Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Nile Record Fair!
There is a record fair at the Nile Theatre this Sunday, come by and check it out! Myself and some friends will be playing records till about 4, when the bands take over. Bands and labels are encouraged to bring me test presses!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Candy Cigarettes, Capguns, Issue Problems! and Such
Asian Man Records have issued this new Andrew Jackson Jihad collection of B sides, singles, comp tracks and a few previously unreleased tracks.
No doubt you will recognize a good amount of this stuff, as a majority has been out before, but it always cool to get stuff packaged together. It looks good, and Sean has some pretty funny quips inside about the material and his Grandmother thinking that You Tube is their web site. I would suggest picking it up soon, as it seems to be pretty limited. In fact it seems to be a weird pressing amount, 686.
(226 Black)
(234 Green)
(226 White)
Also word is that AJJ have nearly if not fully, completed their new full length, in addition No Idea has had listed as coming soon a split 9” with O Pioneers, for some time now, so obviously keep your eyes open. Oh also on the AJJ front, head on over to silversprocket.net for some AJJ pillowcases, seriously.
Till next time....
No doubt you will recognize a good amount of this stuff, as a majority has been out before, but it always cool to get stuff packaged together. It looks good, and Sean has some pretty funny quips inside about the material and his Grandmother thinking that You Tube is their web site. I would suggest picking it up soon, as it seems to be pretty limited. In fact it seems to be a weird pressing amount, 686.
(226 Black)
(234 Green)
(226 White)
Also word is that AJJ have nearly if not fully, completed their new full length, in addition No Idea has had listed as coming soon a split 9” with O Pioneers, for some time now, so obviously keep your eyes open. Oh also on the AJJ front, head on over to silversprocket.net for some AJJ pillowcases, seriously.
Till next time....
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Johnny Volume Awards Ceremony!
Okay so it took me a long time to post my favorite incomplete list of records of 2010. There was some grey area, due to the inclusion of a Best Of 2010 mix tape. I wanted to make a few things clear, and the next few blogs which I hope are timelier then they usually are, will address those thoughts. And so, welcome to the Johnny Volume Awards Ceremony (J.V.A.C.) to address what really mattered to me this year, like anyone cares. The first, and really most important, my award for artist of the year, Good Men Die Like Dogs, from right here in good ole Arizona.
There are many reasons for Good Men Die Like Dogs winning the artist of the year for J.V.A.C. the first being, they are amazing people. I genuinely like them as people, if you’ve had a conversation with any of the three you see what I mean. But you don’t win the J.V.A.C. Artist of the Year for merely for being, umm good men. You have to make great music, and boy do they! Billy is a truly fuckin’ honest songwriter; I have always appreciated that about him. I remember upon hearing that Parkway Wretch broke up being bummed out for a number of reasons, but one of them was the last batch of new songs were amazing, I could tell Billy was on a roll. Well here we get a brand new band in 2010, Good Men Die Like Dogs, with not only Billy as Parkway alum but also Nasty D! And moving to the drum kit was the recently relocated back to Arizona Fuck You Ups guitar player Abe Ruthless. I remember hearing about Good Men before I had actually seen these good men play, interest was obviously peaked, and a recent project I was involved in, the Personality Disorder comp. had to include them, if for no other reason then for their mere existence as good men. But holy shit was “Spilling On The Floor” quickly becoming on of my favorite tracks on the comp!
I was assembling my birthday show, when these fine men were asking to be a part of it, of course! They had slayed me with one recorded track, what else was in store? I think they were great, really I don’t remember, it was my birthday, I was getting married the next week, I was pretty drunk! But the good men of Good Men Die Like Dogs were pressing a 10” and for my birthday had presented me with a test press of that record.
I took it home, and played it over and over and over again! Oh fuck, this was the roll Billy was starting at the end of Parkway and continued with this new band…Needless to say I LOVED it!
I remember professing my love of the record to Billy as he told me about their next record they had just recorded, Postscript.
