Afro-Beat!!

 Découvrez vitre l'afro-beat, musique intense, dansante, énergique et hypnotique, sensuelle et révoltée!! rencontre du meilleur des musiques de l'afrique de l'ouest et du jazz et du funk. je vus propose une sélection de quelques artistes et disques récents dans ce style créé dans les 60-70 par Fela Kuti.


If you don't know afro-beat you miss a lot!! power, enegy, melodies, rythm, urge to dance and sing, sensuality, revolt, afro-beat is all that and much more!!

created in Nigeria by the great Fela Kuti back from the USA it mix west african highlife, traditionnal with jazz and funk, the result is powerful and mesmerizing.
I recommend every Fela records. But this time I propose you to check recent, still active (Fela tragically died in 1997) afro-beat artists.

First, Fela's sons, Femi and Seun (only their last record but they have some more) :

Femi Kuti / Africa for Africa / 2010             le myspace de Femi Kuti

Seun Kuti  & Egypt 80 / From Africa with fury : rise / 2011     le Myspace de Seun Kuti

also Tony Allen, who was the drummer of Fela's band, now followinf a solo caree :

Tony Allen / Secret agent / 2009

and now Ebo Taylor, a long time highlife/afro-beat musician :

Ebo Taylor / Love and death / 2010 (and a new one, Appia kwa bridge, is coming in april 2012, yess!).

The St.Franc Cartel

As far as I know this band doesn't exists no more. The guys doing that are now in Brighton's Dopefight (I'll tell you more about Dopefight soon I think).

Not used to speak about past bands, but since what the St.Franc Cartel played is quite original and really cool I 'll make an exception (and it works as an intro to Dopefight even if it's really different bands).

The St.Franc Cartel plays a kind of trashy/crossover old school hardcore with rap vocals. yeah rap vocals! it's a bit like the early Beastie boys, but sounding more like Minor threat or Suicidal tendencies but a harder, rawer and more pissed off version. As far as I know they just released a selt titled record in 2009.

just listen to it and you'll see :

here's the bandcamp page.

Gripe

Gripe is a new band from Georgia, USA. They released in 2011 Pig servant which was one of the best grindcore record of the year. they also released a demo the same year, the also very good The future doesn't need you. Very fast and angry grindcore. The way it should be. great musicianship, great songs, great band.

If you're into grindcore or into any fast, pissed of and intense music that's a mandatory listen!

here's their bandcamp page : http://gripe.bandcamp.com/album/pig-servant

And here's a long and interesting written interview from the band. All the guys took the time to speak out their mind. So take the time to read them! :

-who are you and what is the history of the band?

Brandon: Thanks for the interview. We are Gripe. We started out as a three piece hardcore band in Athens GA in late 2010. We have since expanded and have a new Front man and bass player ( Jordan Snott and Spencer Dilday) Originally it was Tom, DJ (Our first vocalist)   and me. Our first demo was called The Future Doesn't Need You. It was ten songs of paranoid, negative, and fairly harsh sounding grindviolence. We have since gotten better at this style of music and released a new ep with the new lineup called  Pig Servant. Which I think is head and shoulders better than our first ep. Jordan rips his throat up for your amusement, Tom comes up with the clever drum fills that makes us sound like we know what we are doing, Spencer provides bottom end with authority, and I impersonate someone playing guitar.

-what does hardcore/grindcore means to you? how would you describe it to someone who don't know what it is?

Jordan: Short. Fast. Loud. 

 

Brandon: Short Fast Loud. haha.  It means for me having an outlet for anger that allot of other forms of music simply wont allow. Its funny to me that we live in such a weirdly violent culture but in so many ways its repressed or channeled into other areas of your life.We dont mind the fact that video games now teach kids to literally kill like professional soldiers yet this style of music is still for the most part socially unacceptable yet dub step is not hahaI.I mean I dont want any weird video game censor ships I love fatality's, I dunno just a thought really, I think as a culture we tend to channel violence into like 5 areas- sports, entertainment, porn, foreign polices and law enforcement. Violent sounding music is largely not apart of mainstream thought and I dont know i it should be really. I mean I would never actually want to walk into an outlet mall and hear grindcore playing part of the fun of it is that it is a an act of rebellion against the herd. That being said, there is currently a movement to fancy up the genre and make it more tame and acceptable to try to turn a profit off of it. They will fail. This is not the first time this has happened and it wont be the last. Grind core is not the new grey, it is not supposed to be the flavor of the week, and it is most certainly never meant to be safe.

 

Tom: I've always liked the crushing desperation that a good grind band can convey. I also feel like grindcore is actually a surprisingly varied genre. As far as punk/hardcore in general, I like the idea that everyone should pick up instruments and play music without all the rock star bullshit.

Spencer: something for us. something that those bastards cant capitalize on. as much as they try, they can never grasp the concept of D.I.Y and doing something because we love doing it. not to exploit anyone or make any real monetary gain. unadulterated, uncensored aggression. its a release from everyday bullshit. its a fuck you to moral and social standards.

-do you play (or have played) in other bands? what kind of music?

Jordan: I sang for some hardcore and deathgrind bands in the past. Most notably was a short lived band called Griefa with members of Akkolyte and Noisear. Always heavy with blast beats and shit.

 

Brandon: To many to name and none really worth mentioning because there are no surviving recordings any way so it does not really matter. But they were great learning experiences and as  long as I am alive and have half a functional brain and basic motor skills I will continue to play in various forms of punk and nasty metal bands ( Doom, D beat, Crust, PV, Death, Black, thrash,hardcore, whatever, etc.)

Tom: I used to play in a bunch of bands in Milwaukee, WI. I played guitar in grindcore bands Copeater and Abaddon, the psychedelic thrash band Quest for Fire, and the um "modern hardcore" band Enabler. I've recently started playing guitar in an as-of-yet-unnamed fast thrash band here in Athens.

Spencer: Ive been in bands since i was a kid. Mostly in Michigan. Lots of crust/hardcore bands. Human Means Extinct, Babehammer,Piss Wiggles, the list goes on. Me and Jordan are working on a side project called Leftovers. 

