Midnight Oil – Diesel And Dust (1987)

“The time has come/To say fair’s fair/To pay the rent/To pay our share/The time has come/A fact’s a fact/It belongs to them/Let’s give it back/How can we dance when our earth is turning/How do we sleep while our beds are burning”. Well, if you didn’t sung this song ever, if you don’t memorized this lyrics long time ago, really man, where do you lived? And even if we’re in 2011 everything is still goddamn actual. I can go further with “Put down that weapon or we’ll all be gone/You can’t hide nowhere with the torchlight on/And it happens to be an emergency/Some things aren’t meant to be/Some things don’t come for free” or “Your dreamworld is just about to end” and Peter Garrett seems to had back than a magic crystal ball.
It’s not fair, rather productive, to compare an apple to a kiwi, neither one band to another, but Midnight Oil was always what R.E.M. never could and never will be. If the uncertain label of “politically correct” is really applicable for any band, I would name Midnight Oil without any hesitation. And they were “Rockly correct” as well. Read more Midnight Oil – Diesel And Dust (1987)

Kreidler – Tank (2011)

While the British scene still suffers the trauma of The Beatles or even worst, uninspired kids are sweating reproducing the riffs of Iron Maiden from the 80s, the originally humorous term of “Krautrock” still bring to the surface interesting products. Bands like the two fraction of Faust released very intense materials lately, “Faust is Last” last year from the group of Jochen Irmler, Lars Paukstat, Steven W. Lobdell, Michael Stoll and Jan Fride and this year Jean-Hervé Péron and Zappi W. Diermaier with contribution from British artists Geraldine Swayne and James Johnston released “Something Dirty”.
Kreidler was founded in 1994 in Dusseldorf and they combines electronic and analog instruments to create a blend of Post Rock with Electronic Music. Maybe their not at the same level of creativity as Tangerine Dream, Faust, Can, Amon Düül II or Ash Ra Tempel, but still, their tenth album is a nice intercourse in the good old Krautrock traditions and holds some interesting moments for the listeners. Read more Kreidler – Tank (2011)

Does It Offend You, Yeah? – Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You (2011)

Three years I waited for the second DIOYY? album and now I can breathe realesed: it was worth it. The exuberant energy, the pumping life, their pulse that is entirely lacking in many other products lately, is still there and still alive . Maybe even edgy and crushing. The incendiary mixture of Dance Punk, Indie Rock, New Rave and Synthpop works flawlessly and this time, the boys delivered 10 excellent songs and a perfect album.
Established in Reading in 2006 by James Rushent – vocals, bass guitar, guitar, synthesizers and Dan Coop – synthesizers, the formula was completed with Rob Bloomfield – drums, bass, guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals, and  in 2007 the band was joined by Morgan Quaintance – guitar. Their debut album was released in 2008, and “You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into” climbed to number 48 of the British album charts. Read more Does It Offend You, Yeah? – Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You (2011)

Boris with Merzbow – Klatter (2011)

Boris is probably the best known name in the area of the experimental music in Japan. The band formed in 1992 in Tokyo and since 1996 released 17 albums and collaborated with dozens of artists on various projects. Last time they worked with Ian Astbury (from The Cult) on “BXI” last year. Merzbow is the stage name of Japanese Masami Akita inspired by the artwork entitled “Merzbau” by the German artist Kurt Schwitters, and Akita  since 1979 is involved in all sorts of musical experiments and avant-garde projects of Noise and Dark Ambient music,  he released more than 350 recordings since.
It’s no way that a collaboration between Boris and Merzbow not to work out at least interesting. Read more Boris with Merzbow – Klatter (2011)

Mountain Man – Grief (2011)

In a world where everyone trying so hard to  be “post” something,  anything,  it is refreshing to find an album, a band, which is something pure, simple and straight. In this case angry Hardcore, in the very charming old school way, directly from the kidneys, incisive and powerful.
Joshua Smith, Jesse Menard and Patrick Murphy pick up where Last Lights left off, and on this “Grief” we’ve got 17 very concise and convincing tracks.  Interestingly, we have actually four pieces of “Denial”, 3 pieces of  “Anger”, 3 pieces of “Bargaining”, 4 pieces of “Depression” and 2 of “Acceptance”. Exciting approach.
The songs have a duration from 46 seconds up to 2 minutes and 29 seconds. Very well done.
Excellent material, It’s been years I guess since I didn’t heard something good as this in it’s gender. Read more Mountain Man – Grief (2011)