kNOw Deposit, kNOw Return

Covid-19 and Bandcamp, Post Number 14: Okay, A Couple More Labels

Most of my e-mails these days are from Bandcamp, notifying me of new releases from artists or labels I've purchased music from, and today was no different. One of the notifications was that Italian label Signora Ward Records has just released Quarantine Doom Jazz vol.2, and compilation of artists playing, well, doom jazz. What is doom jazz? you ask. Think Angelo Badalamenti, think depressing noir films, think a blanket of suffocating blackness under which the muffled sound of a saxophone struggles to make itself heard... You get the idea. I have a few releases from this label, and I like all of them. Looking at some of the covers of the other releases, I notice the label seems to have a thing for bondage and the like. I'm not sure what that's all about. At any rate, the sweet sounds of doom jazz are a balm for what ails us.

Signora Ward Bandcamp here.

The other label I want to mention is the Japanese label, Ricco, home to the wonderful Anoice. In fact, most of the releases I already have are from Anoice, who produce dramatic, delicate, cinematic masterpieces of mood, with enough crescendos to keep the most ardent Godspeed You! Black Emperor fan happy. I was re-listening to their label sampler in the car today, and realizing that all of the bands on it are at least good, if not great. I bought the newest couple of Anoice releases on May 1st, and got a polite apology about their inability to ship in a timely manner due to shipping restrictions put in place as a response to Covid-19, so if you order physical items, there will be a bit of a delay.

Ricco Bandcamp here.

Covid-19 and Bandcamp, Post Number 13: Marissa Nadler and People She Has Shared Stages With

I first heard Marissa Nadler thanks to my friend Matt, who at the time was as voracious a music consumer as I. Her wistful, haunting vocal delivery quickly won me over, and I've managed to keep up with her steady stream of releases since. Her style has progressed a bit over the years, most notably due to the inclusion of electric guitar on her later releases, but the heart and soul of the music is the same, at least for me. She is also a painter. Over the years, I've found that she usually plays shows with like-minded souls, so I come away from nearly every performance as a fan of somebody she played with. I guess I'll make that the theme of this post: Marissa Nadler and musicians she has shared stages with.

But first, check out Marissa Nadler's Bandcamp page here.

Alela Diane supported Marissa Nadler at a show in San Francisco years ago, and I came away as a fan. She has a slightly more earthy, robust approach to her music, but it still scratches the same sort of musical itch for me.

Well, damn. It looks like she doesn't have a Bandcamp page. She does have an official site though. Check it out.

I believe I first saw Mariee Sioux supporting Marissa Nadler as well. She is very worth checking out too, and even released a live, digital only album for the last Bandcamp day.

Mariee Sioux Bandcamp page here.

I first saw Emily Jane White when she supported Marissa Nadler in San Francisco some years ago. Again, she leans toward the quiet and dark end of the music spectrum, which is a place I like to hang out. She has also collaborated with my brother on an occasion or two. It's a small world.

Emily Jane White Bandcamp page.

Janel Leppin was actually part of Marissa Nadler's band for awhile, adding some beautiful cello and vocals to the mix.

Check out her Bandcamp page here.

I feel like I'm forgetting some people, so perhaps I'll come back and edit this post if the spark of memory warrants it. For now, have at it.

 

 

Covid-19 and Bandcamp, Post Number 12: Maybe the Last Post About Labels For Awhile

Diving right in...

Sketis Music is a Russian folk label. One must remember that Russia is a very large  country with a lot of different folk traditions, including of course, lots of different styles of throat singing. I've only just scratched the surface of the music offered by this label, but the surface includes bands like Yat-kha, and a project by their drummer, Evgeny Tkatchev, under the name Opycham, which is hauntingly hypnotic, not to mention excellent. Click around and listen to something new!

Sketis Music Bandcamp is here.

Denovali Records is home to a wide array of tantalizing sounds, including the haunting Birds of Passage, the brilliant Ensemble Economique, and the damn fine Dale Cooper Quartet & the Dictaphones.  Again, I feel like I've merely scratched the surface here, but that's okay. It's good to known that there is great music waiting around the corner.

Denovali Bandcamp here.

Flaming Pines is a London-based label run by Kate Carr, who also has a personal Bandcamp page worth checking out. It specializes in experimental sounds, many of which are built around field recordings. There is even a series of location-specific releases, not to mention a bird-themed one. Truly amazing stuff. The label is also home to the brilliant Ukrainian duo, Gamardah Fungus. Don't miss out.

