Heroic Struggles - I'm Life

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBGMbjgD6TU&w=560&h=315] I may have posted this vid in the form of a Youtube link, but it has since died or been removed. I take a holistic approach (sometimes linear) and as is often the case, have come full circle. I love this song and the whole vibe, everything about it just screams LA post-punk of the absolute finest. Back then I was in the habit of recording random videos that I'd run across and being so stoked when I got this one. It satisfied my inner self pitying new waver. It's Heroic Struggles doing "I'm Life" (I think that's the title of the tune, from what Peter Ivers says at the beginning) and as far as I can tell this was a short lived project that morphed into the band Outer Circle. The guy at Systems of Romance has their self titled 12" up for your listening pleasure and the comments are worth reading to get a little intel on the band. It's some far out stuff, unfortunately their next release is more polished and not weird enough for me. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUOEjyPFrmo&w=560&h=315] If you're into this kind of stuff check out this extensive homemade LA post-punk comp at Scavenged Luxury. On a side note, the vid is from New Wave Theatre, which was a cable access show that played back in the early 80's, hosted by a very interesting guy, Peter Ivers

Winona Forever - Kolony digital download

Starting up where I left off the other day, a guy who can boast of his dancing skills (and fashion sense).  Back in the mid 80s when I was in high school, I was like most teenagers very concerned with my image, and except for running around in a circle bashing into people, I thought dancing was for women and effeminate men who listened to likes of Depeche Mode and Duran Duran (I was secretly a Smiths fan).  Rather than being too cool, the reality was I just didn't have the moves or the confidence to put myself on display like that.  Now of course, like many things I regret, being able to dance would be very cool.  Not just cool, fucking fun and maybe even handy for those occasional weddings...hahaha, just kidding. It must be a cool feeling for a band to have people dancing to their music, I can't remember if they ever did to mine, or just stood there thinking WTF. I dig one man bands, the guys who play several instruments at one time, ala Kind Automatic, or in the case of the guy I'm focusing on tonight, one who records all the instruments in the studio. God(!) I admire that. It's enough to play one instrument, but when you start mixing up strings and percussion and whatnot, damn. Having gone through the tremendous hassle, nightmare really, recording in the studio with a bunch of guys, I can appreciate simplifying it and just doing all the instruments/vocals yourself.  The mixing and production too, no one to argue with about whether the levels are right.  Anthony is one such guy who has tackled this task, the ultimate do-it-yourselfer, with Winona Forever. He hit me up like this, "I do a solo hardcore/punk project and was hoping you would be able to help me out. All instruments are done by me including vocals. I am in love with Johnny Depp so I decided to name the project after his Winona Ryder tattoo. All I have is bandcamp with free downloads and a bunch of tapes I just finished dubbing. I started this project by myself over 2 years ago because I couldn't rely on band mates anymore. I said fuck it I'm doing it all. Influences come from Johnny Depp, Discharge, and Jay Reatard, the ultimate one man band! I play in many other projects such as Black Prism (intense stoner sludginess, ordered their 7" myself...check out their VID), and Golden Milk. Black Prism just released a single through Easy Rider Records, and The other one is a punk project with a friend of mine who runs Chained Meat Tapes." I was blown away and responded to him, "...I really dig what you've got going on. You've got this raw black metal thing akin to Bone Awl or Idjarn. Down and dirty dude. ..nice! I need to investigate further." And investigate further I did, to the tune of listening to these songs a dozen or so times over the course of a couple of weeks (I know these reviews aren't mind blowing, but I do put some thought and effort into them, I get backed up and it takes a while). These 11 tunes are raw, lo-fi ugliness at it's very fucking finest. Anthony's inspiration is short, simple and to the point, he's not trying to mesmerize you with sappy intricacies, he's hitting you in the head with the claw side of a hammer. The vocals are straight from hell, growling in a cavern.  The music can either be this grinding dirge or all out attack. His guitar must have the distortion turned up to 11, and it's a filthy, heavy kind of distorted sound. And once again this is all from the mind and soul of one stricken man. Shit, I can't wait to get my cassette in the mail. Here's my favorite tune... "Culture Vulture"