The songs on the record would string together in the form of a letter. Sounded very interesting, I was intrigued, couldn’t wait to hear it, and of course picked it up first chance I could. I have to admit before I played it I was worried, concept records usually work as just that, a concept, yikes, would this be the point where they had jumped the shark? Fuck no, they are a pop punk band, who write, great songs! Each track stands out on it’s own as a great song! Proof, I picked one song off of this record to be in on my Best Of ’10 tape. Remember when I said many records were left off that tape because it didn’t fit the confines of a mix tape? Obviously it fit the parameters of that rule! Slam Dunk #3 of the year for the Good Men!
Good Men Die Like Dogs still had one more release to give us before years end, and this time a split 7” with friends and comparatively younger kids on the block, That’s Life!
This time with three different colors cause folks like me and Nate Cause Dizziness need all variants! Green, Black and mix! Two more great tracks, especially any one mentioning going to the record store!
(Green, Black And Mix Repectfully!)
Good Men Die Like dogs did in 2010 what most bands don’t do any more, and that is make shit happen for themselves! They got together, wrote fuckin’ great songs, and put out three records in one year! That doesn’t happen any more, and nothing feels more rewarding then falling in love with a band and having them give you a comp track, a 10”, a 7”, and a split 7” all within the year they formed! Thank you Good Men Die Like Dogs! Thank you for giving a track to a comp I was a part of, thank you for being a band, thank you for being honest, and truly amazing in every way! And congratulations on being the Artist Of The Year in the utterly useless Johnny Volume Awards Ceremony! www.goodmendielikedogs.com/
There are many reasons for Good Men Die Like Dogs winning the artist of the year for J.V.A.C. the first being, they are amazing people. I genuinely like them as people, if you’ve had a conversation with any of the three you see what I mean. But you don’t win the J.V.A.C. Artist of the Year for merely for being, umm good men. You have to make great music, and boy do they! Billy is a truly fuckin’ honest songwriter; I have always appreciated that about him. I remember upon hearing that Parkway Wretch broke up being bummed out for a number of reasons, but one of them was the last batch of new songs were amazing, I could tell Billy was on a roll. Well here we get a brand new band in 2010, Good Men Die Like Dogs, with not only Billy as Parkway alum but also Nasty D! And moving to the drum kit was the recently relocated back to Arizona Fuck You Ups guitar player Abe Ruthless. I remember hearing about Good Men before I had actually seen these good men play, interest was obviously peaked, and a recent project I was involved in, the Personality Disorder comp. had to include them, if for no other reason then for their mere existence as good men. But holy shit was “Spilling On The Floor” quickly becoming on of my favorite tracks on the comp!
I was assembling my birthday show, when these fine men were asking to be a part of it, of course! They had slayed me with one recorded track, what else was in store? I think they were great, really I don’t remember, it was my birthday, I was getting married the next week, I was pretty drunk! But the good men of Good Men Die Like Dogs were pressing a 10” and for my birthday had presented me with a test press of that record.
I took it home, and played it over and over and over again! Oh fuck, this was the roll Billy was starting at the end of Parkway and continued with this new band…Needless to say I LOVED it!
I remember professing my love of the record to Billy as he told me about their next record they had just recorded, Postscript.
The songs on the record would string together in the form of a letter. Sounded very interesting, I was intrigued, couldn’t wait to hear it, and of course picked it up first chance I could. I have to admit before I played it I was worried, concept records usually work as just that, a concept, yikes, would this be the point where they had jumped the shark? Fuck no, they are a pop punk band, who write, great songs! Each track stands out on it’s own as a great song! Proof, I picked one song off of this record to be in on my Best Of ’10 tape. Remember when I said many records were left off that tape because it didn’t fit the confines of a mix tape? Obviously it fit the parameters of that rule! Slam Dunk #3 of the year for the Good Men!
Good Men Die Like Dogs still had one more release to give us before years end, and this time a split 7” with friends and comparatively younger kids on the block, That’s Life!
This time with three different colors cause folks like me and Nate Cause Dizziness need all variants! Green, Black and mix! Two more great tracks, especially any one mentioning going to the record store!
(Green, Black And Mix Repectfully!)