Flaming Pines is here.

Kate Carr is here.

Preserved Sound releases limited runs of CDs for extremely affordable prices. The releases tend to be from the more meditative end of the musical spectrum, with modern classical and generally innovative approaches to acoustic music being the flavor most often offered. I particularly like Adrian Lane and Trigg & Gusset, but really, you can do no wrong here.

Preserved Sound is here.

Projekt is the longest-lived label in this batch, having been around since 1993. It is run by Sam Rosenthal of Black Tape For A Blue Girl, and features everything from dark ambient to goth, not-so-dark ambient, heavenly voices, medieval, and beyond. There is some good stuff there.

Projekt is here.

Sacred Bones Records, based in New York, has some bigger names on it that the other labels mentioned here, artists like John Carpenter, SQURL (featuring Jim Jarmusch), and the wonderful Marissa Nadler. Good stuff!

Sacred Bones Bandcamp here.

I haven't heard much of the music released by Van Records, but what I have heard, I've liked. I'm mentioning this here mostly just to bookmark it for myself as a label I want to explore further. The Dautha release is excellent! Antlers are great too!

Van Records Bandcamp is here.

 

 

 

 

Covid-19 and Bandcamp, Post Number 11: Okay, Today I'll Post Links To Some More Labels

There are so many labels out there, and invariably I'll forget some in my attempts to create any sort of comprehensive list, so I'm just going to freewheel it. I'll start with some metal labels, or at least labels whose primary focus is metal.

For a few years, I obsessively bought a fair amount of music from the Finnish label, Blood Music, which is the work of one anonymous person who seems to have a fine eye for detail and quality, both in the bands he chooses to release and the packaging of said releases. I won't go into details about the bands, but I became a fan of  a bunch of new musicians, some of them only having the most tenuous connection with metal, and some not being metal at all. It all started with buying the double vinyl release , "Gallows Gallery," by insane Japanese metal band Sigh back in 2012 or so, and the only reason I haven't been buying as much from the label lately is that they've really slowed down their release schedule while the anonymous label guy focuses on making video games or something.

Blood Music Bandcamp here.

Minotauro Records will forever have a place in my heart for releasing all of the early Paul Chain records. Their Bandcamp page is basically a portal to a Paul Chain Bandcamp page, and to an project/musician named Tele S. Therion who I know nothing about, but will explore soon. I'm not sure what Minotauro's arrangement with Paolo Catena (formerly known as Paul Chain) is, since Catena has now distanced himself from that pseudonym, preferring instead to make abstract art and minimalist synth drone/experimental music (which also comes highly recommended - look him up on Facebook).

Minotauro Records Bandcamp here.

Heading north to Finland again (but we were just there!, you cry), I would be remiss if I didn't mention the indescribably Ektro Records, home to Circle and about 700 other bands who share or have shared members with Circle, plus other bands lumped under the tongue slightly in cheek NWOFHM (New Wave of Finnish Heavy Metal) moniker. Imagine krautrock,classic metal, experimental, and a few kitchen sinks crammed together in an icy cabin where everybody is going stir crazy, and you have a starting point. There is a genuine appreciation for the cheesier side of heavy metal, a mastermind who plays sociological experiments on his own fanbase, and some of my favorite records in the Ektro arena. I'm planning on doing a rather large order soon because there is sale on over at their main site.

Ektro Records Bandcamp here.

Shadow Kingdom Records is a U.S. label flying the flag of traditional metal, with nods to various subgenres like doom metal and such. There is a strong early eighties NWOBHM feel to some of the bands on their site. I haven't had a chance to listen to everything, but I've listened to (and bought) enough to know that I'll be back for more.

Shadow Kingdom Records Bandcamp here.

Bindrune Recordings is the home of one of my current favorite black metal/bluegrass bands, Panopticon, and other forward thinking genre-mixing artists.  Again, I haven't explored it all, but so far, so good.

Bindrune Recordings Bandcamp here.

Prophecy is home to some of my absolute favorite musicians (even if some of them cough... Tenhi...  take a long time to release new albums). Plenty of rabbit holes to disappear down over at their Bandcamp page. Bring a light. It gets pretty dark in there.