 

-does the fact that you play hardcore /grindcore is linked to your political (radical judging by the lyrics) stand, and if so in what way? 

 

Jordan: No. To me music is music. politics is politics. and people are people. You re always gonna write about stuff you think and feel so that expression is there but I don't see hardcore as a political movement. Theres plenty of shitbags in the hardcore scene whos views I vehemently disagree with.  Just like in any "scene" or group of people. To me hardcore is just a way to vent my anger. My political stance wouldn't be any different if I were in any other style of band. And theres allot of bands outside the hardcore scene with radical or anarchist views too. I think allot of times the punk scene tries to project itself as some sort of wonderful Utopian place where people can be themselves and blablabla...but after years in the scene it seems to me like people are just people and that is that. If you wanna meet a real "down to earth" good person in this kind of world you gotta be open to everyone and everything because even in the hardcore scene real good people are hard to come by these days. Not to mention that alot of hardcore kids are just into this shit bc its an image or a new cool thing. If anyone thinks punk/grind/hardcore is any different than any other scene just look at whats happening. Scion car company puts out grind bands. Sony distributes punk music. Anything can be a commodity if people wanna sell it as such. Theres nothing radical about hardcore to me. Its just music. Its what we stand for as individuals that counts.

 

Brandon: I would also say no. If you look at the history of hardcore punk not only are you going to see that not every band is political you are also going to see everything from conservatives to just utter indifference.. ( although I feel  that these views dont belong in punk) that is the reality. Hardcore punk rock is bred from alienation, frustration, and often times isolation and boredom. If you look at some of the best bands and the best scenes there coming from the places that did not previously always have active punk  scenes and often times politcs were hardly the focus like Texas, The Mid West, etc. Punk rock is not a Utopian paradise, it is not supposed to be. That's not the world that we live in I can't make believe that it is. Punk rock is not made up solely of these pseudo- brilliant, idealist, pc, hipsters who think they have all the answers. Its supposed to be an outlet for fucking weirdos, fuck ups, drugged out mutants with no hope, kids from broken homes, outcast, people who exist on the fringes. It gives kids who often times otherwise have nothing, something to believe in. Thats why I like Grindcore it is one of the punkest forms of music  just by the virtue of also being one of the most fuck you styles of music you can possible play. All that dumb shit being said, sometimes politics are unavoidable because you should always address the shit that really pisses you off and not shy away from a topic just cause it might ruffle some feathers. Although I regard what we say as a band as mostly social commentary more so than political. Also I think Hardcore should always come from something of a radical stance just the sound in and of itself is more "radical" than the way most forms of music sound. But a "radical" sound and "Radical" outlook are two totally different things.

Tom: I appreciate the political side of the hardcore scene, but for me its always been more a reflection of my philosophical, rather than political, beliefs.

Spencer: Ive always been a pretty radical person with my politics/lifestyle. lots of anarchist/direct action fun. To me, punk is like a soundtrack to these things. A way to document atrocities and share knowledge . it can also have nothing to do with politics and not have any deeper meaning than getting drunk with good friends and smashin shit.  

 

-is it sometimes a problem for you as a band or as individuals to express these opinions in a state like Georgia (form France we see the "old south" of the US as really conservative)?

 

Jordan: Well.. theres alot about the South that can be improved for sure. (see the lyrics for our song "Southern Dehumanization") But I dont think its much different than anywhere else ultimately. Every place has its different problems. Anti authoritarian views are generally unpopular no matter where you live. The South can also be a beautiful place.(Actually my favorite area in the whole country) The landscape is amazing and the good people here are about as good, "down to earth", and hospitable as they come. So I guess you take the good with the bad. We definitely have a history of racism and stubborn christian and conservative thinking. But I think corruption, greed, and domination is a global problem that manifests itself in different forms in all regions and countries of the world.

 

Brandon:Well I have said before as a native Southerner who has traveled kept an open mind and met people from all over the world that most of the problems we discus in our songs are not exclusive to the south and are world wide problems. Most places outside of The South have what I like to call "Covert Racism" in that they are not as openly racist as The South its much more subliminal but they still harbor and manifest these views. But if it is more socially acceptable to be racist here (and it certainly is in some areas) than that should be an indicator that something in the culture has to die or change That being said Southern Dehumanization is ultimately a pro Southern punk anthem it flaunts the fact that yes we do have to deal with more backwards assholes here, yes we do have to deal with Church and state being directly correlated. We do deal with allot more poverty than certain areas in The USA. But we get by and we dont let them get us down.Its about our toughness and resiliency two qualities that you would find most people not just "punks" have here in the South. But I personally find the word "Conservative" to be as much a big terrible thing as any other from of political dogma. I find it allot worse really. by  nature the very word conservative is in polar opposite to being accepting and open minded. It means to be stuck and set in ones ways opposed to change and improvement. The Southern Conservatives are only against regulations because it gives them unlimited spending power and the ability to exploit who they see fit. They are only against taxation because when you increase that what really happens is your going into their pockets. Honestly I still hate conservatives more than I hate liberals the conservatives always hide behind this banner of morality and patriotism all the while executing their reptilian self serving plans. Sending the young off to die in foreign lands that we have no right to invade to begin with, robbing the poor blind and then having the audacity and the nerve to tell them its their own faults their poor. passing down their hatred steeped in Out dated and dangerous Old testament ideas from generation to generation. The liberals are just as self serving ( albeit in a far less militant and insane way) and have proven their selves to be even  more cowardly The United States government in general  has proven itself as one of the most corrupt and evil on the planet. Its ruled by the wealthy elite they run shit with a iron fist they enforce their rule with misinformation and violence. The media and the military are their greatest assets. They try to keep us pitted against each other black versus white Conservative versus liberal. The media is their first level of defense against the people who they suppress. When they finally do to try to unite and rise against the rich they unleash their military might ( Water boarding. Macing, arrest without probable cause, police brutality in general,) Indefinite detainment and SOPA bills get passed. . So I hate both sides  as well as anything rooted in our government and Constitution which has led to nothing but war, slavery, a genocide of an entire indigenous people, Wal Mart,Tom Cruise movies, The Atomic Bomb, Strip malls, Oil spills and more oil spills, DDT, Prisons as industry industry as prison, The Ackey breaky Heart song, pop up ads, you name it we took the most beautiful continent on the planet turned it into a strip mall and a prison industrial complex! Fuck capitalism and Fuck this government. But yeah the South aint so bad haha

Tom: Um yeah, the south is pretty fucked up compared to many places in America. Yeah, everywhere has fucked up people, but the south has a certain pride in flaunting religious conservativism (for the record, I do think of being "conservative" as a terrible thing), as though it makes us superior. But there are also cool people most everywhere, and our scene is largely insulated from the prevailing bigotry. So, being a grindcore band from Georgia has really had no effect on our ability to express our opinions.