[audio mp3="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/4.Winona-Forever-Culture-Vulture.mp3"][/audio] "You Claim To Worship The Breath Of An Unholy Power And Pass The Flesh Of Newborn Life You Still Fear The Holy Hand, But Wear The Badge Of EVil You Fucking Culture Vulture To You Its All An Image Keep Digging For Scraps I Spit In The House Of Worship Curse He Who Carry's The Cross On His Back I Am The Chosen Child Spin The Record Back And Hear The Howls Of He In Power Close The Circle Of Stone And Mount The Head Of Flesh And Bone"

I can't believe how perfect it is when he sighs and growls while singing this tune, the vile frustration and contempt of it all. It's all evil, but not with the kind of over the top, blatant theatrics, hair spikes and pentagrams, it's more sinister, like the smell in a crematorium. For you old timers, this should have been the soundtrack for the 80s movie Heavy Metal, instead of shit like Sammy Hagar. He's got a Bandcamp (embedded below) and a Soundcloud so no excuse not to give him a listen...do it!

EDIT: apparently this tape is no longer on Bandcamp and hard copies are sold the fuck out, thanx for the heads up Rich, who emailed me, "Hey man!!! Been reading your blog, awesome stuff!!! So on February 20th, 2014 you posted a review on Winona Forever's "Kolony" tape. I went to the band camp page which only had a couple of songs for download, love the stuff!!! Problem is I want to hear the whole album. I know there was a limited amount of tapes available and their all sold out, I've been looking everywhere to find a place to listen to the whole album to no avail. I was wondering if there was anyway you could send me mp3's or wav files of the album? I've tried contacting the artist and got no response, I've looked everywhere to buy a tape and of course there is no copies anywhere including used ones. If you can help me out I'd much appreciate it. If you can't just e mail and tell me." So anyway, hope Anthony doesn't mind, I went ahead and ripped the cassette as one file (too lazy to go through the hassle of separating the tracks and labeling them)...

Winona Forever - Kolony

Chance The Rapper - Juice

Cops are an easy target for ridicule, probably have been since the first thug was assigned the task of law enforcement, I imagine it was just mob rules, by divine right, prior to that. I've always been wary of them though, people with guns and the law on their side, are best kept at a distance. I've called them for assistance a few times in my life, once when my truck got stolen (never recovered) and another time, on myself, when I was a couple days into a really bad detox, hallucinating that there were dragons and babies in my house.  If there's one thing I want my Son to know about cops, it's do not resist.  It sucks to say that, and it shouldn't be taken generally as a philosophical way of life (Know Your Rights), but every time I've been arrested, I did what was asked of me and the process was relatively painless.  The best practice though, is to never get caught in the first place, and if you're going to do crime, make sure you're smart about it...obviously, and never admit to a crime. Speaking of my Son, who was just accepted to Eastern Carolina University (Go Pirates!), he just turned me onto some good tune-age.  He, like his old man, is a music lover, always has been, but go figure.  His drug of choice is rap and hip hop, which took a little while to settle with me, for various reasons, but music is music right and creativity has many shapes and sizes?   ...and some of that shit really is wicked.   So far he's opened and blown my mind with the likes Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, and Riff Raff.  All very stoney guys, I should probably be worried about my boy and the refer, but I'd just be happy if he took it real easy when it came to the bottle.  This time he's got me groovin to the delightful sounds of Chance the Rapper. He's a youngen, just barely out of high school, a few years older than my boy, and just dropped with his first mix tape in 2012. Wikipedia has a minimalist biography on him, but he so brand new that there isn't a lot to say, except that he's got mind blowing talent. All his stuff is free, where it first found itself at datPiff. I'm not quite sure who is doing his beats and samples, maybe he's doing them himself, but as a foundation for his words, the music is pitch perfect. There's quite the variety to the mix, but one common thread is this stoney, jazz vibe, mostly laid back, with horns and piano here and there. You can almost envision yourself in this smoke filled room, lights lowered, everybody lightheartedly nodding their heads. His rap is equally stoney and really takes it to the next level, from sativa on up to indica, sticky green, juicy raps. He can do that cabaret R&B thing and/or this hybrid hip hop, in a trance thing, pulling rhymes from other dimensions. Like Jimi Hendrix on the guitar, Chance noodles back and forth with these new rhythms, sub-rhythms and tripped out melodies. Going back to my youth, his rap reminds me a bit of De La Soul or better yet Digable Planets, if you're in the know, you'll know what I mean. Apparently his DOC (drug of choice) is LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), which works well with this otherworldly, hallucinatory sound. Even Justin Bieber (my Granddaughter's favorite, I call him "the Beaver" to her), or at least his management recognized Chance's skills... Justin Bieber - Confident (ft. Chance the Rapper) On a side note, that is the first time I have listened to the Beaver, and I can't deny why he is so popular, it's so tame, perfect for the masses, like a sugar substitute. Anyway, Chance's first outing, the 10 Day mixtape is out of this world good, considering his age and not having mountains of production behind it... Brain Cells Family (ft Vic Mensa and Sulaiman) He steps it up a little bit with his next and latest outing Acid Rap, a little more experience, a little more production, sophisticated, cultivated. I love how he has this smart ass tone, like everything he says could be followed up with a smirk, the only way to capture the colors of his rap would be in a cartoon, he's Loony Tunes... Everybody's Something (ft. Saba & BJ The Chicago Kid) I like how on this one he samples a conversation with his Father, who is praising his son...nothing better than being proud of your progeny, overcome by your offspring... Everything's Good (Good Ass Outro) The vid below was my first exposure, the tune my son Liam turned me onto...

