Mr. Epp and the Calculations - Ridiculing the Apocalypse

1996; 24 tracks

The self-proclaimed "worst band in the world," Mr. Epp and the Calculations, seem to have been the forerunners of the genre now known as grunge. Formed in the late 70s by a group of teenagers and named after one of their high school math teachers, the still highly unknown band created an EP and several compilations and tapes before disbanding after about 3 years. Ridiculing the Apocalypse, released officially in 1996, is an anthology of the group's work.

I fucking love this band's approach to music. Their music is playful, but darkly so. Many times there is a spoken intro or dialogue, one of my favorite of which is when the lead singer says to the crowd:

"Some people say, 'What good is the message if you can't understand the words?'123GO" (unidentifiable noise ensues).

Pure grunge! Pure noise! Pure shit!

L7 - Smell the Magic

1990 (Re-issue, 1991); 9 tracks

Smell the Magic is a really awesome piece of grunge/punk/angry girl rock. It is the second release by the LA-based grunge band L7, who also founded Rock for Choice, a pro-choice women's rights group supported by another favorite band of mine, 7 Year Bitch. Anyway, this is an incredibly heavy and abrasive album full of fast and furious angry girl music.

Download.

Gauze - Fuckheads

1984; 10 tracks

Gauze was a punk/hardcore group from Japan whose style of "sounding fast without playing fast" influenced many other Japanese punk bands in the 80s. Though it was their first ever release, Fuckheads is fucking destructive. 1984 was a good year.

Power Fuck Head Shot

Penthouse - Gutter Erotica

1997; 16 tracks

More noise rock, but this time it's from the depths of hell. Penthouse was a noise rock band, often tending on the blues/punk side, based in London and active during the mid-late 90s and early 00s. This is their first album. Crushing and stoner-metal-ish, this is good for fans of Killdozer and Cherubs.

Download.

3Ds - Hellzapoppin'

1992; 13 tracks

3Ds (or The 3Ds) was an alternative / pop rock band from Dunedin, New Zealand active from the late 80s through 90s. They play attractive-sounding indie pop / punk rock with the occasional female vocals ("Sunken Head" and "Jewel" are my favorites), and overall this is a very likeable, mellow record.

It's a nice day for a dark age

Wymyns Prysyn

That's the cover for Tres Umbros, the Georgia-based band's first album. They recently released a 6-track album called Green Ribber. It's all so so good.

Listen to / download here.

Senator Flux - Storyknife

1991; 10 tracks

Senator Flux was a D.C. hardcore band from the late 80s. Their syle is more indie rock, but influences of pop and punk are pervasive in Storyknife. This is a nice record of interesting music, I think I like "Canadia" the most.

Download.

Treepeople - Something Vicious for Tomorrow / Time Whore

1992; 13 tracks

Treepeople was an American-based indie/grunge/undefinable band from the 90s. Here is their 1992 full-length album, which includes the 1990 EP Time Whore.

This is one of the most amazing things I have ever heard. In my life. Once you listen, you will know why.

Download.

Brainbombs - Genius and Brutality... Taste and Power

1994; 9 tracks

This is the second album of Swedish noise/punk rock band Brainbombs. It's one of the most disturbing and brutal albums ever, but I am so mesmerized by it. I tend to like extremes. Everything in middle just doesn't cut it. Genius and Brutality..., if you play it loud, is so abrasive it hurts... but I really like that. Even if you're not really into necrophilia I swear this album fucking kills.

You have blood on your body
Blood on your mind
Blood in your dreams
Screams in your dreams
And a leg sticking out under your bed

You can't remember
You can't forget
Sweat from your skin
When you put the needle in
And a leg sticking out under your bed

Five in the morning
You're staring at the wall
Insects coming out
Angels crawling over your floor
And a leg sticking out under your bed

You have blood on your body
Blood on your mind
Blood in your dreams
Screams in your dreams
And a leg sticking out under your bed

You can't remember
You can't forget
Sweat from your skin
When you put the needle in
And a leg sticking out under your bed

Throbbing, minimal, repetitive face punches.

Jun Togawa (戸川純)

Jun Togawa creates some of the most innovative, energetic, and wonderful pop music you will ever hear. The truth is, it's not really pop. It's the beyond. Her solo work is not her only work, and she has collaborated with and contributed to countless other projects and works. I'll admit I'm a very new fan of hers, but through this music I have come to know the meaning of true expression.