Spencer: Im a native to the Midwest part of the states. Michigan to be exact.and ive noticed that no one will admit it down here.. but.. the south in general is definitly more racist and xenophobic. cops are fucked up everywhere but ive noticed down here they are relentless... lots of ridiculous laws. That being said , the US is pretty much the same anywhere you go and people are people. Theres lots of good things happening down here and a bunch of rad people/communities.

-what do you think about the Occupy movement? does it exists where you live? if so what's going on?

Jordan: It is rumored that it still exists here but it is so incredibly small that it almost seems non existent. This is bc we live in a small town that is seasonally polluted by rich college kids who could care less. A friend and I tried to join the "movement" here the first day but most of the people wanted us to leave because our sign was "too violent". It said "Kill The Rich And Eat Their Babies." Thats okay though. I think people are right when they say the occupy movement doesn't really know what its trying to achieve. To me it seems like a bunch of people with extremely contrasting viewpoints. The only thing they DO seem to all have in common is that theyre all angry at the US Government. That being said...I support it. I think it should get more violent. I think everyone should just go fucking crazy and storm Washington D.C. and hang everyone who was stupid and arrogant enough to become a politician. That would be a nice statement. It will probably never happen...but here's hoping. 

-in what are you interested aside from music?

 

Jordan: Self Sufficiency, Self Defense, Hiking, Camping, Exploring, Cooking, Home Brew, Guns, Religious studies....lots of stuff.. 

 

Brandon: The great outdoors, fishing, archery, Basketball, Social work, Chess, Sci fi novels, b horror movies, beer, Anthropology, Ancient cultures, Human rights (Lack there of)  history, lots of stuff

Tom: I'm working on a Phd in mathematics, so that is what I spend the majority of my time on. Also shooting hoops.

Spencer: homebrew, skateboarding, dogs,anarchism, graffiti, riding freight trains/hobo culture.......and of course.. pizza.

-The future doesn't need you was already really good, Pig servant is in my opinion even better, how will you manage to surpass it the next time?

Brandon: Thanks. I never personally want to write the exact same record twice. Its just pointless and selfeating ya know, like becoming a cover band of yourself nothing could be worse than playing grind tributes to yourself..ahaha. I thought there was a different flavor on this one a lil more grindy than the first one I think we will continue to try to expand on our sound without betraying the initial vision just to keep shit from getting stale and boring more so to us more so  than the audience really. I have always admired bands who are relentless and consistent Agaothecles come to mind. I also like when bands develop within the context of what they were already doing Great examples are Discordance Axis, Napalm Death From Scum to FETO so much growth. Black Sabbath Their first album just to Paranoid all the way to like vol 4 or sabbath bloody sabbath! Every record is different but still obviously Black Sabbath when giving the chance to rant about Black Sabbath I always will take it.  But yeah trying different things never hurts to me.

Tom: Brandon and I wrote the majority of the music on the first two records, and I think that we have kind of an ADD approach to it. I think that this fueled the progression between the two records. We have still been writing a lot, but now Spencer and Jordan have been contributing, and I think that our new music is another big leap forward.

-with which band do you dream to tour with?

Jordan: Black Witchery...will never happen. All the other bands I would DREAM to tour with are broken up I think. but Ild LIKE to tour with alot of bands. There's some really good stuff coming out right now. I love Cloud Rat. We played with them once and they are super original and super cool kids...they know whats up. Ild like to tour with them for sure. And my good friends Stefan and Aaron of grind powerhouse Akkolyte. Sweetest kids in the world...practically family.

 

Brandon: Well I dont think you are ever going to see the day when Gripe is on some package tour kinda thing. But that being said, if Gripe were to tour with another band, we would have to share a van with whomever we are touring with because we dont have a van currently. haha So whoever is nice/dumb enough to get in a van with us is probably alright with us. Actually our good pals Grinchfinger stepped up to the plate and we are touring this summer with them in limited dates! So yeah stoked, they are Mince core masters and the best thing to come out of Macon GA since Little Richard! The only other band I can think of who would commit such an atrocity as getting in a van with us would be future fastcore legends Short Walk out of MI 

 

-which good bands from your area should we check? 

 

Jordan: Nuklear Blast Suntan, The Fact, The Skuds, Spewtilator, Shaved Christ.

 

Brandon: Same bands listed above plus Grinchfinger, Bukakee Boys and The Fuzzlers.

-what are the projects for Gripe?

Jordan: Keep writing songs. Plus Tom has a new band with members of American Cheeseburger and Shaved Christ. Me and Spence are starting a new hardcore band too and I believe Brandon is gonna do another band too. More bands, bigger scene in Athens = more fun.

Brandon: Yeah I guess what Jordan said. haha IS this thing done yet? Oh wait we got one more haha. Oh wait also, must mention the upcoming splits with our rebel partners in grind Chulo from Columbia and Diseksa from Singapore! The one with diseksa is entitled Indefinite Detention and will be on pro tape courtesy of Fastdie records limit to 300! The Chulo split is Man Vs cop, limit 50 to Floppy disk! That is not a typeo, floppy disk will be the format!

 

A few slabs of Old school Death metal!

allez quelques tranches de bon vieux metal de la mort! une sélection de trucs bien terribles parus ces derniers mois.

I told you a few days ago about the new Asphyx record that old school death metal was alive (hum...) and kicking these days. now I prove it with a selection a very good records in that style released in the last months.

