“It must have been 2005 or 2006 that I first came into contact with Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, one of the most beautifully bewildering bands to ever grace the globe. Constructed around a narrative of a fictional dadaist and futurist performance troupe, the one-of-a-kind group from Oakland gained a loyal cult following over the span of three records.” Monkey business.
Avant Garde
Stuck in the Filter – November/December’s Angry Misses
2023’s cleaning protocols are finally complete, and here comes the Filter scrappings from November and December. Taste them all, then consult a funeral director.
World’s End Girlfriend – Resistance & The Blessing [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]
“For those unfamiliar, World’s End Girlfriend has been producing a unique brand of cinematic music rooted in classical composition, post-rock sound palette, glitchy and warped electronics since 2000’s debut Ending Story—very much a stepping stone on this long and forlorn path. Though there’s plenty to enjoy in this Japanese one-man exploration, it was 2007’s Hurtbreak Wonderland that first took my breath away and signaled a string of increasingly wide-viewed, somberly-toned albums that cemented me as a WEG die-hard.” End Times and significant others.
Among the Rocks and Roots – Pariah Review
“Among the Rocks and Roots explore semi-free form compositions, relying as heavily on hypnotic repetition as they do shifts in style and tempo. The concluding part of a trilogy that has explored the battle to conquer addiction, Pariah fairly seethes with an unstable anger.” Rage against the hunger.
Tardigrade Inferno – Burn the Circus Review
“On the ranking of Things Ken Doesn’t Like™, circus music once lived just beneath the throne. For whatever reason, cabaret in all its forms annoyed me to no end, even in its natural environment. Why, then, do I find myself continually obsessed with Russian/Australian cabaret metal clowns Tardigrade Inferno and their particularly crunchy, creepy, crazed take on the cirque de métal?” Ten clowns, three rings,
Bolt Gun – The Tower Revew
“The Tower feels like ascent. You’ll feel light as air, floating upon the ether in warm sunlight, only to crash to earth in plummeting gravity. While journeys are not uncommon across metal’s many weathered and storied expanses, Australia’s Bolt Gun offers a vertical trek. Its experimental fervor, blackened climaxes, and monolithic weight, and above all, the emphasis on atmosphere, offer scenic vistas and groveling earth alike, hurtling towards the summit and the zenith. Always majestic, as if in reverence to the colossal structure always in view, The Tower feels like a chronicle: a breathing, organic, but dense legend.” Climbing creativity.
Stuck in the Filter – May’s Angry Misses
May Day is upon us, in July! Join us as we demonstrate what focused spring/early summer Filter cleaning can accomplish when you have motivated technicians.
Teitan – In Oculus Abyss Review
“Even if it’s not so prevalent now, part of black metal’s original aims was to shock, subvert, and make uncomfortable. Metal fans and horror aficionados alike, among others, are privy to the thrills of art that disquiets, and sends a shiver up the spine. Teitan—the solo project of Dutch multi-instrumentalist Devi Hisgen of Marquis and Cthuluminati—seems to attempt exactly this.” Fear as fun.
Trollfest – Flamingo Overlord [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]
At its root, Trollfest’s sound combines the “huumpa and the beast” formula popularized by Finntroll with the diverse musical influences and a willingness to expand into whatever style feels fun at the moment from DSO. But unlike aforementioned artsy (and potentially fartsy) Swedes, Trollfest pretty much sings about their collective alcohol problem (like Korpiklaani). And honestly, every time I listen to a new Trollfest album I ask myself the same question: “Why don’t I listen to these guys more?”
postcards from new zealand – Nin-an-ak Review
“What does New Zealand have to do with Ancient Sumeria? Not a damn thing, but then again, the Brits didn’t play much of a role in the conquests of Alexander the Great and no one batted an eye when Maiden wrote a track about him. So the subject of choice for Nin-an-ak, an ancient Sumerian goddess of kink and war, doesn’t require much justification. Not as much as the name postcards from new zealand, anyway, nor their preference for not using capitals. And definitely not as much as the genre this promo came tagged with: post-sumerian-chamber-death-prog-core.” Dead tongues, dead letters.