AFS v. 204 ~ Halcyon Year Review Pt. 1

So, I guess that the new Hunches LP is officially a 2009 release, so that frees up one space in my best-albums-of-2008 list, which I've included further down below this playlist. The first six selections this week's playlist aren't necessarily among my official year-end faves; they're just the newest records to arrive in the mail this week, so I threw 'em on for you (these new Sneaky Pinks and Hunx mighta slipped in there). Nor does this playlist represent all of my favorites of 2008. I figure I gotta say that because in the past, I've had people cry to me ("I thought you liked our record!" (I DO, I DO.)) AFS won't be on the air next week because The Intelligence are gonna be in town, and a power-hang and mega-dangle will be in order! I'll be back in two weeks with the second half of my year-end review, plus lists of the best 7"es, EPs, cassettes, and demo CDR releases of 2008.

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THOMAS FUNCTION | Nomad | Nomad 7" | Alive *new
SPREAD EAGLES | Don't Talk to the Narc | Don't Talk to the Narc 7" | Boom Chick *new
MOSQUITO BANDITO | Art School | Woo Woo Woo 7" | Boom Chick *new
LIVE FAST DIE | I Need You (Leroy) | v/a: Wild for Jenkem 7" | Killer Diller *new
SNEAKY PINKS | Loner w/a Boner | Loner w/a Boner 7" | Bachelor *new
HUNX | Cruisin' | Good Kisser 7" | Bachelor *new
* * * * now for the faves part! * * * *
HUNX & HIS PUNX | You Don't Like Rock n Roll | You Don't Like Rock n Roll 7" | Rob's House
DAVILA 666 | Quizas | Davila 666 | In the Red
NOBUNNY | I Am a Girlfriend | Love Visions | Bubble Dumb
THE YOLKS | I Do What I Do | Introducing the Yolks 7" | Criminal IQ
SUSPICIONS | Baby Talk | v/a: The World's Lousy With Ideas vol 3 7" | Almost Ready
TOUCHED | Jelly Beans | v/a: The World's Lousy With Ideas vol. 4 7" | Almost Ready
THE WAX MUSEUMS | War Documentaries | The Wax Museums | Douche Master
DAILY VOID | title unknown | Man/Machine 7" | Florida's Dying
HARPOON GUNS | Nanonii/15 | III 7" | Going Underground
MAYYORS | Metro | Marines Dot Com 7" | Waste of Oil
MAYYORS | Airplanes | Megan's LOLZ 7" | Gomerdome
BILLY BAO | Factory of Repression | Dialectics of Shit | Parts Unknown
CAVE | Sean's Inner Ear | Hunt Like Devil/JAMZ | Permanent
CAVE | 4.24.06
DANAVA | Where Beauty & Terror Dance | UnonoU | Kemado
DEAD LUKE | trk 8 | Dead Luke Box bonus CDR | Sacred Bones
DOLINA | Corridors | v/a: Festival der Genialen Dissidenten | Enfant Terrible
AGENT SIDE GRINDER | String Strikes | Agent Side Grinder | Enfant Terrible
MATTRESS | That Way | Heavy Duty | Reluctant
LILI Z | Dark Toilet | The Two of Us | In The Red
U.S. GIRLS | Bits & Pieces [Dave Clark Five] | Bits & Pieces CDR | no label
RUSSIAN TSARLAG | Blind Spot Fragment | split LP w/ Blue Shift | Rare Youth
RUSSIAN TSARLAG | Let Ponvinon Care
HARD GOSPEL WITH CHILD | Robot Jox | Hard Gospel With Child CDR | Layaway Butch
HARD GOSPEL WITH CHILD | Deadtime Stories
GOSLINGS | Brohm Bramin | Occasion | Not Not Fun
SILENTIST | Seizures | Silentist | Celestial Gang
SQUIM | Trial by Cobra Part II | Zephyrus | Olde English Spelling Bee
DAN MELCHIOR | In a Daze | Christmas for the Crows | Daggerman
HOSPITALS | Animals Act Natural | Hairdryer Peace | no label
LOS LLAMARADA | I've Got Your Face | Take the Sky | S-S
NOTHING PEOPLE | Outsiders Are | Anonymous | S-S
THE INTELLIGENCE | Bulbs | split 12" w/ Thee Ohsees | Mt. St. Mtn
THEE OH SEES | Ghost in the Trees | The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In | Tomlab
EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING | I Don't Wanna Play No More | Primary Colours | Goner
EAT SKULL | Punk Trips | Sick To Death | Siltbreeze
LIFE PARTNERS | Teenager in Trouble | AIDS of Spades 7" | Ride the Snake

