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Obstruct

obstructObstruct
Loss of Blood
Carry The Weight Records

The Northern hardcore scene has a strong DIY history and background of producing killer music. Perhaps it’s something to do with the lack of a heavy music industry/major label presence, perhaps it’s just something in the water, but the crop of bands coming out of Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool etc. recently has been uniformly fucking brilliant.

Obstruct are continuing this tradition from the small town confines of Huddersfield, with their new album Loss of Blood harnessing their furious straight edge hardcore punk to create the gnarliest record of 2015 so far. With influences apparent from early Voorhees, Walk the Plank and Creem, the band don’t let up as they storm through 11 tracks which rarely break the 1 and a half minute mark.

Listening to track after track of blistering hardcore, you get the sensation of being punched repeatedly in the head by a fist of sound as the pace and energy refuse to let up, though this isn’t to say there is no delineation between songs. While the formula never strays far from full speed ahead, with distorted basslines and pounding drums to the fore, a sense of melody emerges from somewhere within the chaos and helps to make songs like ‘Infection’ and ‘Instigate’ stand out through the Blitz-style guitar.

This is music that goes straight from ear canals to adrenalin gland, a shot of aural caffeine which will probably fuel skateboarding missions for some time to come for yours truly. Add a hint of darkness to your summer and get hold of a copy from Carry The Weight Records.

Jono Coote

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Pavement detail rarities LP for August

paveLegendary indie stalwarts Pavement have today announced The Secret History Vol. 1, the first of five compilation LPs in a new series of rarities releases.

Shedding light on previously unheard material disregarded from original album sessions and scattered as B-sides, the forthcoming compilations are said to be some of the best albums of the 90s that never happened. Starting with Slanted and Enchanted and ending at Terror Twilight.

The Secret History Vol. 1 is set to include gems from Peel Sessions (“Kentucky Cocktail,” “Circa 1762”), seven-inches (“Baptist Blacktick”) and a 1992 live concert from the Slanted and Enchanted-era European tours, with Mark Ibold and Bob Nastanovich in the fold. See the full tracklisting below.

The deluxe double gatefold LP looks to be a fan’s dream, coming with reams of bonus material, essays by Stephen Malkmus and Spiral Stairs, plus essays from Matador Records, Billions Corporation and Drag City.

The Secret History Vol. 1 is due for release on August 14th via Domino. Get your pre-orders in here.

TRACKLISTING
1. Sue Me Jack
2. So Stark (You’re A Skyscraper)
3. Summer Babe (7” Version)
4. Mercy Snack: The Laundromat
5. Baptiss Blacktick
6. My First Mine
7. Nothing Ever Happens
8. Here (Alternate Mix)
9. Greenlander
10. Circa 1762 (Peel Session 1)
11. Kentucky Cocktail (Peel Session 1)
12. Secret Knowledge Of Backroads (Peel Session 1)
13. Here (Peel Session 1)
14. Rain Ammunition (Peel Session 2)
15. Drunks With Guns (Peel Session 2)
16. Ed Ames (Peel Session 2)
17. The List Of Dorms (Peel Session 2)
18. Conduit For Sale [Live Brixton 1992]
19. Fame Throwa [Live Brixton 1992]
20. Home [Live Brixton 1992]
21. Perfume V [Live Brixton 1992]
22. Summer Babe [Live Brixton 1992]
23. Frontwards [Live Brixton 1992]
24. Angel Carver Blues Mellow Jazz Docent [Live Brixton 1992]
25. Two States [Live Brixton 1992]
26. No Life Singed Her [Live Brixton 1992]
27. So Stark (You’re A Skyscraper) [Live Brixton 1992]
28. Box Elder [Live Brixton 1992]
29. Baby Yeah [Live Brixton 1992]
30. In The Mouth Of A Desert [Live Brixton 1992]

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After The Burial guitarist airs conspiracy via Facebook

after_the_burial

After The Burial guitarist Justin Lowe has recently announced his departure from the band via a lengthy, and rather unsettling, statement on his personal Facebook page.

