Nails - "Unsilent Death" CD

Now this is some formidable heaviness. Hailing from Southern California, this trio's debut is as concise as it is destructive. 10 songs here, 13 minutes. But perhaps brevity is good here, as there's no room to breathe for these 13 intense, apocalyptic minutes. Opening with the 30-second grindcore bloodclot of "Conform", it's sink or swim with these dudes. Hah! "Scum Will Rise" isn't any slower -- a raging fireball of gutteral post-punk, post-metal, post-hardcore nihilism. This is not for the faint of heart. Awesome and powerful. (Southern Lord)

Nailspace

Cramps - "Live (At The Lokerse Festival, Belgium, August 7, 2006)" DVD

The world lost one of rock's most charismatic and iconic frontmen last year when Cramps singer Lux Interior passed away. And while it's a shame that there still isn't a comprehensive CD collection of the band's greatest through the years, this audio-visual document of their later years is fiery enough to tide over fans like me. "Live At Lokerse" is a 17-song, pro-shot concert as filmed at a huge outdoor festival in daylight. Perhaps not the best venue for the band, but that didn't seem to dampen or tame the band's incendiary and swaggering rock and roll spirit.

Into their 4th decade, the Cramps, with Lux's wife and longtime musical partner Poison Ivy on guitar, were antecedents of the modern '"psychobilly" scene, and an indispensable and essential component of the early American punk scene. Taking their blueprints from the old 50's rock-and-roll acts, the Cramps added their own vision, complete with sassy references to B-grade horror and plenty of outward sexual innuendo. On this DVD, the band's sleazy, spooky, and tongue-in-cheek trash-rock was as intense as ever, as Lux, ever the showman, was clad in his usual form-fitting leather pants and heels. Being a later-period show, some of their classics weren't played, but plenty of other great tunes were, like "The Way I Walk", "Let's Get Fucked Up", and "TV Set". A must-see for fans, "Live" is a worthy document of an amazing band that will continue to inspire. (MVD Visual)

Cramps website

Parlour - "Simulacrenfield" CD

From the fertile musical landscape of Louisville, Kentucky, Parlour arose over a decade ago from the same indie scene as bands like Slint, Crain, and Rodan. In fact, founding member Tim Furnish was also a member of Crain, and has played with Papa M/Aerial M, among others. This full-length is their first release in 5 years, and it's a well-done collision of seemingly disparate musical influences. Parlour are a rock band who don't play rock music. The instrumentation is there -- guitars, drums, clarinet, sax, and synths. But the music reveals itself to be more like a post-rock, proto-jazz soundtrack. There are no vocals, as Parlour let their music do the talking, so to speak. And that's fine by me, as this album proves to be an exceptional melange of moods, textures, and rhythms.

The muscular "Destruction Paper" opens, with a densely-mixed music box effect (a combination of keyboards and guitars) circled by tight, propulsive rhythms. Also particularly effective is the swelling and melodic "Wedder", which drives into a beautiful climax of chiming guitars and clarinet squalls. Fans of Explosions In The Sky will appreciate the textural dynamics here. The 10-minute closer, "Sea Of Bubbly Goo", is a spacy and thunderous confluence of Krautrock-style pulsations (think Neu! or Can) and modern post-jazz broadstrokes (ala Tortoise). An incredible track, and a fitting conclusion to this wonderful recording. (Temporary Residence)

Parlour's site

Parlourspace

Happy new beer!

Sure, it's a wee bit early to be celebrating the new beer, or is it? This month sees a few of my recent personal tastings, more of which can be found on my beeradvocate.com page. Ratings run the gamut from 1 (nasty, dirty, horrible) to 5 (a taste experience to relish). With that in mind, beers of a 3 or 4 are excellent and worthy. Remember to taste responsibly, and to support your local and craft breweries. Forget BMC corporate "beer" and their monopolizing tactics! Argh! Sermon over and out.