-Mutant supremacy / rotting season EP /2012 / Blastbeat mailmurder       bandcamp page
                               / infinite suffering LP / 2010

-Asphyx / Deathammer /2012/ century media.  my review here.

-Horrendous / The chills / 2012 / Dark Descent records. my review here.

-Antediluvian / Through the cervix of hawwah / 2011 / Profound lore records. bandcamp page (one song)

-Ritual necromancy / Oath of the abyss / 2011 / Dark Descent records. blog of Ritual Necromancy

-Desolate shrine / Tenebrous towers / 2011   Desolate shrine's bandcamp page

-Wolvhammer / The obsidian plains / 2011/ Profound lore records

-Disma / Towards the megalith / 2011 / Profound lore records     Disma's official site.

-Cruciamentum / Engulfed in desolation EP / 2011/ Nuclear winter records

-Funerus / Reduced to sludge  /2011 / Ibex moon records    Funerus official site 

-Landmine marathon / Gallows / 2011 / Prosthetic records    Landmine marathon official site and blog

-Morbus chron / Sleepers in the rift / 2011 / Pulverized records    Pulverized rec / Mobrus chron bandcamp

-Vastum / Carnal law / 2011       Vastum's bandcamp

and to finish a reissue, but a fucking good one :

-Timeghoul / discography 1992-1994 / 2012 / Dark Descent records    Timeghoul official page  

The ragged jubilee

The ragged jubilee is a californian young band that plays a dark americana/rock. They mix with taste traditionnal instruments and rock electricity, their singer as a raw and warm voice, the overall feelings reminds of the good bands of the 70' like The Doors or The creedence cleawater revival, or, more recent, 16 horsepower. But they bring their own take of that style, and they do it with talent. Every song of their new album American moan, released in 2011, is good, with memorable melodies and atmosphere.

try it and you won't regret!

check their website, with their bio, videos, etc...

http://theraggedjubilee.com/

Ethan Burns their singer kindly accepted to answer to a few questions.

here it is : 

-to start with can you give us about the formation of the band and about how it evolved until now? Why did you choose that band name?

-Well we formed under strange circumstances, My brother asked me to play a show for this cat I had never met named Chandler, he needed a band for some gig he was doing, so we played for this show and he finished his set early so I picked up his guitar and played a few songs, he liked my stuff and wanted to start a band claiming he knew the perfect drummer, then down the line I wanted an electric guitar player and knew this guy who was playing gospel music and played with a unique sound, and shortly after that I commissioned an organ player and had a group. The band name just came from what we sounded like really, but I don't think we ever talked about it.

-in what kind of band did you play before The ragged jubilee? where does your love of traditional American music comes from? 

-I was in a folk trio with Zac Burns and Philip Wahl before. Well I grew up listening to blues so when I started writing my own songs they just went that direction I guess, but I never tried to sound a certain way or play any particular style.

 -I guess musically you are influenced by blues, classic rock, country, what else? How would you describe your music? Do you listen to bands like Nick Cave & the bad seeds, 16 horsepower, or The gun club?

-Each member of the band is interested in a diverse mixture of genres. I don't think I could describe it to you. No I don't listen to any of those bands. 

-I find that there's at times a dark, passionate, almost tragedy feel in your songs, do you agree? 

-I agree that those feelings come through in some of the the songs. 

-can you tell us about your lyrics? 

-they're just what's in my head.

-I read several time people comparing your singing with Jim Morisson, I can see why but I feel it's a bit lazy and don't do justice to your own style of singing and voice. How do you take this comparison?

 -I guess it's about as flattering as being compared to anyone else if your into that sort of thing, but people always have to put a label on you to define or categorize you so that they don't have to be creative or think too hard.

-who composes the music of the band, do you compose together at rehearsals or do you have one or different composers?

-Well I usually write the words, or sometimes chandler will, but we all compose our own parts just playing live.

  

-usually do you share the scene with rock bands, or blues/country/folk bands? Do you feel like being part of a scene of west coast bands playing a similar style of music? 

-No not really. No I don't feel a part of any scene because I don't think that there is a scene.

-I read reports of your shows and it seems that usually it's quite intense, with an exchange developing between the public and the band, is it because you love playing and sharing your music? Is it also because the traditional side of your music helps people to understand and feel what you do? 

 -I think the intensity is just our natural way of interpreting the music.

-what are your projects for The ragged jubilee?

-We just finished our new album "In The Valley" that will be released april 6th, now we're working on our next record, and we are currently booking a european tour.

-which bands from your area do you recommend?

-Good Brother or Magazine Dirty

-what do you think of the Occupy movement? What's going on in your area?

- I don't think that question has anything to do with my music...but to answer your question I'm not interested in any "Movement".

  

-have you something to add?

-Thanks for your interest in The Ragged Jubilee

Sufferinfuck

If you're into grindcore (or into fast and angry music in general) you won't get bored by listening to In boredom by the scottish band Sufferinfuck. the record, released in just a month ago bt Grindcore karaoke is filled with good ol'grind executed just how it should be. exept a noisy/sludgy useless 2 min track in the middle, the rest is all good frenetic raging grind.Good enough to regret that it's only eight minute long for the totality. I hope they will release something new soon. (I'll ask them if I manage to have them answer to a few questions by mail, I'm trying to contact them for that...)

listen to Sufferinfuck's In boredom on the grindcore karaoke page of the band, here.

Pyramidal

They comes from Spain but their music sends you in space! the astronaut and the stars on the cover of their album are not here by chance...

Pyramidal plays a really cool, well composed and well executed psychedelic rock, hypnotic and trippy. Enough heaviness, good melodies, good drumming, good songs.

I recommend you to take a trip into outer space by listening to their album Dawn in space (released in december 2011) on their bandcamp page. Here is the door to outer space. enjoy the trip! 
but beware : it could be addictive! you've been warned...

addition : Pyramidal just sent me their answers to a few questions I asked them. thank you guys!

here is this email interiew : 

-can you present the band, how was it formed, how it evolved?

The band was formed on summer 2010, two years ago. All members of the band come from other projects and the circumstances makes us get together and make some psychedelic music.