A detailed account of how a studio session with his band transpired into tails of harassment, abuse, staged suicide and more unearth a gargantuan conspiracy theory involving nearly everyone involved in the guitarist’s life. Read the full statement below and prepare to have you head blown clean off.
(via)

“My decision to leave After The Burial…
Where do I begin…

I’ve been set up guys by something more powerful than law enforcement, and it’s bad. Shit is about to hit the fan on an epic scale, and the only thing I can do now is tell you as much of my side while I still can. I’ve been removed as an administrator from the After The Burial band account, so I’m hoping this letter reaches as many people as possible. I’m going to start from the most recent and go backwards. As some of you may or may not know, After The Burial is currently recording at the Machine Shop in Belleville, NJ. Immediately upon entering, something wasn’t right. I thought, “maybe it’s just me” or maybe I’m just being paranoid for no reason. Then things got interesting. From the beginning, there was a kit set up to connect MacBook hard drives and duplicate them at the studio. Seems unusual, right?

The following day, there was a cup of coffee poured into my laptop, right in the perfect spot to destroy the mother board. OK, now how did that happen? I had a feeling my personal data was being or going to be compromised. They had the kitchen cleaned spotless and there was bad energy in the air. Energy doesn’t lie. Could something be planned? Saturday, June 6th, I was the last one awake. Or so I thought I was. I picked up the kitchen and threw bottles away and got ready for bed. However, a band that I will not name showed up in the middle of the night and they were not making themselves present.I knew this, because an open luggage bag had appeared in one of the control rooms that I noticed on my way to the studio bedroom. I woke up early on Sunday, June 7th and peeked my head out, to find that the kitchen was being set up with an empty bottle of whiskey, a MacBook belonging to someone named Andreas, a tiny plastic baggy with residue, and 2 bottles of Heineken that had been removed from the trash; one of them filled half way with water. At this point, I firmly believe that something is very, very wrong.

My body is telling me to get the f**k out now. Coincidentally, I had been asked by multiple people including one of my closest ‘friends” in the recent past asking me about MacBooks, iMacs, how to finance them, etc. I have also been asked to put water into empty beer or liquor bottles in the past. I’m starting to connect the dots. Now, I am going to switch gears, but this is my conclusion. The record label, our manager, band, and who knows who else, sent me out to to make the record knowing fully well that I would be robbed of my data, and would be dealt physical harm. They planned to film it. Anyway, what I’m about to say next, is going to take this situation to a completely different level. The next thing I’m being set up for is going to be very disturbing, but I believe it is true. When I was young, I was a victim of sexual abuse. It’s one thing in my life that I would give anything to undo. Here’s some advice, if you have been or are being abused, do something about it RIGHT NOW.

Get help, tell people, report it, get therapy, and do not put this off. I however, did not get help. 1 instead handled it myself, I was embarrassed. This is not an easy topic of conversation by any means. Now, with that being said, I have never EVER had any inappropriate thoughts about children. Why am I saying this? Because about a month or so ago, while he didn’t know I was looking right at him, I WATCHED Trent Hafdahl tell our mutual friend’s daughter to tell her dad that I was being “naughty”. OK, I’m going to stop and let that sink in for a second. Why on earth, would ANYONE say something like that? Well, he’s trying to set me up. Not just for this, either. I’ve been encouraged by people close to me to post pictures of my nephew who I love, he’s my nephew. But after connecting more dots, I can see how this may look from a different perspective, in a gross, very inappropriate way.

In an effort to keep this letter as short as possible, I will not speak any further about this topic at this time. Now, to something very, very serious. As serious as almost anything can get. Last fall, I lost one of the closest people to me in a suicide. Or so I had thought. My body just couldn’t put the pieces of the puzzle together. No gravestone? Was he cremated? Or buried? I was hearing different stories. How could, the person I spend literally the most time with, just decide to take his own life out of nowhere, without letting anyone know? I was confused. It was one of the most difficult times I have ever experienced. Now, what I’m about to say, will either probably save my life or kill me, but I have to say it. He is still alive, he’s been living at his cabin. His death was staged, to set me up to be put away forever for something I absolutely did not do.

