#jack endino

[nirvana-collector]

“BLEACH” came out on this day 35 years ago.

I have 26 different versions of this album right now.

[nofatclips]

Buy You by Bearaxe from the Last Call EP

[rainingmusic]

Mark Lanegan - Mockingbirds

[all-rock-and-roll-is-homosexual]

Skin Yard, 1991

scanned from 35mm slide

📸: Karen Mason

if you like my scans and want to help out you can do so here

[traderrock]

Soundgarden - "Entering"

[gianlucacrugnola]

Nirvana - Love Buzz

La genesi di una leggenda;Bruce Pavitt, fondatore, ideatore e direttore artistico della neonata etichetta di musica indipendente Sub Pop Records propone, su consiglio del socio Jon Poneman, ai tre punkers di Aberdeen l’incisione di un singolo per il loro nuovo prodotto, il Sub Pop Single Club, una sorta di fidelizzazione di consumatori musicali attraverso il lancio di band emergenti sulla scena…

[mitjalovse]

The 90's rock-pop conundrum? Is this discussion even neccessary at this point, when poptimism won? We have to look back – the 90's alternative rock embraced pop, but you always had a hunch they felt wary of that. For instane, Nirvana became huge, because they brought some strong pop sensibilities to grunge. However, I assume they – Grohl may have been an outlier here –. didn't feel comfortable about that notion. The tune on the link, for instance, caused Cobain to ask himself – would anybody take him seriously afterwards? Mind you, the piece is not a frothy confection, yet I get his trepidation, this sounds like something for all radio, not just college ones. While Kurt Cobain may have been more open-minded than majority of his peers, rockism still clung on to his heart.

[looseygoosey66]

REHAB DOLL TURNS 35!

The story of Seattle’s rise to global rock supremacy in the late ’80s and early ’90s begins with Green River. Made up of Jeff Ament (bass), Mark Arm (guitar/vocals), Bruce Fairweather (guitar), Stone Gossard (guitar), and Alex Shumway (drums), the quintet put out three 12”s and a 7” single during its brief existence. Green River’s influence on Seattle’s music scene spread far and wide thanks to the members’ dispersion into bands including Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, and Love Battery, as well as the punk-glam-sludge-rock songs they left behind.

“By ‘83, ‘84, there was definitely a movement that was happening within hardcore, like Black Flag slowing down for My War,” says Arm. “The Replacements and Butthole Surfers were rearing their heads, and they’re very different bands, but they’re not hardcore—the Replacements are pretty much straight-up rock, and Butthole Surfers were God knows what. Sonic Youth’s Bad Moon Rising was around, and a lot of really interesting post-hardcore things were happening.”

Green River, which formed in 1984, was part of that evolution, with a sound that straddled a lot of different genres—blues, punk, bloozy straight-ahead rock. The mini-LP Dry As A Bone, which came out in 1987, and the band’s lone full-length Rehab Doll, which came out in 1988, were released as a single CD with a few bonus cuts, including their sneering cover of David Bowie’s “Queen Bitch” and their marauding version of Dead Boys’ “Ain’t Nothin’ to Do,” in 1990—but they’ve been unavailable on vinyl for years. Now, these slices of Seattle music history are not only back in print, they’re accompanied by items from the vaults that had been forgotten about for decades.

Dry As A Bone was recorded at Jack Endino’s Reciprocal Recording in 1986, and it shows the band in furious form, with Arm’s yowl battling Fairweather and Gossard’s ferocious guitar playing on “This Town” and “Unwind” opening as a slow bluesy grind then jump-starting itself into a hyperactive chase. The deluxe edition includes Green River’s cuts from the crucial Seattle-scene compilation Deep Six, as well as long-lost songs that were recorded to the now-archaic format Betamax.

