The Punk Vault and MXV Photography

Long-time friend and ally of Goatsden, MXV (and curator of the famous Punk Vault), now is offering his professional concert photography for fans and collectors.

The site already has superb live photos for sale of artists like Skinny Puppy, Ohgr, Down, Public Image Limited, Jello Biafra, Social Distortion, Descendents, Adicts, Fishbone, Doro, Weedeater, Public Enemy, Weezer, Damned, Tesco Vee, Thrill Kill Kult, Ministry, Naked Raygun, Korn, The Prodigy, Cradle Of Filth, Anthrax, Ted Nugent, Billy Idol, Slash, System Of A Down, Disturbed, Gwar, TSOL, X, KMFDM, Dead Milkmen, Jerry Lee Lewis, and tons more. Check his page at:

MXV Photography

And while you're out and about, check his review site/blog at:

Punk Vinyl

"Road Rant - A Week On The Road With Lydia Lunch" DVD (director: Merrill Aldighieri)

Lydia is unquestionably one of subversive rock's first ladies, having led no-wave progenitors Teenage Jesus And The Jerks and working alongside such names as Einsturzende Neubauten, Foetus, Swans, Sonic Youth, and the Birthday Party. She's done extensive work in music, film, and print, and deserves "legendary" status, for sure. This is a documentary of her 2007 French tour to promote her book, "Paradoxia", and it's a curious look at her persona onstage and off.

Swinging back-and-forth between Lydia's spoken cabaret performances and some travel and tour footage with bandmates Joe Budenholzer and Terry Edwards, "Road Rant" is a mixed bag. Lydia's usual confrontational dissection and dissertation on sexual politics is tiring and overdone. Where director Aldighieri succeeds is in showing Lydia "opening up" to more honest opinions and attitudes, outside of her public persona. She undoubtably has tons of stories to tell, and much insight. As it stands, "Road Rant" is an interesting look at Lydia Lunch, definitely worthy for fans but I don't think it's going to convince her detractors that she's much more than an aging punk rocker who's bitter about life. (MVD Visual)

Lydia's official website

My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult - "Sinister Whisperz" CD

Subtitled "The Wax Trax! Years (1987-1991)", this 13-song collection harkens back to the glory days of this Chicago-based glam/dance/industrial act. And as a tribute to Wax Trax! founding fathers Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher (R.I.P. gentlemen), it's a fitting set, keeping the group's trademark mix of horror/occult themes and kitschy glam-club disco. As it turns out, "Sinister Whisperz" is not as much a compilation as a remix, from the early "And This Is What The Devil Does" or "Do You Fear For Your Child" to the more undeniably classic aggressive club sounds of "The Days Of Swine And Roses" and "Kooler Than Jesus".

And truth be told, TKK founders Marston Daley (aka Buzz McCoy) and Groovie Mann (Frankie Nardiello) have kept just about everything as I remember. Perhaps there are some minor tweaks here and remasterings there, but these cuts are oddly similar to the original tracks. Not that it's a bad thing, but fans expecting a modern mash-up of great Chicago dance cuts apply elsewhere. As a collection of the TKK's best tracks, this one hits the spots perfectly. The only thing missing is "Sex On Wheelz", but that's a minor complaint. Cooler than jesus indeed, this one's a must-get for old-school, die-hard Wax Trax! fans like me. (Rustblade)

TKK website

Wax Trax! Records - Dannie Flesher R.I.P.

Wax Trax! Records co-founder Dannie Flesher passed away from complications from pneumonia this past week. He was 57.

Flesher, along with longtime partner Jim Nash (who passed away in 1995), founded Wax Trax! in the early 80's to release some of their favorite musics. Years later, this label experienced international success, and brought predominantly electronic and post-industrial acts like Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Thrill Kill Kult, Meat Beat Manifesto, Coil, Front Line Assembly, Psychic TV, KMFDM, Pig, Front 242, Chris Connelly, Controlled Bleeding, the Young Gods, Pankow, Laibach, Greater Than One, In The Nursery, Foetus, and countless others to the ears of listeners across the United States and beyond. Their influence has been heavy on such followers as Nine Inch Nails, who used the Wax Trax! sound and scene to springboard to major rock success.