Now, this is starting to get absolutely beyond insane, right? This had to be planned months in advance, who knows. But this is what I do know for a fact. I carried the key to his house on my keyring for YEARS, he said I was always welcome if I ever needed a place to crash. He’s that kind of guy, genuine, always there for you no matter what. But, this is where it starts to get strange, towards the end of summer, I stopped by his place. The key didn’t work. What? Why? I never took the key off for any reason. Had someone replaced the key? I didn’t think anything of it at the time, just noticed that it was something very odd. Anyway, the Friday night before he “took his own life”, I was with Trent Hafdahl. Now, get ready. Him and I had been drinking a bit, he was pretty intoxicated. He took out a slab of bison jerky, and sliced the side of his finger badly. To get blood on my shorts? I absolutely believe this. (The shorts from Forever 21 have now vanished.) Unfortunately, it took me a long time to put these pieces of this “puzzle” together, but better late than never. Of course, I retraced my footprints from that night, to figure out where I was and if there would have been anything I could have done to save him. I was working on music pretty late, and on Face-Time with my girlfriend.

That night, she was very investigative. Now that I look back, I realize that literally everyone in my life was in on it. She made sure she knew exactly where I was going, and even asked my if I used my card when I was out. That night, she made sure she knew I was somewhere that would put me right by his house. She then relayed this information and voila, his “suicide” happened. I realize what I am saying will most likely start the conspiracy of the decade, but I don’t care. I’m still alive to tell you this so I’m going to continue. Why was I not even interviewed once by law enforcement? I had just been with him 2 nights prior? Very, very strange indeed. Now, months later, my own mother came to me and said, “I found this key.” I knew it was the key to his house. What? How? Unfortunately, it took me a long time to connect the dots here. But it makes perfect sense.

The night the “suicide” happened, I went to get sushi, get gas, and get a big gulp. Got home, got back to work on a new song idea. The next evening, I got a call from his brother giving me the news. I did realize that I was in the area at that time they said it had happened, but didn’t realize that I was being set up. I realize that since law enforcement is also in on this, so this will be an impossible battle for me and I most likely do not stand a chance. Writing about this is my only option now, so I will continue to do so. Now, this is going to continue to get more and more insane and disturbing. Back in 2012, while he didn’t realize I was looking in my bedroom, Trent Hafdahl was messing with a semen encrusted t-shirt that was under my bed.

Wait, what? Why would he want a sample of my semen? The plot thickens drastically. What is his motive? Well, there has to be one. OK, now, I’m going to jump back to Wolves Within. The record took a very, very long time. Why? Well, the way it appears is that it was me that was holding the process up. It was getting ridiculous, I was pleading with the band and begging for help, to no avail. What could be happening here? Nobody wants to make this record? I knew I was getting fucked over, but I didn’t want to give up. I wanted to see what happened if I didn’t give up. Truth is, we had “A Wolf Amongst Ravens” done and ready to be released in 2012, the record label refused to release the track. Something was very, very wrong here. After a long battle to finish the album, I had prepared the totally unmixed Pro Tools sessions of all the songs

Nobody would mix it. This is a major bummer. After all this hard work, nobody to mix. Unreal. How could this be? As if things weren’t bad enough, we had tours booked right in the middle of the album, which could have been finished months ago had we all actually worked. Hindsight, I realize things were already very, very bad. After bringing up the current status of our album during a heated conversation in Toronto, Trent’s exact words to me, ‘Who are they going to believe, me, or you?” OK. Now, to jump to something totally different. Some years ago, somebody I know and was close to (His name is Eric Lovold) had their studio robbed completely. I know absolutely about it, but I know who does, he does. I’m starting to realize how far back this set up really goes. After connecting more dots, I realized, he was texting me at the exact moment that the robbery took place.