-you released Dawn in space in december 2011, did you released it by yourself? are you looking for a label?

We released the album with the aim of distributing and selling it by ourselves on the internet. But we got the opportunitie of release the album with the “Radix Records” label on CD. We will do a very limited edition of 200 CDs of our debut album that will be available on March 10th on “Radix Records” shop and in our Official Store.

http://radixrecords.bigcartel.com/product/pyramidal-dawn-in-space-cd
http://pyramidal.bigcartel.com/

-how would you descibe it? if I say it sounds a bit like mix between psychedelic/space rock inspired of the 60' or 70' and more recent doom/stoner music would you agree? and is the german like sounding name of some songs a reference to Krautrock or Magma?

We’re all influded by the 60’s psychedelia and the 70’s early heavy. The mixture of Bands like Hawkwind, Black Sabbath and german Krautrock bands is what definitely define our sound.

-will you continue in that direction for the next record? have you already ideas about how it will sound?

We got a bunch of some new ideas. We are now composing a second album that will sound more Progressive. We all like bands like King Crimson, Asia, Van der Graaf Generator or the early Yes and it will be reflected in our new album.
 

-are you going to tour in France and the rest of Europe? (you have to go to Montpellier!)

 

 Our idea is play as far as we can. France will be a good destiny to export our music as well as Germany, Sweden, Italy, Holland… We will love to play in Europe, so we hear any proposal for us to travel and play.

-how would you describe your live performances?

We try to combine the experimental and psychedelic parts with some heavy and raw attitude moments. For us is very important to show the different shapes of our music on stage, the electric riffs dosage and the ambient and psychedelic parts are mixed equally.

-I don't think your music need it, but will you try songs with more vocals?

 Probably second album will have some more vocals. But we pay more attention to music on the creation process. We care in creating deep atmospheres, hypnotic riffs and very intense rhythms that transport the minds of the listeners. Vocals are an extra for us to explain our visions but are not always needed.

-I really like the drum solo in Tempel laru, it fit really well with the song. nowadays drum solos are getting a bit rare did you get inspired by the band of the 70 in doing it? anyway that was a good idea!

Well, drum solos were very popular in seventies. Bands like Led Zeppelin or The Who included drums solos in their studio albums and we think that it fit very good in our music. We have a very good drummer not afraid of taking the leading role.

-do you feel like being part of a scene? how's the heavy/psychedelic music in Spain, can you recommend us some other good spanish band in that style?

The Heavy Psychedelic scene here is a very underground scene. If you try it on the heavy way you will find very cool bands like The Sand Collector or Nahrayan, they’re good friends and we share label with them. The Stoner or Psychedelic sounds are represented here with bands like Piñata or Domo, this last band share a member with us, and we’re going to do some dates together under the name of Sonic Attack Mini Tour around here. To listen more experimental sounds you have Traummaschine or Beiruth, they usually get together and make some music creating a lot of new projects and sounds.

-what do you think of the indignados movement? what's going on in Alicante?

The world nowadays is very chaotic. And the situation here is pretty serious. The people are tired of bullshit and angry because that corrupted people in the power are stealing their money. The revolution is everyday closer.

-what are your projects for Pyramidal?

We will keep on making trippy music to feed our minds. If you want to feed your mind with us you're very welcome to the cosmic journey… Space is Deep & Music is Endless!

-have you something to add? a question to ask me (it's your turn if you want!)?

Just to say thanks for your support. We’re very pleased to know new people on these galaxies that have the same interests in common. Space is a good place to stay.

Asphyx - Deathammer (2012)

Legendary Dutch old school death metal band Asphyx (formed in 1987!) will strike again with a new album to be released on the 28th February 2012!

It will be called Deathhammer, and, judging by the title track that you can listen to here (thanks to Cvltnation), it's gonna be a killer record!

oldschool death metal is definitely not dead!

Addition : it IS absolutely a killer record! A fucking monster of a death metal record!! Maybe best DM record for 2012 yet! Crazy fast songs, slow paced super heavy songs, all great songs!

Municipal Waste - The fatal feast (2012)

Municipal Waste is a really cool and funny crossover band (mixing old school trash metal and punk/hardcore). They are maybe the best band in that style nowadays. And what's cool now is that their new record The fatal feast will be out in April 2012.

And they just released (for the Decibel magazine flexidisc series) a new song which is called "religion proof", here it is thanks to American aftermath:

http://americanaftermath.net/2012/02/17/proof-of-religion-or-religion-proof-check-out-a-new-municipal-waste-track/

Not their best song but still cool.

Enjoy!

And now a new track called The fatal feast, also from American aftermath  :  http://americanaftermath.net/2012/02/21/eat-at-the-table-of-waste-municipal-waste-streaming-title-track-of-new-album/

Addition : The fatal feast is now released, and with it we get what we expected, cool Municipal waste songs, in the same vein as their previous records.

Weak teeth

Weak teeth is an american band that plays a kind of screamo/punk/hardcore. Their songs are full of energy, fast and catchy, the singing is passionate, and it makes fucking good records. Their first eponymous Ep released in 2010, is awesome and their LP What a plague you are, released in october 2011, is also really good. you can listen to it on Bandcamp here, and there.

The band accepted with enthousiasm to answer to a few questions by mail, so here it is :

-can you present the band and its history?

The name of our band is weak teeth. We are from Providence, RI, USA and have been around for about 2 years. We are a hardcore/punk band that draws from the influences of D-Beat and 90's screamo. Mike, Neil and I have been playing music together for almost 10 years, in several different projects. In 2008, Chris approached us about playing music together, as we had just lost one of our guitar players. After about 2 years playing together, we decided we wanted to get more serious about writing and touring, so we thought a name change was the best way to start fresh.

 -why did you choose Weak teeth as a name for the band?

 When we were trying to find a band name we went through a lot of possible contenders, most of which were unmemorable. We came upon weak teeth because Chris mentioned he had read the phrase 'boned wisdom for weak teeth' in a book and it stuck. We like that the imagery mostly makes people uncomfortable. But, the most interesting connotation of the name comes from Policraticus written by Sir John of Salisbury where he associates the parts of the human body to the parts of government, the teeth being the military.