Rehab Doll, recorded largely at Seattle’s Steve Lawson Studios., bridges the gap between the taut, punky energy of Dry As a Bone and the bigger drums and thicker riffs that were coming to dominate rock in the late ’80s. This new edition of Rehab Doll includes a version of “Swallow My Pride” recorded to 8-track at Endino’s Reciprocal Recording, which features a more accurate depiction of how the band sounded when they played live. “When I listen to these mixes, I think, ‘This is how we actually sounded—this is the kind of energy we had,’” says Shumway.

Green River’s place in American music history is without question, but these recordings paint a more complete picture of the band—and of rock in the mid- to late-’80s, when punk’s faster-and-louder ideals had begun shape-shifting into other ideas.

[doomedandstoned]

Albuquerque’s BLUE HERON Reveals Gnarly New Music Video “Dinosaur”

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Get ready for gritty heavy rock from Albuquerque with a new album from BLUE HERON. Raspy, terrifying roars meet brooding, turbulent low end. "Dinosaur," the band's latest music video, comes midway through the new 9-tracker, 'Everything Fades' (2024), their second full-length, which is just about as down to earth as you could ask for.

"Dinosaur" begins ominously with a dank, questioning riff that leads into a mysterious cool-of-the-morning desert-stoner metal groove, with bittersweet bluesy touches throughout the song. Jadd Shickler's vocals are reminiscent of those epic early High on Fire tracks, somewhat cleaner than Matt Pike's singing approach but no less gravelly and fearsome. Meanwhile Mike Chavez on guitar and Steve Schmidlapp on bass rustle up a storm of gut splitting heft, driven by a fierce and determined rhythm from drummer Ricardo Sanchez.

Towards the 4 minute mark things get slow and doomy like the steady advance of pregnant rain clouds draping across the sky, perhaps an omen of whatever great and mysterious calamity befell the alpha predator's of planet earth's past (and a warning that we too may go the way of the dinosaurs).

Blue Heron's Everything Fades is rooted in the mood and verve of the High Desert. The band's sound on this record has a tangible feeling of mass, weight, and depth. It comes out on September 27th on Blues Funeral Recordings and can be pre-ordered on vinyl, compact disc, and digital formats right here. Stick it on a playlist with High on Fire, Egypt, Lamassu, Forming The Void, and Red Messa.

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

Blue Heron expand on their unyielding desert sound with a new slab of propulsive, sun-scorched riff-heaviness. 'Everything Fades' (2024) finds the band reveling in low-tuned roil and amplifier hum, churning out swerving grooves as if the primordial spirit of the desert itself compels them.

Balanced between laid-back, meditative atmospherics and heavier, more aggressive lunges, Blue Heron’s cruising jams and gritty stoner romps call to mind echoes of Kyuss, Clutch and Monster Magnet, as well as modern contemporaries Valley of the Sun and Greenleaf.

Full of rhythmic intensity, sledgehammer riffing and vocals ranging from clean and moody to howling and raw, 'Everything Fades' covers a wide expanse of musical ground that shows how familiar influences can always be molded into inventive, exciting new forms.

Surrounded by endless horizons, Blue Heron formed in 2018 out of a compulsion to fill the vastness with massive volume, saturating their piece of desert with rolling, thunderous riffs, drums that pummel and swing, deep, thrumming tones and vocals that rip and roar.

Everything Fades by Blue Heron

Blue Heron’s guitarist and singer were founding members of Spiritu, possibly Albuquerque, New Mexico's first desert rock band, whose brief burn in the early aughts included a Jack Endino-produced LP, a European tour with Clutch, Spiritual Beggars and Dozer, and a compilation appearance alongside Entombed and Mastodon.

Their debut LP "Ephemeral" arrived in May of 2022 via Kozmik Artifactz in Europe and Seeing Red Records in the USA. Substantial appreciation in the underground led to performances at Ripplefest Texas and Monolith on the Mesa and opening slots for The Well, Elder, Black Mountain, Ruby the Hatchet, Howling Giant, Heavy Temple and The Obsessed, along with a swath of positive reviews throughout the heavy media.