Why would he text me of all people during a time like that? Everyone is working together. These “friends” of mine are all in on it. I have reason to believe that every single key on my keychain has been duplicated. (House, studio, car, etc.) Recently, I was presented with my old FOB that had been mysteriously “put through the wash” after years of me never seeing it. Now, to jump to the present day. Recently, I was hospitalized. Not knowing how or why I was finding myself in this situation literally driving me crazy. I stayed up for days trying to figure this out. First, l was placed with a roommate that exactly resembled the person I was abused by as a child.

They had him shaking his feet just like I do, the whole nine yards. I was delivered pictures of my little nephew to the hospital as well that I did not ask for. The combination of “vitamins” I was provided with was destroying my train of thought. I quickly figured this out when I found myself starring at a food menu for 3 minutes without making a single selection. I noticed that the packets of my medication had been tampered with before opening. One of the pills I was being given, Hydroxyzine, I was familiar with, and it did not have the effects I was used to.

I was given what I was told was a nerve calming pill, but it was actually a laxative put into the yellow 215 container to see if I would take a loud shit in the bathroom with my roommate there or try to cover up the sound. This is how big this thing is. Here is one thing to consider. Why would I not be apprehended immediately or interviewed by police or anything at all? I was hospitalized so that any chance of being taken seriously by a judge or jury would be would be quickly discredited. I have a feeling that this goes back further and further, maybe even to my birth and/or childhood. Scored a perfect 10 on the Akbar, and have had no problem figuring out how to read, play music, learn anything.

Someone or something is afraid of me becoming too powerful. Some of my past girlfriends all have fathers who are very, very wealthy. I mean VERY wealthy. Coincidence? These are all dots I have connected and I do realize how deep this is. I have a feeling there will be a lot more coming that I have yet to figure out. I realize what I have said could certainly spell the end for me, but it had to be said. In the words of Shawn Keith, “you have to speak your mind.”

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Neil Young streams politically charged new album

neil-young-the-monsanto-years

Teaming with Promise Of The Real, a band comprised of Lukas and Micah Nelson, sons of Willie, Neil Young is streaming his new collaborative album The Monsanto Years in full ahead of it’s June 29th release.

The record sees Young attacking the food industry giant Monsanto and other corporations including Starbucks and Walmart, dubbing the nine-track record an “ecologically-focused album”. It will be released as a CD/DVD package, also paired with a making of documentary.

Click ‘first listen’ below to stream the album in full via NPR.

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GOAT detail new single

Goat promo photo

Mystic Scandinavian psych-rock collective GOAT have announced a brand new single for August titled ‘It’s Time For Fun’. The track follows last Septembers cosmic second album release, Commune, as the band spent the past winter months holed up in their Swedish home town of Korpilombolo writing new material.

The band are reportedly working on a third album this summer, with festival appearances at Glastonbury and Green Man in the UK and the European dates below. Read our review of the last album here and relive the magic through the clip below.

‘It’s Time For Fun’ will be released on a limited edition 7″ and digital on 7th August 2015 via Rocket Recordings.

June
27th Beuningen, Netherlands – Down The Rabbit Hole Festival
28th Pilton; UK – Glastonbury Festival

July
3rd Roskilde; Denmark – Roskilde Festival

August
1st Näsåker; Sweden – Urkult Festival
21 Hasselt; Belguim – Pukkelpop Festival
22 Wales; UK – Green Man Festival
28 – 29 – La Tour-de-Peilz/Switzerland – Nox Orae Festival

October
17 Greece; Athens – Gagarin Festival

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The Parrots

parrots_cover2_copyThe Parrots
‘Weed for The Parrots’
Luv Luv Luv Records

The fact that the sound of the 60s still resonates with teenagers to this very day can only be testament to the mighty garage genre. It’s a steady diet of lo-fi psych that seems to keep giving and rightly so.

The Parrots here are no strangers to this musical phenomenon. Brought up on small plates of the good stuff, these Spanish amigos have not only masterminded the fuzzed out, reverbed, laid-back sounds we associate with the classic nuggets of yesteryear, they also know how to smash it out live. Proof of this has been witnessed by many willing to dance like they are stuck in an earthquake at their own weekly parties, whatever country they choose to squat. Including us.