Wax Trax! was the centerpiece of my teenage years, supplying the post-apocalyptic soundtrack to my angsty life, and it's something I'm proud of and will always appreciate. I spent a load of money ordering the latest Wax Trax! releases back in the pre-internet days, and I owe a large part of my musical education to Jim and Dannie's Wax Trax! legacy. May he (and Jim) rest in peace.

“Dannie was a good friend. He was a true visionary and he will be sorely missed by us and all the other artists whose lives he impacted.” -- Al Jourgensen

More info can be found here, with a more thorough eulogy by Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune:
Chicago Tribune article

And a fairly complete and exhaustive discography of Wax Trax! can be found here:
Wax Trax! @ discogs.com

KetVector - "The Infinite Regress" CD

Being in an industrial act in the present day is a pretty shady proposition. Major labels want absolutely no part of you (that's no problem, though). Your audience is insulated and precious (and utterly tiny), and they usually dress really silly. And this is coming from a seriously-involved fan from way back before there was a dress code, Hot Topic, and before the wishy-washy gothy scene absorbed all the heavy and mean electronic sounds. Yeccch!

Anyway, Justin Bennett is no newbie or stranger, and it shows. His resume includes stints as drummer with Professional Murder Music, Thrill Kill Kult (who he still tours with), and these days, he works within the Skinny Puppy live band, as well as on other lesser-known projects called Bahntier and American Memory (with independent filmmaker and visual artist William Morrison).

On his debut as KetVector, he joins fellow Bahntier member Stefano Rosselo, and together, they manage to slice through all the crap and tedious stereotypes. 'The Infinite Regress' is an excellent and - if not innovative - a perfectly worthy collection of mostly instrumental soundtracks with plenty of dark cinematics, heavy rhythms, and expert live percussion. The ability to mess with the structures (and go on for weird, seemingly nonlinear noise tangents) is a skill which even Puppy themselves seem to have lost since their reformation.

Bennett's more than proven himself to be a worthy programmer, and it's a shame this release isn't getting larger media attention on a more prominent label (apparently Rustblade is an Italian micro-indie). A super-limited version of this album was available as a box set with a bonus disc (and some extra tracks), but nonetheless, any fan of classic Skinny Puppy will thoroughly enjoy this fine selection. (Rustblade)

KetVector page

Justin Bennett page

KMFDM - "Extra Vol.1" 2xCD

Compiling tons of vinyl and CD-singles from their classic Wax Trax! Records heyday (1986-1992), this set shows the German-American industrial rock group's quick progression and growth as they stormed the states on a huge tour with Ministry in their prime (1989-90). Beginning with the early raw electronic-beats of stuff like 'Don't Blow Your Top' (featured here in a superb Adrian Sherwood remix), 'Extra' follows the group into a dancier, clubby realm ('Naive', here remixed a couple of times by Chicago sleaze-disco act Thrill Kill Kult), some trippy psycho-dub ('Virus', 'M+F 244'), and finally, their now-trademark electro-rock. One of the band's definitive cuts, 'Godlike', is reprised here, and this Slayer sampling club track can still melt dancefloors while appealing to the longhairs and headbangers at the same time. Very fun. And disc 2 has even more! KMFDM have always been masters of the anthemic, and 'Go To Hell', 'Split', and 'Money' all feature this second disc, often in multiple mixes. The remastered sound here makes it all go 'boom' in the car, as well, so that's always a plus. Overall, 'Extra' is a great collection of now-unavailable mixes and versions for the hardcore KMFDM fan, and also a fitting starting point for anyone curious about this band's extensive 22-year history. (Metropolis)

KMFDM site