-do you play or have played in other bands? if so can you describe them quickly if they are still active?

Neil and I play in a band called Best Practices (who are putting out our first record in April!), Chris is in a very inactive band called yavinfive and Mike plays in a band called Gates. Best Practices sounds a lot like a garage rock band on speed. Yavinfive plays mathy hardcore (much like Converge) and Gates draws a lot from the of influences from stoner rock. 

-what are you interested in apart from music?

It's funny, even when we're not playing music we still spend a lot of time together. Neil is a bartender so it's very easy to stay in touch. But, as an entire band, we love quoting movies. It's really amusing to us. Watch Casino, it's perfect.

-what is punk or hardcore/screamo for you? do you feel like being part of a scene?

My relationship with punk and hardcore has been very interesting. I've been going to shows since I was 13 and I think the same can be said about my band-mates. When I was that young I never really had an understanding of the community, but I think that's how it starts. You expose yourself to new experiences by spending time with people at shows, ultimately creating that community. But, it took me a long time to figure that out. You and your "scene" should have a symbiotic relationship, where you're giving just as much as it's giving back to you. And, as fickle as it can sometimes be, I wouldn't trade this community for the world.

 -I find your music really sounds energetic and passionate, do you intend to sound this way or is it the way you play spontaneously?

 We grew up on a lot of chaotic, high energy music and I think it's pretty apparent. It's taken quite some time to hone in our sound, but I think we're finally figuring it out. That being said, we're always evolving and developing how we play. The bottom line is, we play what we think sounds good, but more often than not that means controlled chaos.

-which kind or music do you listen to? which bands?

We all listen to a wide array of music. I went to college as a saxophone player, so I listened to a lot of jazz. For the longest time, Neil wouldn't listen to anything that was written before 1990. Mike grew up on Motown and old soul music. And we all think Chris came out of the womb with a Descendents tattoo. Our hearts all lie in punk and hardcore. Currently, Mike is listening to Loma Prieta and 1994!. Neil has an exclusive contract to only listen to Superchunk. Chris has been listening to Balance and Composure and I have been playing the new Bridge and Tunnel record pretty much non-stop.

-judging by the lyrics you seems heavily touched by the crisis and especially the housing crisis. am I right? do you think there can be a solution?

Mike: I abandoned my dream of owning my own house, long ago. The most I can feel that I can do is leave my children with a mortgage. On paper, I'm sure things with level out, but the essence of owning your home or business may not be the same. And there has to be a serious paradigm shift if that dream is going to be recaptured.

 -it looks like pessimism and disillusions are major themes in your lyrics, do you agree? are there other important elements? how would you describe your lyrics ?


Mike: I like to write every song as i'd structure an argument in an essay, providing syntax and factual citation. Rather than providing my own personal understanding, especially when dealing with the issues of politics or religion. I feel that the lyrics are just important to the song as much as the melody. As far as pessimism goes, I think it's more so a realist attitude than anything else. I like to incorporate my personal history to interweave into the factual evidence I provide as a foundation.

-can you tell the story of the song Blues skies, shit life, a song during nine minutes after only short or really short songs? was is planned or was it an improvisation that you kept? (anyway it's a good song!).

Mike: Blue Skies, Shit Life is about a speaker who is having trouble understanding where mankind fits in with the idea of God. They have a hard time figuring out where the idea of being good to your fellow man gets lost on humankind and how through all of this, how people are cold and distant to each other. That the idea of someone tending the light of the end of the tunnel isn't something they want to give up on. They go on to understand through introspection that maybe mankind isn't worth saving, that we are animals that will never truly care about the community at large. The idea of wanting to 'be alone' comes from, if someone is watching over us, we don't want them to see what we've become and the ugliness we've managed to manifest.

-which band from you area should we listen to?

I love this question. My Fictions, 1994!, Timeshares, After The Fall, Soul Control, Aviator. There's a lot of amazing music coming out of New England.

-when are you touring in France? (come to Montpellier when you can!)

Europe is DEFINITELY on our radar. We're hopefully going to make it there in 2013. None of us have toured Europe and it sounds like the best time! Unfortunately, there are a lot more preparations that go into booking and playing a tour in Europe than we anticipated. So, for right now we're stuck in the States. I promise we'll be there, it just make take a little time.

-apart from touring in France (hehe!) what are your projects for the band?

We're playing a few festivals in the States (Get Better Fest, The FEST). But we're doing a few weekends, with After The Fall from Albany, My Fictions from Massachusetts and Old Lines from Philadelphia. We're writing a new 7-inch that we hope to have out later this year (interested labels, inquire within). We're planning a few splits. A 7-inch with our buds The Blue Letter from Richmond, VA and a 4-way for Get Better Records. Last but not least, the 2nd pressing of 'What A Plague You Are' will be out this coming Spring. We're really excited to have all these projects in the works!

-have you something to add?

Thanks for taking the time to ask us these questions! It's really flattering that people care about what we do, especially in another country! Check out the bands we've mentioned because they deserve your support as well! Most importantly, it's up to all of us to keep our community so vibrant and accepting, so do your part!

-your turn to ask me a question!

Ask Daitro to come back to the States!

Dredd

Don't know much about this band, Dredd , but their Cursed earth record, released in 2011 and which you can listen/download freely from their bandcamp page, here, is a good exercise in crust/grind/sludge, so you don't need to know more to have a good reason to give it a listen...

CityCop

CityCop is a really good and special band. Their music sounds like an accoustic kind of screamo, but is really better than what you expect at first, the result is really impressive.
They released two records in 2011, an LP The Hope in Forgiving & Giving Up Hope, and an EP called Seasons. Both are very good, and both have a bandcamp page where you can listen to it (and then buy it if you have the money because it's really worth it).
Here it is : The Hope in Forgiving & Giving Up Hope
and  : Seasons

Their singer kindly accepted to answer to a few questions.
You can read the interview just below :

-can you present the band, its members, its history, what was the project at the start, how it evolved? where does the idea of playing accoustic comes from?

