^^^ I dig a lot of the funk / soul revival that's come about over the last decade , but Leon Bridges has an honest soul sound . Being that it was recently , there is still that slightly modern element, but this album if recorded in that era would fall in line perfectly ...
Red Hare sounds pretty good !! The singers voice reminds me of Tom Araya from Slayer . I need to check out some more of their music. I kinda chuckled a little when I saw Morbid Angel . That reminds me of my friend Travis from high school . He's a metal head for life and used to get sentry home for his outrageous metal shirt ( with the pentagram and mutilated bodies etc... ).

@jaybrown...that is funny about your friend. I was never into the whole "dressing like a metal head" thing and my love of punk/hardcore always came before metal when I was younger. I do like certain bands and types of heavy metal when I'm in the mood but it's mostly older stuff. I don't really keep up with what's going on in the metal scene unless it's an older band I like coming out with a new record or something. The issue I have with a lot of newer metal is the production is too slick (i.e. clicky triggered drums, pro-tool'd to hell) and the mastering just squashes all the dynamics.

Re: Red Hare and Tom Araya, the vocalist and most of the other members of the band were actually in the 80s DC Hardcore band Swiz, which had their heyday at roughly the same time Slayer was at their peak. I actually think Shawn Brown (Swiz/Red Hare vocalist) is a little less monotone than Tom Araya but both have a somewhat similar yelling style. Of course, I a Slayer fan as well, at least through the Seasons album.

You can listen to Swiz's complete discography here:





It was supposed to be reissued on vinyl in the near future but I'm not sure what the current plans are for that. Old Swiz vinyl is great shape can get a little pricey as it's not too common. Most of their stuff came out on a small label called Sammich, which IIRC was run by Ian Mckaye's sister. Sammich also put out the first LPs by Shudder to Think and Soulside, two bands you may be familiar with.

Shwan Brown was also the original vocalist for Dag Nasty, before they officially released any LPs. Personally I think his style fit a lot better with Swiz and his later bands than the stuff he recorded with Dag, which has since been reissued by Dischord as "Dag with Shawn". You can check out those old Dag demos here:

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^Man... Both of you guys have a unique niche of punk knowledge, it's interesting to read your back and fourth...



anywayz....



Right now... (RN)

Aaron Jerome - Time to Rearrange LP (BBE) 2008





^I bought this when it came out and I finally got around to putting it thru the Spin Clean. This record was a bit over-loved by me, it was filthy, but now it sounds good as new...

This is a nice, earlyish BBE record produced by a drummer, and you can tell when a jazz record / neo-soul (<sorry) is produced by a drummer. The guy has an ear that only a drummer would have. Rich warm blue notes perfectly combined with jazzy fills, and loungey singers, this is a perfect early Friday evening record. The cover of this record fits the mood well, it's like summertime sundown music.

It actually makes me wanna switch to wine. Don't get me wrong, I love wine, but at least 95% of my adult beverage time I'm a beer man.

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Currently listening to And Also the Trees - Self-Titled album. I've gone back and forth over this band over the years, but I really dig them when I'm in the mood. Definitely an overlooked band from the early 80s post-punk scene, veering towards dramatic goth rock. As time went on, the band played up the dramatic angle, which is why I tend to like their early records best. At some point in the early/mid 90s, they had a noir-jazz/crooner type sound but I never got around to checking out those particular records. I think part of the reason the band has never gotten beyond a very niche cult status is because the distribution of their albums was spotty, especially outside of Europe. If any band from this genre deserves some reissues and more exposure, they are certainly one of the groups I'd put at the top of my list.






[en.wikipedia.org]

[www.andalsothetrees.co.uk]

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Some recent listens, four very different albums.

R.E.M. - Life's Rich Paegant

I guess this is the band's last LP before they really hit it big, but you can tell they were going for a more accessible sound compared to their previous records. It actually rocks quite a bit in certain seconds, and a couple of the tracks on this are among my favorite R.E.M. songs.





Bad Sector - Cephus

Bad Sector is the pseudonym of an Italian experimental ambient arist that's been doing stuff since the early 90s IIRC. I've gotten heavily into his music over the last year or so, didn't really appreciate him when I first heard him years ago, but some of his 2000s work made me change my mind. If you've never heard him, I'd recommend starting with the excellent Kosmodrom album, but this newest album is probably among the most accessible material he's put out. Self-released on his own label too, definitely a cult/underground sort of thing. I got my copy from Malignant Records if anyone cares.









Sam Dees - The Show Must Go On

Great 70s soul album, moody and often on the more downbeat side of urban street life. Records like this are what hip hop can trace its roots too IMHO.






Crowbar - Symmetry in Black

Very good album of heavy sludge metal, even quite melodic at times, some faster parts too, which was unexpected. These guys have been around for a long time but I never really thought too much about them or bought any of their stuff during their 90s heyday. I guess the band is more popular than ever now and I'd say they deserve it. Other than the production being a little slick at times, can't say too many bad things about this album. Definitely worth a listen if you dig this sort of thing at all. I need to check out some of their earlier stuff as well. I've an older CD of theirs on deck to check out later.

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