Live is where it’s at for this trio and ‘Weed For The Parrots’ feels like it’s been recorded straight to tape in your dad’s shed. It kicks off with the jangling riffs and upbeat tremors of ‘Terror’, closing sharply following a minute’s worth of garage gold that leaves you feeling like you have been cheated. This craving is made better with the stomping bass lines of ‘White Fang’ that jams into a frenzy fronted by Diego García’s wails, which leads superbly into a psychedelic riff akin to a valium rush from their flagship tune ‘To The People…’.

This come down doesn’t last long though, their cover version of the Almighty Defenders’ ‘All My Loving’ tips the scales as the most upbeat track on this EP. It’s one of the highlights in their live show and a closer at that. Pushed to 11, this party choon could make a room full of people explode and that is exactly what is does. As an incendiary tool, it’s their most potent track on the album in comparison to the ‘I’m Not Alone’ – a track that feels like school just ended, or the campfire sounds of ‘Wild’ that sees bassist Alex de Lucas take the mic in a stripped down, marshmallow dripping lo-fi ender.

As far as debut’s go, this is a rock n’ roll peach. We can’t wait to see what they have in store next.

Harry Palms

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Mastodon preview new music video

Mastodon_Tour_Dates

Readying a new music video for ‘Asleep in The Deep’, taken from last year’s acclaimed Once More ‘Round the Sun album, Mastodon have shared a preview of the visual on their Instagram account. It looks to feature an army of acid tinged cats, and a frog-lord smoking a hookah pipe too. Enjoy!

A video posted by Mastodon (@mastodonrocks) on

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Fidlar announce new album

fidlar

Garage punk mob Fidlar have announced a new album for September 4th. Due via Wichita, the first taste of Too comes in the form of ’40oz on repeat’, a three and a half minute scrap paired with a new music video that see’s their tongues remain firmly in cheek.

Watch the video below and head to their website here, where you can make a Gif as daft as this one.LdmalkqUOE-gif

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Nopes

Nopes_Nectar_Of_The_Dogs

Nopes
Nectar Of The Dogs EP
Magnetic Eye Recods

Nosediving in at suicidal levels of volume, Bay-area punk rock four-way Nopes are sure to be the most agreeable racket you’ll hear all week.

This bunch sound like they’ve just strolled out of 1985 and they don’t give a fuck. Their soon to be released Nectar Of The Dogs EP is a five track ode to the raw and the rough basement sounds of yesteryear, with opening track ‘Matinee At Market’ setting the bar dangerously high.

Tube amps cranked hot and riffs cooking to boil over, Nopes thrash out a gloriously indecipherable barrage of noise and fun throughout. With lyrics snarled and spat and ‘skins beaten thin, tracks like ‘Backdoor Breakdown’ and ‘Homecoming’ sounding like a long-lost Husker Du/Angry Samoans collab plucked from the archives and span on fast forward. But the real crowd pleaser comes with closer ‘Jingle Berries’ – a hit repeat good stomper that sends the needle peaking into the red.

Head to Magnetic Eye Records from June 16th to grab a copy of this noisy gem.

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Break a leg, Dave!

Dave-Grohl-leg (image via)

The ever-endearing Dave Grohl left an audience of thousands stunned on Friday night after being hospitalised with a broken leg just two songs into a Foo Fighters show in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The frontman tumbled off stage during a rendition of ‘Monkey Wrench’, when, while laying stranded on the floor still clutching his microphone, he announced to the Ullevi Stadium crowd, “I think I just broke my leg. But you have my promise that we’re going to come back and finish this show, but right now, I’m gonna go to hospital and fix my leg!

Leaving drummer Taylor Hawkins with the reins, Grohl was whisked backstage where a team of medics bandaged him up and shipped him back on where he greeted the crowd stating, “I may not be able to walk or run but I can still play guitar and scream!

Despite Grohl’s triumph in Sweden as with the band’s post-show tweet, pictured below, UK fans remain sceptical as to whether or not this will affect performances scheduled for next weekend at Wembley Stadium and at Glastonbury Festival on June 26th.