CAUTION: NON-CAREERIST AT PLAY
If you find yourself on this page, I’m guessing it’s due to you trusting my opinion on music and/or some form of ‘culture’. The attempt at growing an audience on this platform went out the window a long time ago, so I’m guessing whoever is here wants to be here, so I thank you. But when I take the time to poke my head outside of my virtual cubicle, I see fellow Substackers with thousands of followers doling out merch and incentives on what seems to be a grand scale and my reaction isn’t the usual jealousy hidden behind pointing and laughing from the sidelines.
As much as I’d like to imagine there’s a possibility of running some large-scale operation with daily posts covering the artists already covered many times over, I know that’s not me – and that’s not a statement of integrity. My discipline as a grown man is appalling and I know my interests do not lie in following others off the cliff of predictability. Why pick away at the carcass of some flavor of the week when you could possibly turn someone onto something they’ve never heard before? So, with that in mind, please accept these recommendations wrapped in witty blurbs in exchange for your money or interest. Thank you for your patronage.
CHIMES OF BAYONETS - Replicator (Peterwalkee)
Ithaca, New York is a town my wife and I love to visit a few times a year, but our time is normally spent in the fine eateries or many trails at Buttermilk Falls rather than attending live shows. Well, the next time we’re up there, I’m gonna keep my eyes peeled for a gig by this Finger Lakes-dipping quartet because their first full-length is a solid little release. A good amount of D.C.-inspired units spring to mind while taking this in, but the Soulside meets Jesus Lizard stylings of forgotten Canadian trio Phleg Camp ring most prominent, especially the snaky guitar of “Human Mascot” and “Who Wants to Die for Art?” and the bouncy, back-and-forth on “Cracked Igniter”.
DRUNK DRIVING - Is A State of Mind
The stories of Drunk Driving gigs around NYC in the 1980s are legendary for those lucky enough to have heard them. A punk band that was the precursor to the Lower East Side ritualistic noise troupe Missing Foundation, Drunk Driving did their best to rile up an audience, whether it was the effete art crowd or a mosh-hungry hardcore crew. With simple chords and a stomp to keep the beat, you can understand how they could have played a role similar to Flipper or No Trend during their time despite the sludgy track “Into Light” sounding like a real pit-stirrer.
KNIFE CITY - Have A Knife Day
What happens when former members of Merel, Rye Coalition, The Jeff Humphrey Trio, and Converge get together in the present day? Believe it or not, it’s not a trainwreck of hissy fits and heavy riffs, but technically-savvy, full-on Thrash Metal free of any irony or any of that bullshit. Perhaps it’s because my tastes lean in this direction, but I hear Sacrilege UK and early Onslaught within these two tracks. Either way, I’d feel more comfortable rocking out to them in a room full of old jerks than attend a basement show crammed with youngsters where the cops are going to show up at any moment and accuse me of being a “prevert”. I”m sure every well-meaning middle-aged person feels the same way.