Prophecy Bandcamp page here.

Okay, one more for the day... Profound Lore are another fearless label committed to musical innovation. Again, the music is dark, but hey, dark music for dark times! Wallow in it.

Profound Lore Bandcamp page here.

Covid-19 and Bandcamp, Post Number 10: Pissing On Your Parade

My daughter texted me yesterday because she is making a playlist of songs she listened to when she was little, asking, "what's the name of that piss on your parade song?" She and her older sister used to love singing along to that one in the car, mostly because of the slightly naughty line mentioned above. Because of that text, I've changed my mind about which links to post today.

The name of the song, by the way, is Hey Clown, by Firewater, from their "The Golden Hour" album. It's about George W. Bush, but it's even more applicable to the bozo in charge now. It's the kind of song one wishes weren't so continuously relevant.

Firewater is, essentially, Tod Ashley and whomever he is playing with. Previously to Firewater Tod was a member of a band called Cop Shoot Cop, who were similar in tone - think world-weary, harsh, cynical, and angry. A bit like Swans, really. Plus, their tour van got pulled over a lot. Firewater opened up the sonic palette to include all sorts of international influences (the tags on their Bandcamp page are rock, gypsy, klezmer, spy, ska, russian, and new york) but hung onto the biting lyrics, making for quite a cathartic listen, especially if the listener in question is fed up with humanity.

Here's the Firewater Bandcamp page. You can get yourself a digital copy of "The Best of Firewater" for a mere $5.00. What a deal! It doesn't have Hey Clown or some of my other favorites on it though. Hell, just buy them all.

Somewhat related in my mind is an old Australian band called Lubricated Goat. I may or may not have bought their first album because of their cool name. I truly can't remember now. They have that same kind of snarly delivery that endured me to Cop Shoot Cop and Firewater, but are even weirder. I guess you can't name your band "Lubricated Goat" and not be weird, can you? 

Lubricated Goat doesn't have a Bandcamp page, per se, but Goat member Stu Spasm does. It has some Lubricated Goat on it. I even bought a live release on May 1st.

Stu Spasm Bandcamp page. Go get your goat!

My train of thought just pulled into the Oakland station, which was the former home of a band called Mumble & Peg, who exuded an aura not too far removed from the bands above. My particular favorite is Resigned, the 1 minute and 27 second opener to their album, "All My Waking Moments In A Jar." It's one of the most pissed off songs I've ever heard. Don't let that stop you from listening further though. The rest of the songs are kind of pissed off too, or if not pissed off, have other qualities to recommend them.

Lo and behold, there is a Mumble & Peg Bandcamp page!

Mumble & Peg are here.

Covid-19 and Bandcamp, Post Number 9: More Labels

I was going to write another massive post featuring a wide variety of labels dealing with an even wider variety of musical styles, but then it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to narrow the focus a bit, so I've chose a couple of labels that have rolled with the viral punches and come up with something innovative. Coincidentally, they're both English.

White Label Records can't send  you physical releases right now because the post office is closed, so instead they've come up with a digital only series called Home Diaries, where invited artists sonically react to the Covid-19 pandemic and the necessity of sheltering in place. The music for the series has been/will be created while social distancing (I guess it's more physical distancing, since we're all just being distantly social, but I split hairs). As I type, I'm listening to Home Dairies 011 by Hymns57, and it's beautifully lonely sounding, sort of like a daydream on a barren plain. I haven't yet purchased any of these, but I think this will be the first one. There may be physical versions sometime in the indeterminate future.

Whitelabelrecs Bandcamp here.

Touch has been around a lot longer (since 1982!), and their Touch: Isolation series is helping raise money for the artists involved. Subscriptions are 20 GBP. There are some old favorites of mine involved, like Strafe FR and Unicazurn, and a lot of artists I'm not to familiar with but should be.

Touch Bandcamp here.

Both labels lean heavily toward the experimental/ambient end of the spectrum, good for those meditative moments and for wishfully staring out the window. There are some harder edges in there too, of course.

Covid-19 and Bandcamp, Post Number 8: Some Labels, Plus A Somewhat Long-winded Introduction

Sometimes you can tell a lot about the health of a society (in this case, our global society) by looking at what artists produce. I'll avoid using the word "entertainment" because entertainment is what we consume to avoid reality, while true art inspires us to confront reality. It inspires us to confront ourselves. If one is receptive, it might even guide the healing of self. Entertainment, on the other hand, is more often than not corporate-backed, and thus useless for anything other than a distraction (and yes, as entertainment). Go back to sleep. Everything is fine.