MY BEST-OF-2008 LP PICKS...


Absolute tip-top will-be-classics:

(1) Hospitals Hairdryer Peace
(2) Los Llamarada Take the Sky
(3) Thee Oh Sees The Master's Bedroom...
(4) Eat Skull Sick to Death
(5) Nothing People Anonymous
(6) Billy Bao The Dialectics of Shit
(7) Thomas Function Celebration
(8) Dan Melchior und Das Menace Christmas for the Crows
(9) Hank IV Refuge in Genre
(10-tie) Wax Museums self-titled
(10-tie) Sexy Prison Filth Flarn Filth
(10-tie) Druid Perfume self-titled

Others receiving votes:

Agent Side Grinder self-titled
Blank Dogs On Two Sides
Cave Hunt Like Devil/JAMZ
Cheveu self-titled
Danava UnonoU
Davila 666 self-titled
Dead Science Villainaire
Dead Western Soften Your Screams into Sings
Evangelista Hello, Voyager
Eddy Current Suppression Ring Primary Colours
Goodnight Loving The Goodnight Loving
Goslings Occasion
Hill, Zach Astrological Straits
Lili Z. The Two of Us
Mattress Heavy Duty
NoBunny Love Visions
Pumice Quo
Pyha The Haunted House
Russian Tsarlag / Blue Shift split LP
Sic Alps U.S. EZ
Silentist self-titled
Squim Zephyrus
v/a: Emergency Room vol 1
v/a: Festival der Genialen Dissidenten

AFS v. 203 ~ Room at the Top

I almost published my best-of-2008 list too early. Surely, Hairdryer Peace and Take the Sky are still at the tip-top of it, but now the rarefied pantheon of best LPs this year have a couple more nominees a'knockin': Exit Dreams, the new swansong by The Hunches, and the self-titled debut of Druid Perfume. Surely, this makes Chris Gunn the guitar hero of the year since he laid down some of the sickest riffs for both the Hunches and The Hospitals this year. Babyfaced assassin! I still can't believe the shock and awe of watching him murder his two guitars and threatening his amp at the Hunches' live finalé at the East End. I went into the East End thinking there'd be a farewell tour, but during that surprisingly violent destruction, I certainly sensed the finality of the moment. Hell, even singer Hart--usually the volatile x-factor that determined whether the Hunches would be merely good or great--had an immediate wave of soberness wash over his face when he turned his attention away from combating the audience the catch the catharsis. I swear I saw a lump in his throat and look of real concern. Come to think of it, that may have also been the singlemost outstanding live performance I witnessed in 2008, too!