Good Men Die Like dogs did in 2010 what most bands don’t do any more, and that is make shit happen for themselves! They got together, wrote fuckin’ great songs, and put out three records in one year! That doesn’t happen any more, and nothing feels more rewarding then falling in love with a band and having them give you a comp track, a 10”, a 7”, and a split 7” all within the year they formed! Thank you Good Men Die Like Dogs! Thank you for giving a track to a comp I was a part of, thank you for being a band, thank you for being honest, and truly amazing in every way! And congratulations on being the Artist Of The Year in the utterly useless Johnny Volume Awards Ceremony! www.goodmendielikedogs.com/
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Top Records Of 2010*
Well like nearly everyone I know, I have my favorite records of the past year. I have made this tape with a bunch of songs from said records as well, if you want one email me, and maybe I’ll have some left to send you, no promises though!
I have a serious problem ranking the records I do love from the year, and used to pain over deciding if a record deserved #4 or #5, but no longer. They are like my children and can’t place an order. So with that in mind, the tape was separated geographically only, Side AZ bands, Side Bands from other places! And like any good mix tape I tried to make each song segue into the next and create some sort of mood, rather then just placing tracks next to each other for some other reason. It’s kind of like what I try to do whilst DJing. Sometimes this is an utter failure and it all sounds like shit, but sometimes, and I think this tape showcases this, it comes together very nicely to make up a mix that is enjoyable to listen to, if I don’t say so myself. So, having said that, this tape doesn’t feature a song from all of the records I loved last year. For example the Off With Their Heads record IN DESOLATION, would push come to shove make my top 5, but no track from that record made the tape. One reason was that I seriously couldn’t find the right spot in the mix for it. And two, almost all of you have probably heard it…Now with that in mind here are some records I loved last year….What did you dig on?
Tape track listing...
Side AZ
1. The Answer –Casket Life
2. Sea Monster –Japanese Monsters
3. Complimentary Close- Good Men Die Like Dogs
4. Forever Alone –Tradewinds
5. Dear Mom- That’s Life
6. Again & Again & Again- Royal Monsters
7. Like Fangs –Cagematch
8. Reign Of Death & Raining Blood & Death & Stuff- Hotdog!
9. Painter –Earthmen & Strangers
10. Lonely Summertime – Lenguas Largas
11. Seems Like A Flusher –Rumspringer
12. Ex-Mas- The Chortys
13. Eclipse – Destruction Unit
14. Have You Ever Been Hit By A Flying Saucer? –Al Foul
15. Outlaws Billy The Kid & Clyde Barrow –Chip Hanna
16. Lonely Has A New Name – Tony Martinez
17. Truck City –Flathead
Side Bands from other places
1. The Envelope Song –The Arrivals
2. Simple Pleasures In America –The Arrivals
3. Effortless Amnesiac-Swingin’ Utters
4. Tears In My Beers –Mean Jeans
5. Drink To Win –Modern Action
6. Amazing Race –Boats!
7. Public Domain –The Dopamines
8. Substandard –Sundowners
9. The Other Side –Marked Men
10. Past Due –Potential Johns
11. Get Our Kicks –The Spits
12. You’ll Always Be My Girl-Vacation Bible School
13. Cindy’s Gonna Save Me –Young Governor
14. Last Caress –Dum Dum Girls
15. Bound –Parting Gifts
16. Haunted – Black Wine
17. Breathe Out –RVIVR
18. The Night Accelerates –forgetters
19. Higher Education – The Stitches
*=This can not be overstated, THIS IS IN NO WAY A RANKING!!!!!!!
(But those last two were my favorite two!)
Monday, November 15, 2010
A P.S. to the previous post....
In addition these two Arizona bands of yesterday (with ties to current bands like Rumspringer, Might've Beens) have some free downloads. Go check them out!
John Denver's Last Flight
http://www.last.fm/music/John+Denver%27s+Last+Flight
Gary's Agenda
http://www.last.fm/music/Gary%27s+Agenda
Sunday, November 7, 2010
LOCALS ONLY!
