of the production, judging by how good the action is. Anyway you can find most of the episodes within seasons 1-3 out there for download. To get you started the first episode can be found HERE.

Random band name of the month...Dangerously Americanized Canadians.

As I've mentioned a few times now, getting back into comic books...yeah at 43.  Not the super hero crap so much but adult graphic horror.  It all started with Nazz suggesting I read the Walking Dead series (also easily downloadable), since I was into the show.  One in particular, Crossed is especially gory, but it's not just visually stimulating, the story is captivating.  I'm in awe of the artists who can create something that can stimulate emotionally and mentally.  There's been several volumes released compiling each series of comics, I have one and two with number three on the way, but they also have a free web comic that you can follow HERE.

Facebook is proof that good can come from shit. Man I have hooked up with a lot of old friends and made some new ones. Still prefer meeting people through the music blogs though in stead of subscribing to such perverted consumerism. Oh well, I'm just another apathetic semi-willing cog in the machine, pretending to be righteous and cerebral.

Not too long ago I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of my favorite old timey record labels, Flat Earth Records, had digitally released their entire catalog. Still rather have all the records represented, just have a few, but what the hell, a chance to listen to some of the best European hardcore of the 80's...Generic, Electro Hippies, Doom, etc. If you're down with that go HERE. Anybody recognize this cover? Probably the greatest compilation ever released...seriously. When I picked it up at my local record store in 1984 my musical direction was forever transformed. The P.E.A.C.E. comp is a virtual who's who of punk and hardcore from the times and led to me picking up releases from a lot of the bands represented. From big names to more local acts you can not fully fathom how important it was. US, Germany, Japan, Italy, Spain, England, etc.  I would post this myself but the time to rip, edit, tag, scan and so on would be tremendous. I feel like this place wouldn't be complete if I don't point people in the right direction, so go get it from Dr. Drunk Ruins It For Everyone. The version he has there is the second press which added 5 tunes, but I don't think those added bands were around in 1984 (I may be wrong). If you haven't heard this thing in it's entirety then your life is not complete. Another comp I recently got turned onto (thanx Freddy), maybe not as epic as the P.E.A.C.E. comp but no less enjoyable, the Fuck Rock: ABC No Rio New York 1991 comp.  2nd generation New York hardcore surrounding the ABC No Rio club. Hard hitting with acts like GO!, Rorschach and Citizen's Arrest. You can give it a listen at Soundcloud or download it (if the link is still good) at Blogged & Quartered. My buddy Erich turned me onto this South African rap/rave band...great vid. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIXUgtNC4Kc]

Beef Supreme - S/T digital EP

Picking up where the last post left off, we have Beef Supreme outta Tempe Arizona (I believe)...not quite as doomy as HPoS, more of a heavy hard rockin kind of thing.  When I say heavy I mean fucking HEAVY.  I don't know much about playing the guitar, but this feels like they are leaning hard on the low E shit.  The songs range a little in tempo so while they can sludge along in 1st gear, they can shift up little bit into a nice cruising speed.  Once again like HPoS, we have a three piece, and to my ultimate pleasure, female fronted, with Niki Bel Grande hitting up the guitar and the mike.  On top of that Niki is hot, which I know has absolutely nothing to do with anything this band is about, but there's nothing wrong with having a pretty lady in your band (Lou and Macho are good looking too).  She could be Medusa for all it matters though, because she really knows how to pluck a guitar and has a real feeling for the edgy side of Rock and Roll.  In fact, the guitars and bass seem to have this challenge going on as to who can lead the charge of chunkiness, while the drummer exhibits the precise economic perfection of my favorite drummer, Black Sabbath's Bill Ward.  This ain't no kiddie music either, it's for the aficionado of the dark and varied rooms of Rock and Roll and more specifically metal.  Beef Supreme is badass!!!  The band has neatly put together a package that includes four tunes (at 320 kbps) with lyrics, a couple of jpegs, a bio and links (they're all over the place) which you can find HERE.  At this point the band is digital only, but they are in the process of putting something together that will be released on wax and/or plastic. Got those four tunes below and a bitchen video if you are the visually stimulated sort...