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[bubblesandgutz]

Every Record I Own - Day 800: The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers

There's a bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn called Moonlight Mile that my husband and I went to all the time back when we lived in New York. It was just a block or two off of the East River, so we would often walk to a nearby park to watch the sun set over Manhattan then head to the bar for a drink or two. It was a mellow neighborhood spot with a well-curated free jukebox. I felt like a bit of a dork for it, but I put on "Moonlight Mile" off of Sticky Fingers pretty much every time I went in there. Maybe it was a bit too on-the-nose, but fuck it... it's exactly the kind of song I wanna listen to with a beer in my hand as the night creeps in.

Like Let It Bleed, I picked up this cheap copy of Sticky Fingers at some point in the '00s because it's considered to be one of the Stones' best albums (if not THE best). And like Let It Bleed, I wasn't all that enamored with it at first. Sure, I knew the hits off the album. "Brown Sugar" is a classic rock staple (and a frequent topic of discussion when it comes to the more problematic aspects of the band) and "Wild Horses" is great (thanks in large part to involvement of Gram Parsons), but there wasn't much else that leapt out at me. It just sounds like the stereotypical sleazy, bluesy sound I associate with '70s classic rock.

But individual songs began to grow on me. First it was "Dead Flowers"---a defiant country tune that drops a very unsubtle heroin reference in the second verse ("I'll be in my basement room / with a needle and a spoon"). Combined with the slavery and sadism references in "Brown Sugar" and the cock bulge on the album cover, I'm surprised Sticky Fingers wasn't the subject of a massive boycott. How was this considered mainstream material back in 1971?

The slow-burn ballad "Moonlight Mile" was the next song to win me over. For years, I'd play "Dead Flowers" and "Moonlight Mile"---the closers to the album---while I was showering in hotel rooms on tour. They were the perfect length and the ideal way to gauge how much time I was taking getting ready in the bathroom while one of my bandmates waited for their turn to shower.

Other songs started luring me in: the primary riff of "Bitch," the dueling guitar line verses and gospel chorus of "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," the wistful soul of "Sway" and "I Got the Blues"... it's as if something else grew on me with every listen.

That might explain why initial reviews of Sticky Fingers were mixed while the album is now considered to be one of the greatest rock records of all time. Stones records aren't immediately rewarding. They're loose and unrefined. They aren't burnished to shine. Instead, they sound like fleeting moments. More than one studio engineer mentioned that the Stones seemed like they were barely a functional band when they were writing and formulating songs together in the studio, and then at some point they would all lock in and magic would happen.

Many years ago, an old band of mine recorded with Jack Endino, the engineer behind a bunch of quintessential grunge albums. Jack didn't care much about fixing our minor flubs. "People still love Rolling Stones albums," he argued, "and those performances were sloppy as hell." His reasoning was that the small imperfections in a song---the slightly flat notes, the fluctuations in tempo, the not-quite-together accents---kept the brain intrigued. Even if the listener isn't 100% aware of the errors, the subconscious keeps trying to make sense of the flaws, and that keeps the music interesting.

There's so much music out there vying for our attention these days, and it could be very easy to give Sticky Fingers a cursory listen and shrug it off. But how many albums somehow manage to get better with every listen? Maybe it's the slop factor. Maybe it's the quality songs glimmering in the dirt like diamonds in the rough.

Whatever it is, I love Sticky Fingers a little more every time I listen to it. And I still throw "Moonlight Mile" on the jukebox when I'm in NYC and visiting my old neighborhood bar in Greenpoint.

[lowpantsnochance]

Is it a coincidence that Flipper and Guns n Roses both took 16 years to release new albums?   

If you were around during the Reagan Years and bought Generic, Flipper's 1982 debut album, one of two things probably happened: 

 A: You threw this curiously yellow LP on your turntable and then spent a half hour switching back and forth between 33 and 45 rpm, trying desperately to figure out what was wrong with your stereo speakers and why this music sounded so goddamned slow, after which you promptly returned it to your favorite punk rock record store and exchanged it for, say, the new Exploited album. 

