Fecal Matter Demo

So here's a demo by Kurt Cobain's first band, Fecal Matter. Some really raw punk with some crazy, psychotic vocals by Cobain. Really great for any Nirvana-head, but limited appeal for most others (unless you really like weird, heady, bizarre-o hardcore punk.

download: Fecal Matter Demo.zip

Rosetta - 2005 - The Galilean Satellites

Okay this is the best (or at least the most promising) new band I've found in a little while. They do this awesome, trippy space-metal tinged with sludge, ambient, noise, industrial--there's really no good description of it. But it's freaking sweet. The lyrics are ridiculously hard to decipher but they're really cool (there's this plot about an astronaut going to space and doing all this crazy stuff--haven't really delved too much into the lyrics). Another cool thing about this album is that the first disc is the main music while the second disc has 5 songs of equal length to those on the first disc and are meant to accompany the first disc with extra sound effects, spoken word and other ambient samples.

What really gets me are the elaborate and precisely timed drumlines, the beauty of the slowed-down, almost ethereal chords and the Sunn O)))-esque ambient interludes and background effects. The combined effect is an amazing, soap-operatic masterpiece. I'm not sure if it's because I've listened to this album too much or whether I think the second album is actually better, but the second album (Wake/Lift) is a much more polished, well crafted effort. Galilean Satellites is a bit scattered and a bit repetitive, but then again, that's kinda the desired effect. Plus it's beautiful, so it doesn't really matter.

download: Rosetta - 2005 - The Galilean Satellites [Disc 1].zip
download: Rosetta - 2005 - The Galilean Satellites [Disc 2].zip

Boris - 2003 - Akuma no Uta

Fucking ridiculous stoner metal. Starts off weird and doomy, then gets all stonery, with nice, heavy, bluesy riffs that carry you away. Really reminds me of a lot of groundwork for stoner metal Black Sabbath established in the late '60s, early '70s.

download: Boris - 2003 - Akuma no Uta.zip

Agnostic Front - 1986 - Cause for Alarm

Fucking sweet crossover punk/thrash from NYC. Short and sweet.

download: Agnostic Front - 1986 - Cause for Alarm.zip

Gang of Four - 1982 - Songs of the Free

A great album that really uses a lot of sounds that would go on to describe a large swath of alternative rock and indie rock bands for the next few decades. A real precursor to much of the garage rock bands of the late '90s and early 2000s. Really great punk rock sound that pushes the punk borders into new territory with goofy, mocking lyrics ("I love a man in a uniform," sung in a silly, swoony, almost disco-y way). Every time a song from this album would come on shuffle, I had to stop and check out what it was. Really awesome stuff.

One thing I really like about the band is how they embrace a lot of different styles or concepts not necessarily native to punk (funk, blues, dub, minimalism) and apply them to a very specific form of punk rock. They can get abrasive, but never hardcore, usually sticking to more dancy, yet biting abstract-pop-punk riffs. They love using female back-up singers which adds both idiomatic stylistic flavor and ironic juxtaposition with their lyrics and underlying punk sounds.

download: Gang of Four - 1982 - Songs of the Free.zip

Agent Orange - 1986 - Secret Agent Man [EP]

Some more great surf-punk from the Cali hardcore gods.

download: Agent Orange - 1986 - Secret Agent Man [EP].zip

Agent Orange - 1982 - Bitchin' Summer [EP]

Four great tracks from the CD reissue of their first album, Living in Darkness that all showcase the band's hardcore meets surf-punk style. This is some classic shit, man. My favorite is a great rendition of the epic surf-rock anthem, "Miserlou," by Dick Dale. Really great stuff. Miserlou is something those not attuned to punk would like; it's just been ingrained so deeply into the American consciousness that anyone can get into it.

download: Agent Orange - 1982 - Bitchin' Summer [EP].zip

Radiohead - 1997 - OK Computer

I know, I know, everyone has this album. But why shouldn't I put it up? It's just so good. It's breadth of content and audio-lyrical themes is so vast and the combined effect of the entire album is so powerful, expressive and ultimately truly beautiful. Though not my favorite of Radiohead albums (and I really could talk about Radiohead for a while if I wanted), it's probably their masterpiece (though In Rainbows gives it quite the run for its money) in terms of cohesion, accessibility and progression.

download: Radiohead - 1997 - OK Computer.zip

YMCK - 2004 - Family Racing

A really cute, goofy Japanese chiptune/pop album. The whole thing sounds like a nintendo game. If you're familiar with the Katamari Damacy games, then I think I it sounds like the music from those games. Track 3 is particularly great. It's really good and just incredibly cute.

download: YMCK - 2001 - Family Racing.zip

cLOUDDEAD - 2001 - cLOUDDEAD

Great, weird hip hop album made by two white guys. Really nice and ambient.

download: cLOUDDEAD - 2001 - cLOUDDEAD.zip