The band is made up of Max Adams (Guitar/Vocals), Eddie Gancos (Vocals), Cody Mikesell (Drums) and Duncan Treen (Bass). The band started as just a little Indie/Folk project between Max and I (Eddie). We then went to record a demo at Duncans house and he asked to play Bass on a few songs. he was then just added into the band. We then figured we needed some drums and Cody wanted to join too. We've all been really good friends since Middle school so everything just kind of fit together pretty well. As we grew older our influences changed and we started getting into things like The Fall Of Troy, Saetia, etc. and our style changed as well but we wanted to keep the acoustic guitar because we liked the sound of it and it fit more to our roots.

-why did you choose this bandname?

we honestly could not think of a band name so we went to a band name generator website and city cop seemed to be a pretty decent enough name so we went with that.

-even if playing accoustic sets you apart, do you feel like being part of a scene, screamo or else? with what kind of band do you play with?

We don't really consider our music any specific genre. It's really a mix of everything we've observed and everything we've loved and followed over the years. We have played with Screamo, Punk, Rock, Indie, Acoustic, Metal, Metalcore, Pop Punk, and anything else you could think of. We don't really care what kind of shows we play because we appreciate pretty much every genre and love playing to new people no matter what they are fans of.

-how people react to your live performances?

Generally people tell us that it wasn't anything they expected, in a good way. We try to bring as much energy and emotion as we can and try to show how much these songs mean to us and we want people to believe that what they are seeing reflects that.

-the guitar playing seems influenced by rock/heavy music but not only, am I right?

You are correct. I can't speak for Max but he is really influenced by everything including Jazz, Latin, etc. Though we are influenced heavily by heavier music so we do the est we can do with an acoustic guitar.

-I think you manage very well to keep the passionate feeling and intensity that goes with screamo/hardcore music. is it hard to achieve that while playing accoustic?

don't think being passionate about something and showing a lot of intensity should only be restricted to those who do play electric. I don't think it's hard to achieve it either by doing what we do. It's kind of a tough question to answer.

 -can you tell us about the lyrics of the songs, it seems to be mainly about personnal issues, true?

 Most of the lyrics on the first alum are about Girls, growing up, hating everybody and the usual angst you would typically find. In Seasons I feel like my writing has matured a lot, and I think that's mainly because I've grown up a lot as a person. Most of what is on Seasons is about my family, my father, growing up around a lot of negative people and ways of living, depression, and just trying to get by in the time we live in right now.

-where do you get the idea of the EP seasons? do you think you will again adapt a poem as lyrics for a song?

We thought of the idea as like, the mood of the songs had to get more and more sad as the Seasons change. Living in Ohio, Winter seems to be the most depressing season and it is reflected in the mood of the song "Winter". We just tried to pace it like how the actual Seasons kind of just roll on by. I don't think we are ever going to do anything like the poem again. I'm not too fond of using other works that aren't personally mine. I'm just a huge Bukowski fan and I wanted to show my appreciation for him as a writer. 

 -what is your opinion about the Occupy movement and the general situation in the US?

 We don't really like to get into political topics too much, though we all have our individual opinions, I cannot speak for everybody on the topic.

-which good band of your area (or anywhere) should we check?

The Northeast Ohio music scene is probably one of the best I have seen. Some great young bands are coming out of it and doing great for themselves. I'd check out Ages, Homewrecker, Light Years, Setbacks, Minor League, Dead Words, Street Fight and I know I'm forgetting a lot but just check out all the bands in general, Ohio music is for sure music to get into. Venues to check out are West End 2153, Now That's Class, and Tower 2012.

-do you have something to add?

Check Out Flannel Gurl Records, L'Amour Records, Sober Todd, Code Orange Kids, Jarrod Lachey, Kenny Powers, Paul Rudd, Matt Izzi, Mike Aponte and Tip.

-your turn to ask me a question if you like. any idea?

How did you hear about us? 

I discovered you on a blog called Spreading Neurotoxins, where I found a link to the bandcamp page for Seasons.here is the post.

The Mars volta

Noctourniquet, the new album by The Mars volta will be out on the 27th march 2012.

Until then we can listen to The malkin jewel, the new single they just released. It' sounds a bit different to what they did before, different but cool. I guess this time again the new album will show a new facet of the band and develop new musical directions. Which is a good thing since they rarely disppoint and usually manage to preserve the quality and intensity of their music in renewing it.

Check this new single on their official website!

and another new song streaming from America, it's called "Zed and two naughts" and offers some weird electro-kraut rythm and good singing melodies. it makes a good song. here it is.

addition : now that it's been release and that I have the record, well, I'd say I'm a bit disappointed, I prefer their previous records with less electro sound and more guitars. Noctourniquet sounds a bit too polished and I miss the more "wild" side of their other works. Not a bad record but clearly not their best in my opinion.

Wake

Leeches, released in 2011 (and produced by the maestro Scott Hull) is the first LP by the Calgary's grindcore band Wake. It is really high quality grind, maybe not super original (midway between classical grind and modern hardcore/grind, with both faster parts and heavier parts) but good songs, played the way it should, so if you like grindcore you sure would enjoy it. don't have much more to say so try it and let the music do the talking! (well..do the screaming and the grinding more precisely...).

Here from Cvltnation is a review and some songs on streaming. go for it now!!

Matana Roberts              
                                              

Matana Roberts is a saxophonist composer/improviser, born in Chicago, now living in New York but still member of the famous AACM Chicagoan collective.

 In 2011 she released Coin coin chapter one : gens de couleur libre, a live performance recorded in 2010 in Montreal, in which she lead an orchestra of 15 people, plays saxophone, sings and does spoken words parts.
Coin coin was he name of an afro-american slave in the 18th and during the performance Matana Roberts tells her story, with also the point of view of other protagonists.
With the singing, spoken words and also the  screaming, the lyrical themes, but also the free, at times melodic at time wild, sax parts it reminds me of the We insist! record by Maw Roach with Abbey Lincoln, coleman Hawkins, Olatunji (one of  my favorite record of all times).

 This Matana Roberts record is very special, free, innovative, lyrical, and above all intense.