Or B: Beneath the feedback and over-driven bass sludge you had an epiphany of sorts, your ears slowly attuning to the strange life-affirming sense of catharsis lurking beneath the cacophony of wrong notes that immediately elevated this record above the by-the-numbers fuck the world nihilism of the average punk band. It resonated with you perfectly, even though you had never heard anything that sounded even remotely like it before. It may have changed your life, possibly even for the better. 

That may be overstating Flipper's impact a bit, but just barely. Generic was indeed that important; a droning, feedback-laden slap in the face to the hardcore scene's harder-faster-louder aesthetic, and it was genuinely one of those polarizing albums that you either "got" or you didn't.  It cemented their reputation as the genuine article and influenced countless musicians, but the band never lived up to it's promise. Their sophomore album, Gone Fishin', was decidedly more experimental than their sloppy debut and critically underrated, then the band ground to a sudden halt after the death of co-vocalist/bass player Will Shatter in 1987.  The surviving members reunited briefly in the early-nineties, then seemed to disappear again overnight amid vague rumors of mismanagement, bad blood, and drug addiction. Until this year, their entire catalog (including Generic) was out of print, and if you heard their name it was usually in the context of someone they influenced. If there was ever a more unlikely contender for a comeback, it was Flipper.  

Well, Flipper is back after 16 years with not one but two new albums, one recorded live and one in the studio. Love, the studio disc, is a fine offering from this legendary group of reprobates and delinquents. You're not going to find anything as anthemic as "Way of the World" or "Life" here, but the new songs more than hold their own against the band's considerable history. All the elements that defined Flipper and made them stand out like a sore thumb are present and accounted for: the monolithic bass rumble (played here by Krist Novoselic, filling in for the late Will Shatter), Ted Falconi's ambient wash of guitar noise, Steve DePace's cavernous drums, and Bruce Loose's venomous vocal attack. Co-produced by the band and Jack Endino (Nirvana, Mudhoney, et al.), Love sounds more like a throwback to the mid-nineties Sub Pop Singles Club era than the group's original work on the Subterranean label in the eighties. While unmistakably Flipper, songs such as "Triple Mass" and "Love Fight" would not sound out of place on Bleach or Incesticide. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and it makes sense that in a band where the bass guitar is the lead instrument, the bass player would have a certain amount of influence on the songs. They just happened to record this album with the former bass player from Nirvana, so I suppose you would have to expect some cross-pollination. 

Love really succeeds when it sticks to what Flipper does best: slowing the pace down to a crawl and dragging you through the dirt with them. "Why Can't You See" sounds like "Dazed and Confused" without all the dick-fucking around with the violin bow and "Old Graves," the album's closing track, may contain Flipper's most genuinely horrifying lyrics; over one of the band's trademark bass dirges, Bruce Loose paints a simple story filled with images of childhood innocence that slowly builds to a violent climax. While not on the level as "Shine" or "The Lights, The Sound," this is what you listen to Flipper for, and no one can wring more emotion out of three notes than Flipper. 

Love is not a perfect album. It's difficult not to miss Will Shatter's sleepy, junkie-next-door vocals, which on earlier albums played as a perfect counterpoint to Loose's punk sneer. But as I said: it ain't 1982 no more. It's doubtful Love will win many new converts or break Flipper out of the artistic ghetto they've been relegated to. Flipper was never about courting popularity, and you would probably be hard pressed to find another band that so consistently went out of their way to alienate their audience and shoot themselves in the foot in the process. But there was always an affirming catharsis lurking beneath the wanton self-destruction set them apart from the average punk band. It will be interesting to see how they go over on the Van's Warped Tour (note: did that actually happen?) It will be great to see Flipper still bringing the noise and annoying the youth of today.