LEFFE BLONDE (Belgium) - 3.5
This traditional abbey-style ale flows with a heavy lacing and a sweet, fruity, yeasty scent -- typically indicative of the style. Points there. The flavor is sweet, with a hint of spice and ripened fruit -- maybe orange. Somewhat on the heavy and sweet side, but definitely drinkable.

BELL'S WINTER WHITE ALE (Comstock, MI) - 4.0
First impression here is with the nose - all flowery citrus zestiness - instantly appealing. Pours a cloudy, murky pale gold, with a rich froth. Taste is sharp and spicy, with hints of clove and orange, but if you're thinking Blue Moon, think of it's bigger, stronger brother. This beer is bold and distinctive, and a definite winner.

SAMUEL ADAMS LATITUDE 48 IPA (Boston, MA) - 4.0
Served only slightly chilled in my New Belgium ale glass, this big and hoppy IPA has a deep, grassy, floral, herbal nose, with huge lacing. Attractively amber in color, this one is smooth and easy up front, followed by a swift kick of hoppiness. But it's not a hop bomb as this may suggest. It's really a steady and balanced flavor, with hints of citrus and spice. Very delicious and a superlative IPA.

STELLA ARTOIS (Belgium) - 3.0
Belgian in origin, but not at all representative of the region's preferred/famous style, this pale golden lager with a thick lace does manage to stand out among the plethora of mainstream lagers out there. The scent is almost floral - a definite spicy, hoppy sharpness and presence. The taste follows this, with more complexity and depth than similar brews. Not half bad, and a solid step in-between mainstream and craft beer.

"America's Music Legacy - Dixieland Jazz" DVD

Looking at this uniquely American conglomeration of styles and influences, fans of Dixieland may be dismayed upon viewing this mid-80s TV showcase. As with previous editions of this series, the historical context of the genre is only briefly examined, with the bulk of the program devoted to live performances from (then-contemporary) artists (often marginally related to the genre).

Standouts here include Scotty Plummer's banjo madness, and the immortal Scatman Crothers (who some may know more from his acting in little gigs like "The Shining"), who proves he was a showman of the first order. Also included here are Della Reese (who's songs seem more Vegas than Dixieland), Al Hirt (who hosts), Gene Estes, and the New Orleans Jazz All-Star Band. As a word of caution, there's a lot of filler here, with little of lasting substance. You're better going elsewhere for a serious examination of the style. (MVD Visual)

Immolate - "Ruminate" CD

This Australian 3-piece are less metallic than I'd expected, but that's not a bad thing. With a simple and sludgy sound, Immolate's punk-meets-doom metal tunes are thick and primitive, with elements of noise rock and stoner metal. Like a grimy collision of Scratch Acid, Motorhead, and Queens Of The Stone Age, Immolate's driving and chaotic songs are given an appropriately raw mixdown by one of the masters, Billy Anderson. Some solid work here, and even if most of the songs sound the same, these guys are on the right track. (Impedance Records Australia)

Immolatespace

Buzzov•en - "Sore" 2xCD

This limited-to-2000 copies gold-disc remaster combines this South Carolina stoner/sludge metal band's famous second album (from 1994) with another 4-song (28 minute) EP of unreleased material. Unbeknownst to me, this is an influential album of underground metal that, alongside their brethren in Eyehategod, helped jump-start an ugly and evil form of heavy rock that utilized elements of noise and even post-industrial sounds alongside mean, drug-fueled hardcore. It's not a nice or friendly sound, but one rooted in pain, aggression, and negativity. So no upbeat pop tunes here.

Opening with the ugly and hallucinogenic sound collages of "Sore", the band juxtaposes twisted, swampy grooves with energetic hardcore punk/metal crossover. It's a well-layered mix (by Billy Anderson), full of down-tuned guitars, weird and grimy sound effects, and the screeching, pained vocals of Kirk Fisher, who was apparently very, eh, medicated during this band's reign. Imagine Corrosion Of Conformity if they became possessed by evil spirits on a week-long drink-and-drug binge. It's a grueling trip through a side of life we normally don't want to see firsthand. Some uncompromising and harrowing sounds here, not for the faint of heart. (Metal Mind Productions Poland/Roadrunner)