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THE HUNCHES | Unraveling | Exit Dreams | In The Red *new
DRUID PERFUME | It Sleeps | Druid Perfume | Pigs *new
GUINEA WORMS | Lost and Found | Lost and Found 7" | Savage *new
SANDWITCH | I've Had a Few | Assisted Living 7" | Columbus Discount *new
TOMMY JAY | No Place | v/a: Harrisburg Players 7" | Columbus Discount *new
COUNTRY TEASERS | Food + Sleep | W.O.A.R. split LP w/ Ezee Tiger | Holy Mountain *new
THE REBEL | Turtle v. Octopus | Northern Rocks Bear Weird Vegetable | Sacred Bones *new
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | If You Find Me I'm Here | Alone Together | Sacred Bones *new
HANGING COFFINS | 21 Guns to Cairo | Black Plague in Mono no. 2 CS | Jerkwave *new
CULTURAL AMNESIA | Repetition for This World | v/a: Messthetics Greatest Hiss | Hyped2Death *new
EZEE TIGER | Crush Medley (A Stupid Rock Opera Kinda) | split LP w/ Country Teasers
LEVIATHAN | My War [Black Flag] | The Blind Wound | Southern Lord 2007
OVO | Ostkreuz | Crocevia | Load *new
MULTIPLEX | Feel Free to Feel | split 7" w/ Exit 13 | H:G Fact 1996
JOSETXO GRIETA | Papa K | The Art of Distraction | Mattin *new
BLOOD! | Dogbite | Love in Vein 2xCS | Jerkwave *new
ZOLA JESUS | Rester | v/a: XXperiments | Die Stasi *new
KLAX | Vremya Geroev | v/a: Analoges Russland | Hertz-Schrittmacher/Kernkrach *new
DEAD LUKE | Critical | Running Scared 7" | Sweet Rot *new
NERVE CITY | Over It | Bars 7" | Severed Hand *new
THE MEATARDS | Blues Cranks | Blues Cranks 7" | Les Disques Steak *new
BLACK TIME | Corpse Life | ICU 7" | Skulltones *new
WAVVES | Teenage Super Party | Wavves | Woodsist *new
HUE BLANC'S JOYLESS ONES | Down on Me [Pink Reason] | split 12" EP w/ Pink Reason | Florida's Dying *new *request
TEENAGE PANZERKORPS | Shopping Blitz | Games for Slaves | Siltbreeze *new
COCONUT COOLOUTS | We Drink Blood | We Drink Blood 7" | Florida's Dying *new
BOSOM DIVINE | I'm Your Animal | I'm Your Animal 7" | Les Disques Steak *new
PHOTOBOOTH | Three in the Morning | Da Me Te Sus Besos 7" | Daggerman *new
EAN ERASER | Illegitimate Love | Illegitimate Love 7" | no label *new
SPIDER BAGS | Hey Delinquents | Hey Delinquents 7" | Daggerman *new
THE HUNCHES | Ate My Teeth | Exit Dreams

Now, about this Druid Perfume album. This is certainly the best rock album with saxophone in it since No Doctors' Hunting Season (2005, right?), and maybe even all the way back to Static Disposal by Debris'. I can dig a James Chance song or exquisite break, but this is surely begging its way into the same sentence as Funhouse. Separated by at least a comma, though...C'mon, I'm not ready to be sacriligious here. These Michiganers have got some ex-Piranhas in 'em, and there's some of the same kinda spirit and spazziness as the Piranhas, but this is about 300-400% heavier, tighter, and in most songs, even hookier. This is my opinion after six consecutive listens today, and two earlier in the week, but I suspect that this one's gonna rate as crucial in a decade or few. Truly, a tremendous first splash.

Sorry, I hacked the hell outta that Guinea Worms song. Wrong speed at the beginning, botched ending. Pilot error...blame my stomach growls. It's gotta rather Wallers-like flavor, but stands up well on its own merits. I do the song justice in an upcoming week.

AFS v. 202 ~ Futurepunk!

Sorry, I missed last week because I was sick, but I bounced back to health thanks to a spicy South Sac bun bo hue, and it was just in time to catch futurepunk's most finely fucked, The Hospitals, on Friday at a free show in the spartan bowels of the Li-Po Lounge in Chinatown S.F. It was part of a marathon of bands, and the Hospitals got closer still to live perfection with the new live lineup of Chris Gunn of The Hunches and Anthony Petrovic of Ezee Tiger. The highlight was the acapella part of "Animals Act Natural" and the stampede of beats and riffs that follows. But perhaps the best band of the night was Long Legged Woman, another bright light glimmering in the crystal ball of futurepunk.