Here we are with another installment of Johnny Volume Record Time! This blog has had two purposes, one to talk about records, and two to talk about Arizona music. I haven’t kept up, excuses and all; with this blog in general never mind with keeping both agendas! Well this edition of the blog will! I present to you some fantastic fucking records that have come out somewhat recently of Arizona Bands and/or Arizona labels! Get excited!!!
We’ll start with a couple of non records! First A-1 Pilsner Beer, Brewed by Nimbus Brewing Company in Tucson. I had been looking for a good AZ brew for a while, and none really got me. I had heard about A-1, that I guess was brewed in AZ till like the 60’s. It went under, and then was revived by Nimbus. It’s certainly one of my favorites now. But it’s not carried in a lot places. I got 6 pack at Tops and it ran me $10, which for a Schlitz, PBR, High Life man like me, is costly, but well worth it! Just cause I am a cheap beer guy, don’t assume that about A-1, I guess some folks would call it a craft beer, I don’t know what that means!
Next we have the Avon Ladies demo. Ripping hard core feat. members of Elders, Rumspringer, Hotdog! And I think h100’s. Great, brutal hc, watch out if you go see them, you might get hit by a flying object! http://www.cityslaang.com/
A couple of months ago this amazing 12” comp came out of some really great Arizona bands. Personality Disorder was a combined effort of me, May Cause Dizziness Records and the fellas of azpunk.com. The idea was for us all to pick some Arizona bands. Admittedly this comp was in no way a representation of all geographical, or stylistically diverse bands in AZ, but rather just ones we each liked. I chose some bands that are no longer around for different reason. (IE Japanese Monsters have been a favorite of mine, that I constantly tried to get people to pay attention to, and Streetside Prophets recorded an amazing record that never came out. And in light of recent popularity of Rumspringer, should be heard) But also there are AZ old timers Casket Life, Impossible Ones, and Jason Devore of Authority Zero (locked track even!) along with Hotdog!, Father Figures, Automatic Erasers, Good Men Die Like Dogs, Lenguas Largas, Cagematch, Plainfield Butchers, Said Gun, and Scottsdale douches Bro Loaf! It’s a great looking record, of course as all Of May Cause Dizziness Records look good, with a nice black paper sleeve, and as mentioned lock track! Some folks don’t like locked tracks, but that shit is cool, sort of like bonus track! http://mcdrecords.bigcartel.com/
Switching gears a little bit, here is a great new release from King Of The Monsters Records, Altars Hella split 7”. One or both of these bands are from Iran, and are sick lo-fi black metal! This version is LTD to 100 white vinyl with alternative cover! The Halla side is my favorite, pick this up and listen to the bass lines, sooo good. I love the black metal, and this was right up my alley! While you are over at KOTM pick up the re-release of the Gehenna "Upon The Gravehill" lp, I believe the purple ltd. To 100 are gone, but still get the black. Also KOTM will be releasing the OSS 7”, next Royal Monsters 7” and an Elders lp. Keep an eye out for those! http://kingofthemonstersrecords.bigcartel.com/
Oh yeah, and there is no labels on the record!
Local punk gone country stalwart Chip Hanna(One Man Army & US Bombs) released a new 7” “OUTLAWS” via Rockstar Records, if you picked up his “Old Country” LP you know you are in for a good looking record, and sounding great is a given! Chip celebrates Bonnie Parker’s 100th Birthday with an A Side with lyrics taken from a poem by Bonnie and music by Chip. Side B is a Tom T Hall track about Clyde Barrow & Bonnie. The green cover yellow vinyl is LTD to 100, and you can get it domestically via May Cause Dizziness Records! http://mcdrecords.bigcartel.com/
The LTD green cover, yellow vinyl version!
Two newer bands released a great split recently via Tortilla Chip Records. Good Men Die Like Dogs have released a fantastic 10” and a great 7” based on the form of a letter, both I highly suggest! Here they pair up with That’s Life, who have been playing some great shows and finally get a recording out. Both are bands that I make an effort, sometimes unsuccessfully, but I do try, to see. I really like both a lot and I am seriously stoked on this release! Available on black, green and if you can’t see the one on the far right, “mix”. Go on over to Tortilla Chip and get all the releases they have put out! http://www.goodmendielikedogs.com/
This one is really an unknown to me, and I think to a lot of people around town who would love it. I tend to wonder into Eastside with no real agenda pretty often, and this Trade Winds was suggested to me on the promise that I would love it. And fuck do I? Sloppy lo-fi pop punk done right! I know nothing of the band; other then they do not exist any longer! Go on down to Eastside and get it!