Death Shuts Its Mouth "A shiny vine that climbs up the side and grinds all the mortar out A tiny worm that winds through your mind and tunnels deep throughout A photograph in fading color, a bruise that's yet to bloom Death slowly shuts its mouth and ups to leave the room

A little shiver that soon proves feverish, shaking, sweating for air A magician's swift illusion, a hope that was never there A scalpel in a shaking hand, a clotting pool of doubt Death slowly shakes his head, 'cuz he'll sit this one out"

Amasia Death Shuts Its Mouth Jim Jones Country(2) The Smart And The Lucky

 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm-RgCRkPnc&w=560&h=315]

High Priest of Saturn - CDR single

Super slooooooooooow round here so let's bring it down a notch...way down a notch. Is there a speed slower than 33 for a turntable? Like Sabbath that was supposed to be at 45 but played at 33. All part of the popular resurgence of 80's Saint Vitus-esque HEAVY, doom, sludge, stoner MOOG rock. High Priest of Saturn (great name!) are a three piece outta Norway...like swimming in crude oil ("La Brea Tar Pits" just popped in my head as a great stoner band name). What makes this band stand out is the female vocals, more like a sirens" song and that fucking organ. You can give them a listen/download at their Bandcamp and they have a Reverbnation too. If you dig their groove then keep those two sites in mind as I imagine if they come up with more tunes, that's where they'll end up. The tunes are 10+ minutes, each, so lot's of music, but JUST two tunes, you know what I'm saying...you know what I'm saying. I got their CDR, and was hoping to cheat fate and get a few extra tunes, but no such luck. This guy here at Revolt of the Apes backs me up on their coolness. Here's those two tunes on my own dime, just in case the Apocalypse comes and Bandcamp/Reverbnation go down... The Protean Towers Crawling King Snake

My Rifle - S/T 7"

Another new one, from Freddy over at Wardance Records, that I think a guy would be stupid not to want to pick up.  This one has everything going for it, like a 5 course meal.  I'm going through this comic book phase right now (just call me a late blooming nerd) and the first thing that hit me about it was the cover art...killer.  I wish more bands would put this kind of thought into the art that represents their art.  Then I was pleasantly surprised that this badboy was pressed on clear vinyl, my favorite (not sure if they're all pressed that way or not), but the hardest to tell if it's scuffed or scratched.  Beautiful!  Shit, we haven't even gotten to the music yet.  These guys are no greenhorns to putting out music, there's Ex-members of Life's Blood/Our Gang/Altercation (to refresh your memory, refer back to the New Breed Tape Compilation also released by Wardance).  As Freddy puts it, "Not retro or a rehash of past glories, this is now."  With their hardcore pedigree, these guys have something in the same vein...yet different.  This is like hardcore on 45 but played at 33.   Fucking beefy as hell.   What do they say on the east coast?  Moshin'?  The vocals kinda remind me of Dave Smalley (DYS) a little bit, but he's definitely doing his own thing and got his own flavor.  I dig the highlight of occasional backing vocals, too.  The guitar is a nice blend of a metallic power chord chunk.  The drummer isn't fucking around either, like the hardcore Bill Ward (Black Sabbath).  And the bass...damn, like a heartbeat played through a Marshal stack.  What's there not to like about this thing?  The only thing I can think of is I wish it was a full length record, four songs is just not enough.  Before you know it this thing is over, which means you play it again, right?  That's what I did anyway.  You can go get your own copy HERE...

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Fire Demons - Nothing Left Inside

My old bro/bandmate Jefe's Humboldt Kali band, Fire Demons, doing a killer cover of an old Black Flag tune. The vid is just out-fucking-standing, done by a guy (I don't know it's a guy, that may be a sexist assumption, women can be great videographers, just like men can) who calls himself TimeLapseCamera on Youtube.  Edit: Jeff told me the videographer is another old Humboldt head, Bob Gitzow.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXta1BEIAw4]

Terrorizer - Dead Shall Rise

In a wierd mood today and here we are at the graveyard/mortuary/morg known as Mustard Relics. Haven't gotten a comment since my old bro/bandmate Brian made one two weeks ago. Not complaining this time...rejoicing, because this place is still getting 30 or so new unique hits a day. There has been some damn good shit going on around here, serious a testicular cancer, more mind expanding than a psylocibin mushroom/LSD tea (my favorite cocktail first year of college). New, old, mind blowing, better than crack (and not as addictive). Anyway, in honor of the deadness of this place, I found the perfect song (one of my faves since it came out in 1988) to inspire HOPE...

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPudXXftS50&w=560&h=315]

From their 04/25/87 rehearsal... Terrorizer - Dead Shall Rise