black midi: Schlagenheim (2019)

Day 24 of the #mayvinylchallenge asks for an impulse buy: a record you just had to have. For me there aren’t a lot of albums I relentlessly crave or “have” to have, but I impulse buy a lot. The most recent example of this was when I was listening to “Welcome to Hell” the new single from UK post-everything black midi. Being so caught up in older music it’s always great to hear something new that strikes a nerve, and as I was listening to the new song I realized I didn’t own the band’s 2019 debut Schlagenheim. That was a problem quickly rectified, and so here we are to talk about it.

ChrisMay 24, 2022Leave a comment

Vinyl

Dischord: The First Six Records (2022)

Day 23 of the #mayvinylchallenge asks for a limited edition/signed/numbered or otherwise rare album. I’ve been talking a lot about my love for the Dischord label, and was lucky enough to get in and order their limited edition box set of the First Six Records back when it was $40 and not the $250+ it’s going for now on Discogs. Covering the entire spectrum of music from bands I’ve never listened heard before now to bands that were a formative part of my youth, there’s a lot to unpack here, and that’s besides the great booklet, original liner notes and lyrics/posters, not to mention the careful job of sleeve and colored vinyl recreation, so let’s jump in here with some thoughts.

ChrisMay 23, 2022Leave a comment

Vinyl

Nechochwen: Kanawha Black (2022)

Day 22 of the #mayvinylchallenge asks for your most recent purchase. I’m fairly particular when it comes to metal on vinyl, and black metal specifically. There’s little chance of a sonic upgrade over CD or digital when you’re talking about the production of a lot of classic metal (my beloved Darkthrone included), but as the genre continues to absorb influences and break away from the rigid tenets of its beginnings the production beefs up and can get downright nice. Nechochwen have quietly been showing folks in the know for over a decade they had the chops and commitment to craft some intense and thoughtful black metal focusing on their Appalachian roots, and on Kanawha Black, their first album in seven the duo of Nechochwen (Aaron Carey) and Pohonasin (Andrew D’Cagna, also of Ironflame) show just how far their sonic palate has expanded with an epic, progressive album that breaks their own mold.

ChrisMay 22, 2022May 22, 2022Leave a comment

Vinyl

#mayvinylchallenge Day 21: Dischord

Day 21 of the #mayvinylchallenge asks to feature an independent music label. As I’m still trying to catch up I decided to return to an old favorite – one I’ve been covering here at the site for a while. So rather than write up another album from the fierce and impeccable Dischord label, I’m going to link to a few I’ve already written for the site. Because sometimes you’re exhausted and it’s 90 degrees and you just need a good lie down, you know?

ChrisMay 22, 2022Leave a comment

Vinyl

ZZ Top: ZZ Top’s First Album (1971)

Day 20 of the #mayvinylchallenge asks for an unpopular album by a popular band. It’s crazy that as popular as ZZ Top, are there’s not a lot of talk about their debut, wonderfully titled ZZ Top’s First Album, as if they were certain there would be more. One listen to that singular guitar tone and I can understand why. There may not have been a huge hit on the album (their second, Rio Grande Mud, would kick off with “Francine” and “Just Got Paid”) but you can already hear that Gibbons’s tone is there, and the rough and tumble electric blues they would come to dominate for decades was fleshed out if not fully formed from a songwriting perspective from the get-go.

ChrisMay 22, 2022Leave a comment

Vinyl

Tears For Fears: The Seeds of Love (1989)

Day 19 of the #mayvinylchallenege asks to highlight a decade. After furious discussion with my wife, I went with the 80s to highlight that the decade – any decade, in face – is more than the memes and nostalgia kicks the media hypes. So much of the music was and remains incredibly rich and alive, regardless of genre. So many popular albums had a willingness to experiment with their production and arrangements, and one band in particular I’ve come to appreciate more and more for this over the years is Tears For Fears. Their third album The Seeds of Love didn’t quite reach the heights of their mammoth hit Songs From the Big Chair, but there’s so much depth and ambition to the album it’s become a go-to for me when I want to chill on the couch and just let my mind go.

ChrisMay 19, 2022May 20, 2022Leave a comment

Consuming the Tangible

We are what we consume

Month: May 2022

black midi: Schlagenheim (2019)

Dischord: The First Six Records (2022)

Nechochwen: Kanawha Black (2022)

#mayvinylchallenge Day 21: Dischord

ZZ Top: ZZ Top’s First Album (1971)

Tears For Fears: The Seeds of Love (1989)