Sometimes art (and I guess, entertainment too, because occasionally the two end up melding together) reflects a specific worry. For instance, it's no coincidence that, during the cold war, lots of "aliens among us" films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers or even George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (the two examples that spring immediately to mind) appeared on screens. We have met the enemy, and it is us, or at least it looks like us at first glance.

Well, the zombies are back, although it might be that many are simply trying to be the next The Walking Dead, but the popularity of a show like The Walking Dead is, I would think, partially due a weird societal yearning to be the hero in some sort of real survival scenario. Of course, most of us probably wouldn't last a day,  a scenario that pretty much plays out in every post-apocalyptic story. We always identify with the heroes though, don't we? Perhaps it's because most of us, as consumers, have led lives of relative safety. To put it simply, we are a bunch of lumps inhabiting a bunch of couches, living vicariously through our entertainment choices. We need some sort of edge to keep us in a good place. We need to contemplate real survival situations. We need danger. Our so-called civilization is a spiritual vacuum, with shit shoved into our brains daily. It's up to us to find solace and meaning where we can, which is why art is so essential.

Of course, when real danger actually hits, we complain when we can't go to the salon, we hoard toilet paper, and generally make nuisances of ourselves because our comfortable lives have left us with an unrealistic sense of entitlement.

Back to the stories, for a moment. Many of them, despite the grim trappings, are about hope and the human spirit. They're about how if we work together, we can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Of course, when there is real adversity, here in the actual world, it all falls apart. We don't play along. We don't cooperate. We whine. We blame.

Where was I going with all of this? I was going to provide some Bandcamp links and things went awry. Oh yeah, art. Today, I'm going to share some links to record labels that I appreciate. Some of them are run by friends, some of them are run by people whom I've never met. Many of them feature music that I feel is a completely valid response to modern life and the hypocrisies and inequalities woven through our systems. Many feature artists who yearn for something better, but express it in the grimmest way possible. There has never been more absolute darkness in the music world than there is today, but it all comes from a place of hope. At least that's how I view it. This is healing. Many of us need healing, and sometimes we don't even realize it.

That provides a nice segue into the first label I want to mention, Glass Throat Recordings/Medicinal Musicals out of Seattle, Washington. I've only bought a couple of releases, but they have been excellent. Most recently, I plunked down some cash for "Feathers of Lunation" by The Elemental Chrysalis, which in addition to being packaged in a beautiful, hand-embroidered hoop, is an exercise in blissful, contemplative serenity, with a healing undertone of darkness and mystery. I can't recommend it enough. I haven't listened to a lot of the releases on offer, but plan on delving deeper.

Glass Throat Recordings/Medicinal Musicals

Similar in tone, with a more experimental bent, is the always excellent Time Released Sound label out of Alameda, which is right up the road from me. I've become friends with Colin and Maria over the years, so I can vouch for the high quality of the people behind the high quality releases. A huge amount of care and creativity is put into the packaging, making each individual cover a work of art. The prices for the deluxe editions might seem steep at first, until one realizes that you're actually buying a work of art that just happens to house a CD or LP. The lathe cut releases are cut by Bladud Flies, who have their own Bandcamp page. Both links are below.

Time Released Sound

Bladud Flies!

Another local label is Black Horizons, run by James Livingston, who primarily release cassettes. There are only a handful of releases available on the Bandcamp page, but you can follow the link to the Black Horizons website for more goodies. The music leans toward the dark, harsh, and grim end of the spectrum, but grimness and beauty can coexist quite easily. To date, there have been three triple cassette releases of music to accompany the films of Ingmar Bergman, with one of responses to Tarkovsky's films coming soon (featuring, among others, the wonderful Jessica Way of Worm Ouroboros). Speaking of which, Jessica just took part in an international Zoom concert, which was quite cool, despite the fact that I've been spending too much time on Zoom because of work.  

Black Horizons.

Another cool local label is Ratskin Records. I'll admit I haven't bought a lot from them (yet), but I can vouch for the Dax Pierson "Live In Oakland" cassette. Dax is essentially paralyzed from the neck down, so these days performs mainly using a laptop, but his music is intricate and fascinating, reminding me a bit of Coil. Plus, he's an excellent human being. The rest of the label's releases strike me as quite varied, so there should be something for everyone there.