Absolutely great and beautifull music! very highly recommanded!!

 Matana Roberts website.

more info on the record from her site.

 Matana Roberts music from soundcould.

Fukpig

Fukpig, from Birmingham, England, with members from Mistress and Anaal Natraakh, released in january 2012 their third record called 3 (I wonder why...).

It's another furious blast of chaotic punk black metal with, more than on their previous records, horror b-movie keyboards parts. The lyrics is mostly critical and sarcastic/ironic comments on social issues, antifascistic or anti religious, anti every stupid/oppressive beliefs in fact. Once again the result is cool rocking fun.

just try it and enjoy!

from soundcloud listen to one of the soung from 3 : Democracy reset.

Here you can lsiten to a track from their previous (2011) EP Batcave full of bastards.

Black breath

With Heavy breathing in 2010 Black breath released a very cool punk meets old school death metal record (un peu à la Entombed). 

In march 27th, their new record, Sentenced to life will be out on Southern lord records and judging by  "mother abyss", one of its song that you can lisen to here, it's also gonna be a pretty cool, frenetic and adrenaline fuelled record! 

addition : I listened to Sentenced to life and can confirm that YES it is a bloody cool, frenetic adrenaline fuelled record!! better than Heavy breathing maybe, faster and with a more punkish attitude I would say, a really really cool record!!

Unsane

Another good band releasing an album in march 2012!
The Unsane new yorkers are back on Alternative tentacles with a seventh album called wreck.

 Here (on Pitchfork) is on streaming a song from Wreck called "No chance".
Sounds like a classical Unsane track, but a real good one, reminding us why we like them! (noisy dirty heavy rock with catchy bluesy riffs).
and here's from the Decibel magazine website is another good song from Wreck called ghost.


addition 20 march : the album is out in a week and here's it is streaming in full from Metalsucks.
not very different from their previous works, but that's not really a bad thing since the record is once again filled with good and really addictive songs!

A God or an Other

A God or an Other is a new band from Seattle, they play their own kind of blak metal, fusioning differents musical influences (atmospheric, post-rock, doom, etc.,).

They released in december 2011 a demo that you can listen to and download freely from their Bandcamp page.

Since the demo is good, quite original and promising, I wanted to know more about this band, so i sent them a few questions.

Here is the interview :

-can you present the band, is members and history (are you still a duo?)

T:Trenton Boyd, I play..guitar, do vocals..samples and sometimes keys. Sam and i met through...a series of internet postings and video/audio responses to each other. We both just wanted to play black-metal that was different then a lot of the bands we were listening to, i guess. We are still a duo at this time. S: Sam Pickel, I'm on drums and vox. We both have a diverse range of influences and were looking to make some unique black metal fusion by incorporating several different genres.

-do you intend to play live? with other musicians? Is it possible that one day we'll see you in France?

T:We play live in the Seattle area of Washington state frequently. We intend to keep doing this as much as we can. I think it is possible that other musicians will eventually be added to A God or an Other, but it would have to be the right fit. We are getting comfortable enough with being a "duo", but a bass player would be nice.  As for touring in France, we are a long ways from that. We have been playing a fair amount of shows in our area, but haven't toured yet. I work two jobs and go to school, Sam is going to school full time to become a teacher. We get to A God or an Other as much as we can between all of those things.

S: Agreed. Would love to have a bass player.

 -with what kind of bands would you like to play?

T: We generally just like playing with other bands that are young, heavy and into the same music as us, but we usually don't have much of a choice who we play with.

 

-what was your musical journey until you form A God or an Other? do you play in other bands?

T: I didn't play in any bands that played live, before A God or an Other. I played with groups of friends, nothing too serious. I still do that as much as I can in between A God or an Other and my busy schedule.

S: I played in the Seattle atmospheric black metal outfit Addaura for couple of years as well as several projects between that and A God or an Other. AGoaO is currently my only band though.

-how did you find your curious band name? was it your intention to have a name with a play of word?

 T: The name "A God or an Other" came from the book House of Leaves. It is one of my favorite books. I think the phrase kinda takes on multiple meanings for us...

 -how do you write your poetic/dreamy/dark lyrics?

T: I write some of the lyrics, but Sam has actually handled the majority of the lyrical content. Id say the inspiration comes from all over...life...history..books..film..nature..morality

S: Definitely. I'd add suffering, love/strong emotion, time, and outer space to that list.

-I really liked the painting you put on your bandcamp page, I felt it was going well with your music, why did you changed it?

T: The painting was from a Polish artist named Zdzisław Beksiński. Sam showed me his work and I thought a lot of it would fit with our work. Unfortunately, he passed away several years back, and we would need some sort of permission to use his work. We will probably find artists to do the artwork for any future releases.

-what kind of music do you listen to? I guess you're into different kind of music since what you play seems to draw from different scenes, for exemple post-rock, black metal, doom, etc...? am I correct?

T: We listen to a very wide variety of different music that all influences the music we play. We both love black metal and metal in general. We actually listen to a lot of bands from France; Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, Year of No Light. I love Celeste. I'd say right now im listening to a lot of Deathspell Omega, Rosetta, and Amenra....oh and lots of hip-hop. 

S: Wu-Tang for life. Also very in to Grails, Black Sabbath, Om, SWARRM, Thou and Xasthur.

 -I think you music deserves to be known, do you try to get signed to a record label, or do you prefer to promote yourself your music?

T: So far we only have a demo out. We pretty much self-promote ourselves on everything, we even do most of our show flyers ourselves at this point. Im sure being on a label might have it's benefits, though.

-which other bands from your area should we check?

 

T: Listen to Samothrace...

S: And Bell Witch.

 -what are your projects for he future of A God or an Other?

 

T: Currently we are just writing and practicing as much as we can, we will probably be playing a bunch of shows in our area closer to spring and summer. Hopefully, we will release an LP towards fall or winter.

S: Spring should be full of live shows for us, and hopefully we can do some more writing this summer.

 -have you something to add?

T: my final thoughts are that I would like to be payed for our music in the form of avocados. 

S: I am partial to mangos.