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8nIHZ-0kS4]

[Intro/Bridge] Thirsty, thirsty, tryna choose I mean, I know I'm pretty cool My Nitty bag, my kitty boost I got the juice, I got the juice

[Verse 1] Chano, Chatham's own Foolies glad I'm home Even my haters kinda glad I'm on Rest In Peace to my Vagabond Rapper song, singer - suspended, subpoena For misdemeanors, dreamer, held back ass is lowkey still a senior And I still shake up BO Squad, praying for my BroBois City on the Come Up, shout that nigga Sosa! Shout my nigga Fat Trel, shout my nigga Joseph Playing Buenos Aires while they sleepin' Buenas Noches! Wonder if I wrote this cause it's so crisp The most brokest cold stock broker winter solstice I could win an Oscar, Russian Accent Husky Acid addict, Costly avid Actor Kevin Costner

[Interlude] AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! TURN UP TURN UP!

[Hook x2] Juice! (Juice!) Juice! (Juice!) Juice! (Juice!) Juice! (Juice!) I got the juice, I got the juice (YUP!)

[Verse 2] God give me one sentence more Maybe I just gotta get suspended more? Hash tag it, get mentions for it Make you love it, get it trending more And then act humble Hear some bull that some dude mumble Wantin' to jump dude, but let that nigga punk you Knowin bitch niggas wanna bring guns to the rumbles, igh! But I love y'all souls Don't let the juice spill Pac! Blue pill pop Til you feel good enough to pop the popped bitch in the blue heels yop! That one - drown in the juice nigga Hunnid proof get found in a youth nigga Stop with all the trynna introduce nigga Everybody know you dude you the new nigga! Hows it feel to be you? Yo no sé I ain't really been myself since Rod passed I ain't even really need that shop class I ain't really been weak since pops smashed I'm a genius, a mothafuckin pop smash Hit sensei, master Jack and Lindsey, Wiley, Kembe Been paid, 10 Day been they FAFSA

[Interlude] AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! TURN UP TURN UP!

[Hook]

[Verse 3] Yup, JUUUUUUUGO You never tasted paper Tripped, racing yaself trynna chase the paper I just faced a Vega And you love being Kobe when you make the lay up Till you realize everybody in the world fuckin hates the Lakers, Hahaha And then everybody wanna sip, til the juice spill everybody want a bib And then everybody wanna dip Told you I ain't worried, I ain't scared of the booth All you can do is spit a verse of the truth Merge the mixture with the purest and the fruits And the thirst, just the worst, it's the curse of the juice!

[Hook + Bridge]

[Outro] Juice, juice, juice, juice... yup! Juice, juice, juice, juice... yup!

Somebody went and compiled a bunch of Chance's featured appearances for you to listen to... [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qixxrRlTtTE]