[nuagederose]

on sunday, this song^ came onto my shuffle, completely out of the blue (came in between the trio and death, too, all the more jarring): like visiting an old friend after 10+ years, and you wonder how they’re doing, but you move on (especially when sandwiched between alex and chuck 🤪). then you’re faced with them firsthand.  i discovered skin yard and gruntruck when i was 18–i remember i used to listen to this song and crucifunkin’ in my auto-cad class whenever we did assignments: every so often, the line “get off your cross and dance!” will cross my mind when i’m drawing digitally. i asked some people on facebook about ben mcmillan because i want to know some things when i discover something new, given i grew up in california and nevada in the new millennium (the closest we have to grunge is stone temple pilots and hole, and i consider both more their own thing).  info about both is scarce, aside from skin yard being OGs in the scene—a recurring theme i’ve noticed with grunge bands outside the big ones: info is a crapshoot, ranging from a gold mine or finding out that their albums are out of print (like in the case of paw).  but i’ve always been curious about ben. i like the underrated and the underdogs, the “buried treasures” if you will, but i feel like he never had a chance to fully shine, especially when you find gruntruck were in the video for “alive” (yes, THAT alive), and they toured with alice in chains and pantera. a quick google search led me to jack endino’s old newsletter and the story does make you ponder the fragility of humanity: from what jack says, it sounds like he had factor v leiden thrombophilia, a hereditary disease that causes blood clots, and it nearly killed him c. 2000, and then he succumbed to complications from that plus diabetes and kidney failure in january 2008. another thing that’ll happen when i’m reading about musicians (cartoonists and authors, too), especially when they experienced a difficult period like metallica, anthrax, or testament, or they were a bright star burned out too soon like chuck or pete steele, is i’ll ask, “how the hell am i just now hearing about this?” and it makes me want to tell their story more. 🖤

(drawn with my gold colored pencil)

ig: badmotorartist

[andersonvision]

C/Z Records, the influential independent label that has championed underground music since 1985, is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of a limited edition 7x7” vinyl box set titled Skin Yard Select, showcasing the seminal Seattle proto-grunge band, Skin Yard. This curated collection is limited to just 1,000 copies and features an array of previously released tracks, alternate versions, rarities, remixes, and even a brand-new, unreleased track. Celebrating Skin Yard’s Legacy Skin Yard was instrumental in shaping the sound that would come to define the grunge movement. Co-founders Daniel House (bass) and Jack Endino (guitar), a notable producer today, meticulously selected the songs for this compilation from their four studio albums released between 1985 and 1991. The band's lineup included four distinct drummers throughout their career: Matt Cameron (Soundgarden, Pearl Jam), Jason Finn (Presidents of the United States of America, Love Battery), Norman Scott (Gruntruck), and Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees, Mad Season). According to Daniel House, “The recordings that make up Skin Yard Select are essential tracks that helped birth what the international media would eventually call ‘Grunge.’ This compilation will help tell the story of Skin Yard and their place in the Seattle scene that rarely gets told—the heavier, more metal side of the scene.” Additionally, House is set to release an oral history book titled Words on Bone, which delves into Skin Yard's history through over 60 interviews. The Impact of Skin Yard Formed between 1985 and 1991, Skin Yard significantly influenced many of their grunge contemporaries, including Soundgarden and Screaming Trees. They debuted with their self-titled album in 1987, featuring their first single, "Gelatin Babies." Over the years, Skin Yard released four critically acclaimed albums that have been frequently cited as precursors to the grunge sound. They were also one of the six bands featured on the Deep Six compilation, which included some of the earliest recordings from prominent groups like Green River, Melvins, and Soundgarden. Metal Injection even ranked Skin Yard as one of the "10 Heaviest Grunge Bands" in 2017. Despite their historical significance, Skin Yard Select will not be available in retail stores or on digital streaming platforms. Fans can order this exclusive vinyl collection directly from C/Z Records, making it a unique addition to any music lover's collection. Track Listings Single #1 A. California (Previously Unreleased) B. Stuck in a Plan Single #2 A. The Blind Leading the Blind (Remixed) B. Burning the Candle (Remixed) Single #3 A. No Right (Alternate Version) B. Burn Single #4 A. Hallowed Ground B. Go to Sleep Single #5 A. Ritual Room B. Slow Runner Single #6 A. River Throat B. Living Pool (Alternate Version) Single #7 A. Words on Bone B. Burn a Hole Skin Yard Select Order Information Skin Yard Select is now available for pre-order through C/Z Records, and collectors are encouraged to secure their copy while supplies last. For more information and to pre-order, visit the C/Z Records website. Don't miss out on this limited opportunity to own a piece of grunge history!

