Some things to look out for……

I’ve been hiding away at a Lancashire match for the last four days and inevitably a lot of things have come in while i’ve been out getting frozen……so here’s a round up of stuff in no particular order……

Tara Jane O’Neil plays the Castle, Oldham Street, Manchester on June 9th – this is from her album “Where Shine New Lights” which is very good……

The Reads have a new album out – they were in my top 30 singles of 2013 with Galaxy Egg – the album is called “Lost At Sea” and comes out in June – the lead track is called “Spitting Feathers

The legendary BL’AST play Star and Garter, Manchester on 25th June and the similarly legendary POISON IDEA play the same venue on 12th August

Death To The Strange are releasing a final cut from their EP – the very moreish “Openshaw Blues”

Recommended albums which are out now or due soon…….

NOMEANSNO – DANCE OF THE HEADLESS BOURGEOISIE (WRONG RECORDS) – re-issue

OUGHT – MORE THAN ANY OTHER DAY (CONSTELLATION)

THEE SILVER MT ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA – HANG ON TO EACH OTHER EP (CONSTELLATION)

RUDIMENTARY PENI – DEATH CHURCH (OUTER HIMALAYAN/SOUTHERN) – re-issue (I don’t think the mix is as good as the original but it’s still an essential album)

USA OUT OF VIETNAM – CRASHING DISEASES AND INCURABLE AIRPLANES (AURORA BOREALIS)

HISS TRACTS – SHORTWAVE NIGHTS (CONSTELLATION) – out 12th May

TORCH RUNNER – COMMITTED TO THE GROUND CD RELEASE (SOUTHERN LORD) – out 12th May

FRIEDEMANN – UHR VS ZEIT (EXILE ON MAINSTREAM) – out 19th May

STEPHEN O’MALLEY, OREN AMBARCHI & RANDALL DUNN – SHADE THEMES FROM KAIROS (DRAG CITY) – out 19th May

NIGHTFELL – THE LIVING EVER MOURN (SOUTHERN LORD) – out 26th May

BUZZ OSBORNE – THIS MACHINE KILLS ARTISTS (IPECAC) – out 2nd June

AMENRA – LIVE II (MY PROUD MOUNTAIN) – out 30th June

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM – CELESTITE (ARTEMISIA RECORDS) – out 7th July

and finally BORLAND are back with a preview track from their forthcoming album Omar

 

Psycho Squatters

After bumper reissues of Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric, Cacophony and Archaic, it is now time for what is arguably the outsider punks’ most beloved album to shine. Rudimentary Peni’s first LP, “Death Church” has been remastered and revamped by Outer Himalayan and Southern, returning on 180g black vinyl with the original fold-out artwork and an mp3 download code. Due for release on 12th May – some 31 years since it was originally recorded – and with a gatefold CD version also hitting the shelves. This is a reissue to get excited about; an obstinate and absolute cult artefact brought kicking and screaming in to the present to scramble preconceptions of punk once again.

Death Church was recorded in two days at Southern Studios in April of 1983. It was the band’s first long-player, following their self-titled EP in 1981 and the Farce single on Crass Records in 1982. Death Church wore its contents on its sleeve, quite literally. The intricate line drawings of vocalist/guitarist Nick Blinko are dark visions of madness, religion and death…all of which are to be found amongst the lyrics within. Musically, Death Church has been embraced and claimed by every fringe musical niche of its time… it’s the album that brought together the death rockers, anarcho-punks, peace punks, hardcore punks, proto-metallers and art-rockers.

In related news, apparently Southern Records are intrigued to hear the result of the new supergroup in town, Teenage Time Killer (named after a Rudimentary song, and featuring Dave Grohl, Corey Taylor, Jello Biafra, Nick Oliveri, Neil Fallon, Keith Morris, Max Cavalera and others) Exactly how much they will reference the music of their namesake is unknown at this stage.

Anyhow – 21 tracks in 32 minutes is a clear indication of what to expect. It’s an interesting remaster – the drums are a little further back in the mix and seem to have lost a bit of middle, the guitars are louder and Blinko’s voice gets a little lost in the overall sound. It might sound better on vinyl but the MP3 version I have does not sound as good as the original. Disappointing.