Ratskin Records

Orb Weaver Collective, with a tagline that reads "Art Against Civilization," kind of proves my long-winded point in the introduction about the necessity of art. Art is, after all, both a response to civilization and a buffer against it. We didn't evolve to handle our immersion in a capitalist society in any healthy sort of way. The label is run by James Martinez, who is another great guy, and while the Bandcamp page says it is based in Oakland, but James now resides in Olympia, where he plays in the excellent post-black metal band, With The End In Mind, who have just released their LP. Speaking of post-black metal, I guess that's as good a way as any to describe the type of music on offer here. A lot of the music on the Bandcamp page (Leadeater, Loam) features (or is) James. There's a Latona Odola release as well. All come highly recommended!

Orb Weaver Collective

That's it for today. More labels tomorrow!

Covid-19 and Bandcamp, Post Number 7: Metal and Punk Bands From the Last Century

By the time I became a teenager, I was a fully committed metalhead, with an interest in punk and hardcore developing a few years later. Here in 2020, a lot of those bands are still around, although in some cases "still" isn't really the operative word. Some of these bands disappeared into history, only to reemerge onstage once they realized what they were doing was still somehow relevant, and that there was still an audience, even though some  audience members hadn't been born yet the first time around. I'm finding that a lot of bands from this era don't actually have Bandcamp pages, but some do.

Cirith Ungol are one of those bands who disbanded in the early nineties are reemerged in the twenty-teens, mostly due to the exhortation of fans. I first stumbled across the band via their track, Death of the Sun, on the infamous "Metal Massacre" LP (1982), and I was hooked. It was hands down my favorite track on the album. The tinny non-production and shrieking vocals were a figurative disc sander to the face (because a literal one would have been immensely less pleasurable), so I bought all of their albums as they were released. After the band broke up, it didn't look like a reunion was ever going to be in the cards, which was doubly sad for me because I never got a chance to see them live.

That has changed. Since the reformation, they have released a single, a live album, and just recently, a full new studio album. All of these releases do the band proud. I saw the band play the first Days of Darkness festival in Baltimore 3 years ago, alongside a bunch of other bands who number among my favorites, and I have to say that the Cirith Ungol set was the one that ended up being the most memorable. Part of that was being able to finally see the old songs performed live, of course, but even if I'd been a new fan, I would have been blown away.

At any rate, check out their Bandcamp page.

Another old band who went the break-up and reform route is Satan, the old NWOBHM band who actually don't ever sing about Satan, but instead focus more on social issues and the like. The band features Brian Ross on vocals, who also sings for Blitzkrieg. I think they're one of the only old metal bands from this era to reform with all of the members from where they left off, unlike say, Diamond Head, who have exactly one original member left. Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with new members, of course, although the fact that Satan has all the same members means there is a seemingly seamless flow from their first album "Court in the Act," (1983) and their first album after their reformation, "Life Sentence" (2013). In the interim, bassist Steve Ramsey and guitarist Graeme English spent some time in another great UK band, Skyclad, which at one time featured one of my favorite metal lyricists, Martin Walkyier.

I've gotten to see Satan three (I think) times since they reformed, and they still definitely have what it takes to deliver a dynamic show, despite being even older than me.

Here's their Bandcamp page.

Candlemass , circa their first album, "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus," were one of my absolute favorite bands. My opinion of their subsequent releases has fluctuated a bit, but I've never not liked them. They have recently regained the services of singer Johan Langquist, who sang on that first album, which is a good thing in my opinion. Ironically, I've never seen them live with Langquist, and in addition, I've never seen them with the same singer twice. The first time I saw them, it was with Messiah Marcolin, the second time it was with Robert Lowe (of the Texas band, Solitude Aeternus), and the third time was at Maryland Deathfest with Mats Leven. Perhaps one day I'll see them play with Langquist, even if it is while staring at a screen (I just attended my first Zoom concert today, so an idea that once would have seemed far-fetched is now a reality).

The band itself rose out of the ashes of bassist Leif Edling's previous band, Nemesis, whom I also quite liked. Their sound is usually characterized as "epic doom metal," which is a pretty apt description, I suppose. They have well over three decades of music under their belts now, and I would advise starting at the beginning like I did, although Bandcamp gives one the freedom to jump around, so do whatever you want.