[rocknews13]

Gira THE BLACK HALOS, La gran fiesta de los estribillos punk-rock.

THE BLACK HALOS

La banda canadiense celebra el aniversario de 'The Violent Years' (Sub Pop, 2001), obra capital del punk-rock de este milenio, interpretándolo íntegramente en nueve conciertos. Un arsenal de canciones vitaminadas para corear puño en alto en la línea sucesoria de Misfits, Cramps, Dead Boys, Hanoi Rocks y Stooges.

18 de octubre - Madrid, Clamores 19 de octubre - Jerez, La Guarida del Angel 20 de octubre - Estepona, Louie Louie 22 de octubre - Orihuela, La Gramola* 23 de octubre - Barcelona, Razzmatazz 3 24 de octubre - Zaragoza, Rock & Blues 25 de octubre - Bilbao, Azkena 26 de octubre - León, Babylon 27 de octubre - A Coruña, Mardi Gras *la fecha del concierto de Orihuela es el martes 22 de octubre, y no el lunes 21 como se señaló en un primer momento. Gracias por modificarlo y disculpad las molestiasThe Black Halos comenzaron en el underground de la escena punk de Vancouver en 1994. Su aproximación ruidosa y gruñente al punk setentero pronto les hizo destacar en mitad de la marea grunge hasta llamar la atención del sello Sub Pop, que no tardó en firmarles tras presenciar una de sus incendiarias y electrificantes actuaciones. Pronto, estaban en la carretera compartiendo cartel con The Murder City Devils y no tardaron en actuar junto a bandas de la talla de The Damned, DOA, L7, The Offspring, Social Distortion y muchas otras. Grabarían su debut homónimo con el legendario productor Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden), que contenía futuros clásicos como “Shooting Stars” y definía ese sonido rabioso que actualizaba el legado de los Dead Boys, New York Dolls, The Stooges, Hanoi Rocks y los Cramps. Un año más tarde, grabarían el seminal  ‘The Violent Years’, que les puso definitivamente en el mapa, uno de los discos de referencia del punk rock de la primera década del siglo XXI y hoy clásico de culto, que les vio colarse en la Mtv y en festivals y radios a ambos lados del Atlántico gracias al single  “Some Things Never Fall”. 

Tras la marcha de Rich Jones, actualmente uno de los pilares de la banda de Michael Monroe, el vocalista Billy Hopeless tiró de la banda hasta una irremediable separación. Parecía el adiós definitivo de uno de los combos punk definitivos de su generación. Pero tras un acercamiento entre Hopeless y Jones en 2016 (con gira española incluida, donde siempre fueron referenciados gracias a la brecha que abrió para ellos en nuestro país el gran Kike Turmix), y reunirse sorpresivamente en 2019, la banda publicó su quinto álbum de estudio, ‘How The Darkness Doubled’ en noviembre de 2022, que supuso la vuelta al trabajo del equipo compositivo principal del grupo de  Billy Hopeless y Rich Jones con el guitarrista original de la banda Jay Millette por primera vez desde 2001. El bajista John Kerns (The Age Of Electric) y el batería Danni Action (ACIIDZ) completan la nueva y revigorizada formación. Este 2024 supone el 20 aniversario de la formación de la banda, y piensan celebrarlo por todo lo alto reeditando sus dos primeros discos en ediciones de lujo en vinilo, además de celebrar el seminal ‘The Violent Years’ interpretándolo íntegramente en directo!