The subtleties and pop hooks of this here summertime 7" (still available from the band or from Thor's Rubber Hammer) are hardly evident when they play live, when they come off more like a rather relentless, surly, and unsympathetic buncha bad apples. With scrapy/slanty guitar angularisms, throttling bass, and drums that just won't quit, most LLW songs were a minute or two, yet nearly as strenuous as a full serving of Brainbombs. When they play fast, I was reminded of what the Butthole Surfers might've been like back in 1981, if only they were a bit more bitter. Slower songs recalled an old Midwest scuzz-pummel fave from the 90s, the Festering Rinyanyons. Yet, much of their recordings really do bear out the comparisons that Siltblog lavished: Eat Skull on the A-side, Plagal Grind on the flip. I've just played you some of the more raucous 'n ranty shoutalongs.

Both of these CDRs are very nearly vinyl-ready with a little bit o' volume-regulation and track sequencing. Surely, this is one of the most exciting new bands I've met in 2008.

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OWL | Midnight Carnival | Of Wondrous Legends | Locust *new (orig 1971)
SIC ALPS | Everywhere, There | U.S. EZ | Siltbreeze 2008 *request
THEE OH SEES | Quadrospazzed | Peanut Butter Oven 12" EP | Awesome Vistas *new
WAVVES | Here's to the Sun | Wavves | Woodsist *new
LONG LEGGED WOMAN | Tolerance | Drugs Don't Last Forever CDR | no label *new
LONG LEGGED WOMAN | Bathhouse | Nobody Knows This is Nowhere CDR | no label *new
BLOODBIKER | No One | demo CDR | no label *new
FRANCIS HAROLD & THE HOLOGRAMS | Pick Me Up | Punk Music 7" | no label *new
RUSTED SHUT | Feelin Bad | 1992-1995 | no label *new
HORUS HAWK | A2 | Psych Nite CS | White Tapes *new
TEENAGE PANZERKORPS | Occult Logic | Games for Slaves | Siltbreeze *new
CALIFORNIA RAISINS | Ride the Rainbow | split 10" w/ Cave | Permanent *new
WOODEN SHJIPS | Vampire Blues [Neil Young] | Vampire Blues 7" | Sick Thirst *new
BUCKETS OF BILE | Caught It Still | v/a: XXperiments | Die Stasi *new
HARMONY GROUND ZERO | ??? | Wild Gunmen CS | Half/Witt Prod. *new
STORM BUGS | Car Situations (Nasal Passage) | v/a: Messthetics Greatest Hiss | Hyped2Death *new
COLIN POTTER | Power | v/a: Messthetics Greatest Hiss
BLANK DOGS | Before the Hours | The Fields | Woodsist *new
BOBB BRUNO | Snail's Pace | Clown's Castle CS | DNT *new
TALIBAM! | The Geometric Mophometrics of P.P.P.P.P. McNasticals | Ecstatic Jazz Duos split LP w/ Wasteland Jazz Unit | Thor's Rubber Hammer *new
EMBARKER | Diamond Shoals | Embarker | Malleable *new
THE LOVE IS SO FAST | Time | The Love Is So Fast | Siltbreeze *new
LOS LLAMARADA | The Future Scream | Take the Sky | S-S *new
AFCGT | New Punk | AFCGT 10" | Dirty Knobby *new
BORON & THE GREBES | The Prophet Hooligan | You're a Horrible Person 7" | Boron *new
THE GENERAL | I Did It | v/a: The Harrisburg Players 7" | Columbus Discount *new

Next on my agenda is unraveling the mystery behind this cassette, which I can only presume is by a band called Harmony Ground Zero....Anybody got the deets on this hilariously mean lady who chides so brilliantly over seasick low-rent electro psych ramblings? Someone needs to get courageous and cut this on vinyl. It's kinda like if Lisa Carver masturbated to the Shadow Ring.