Oops, now I notice that they don't actually have their first album up on Bandcamp. Oh, well...

Candlemass Bandcamp.

Okay, I should write about a punk band or two. How about Subhumans? That would be the UK Subhumans. I can't remember when I first started listening to them, but I do remember the first time I saw them was at Slim's, in San Francisco. I've seen them a few times since, and they still have the spark of anger and energy they've always had. A lot of the old lyrics are suddenly even more relevant than they ever were, making the songs all the more cathartic.

Check out their Bandcamp page here.

Conquest For Death don't technically fit the definition of a band from the last century, but I've been friends with their vocalist, Devon, since sometime in the late eighties, so that's going to have to be good enough. Out of all the bands I've ever seen, I have to say that the members of Conquest For Death have the most manic, insane energy on stage. Watching them, it's easy to forget that gravity still works. They seem to ricochet off of walls and ceilings, and sometimes hurt  themselves enough to have to end shows early, but hey, that's punk. Their music is at least in part inspired by the eighties Italian HC, which should give anybody familiar with those bands

an idea of the intensity involved here. Plus, Devon is a great guy.

Conquest For Death Bandcamp page.

Also check out the Tankcrimes label page. Conquest For Death! Kicker! Final Conflict! Lots of great bands! Lots of great people!

More to come.

 

 

 

Covid-19 and Bandcamp, Post Number 6: Neurosis and Related

Thinking back, I've probably seen Neurosis on stage more than any other band or musician. The first time I saw them was at a pizza place in Emeryville called Own's Pizza (if memory serves), but I had already seen Violent Coercion, the band that predated Neurosis, which was kind of like seeing Neurosis before Neurosis. Basically, I got to see the band grow up and morph into the juggernaut it is today.  I was also briefly involved with Steve Von Till's pre-Neurosis band, Transgressor, as a backing vocalist (along with Chris Dodge and Doug Ebright) and occasional lyricist. Plus, we both went to San Jose Stage together and met regularly in the library to trade tapes, which is how we did things back then. 

Today, the band still plays shows, still releases records, and hasn't compromised in any way. The music is a monolithic wall of catharsis, an agonized howl of rejection,  a channel for the winds of change, a... well, you get the picture. This music, despite being dubbed "the soundtrack to the apocalypse," has always struck me as a rallying cry for kindred spirits, something that succeeds at a much deeper level than many similar bands.

Here's the Neurosis Bandcamp page.

Speaking of Steve Von Till, pre-orders are up for his new solo album and his book of poetry/lyrics. I haven't pre-ordered yet, but I plan to. Steve's solo work is a quieter affair, weathered down like ancient mountain ranges, stripped to its essence, and full of a kind of insight that really clicks with me. I can remember, as a much younger man, not being able to take the musical efforts of friends as seriously as those of well-established, older bands. I'm not sure when that changed. Like many realizations, it was probably gradual. Today, I consider Steve's work, both within Neurosis and without, to be a definite part of the bedrock of my musical foundations. Lyrically, as well, especially on songs like Breathe, from "If I Should Fall to the Field."

Steve's Bandcamp page.

Other members of Neurosis manage to keep themselves busy as well. Scott Kelly's solo work is similar in some ways to Steve's. Kind of like Townes Van Zandt covered in molasses, sad and slow and just steps from disassembling itself in a flutter of frayed edges. Americana for a moribund society.

Scott's Bandcamp page.

And then you have Dave Edwardson, who, in addition to playing in Neurosis, also plays in Oakland old punks, Kicker. This is much less serious and much more high energy. In fact, it's often downright hilarious.

Kicker Bandcamp page here.

Noah Landis always seems to be in several bands at once, and to tell you the truth, I've lost track of what he is currently doing. He used to be in Christ on Parade, and those old records really hold up (I was, coincidentally enough, listening to both Christ on Parade and one of his other old bands, Blister, just this week). It appears that there is a Christ on Parade Bandcamp page.Who knew? I also just discovered that he is (was?) in a band called The Same. They have a Bandcamp page too.

Christ on Parade Bandcamp page here.

The Same Bandcamp page here.