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

Seattle-based post-punk outfit Weep Wave released their full-length debut, 2019’s S.A.D.to critical praise from KEXP, Seattle Music Insider, Raised by Cassettes and Dan’s Tunes among others. In the five years since S.A.D.’s release, the band has been rather busy: They’ve gone through a lineup change, which has resulted in their current lineup: Dylan Fuentes (vocals, guitar), Mike Hubbard (drums, synth) and Mitch Midkiff (bass). They’ve released an EP and a handful of singles, one which was featured as KEXP’s Song of the Day that have gradually revealed an evolving and decided change in sonic direction. The band has shared stages with a handful of acclaimed and renowned acts including JOVM mainstays Los Bitchos, Blackwater Holylight, Gustaf, The Bobby Lees, Godcaster, Habibi, Reignwolf and Spirit Mother among others.  They’ve also made the rounds of the local and regional festival circuit, playing sets at Treefort Music Festival, Capitol Hill Block Party, South Sound Block Party and Off Beat Music Fest. They’ve done multiple tours up and down the West Coast — and they’ve even played few times here in NYC. Slated for an Friday release through Corporat Records, the Seattle-based outfit’s 11-song Dylan Wall-produced sophomore album Speck was recorded at Seattle’s 7 Hills Studios and reportedly sees the trio embarking on a kaleidoscopic sonic odyssey through the diverse array of genres they proudly call home. Thematically Fuentes’ lyrics oscillate between two contrasting realms: outward to explore the effects of the perils of capitalism and climate change — and inward, to scrutinize the self, in particular dissecting the ego and self-identity.  In the lead-up to to Friday, I wrote about two of the album’s previously released singles: The Low Praise-meets-grunge-like “Rebirth Mantra,” a song built around a pummeling, most pit friendly riff, thunderous drumming and a supple yet propulsive bass line within a classic, alternating loud-quiet-loud song structure that captures Fuentes at his most introspective and neurotic, with the song’s narrator expressing his fears of feeling into the same unhelpful — and perhaps even destructive — patterns that always lead to repeated failure and frustration. The song’s narrator envisions a transformed, evolved version of himself, a much more caring, courageous and empathetic self. Of course, are we able and willing to change and evolve? Or are we too stubborn, too blind to do what’s necessary to better ourselves?” “Phasing,” a decidedly grunge-like ripper built around the sort of feedback fueled, power chord-driven riffs reminiscent of 90s alt rock greats like Nirvana, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, complete with enormous, arena rock-meets-mosh pit-like hooks and choruses.  “Conscious Dust,” Speck‘s latest single and opening track is a Jack Endino-like grunge take on post-punk that begins with a intricate punk-meets-cheek-in-tongue Motown-like drumbeat and a fuzzy bass line. Fuentes enters the fray with a punchy chant-like delivery before the song explodes into a hypnotic and noisy mosh pit friendly ripper. As a single, “Conscious Dust” sets up the album’s overall aesthetic and thematic concerns as a sort of bold, flag-planting moment for the band and the listener. For me, the song kind of reminds me of Pearl Jam’s “Do The Evolution,” as a sort of tongue-in-cheek takedown of humanity and human consciousness. “‘Conscious Dust’ is the first song I wrote for the album—and I intended it to be the first song on the album,” Weep Wave’s Dylan Fuentes says in press noses. It’s an ontological song that can function as playful mushroom-induced pontifications or absorbed as a reminder of the cycle of life. It speaks to a life cycle of having been here before but striving to do better than the last time.” “I like how the chill keyboards balance the heaviness,” Fuentes adds. “I tried to create songs that feel like a journey, something you can get lost in.?...

[mymelodic-chapel]

Hot Hot Heat- Makeup The Breakdown (Indie Rock, Post-Punk Revival, Dance-Punk) Released: October 8, 2002 [Sub Pop Records] Producer(s): Hot Hot Heat, Jack Endino