This Nightgaun 7” is really great too! Still kind of a newer band, that I really enjoy seeing live. This is sort of noisy straight ahead punk rock. I am not going to try and describe the music, but the record itself is a nice sky blue. Great record! See them if you can, very good, and very fun!
Who loves Arizona? Dirtcult Records does! They release the debut of Hotdog! (ex & current too many to list!) Lo-fi, fun and so not serious punk rock! This will no doubt be so refreshing next to whatever you are listening to now! This is a split w/Hairdos On Fire, which is a member of Shang-A-Lang, you need no other reason to buy! So go!
Also Dirtcult released the 2nd 7” by Lenguas Largas! This record is fantastic, if you aren’t hooked on the A side, “Lonely Summertime” then your ears don’t work! This is the LTD to 100, and long gone, gold vinyl! And also Dirtcult released the 7” version of Shark Pants Automatic Pinner, which was a cd for an overseas tour, I believe. LTD Blue (not sure how many) and black vinyl! As you can see on the website, they are also releasing a new Earthmen & Strangers split 7”! http://dirtcultrecords.com/
I think it’ll be hard pressed for me to find a favorite this year over this record! Rumspringer’s debut full length Empty Towers has gotten a lot of play on my turntable since it came out. This is such a great record, I could gush over it for days, but will hold back the urge to do so! Just pick this up if you haven’t already! It also is one of my favorite covers! Great record! http://www.trafficstreetrecords.com/site/
I was going to mention a few other records too, the Sheriff Joe 7" feat. a new Andrew Jackson Jihad song, on Sheriff Joe's pink underware color vinyl! And the new Destruction Unit lp, on perfectly Round Records, who also released a fantastic Earthmen & Strangers 7". But I've had a few A-1s so I think I am just gonna put on a record and fall asleep. Maybe we'll leave those records for next time!
We’ll start with a couple of non records! First A-1 Pilsner Beer, Brewed by Nimbus Brewing Company in Tucson. I had been looking for a good AZ brew for a while, and none really got me. I had heard about A-1, that I guess was brewed in AZ till like the 60’s. It went under, and then was revived by Nimbus. It’s certainly one of my favorites now. But it’s not carried in a lot places. I got 6 pack at Tops and it ran me $10, which for a Schlitz, PBR, High Life man like me, is costly, but well worth it! Just cause I am a cheap beer guy, don’t assume that about A-1, I guess some folks would call it a craft beer, I don’t know what that means!
Next we have the Avon Ladies demo. Ripping hard core feat. members of Elders, Rumspringer, Hotdog! And I think h100’s. Great, brutal hc, watch out if you go see them, you might get hit by a flying object! http://www.cityslaang.com/
A couple of months ago this amazing 12” comp came out of some really great Arizona bands. Personality Disorder was a combined effort of me, May Cause Dizziness Records and the fellas of azpunk.com. The idea was for us all to pick some Arizona bands. Admittedly this comp was in no way a representation of all geographical, or stylistically diverse bands in AZ, but rather just ones we each liked. I chose some bands that are no longer around for different reason. (IE Japanese Monsters have been a favorite of mine, that I constantly tried to get people to pay attention to, and Streetside Prophets recorded an amazing record that never came out. And in light of recent popularity of Rumspringer, should be heard) But also there are AZ old timers Casket Life, Impossible Ones, and Jason Devore of Authority Zero (locked track even!) along with Hotdog!, Father Figures, Automatic Erasers, Good Men Die Like Dogs, Lenguas Largas, Cagematch, Plainfield Butchers, Said Gun, and Scottsdale douches Bro Loaf! It’s a great looking record, of course as all Of May Cause Dizziness Records look good, with a nice black paper sleeve, and as mentioned lock track! Some folks don’t like locked tracks, but that shit is cool, sort of like bonus track! http://mcdrecords.bigcartel.com/
Switching gears a little bit, here is a great new release from King Of The Monsters Records, Altars Hella split 7”. One or both of these bands are from Iran, and are sick lo-fi black metal! This version is LTD to 100 white vinyl with alternative cover! The Halla side is my favorite, pick this up and listen to the bass lines, sooo good. I love the black metal, and this was right up my alley! While you are over at KOTM pick up the re-release of the Gehenna "Upon The Gravehill" lp, I believe the purple ltd. To 100 are gone, but still get the black. Also KOTM will be releasing the OSS 7”, next Royal Monsters 7” and an Elders lp. Keep an eye out for those! http://kingofthemonstersrecords.bigcartel.com/
Oh yeah, and there is no labels on the record!
