Pennywise - The Fuse (2005)

Bland. Sad.

CD Placement Rating:  Pile of death.

- Snilch

The Wrens - Silver (1997)

Back before their Chinese Democracy-like delay in releasing the follow-up to 2001's masterpiece The Meadowlands (which has still not happened), The Wrens actually prolifically released three albums between 1997 and 2001.  This is their debut; it's cool to hear the embryonic beginnings here, but it's really not up to par with their later work.  

Denis turned me on to these guys, but I know he agrees:  avoid this one, but FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, GET OFF YOUR ASS AND PICK UP THE MEADOWLANDS.  WHY HAVE YOU WAITED 12 YEARS TO BUY THIS ALBUM?  WHY???

Just for that I'm not even giving a clip from Silver.  Here's something from The Meadowlands.  WHY DO YOU MAKE ME DO THIS?

The Wrens - Hopeless (from the album The Meadowlands, which you do not even own, you jackass)

Oh, and see them live if you can, they are great.

CD Placement Rating:  Sell back 1.

- Snilch

Watercress - Pirates on the Vitamin Seas (2000?)

After years of rumor and dead-ends, I finally found this long-lost, unreleased album by one of Ireland's finest bands. Leah managed them toured them in North America a few times, and tuned me (and everyone in our office) on to what I still feel was the consistently best live band I ever saw. Fun, energetic, quirky, and inventive, they came and went way too fast, with only a cassette-only (!) album, a full-length CD (Bummer, their only really proper release), and several EPs to show for it.

And this, their follow-up to Bummer, which was recorded but never released.  And it's obvious why.  This is much more conventional and subdued than their previous recordings and live performances; it still has a high musical IQ, but ultimately it's just not that interesting.  It's a snapshot of a band that was just moving in a different direction, a competent but sad period at the end of the sentence.  You expect a scream; what you get is a whimper.

But they had their moment.  I hope you saw them when they were around.

CD Placement Rating:  CD Rack?  Say it ain't so, but really it's more like Sell-back 1.  Ugh.

- Snilch

Frank Zappa - Hot Rats (1969)

One of the last long conversations I had with Brian at a former, disastrous place of employment ended with him saying, "Wait a minute. You haven't heard Zappa's Hat Rats?  I can't talk to you anymore," and then hanging up. Well, he'll have to find a new excuse now.

Musically, it's well-choreographed insanity.  It really should not all work together -- it's a "kitchen sink" approach instrumentally -- but it does, gently moving discordant musical ideas and conflicting sounds into a harmonious union.  

Not convinced?  Why not watch a video of a radio ad?

Frank Zappa - Hot Rats Radio Ad

Smart and sharp, it's a rock symphony.  It's arranged as such, juxtoposing different styles of virtuoso playing into a smooth finish. The lengthy songs (three are 9+ minutes long) don't seem self-indulgent, but rather an exploration of moods and shapes.

Frank Zappa - Son of Mr. Green Genes

To sum up:  if jam bands were all like this, we'd all love Phish. Fans of Mars Volta (and I'm looking at you, Dan) will see where that band came from on this one.

CD Placement Rating: Car CD Changer.

- Snilch

The Black Angels - Phospherene Dream (2010)

Hello 1970s vocals:  meet 1960s psychedelic rock with a modern feel.

Phospherene Dream has a shoegazer garage vibe but with more of a Jesu meandering feel.  It's like a more more laid back Black Rebel Motorcycle Club had met Pink Floyd, taken it out for a few drinks, had some laughs, and even called back the next morning.  And "laid back" is probably a lazy misnomer; think "deliberate and purposeful psychedelia."

This is a really enjoyable listen front to back as an album:  it's a slow, steady dirge you just do not want to see end.  That being said, this is not for everyone -- likely target Mrs. Snilch Report surprisingly dislikes this quite a bit.  

But for me, just listen to "River of Blood."  It's epic.

The Black Angels - River of Blood

As Denis would say:  "Rock."  Word.

CD Placement Rating: Car CD Changer.

- Snilch

Shabazz Palaces - Black Up (2011)

This was recommended by AMG.  Maybe hip-hop has grown up and I haven't.  Or maybe it's just not very good.  Either way, I would just rather listen to Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, De La Soul 3 Feet High and Rising, or DJ Shadow's Entroducing than this.

Fin. 

CD Placement Rating:  Pile of Death.

- Snilch

Goes Cube - Another Day Has Passed (2009)

A few weeks back, as I watched the snowplow dump snow from my neighbor's unshoveled apron onto my clean one for the third time in less than an hour, I realized I needed to take a break from shoveling before that throbbing vein in my neck blew up.

So I settled into my bathrobe, bunny slippers, and NKOTB*-branded couch, and began to mellow considerably.  Now I just needed the prefect soundtrack to match my current state.  And drown out that plow, which I could hear coming down the street for pass #4.

Immediately, Goes Cube sprung to mind.  How could it not?  With soothing songs like "Another Day Has Passed," "Grinding the Knife Blade," and "I Hold Grudges," I knew I was just a couple of S'mores and some warm milk away from peace and tranquility.  Featuring mellow, melodic death metal underpinnings and soothing primal rage screams, it's what those "in the know" use to quietly lull themselves to sleep.

Goes Cube - "I Hold Grudges"

Okay, if you've listened to the video, you realize this is less Lawrence Welk and more a really angry Jesu or the lead singer from Face to Face with a chip on his shoulder.  So we'll drop the pretense here.  Utilizing a formula of switching back and forth from mid-tempo rock to thrash screaming (see Pennywise, System of a Down, Rise Against, Grade, etc.), Goes Cube crosses a gloomy tone with interesting melodies, finishing it off with both excellent musicianship and production.  It's really heavy tone done right.  If you like Mars Volta, just check out the title track and you will be hooked.


There's a small window for this kind of music for me, but this hits it.

CD Placement Rating:  Portable CD Case.

- Snilch

*New Kids on the Block, of course.  S'up?