Tamahime Sama (玉姫様)

1984; 9 tracks

Jun Togawa's first solo album, the name of which means "Princess Ball." Haruomi Hosono, a popular Japanese musician, writes the title track and does some vocals in "Tonari no Indo-jin."

Download.


Suki Suki Daisuki (好き好き大好き)

1985; 8 tracks
Download.


Kyokutō Ian Shōka (極東慰安唱歌)

1985; 11 tracks

The title translates as "Far Eastern Consolation Songs." The album concludes with Yumemiru Yakusoko in a new arrangement by Hosono (he did his own singing version). That song title translates as "The Dreamt Promise."

Download.

20th Jun Togawa

2003; 6 tracks

If I may borrow from my... friend...

"20th Jun Togawa is another more modern piece by the legendary 戸川純. a cover album where she pays tribute to Brigitte Fontaine, Vanessa Paradis, Patti Smith, and other western classics. her versions of the songs covered here are (except for "Comme A la Radio") have very little in common with the originals. Togawa's voice sounds as childlike as ever, particularly on the delightful cover of "Joe le Taxi".

one or two of the songs on this album (for example, the tired 'All Tomorrow's Parties") are worthless in their original form, but somehow togawa manages to fill them with the spark of life."

Download.

Man or Astro-Man? - Is It... Man or Astro-Man?

1993; 14 tracks

Man or Astro-Man? is an amazing surf rock/electronic/punk group from Auburn, Alabama. Created by college students Birdstuff, Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard, and Star Crunch, Man or Astro-Man? firmly believes they are aliens sent to Earth from the universe solely to play surf rock. Is It... Man or Astro-Man? is the group's first album, and the only one I've heard so far, but it's so so good.

Download.

Men's Recovery Project - The Golden Triumph of Naked Hostility

1997; 60 tracks

Men's Recovery Project is an experimental/avant-garde musical group formed in San Francisco, 1993. This record is an assembly of tracks from 72s and one micro-EP put out between 1993 and 1998, during which years the group obviously spent time expressing themselves in dozens of styles. Among this mix of genres is the harsh post-hardcore familiar to early MRP records, as well as a few more synthesized (hardly melodic) tracks. My favorite tracks are the more sciencey, robotic, chaotic, and strange ones, like "Rude Scientist."

Download.

Cows - Cunning Stunts

1992; 12 tracks

Absolutely incredible noise rock album by the Minneapolis-based rockers Cows. They seem to be well known for their stage presence, as the lead vocalist, Shannon Selberg, has been known to hurl objects into the crowd and be all-around crazy. This raucous energy is perhaps most apparent in this thrilling, immensely enjoyable album of blues riffs, grunge-inspired noise rock, and fusion of sliding bass, bugle, harmonica, wail of a baby...(which starts the album off on a very interesting note).

The vocals might be my favorite part right now. On tracks such as "Mine," Selberg's voice lends itself to a croaking, raspy, shouting sound - much like that of Swans' frontman Michael Gira in the face-melting track "Beautiful Child." Not a second of this raw, beautiful masterpiece is to be neglected.

Download.

Calabrese - The Traveling Vampire Show

2007; 12 tracks

I used to listen to this album about 4 times a day. It was addicting as hell. It's a very fun and interesting punk album that is all about horror movies and whatever. Calabrese is a horrorpunk band made up of three brothers with the last name Calabrese. I love the vocals on this album.. they're somewhere between Danzig and Elvis, I'd say. "Melodic, hook-laden, catchy, fun, horror-themed Rock with a Punk attitude." DISCLAIMER: not similar to grindcore or deathcore at all... but I love it!

Download.

Atari Teenage Riot - Delete Yourself!

1995; 12 tracks

My friend told me about Atari Teenage Riot today and I didn't think anything of it - I actually thought it was like a Japanese punk band or something. But I got this album and found it to be very well put-together and highly enjoyable.

Atari Teenage Riot is a "digital hardcore"/punk-inspired breakcore from Berlin, formed in 1992. They remind me of a mix of Blood Freak, Venetian Snares, Rancid... maybe even Katharsis. There is plenty of amazing breakbeats, power electronics, funny samples, cute female vocals, punk male vocals, fast-paced punk riffs, and more... This is just a really fucking cool album that I think I'm addicted to now. w00t for anarchy.

I would die for peanut butter.

Life is like a video game with no chance to win.