Local punk gone country stalwart Chip Hanna(One Man Army & US Bombs) released a new 7” “OUTLAWS” via Rockstar Records, if you picked up his “Old Country” LP you know you are in for a good looking record, and sounding great is a given! Chip celebrates Bonnie Parker’s 100th Birthday with an A Side with lyrics taken from a poem by Bonnie and music by Chip. Side B is a Tom T Hall track about Clyde Barrow & Bonnie. The green cover yellow vinyl is LTD to 100, and you can get it domestically via May Cause Dizziness Records! http://mcdrecords.bigcartel.com/
The LTD green cover, yellow vinyl version!
Two newer bands released a great split recently via Tortilla Chip Records. Good Men Die Like Dogs have released a fantastic 10” and a great 7” based on the form of a letter, both I highly suggest! Here they pair up with That’s Life, who have been playing some great shows and finally get a recording out. Both are bands that I make an effort, sometimes unsuccessfully, but I do try, to see. I really like both a lot and I am seriously stoked on this release! Available on black, green and if you can’t see the one on the far right, “mix”. Go on over to Tortilla Chip and get all the releases they have put out! http://www.goodmendielikedogs.com/
This one is really an unknown to me, and I think to a lot of people around town who would love it. I tend to wonder into Eastside with no real agenda pretty often, and this Trade Winds was suggested to me on the promise that I would love it. And fuck do I? Sloppy lo-fi pop punk done right! I know nothing of the band; other then they do not exist any longer! Go on down to Eastside and get it!
This Nightgaun 7” is really great too! Still kind of a newer band, that I really enjoy seeing live. This is sort of noisy straight ahead punk rock. I am not going to try and describe the music, but the record itself is a nice sky blue. Great record! See them if you can, very good, and very fun!
Who loves Arizona? Dirtcult Records does! They release the debut of Hotdog! (ex & current too many to list!) Lo-fi, fun and so not serious punk rock! This will no doubt be so refreshing next to whatever you are listening to now! This is a split w/Hairdos On Fire, which is a member of Shang-A-Lang, you need no other reason to buy! So go!
Also Dirtcult released the 2nd 7” by Lenguas Largas! This record is fantastic, if you aren’t hooked on the A side, “Lonely Summertime” then your ears don’t work! This is the LTD to 100, and long gone, gold vinyl! And also Dirtcult released the 7” version of Shark Pants Automatic Pinner, which was a cd for an overseas tour, I believe. LTD Blue (not sure how many) and black vinyl! As you can see on the website, they are also releasing a new Earthmen & Strangers split 7”! http://dirtcultrecords.com/
I think it’ll be hard pressed for me to find a favorite this year over this record! Rumspringer’s debut full length Empty Towers has gotten a lot of play on my turntable since it came out. This is such a great record, I could gush over it for days, but will hold back the urge to do so! Just pick this up if you haven’t already! It also is one of my favorite covers! Great record! http://www.trafficstreetrecords.com/site/
I was going to mention a few other records too, the Sheriff Joe 7" feat. a new Andrew Jackson Jihad song, on Sheriff Joe's pink underware color vinyl! And the new Destruction Unit lp, on perfectly Round Records, who also released a fantastic Earthmen & Strangers 7". But I've had a few A-1s so I think I am just gonna put on a record and fall asleep. Maybe we'll leave those records for next time!
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