Drummer Jason Roeder is currently spending time in Sleep, another band of old friends who have become quite well known over the years. I went to the same high school as Sleep bassist/vocalist Al Cisneros, although I just enough older than him that I don't think we were actually there at the same time. Later, I worked at least a couple of the same jobs as him too, although when we worked at a book store together, he usually just hid in the back room and drew pictures of Geezer Butler all over the walls. Sleep guitarist Matt Pike also plays in High on Fire, who offer a more aggressive take on metal than Sleep's relatively laid-back Sabbathisms. I once ended up providing snakes for a High on Fire photo-shoot (for Decibel Magazine, circa "Snakes for the Divine"), but that's another story. I don't see them much at all these days, but our paths cross occasionally. Oh, and it looks like Al has a Bandcamp for his solo stuff too.

Sleep Bandcamp here.

High on Fire Bandcamp here.

Al Cisneros Bandcamp here.

Oooh. There's a Shrinebuilder Bandcamp page too! Shrinebuilder were I guess what one would call a supergroup, with Al Cisneros, Scott Kelly, Wino (of The Obsessed and Saint Vitus fame), and Dale Cover (of The Melvins).

Shrinebuilder Bandcamp here.

Okay, I'm going to stop here before this gets too long. More to come.

One last thing... I know this is focused on Bandcamp because of the Covid-19 fee waiver thing, but if you buy directly from the official websites of the bands, there are never any Bandcamp fees. Neurot Recordings is run by Neurosis (Steve mainly, I think), so if you buy from there, it's always a good thing, even if it's not the first of the month.

Neurot Recordings.

Covid-19 and Bandcamp, Post Number 5: Moor Mother and Meira Asher

Sometimes my mind makes connections between artists who, on the surface, don't appear to have much in common. I've been a fan of Meira Asher's music since her first album, "Dissected" (1997), and bought a couple of her recent releases during the May 1st Bandcamp fee waiver extravaganza. I've only been a fan of Moor Mother since right before I didn't see her at the UK Safe As Milk festival, which ended up canceling even there was no pandemic back in 2017 (read my account of the festival-less trip we took to the UK anyway). I also bought a couple of Moor Mother releases on May 1st.

What connects these two musicians, Isreali musician Meira Asher, and African American poet/artist Moor Mother (aka Camae Ayewa), is their very vocal raging against injustice, as only those who have borne the brunt of it can rage. By Asher's second album, "Spears Into Hooks," she had arrived at a sound that reminded me of the abrasiveness of early SPK albums, but at the same time sounded nothing like them. By her third album (with Guy Harries), "Infantry", her releases grew progressively harder to listen to, not because they weren't good, but because of the grim, yet necessary, subject matter. "Infantry" is based on the accounts of child soldiers, and it's as brutal as it sounds.

Check out her Bandcamp page.

Moor Mother's work draws from her own experiences, melding a number of disparate styles to voice opposition to the injustices inherent in the American (and indeed, global) experience. She has also collaborated with Justin Broadrick (of Godflesh fame) on the project Zonal.

Check out her Bandcamp page.

Music can change lives. I can't live the experience of someone who is not a white male, and I acknowledge my privileged position on the planet, but through music (which is, after all, emotions translated into sound), I can understand, at least to a degree, what people on the receiving end of racism, misogyny, and every other kind of abuse have to deal with on a daily basis. This is eye opening, and should be shared far and wide, because obviously a good number of fucking people don't get it. That much has never been more obvious, with all of the cretins getting comfortable center stage due to to an encouraging administration here in the U.S.

Thinking back, it was a constant exposure to new ideas attending punk shows and buying hardcore records that led me to become vegetarian, as well as helping me wake up to the disparities and inequalities built into our societies. I had the privilege to need a wake up call. Many people know this from birth. I spent my childhood thinking everybody was pretty much the same in their privilege, their intelligence, and their general experience in life.

This is what punk should have become. This is music with an edge, but the edge has purpose. Do you feel uncomfortable? Good. You should.

I'm still working on listening to my Bandcamp purchases from May 1st, and haven't yet listened to my Moor Mother and Meira Asher purchases, but based on what I've already heard, I'm in for a ride.

Speaking of punk, the new collaboration between Moor Mother and Mental Jewelry, under the name Moor Jewelry, actually is pretty punk. Listen and purchase here. The first edition of the cassette sold out quickly, but there is already a second edition being offered.