Bouche’s Neighbors

Javelina

2008-05-17T02:35:37Z

Javelina

The first thing Philadelphia's Javelina wants you to know is that their name is pronounced as if it were a Spanish word. Like “Ha-ve-lee-na.” In fact, it's printed right on the front spine of their debut CD for Translation Loss Records. A javelina is like a sort of wild pig (technically a peccary). This is actually a completely useless fact, but I found it while Googling the band to find out more information on them, and thought you'd like to know. It's also a rather appropriate name for a band that sounds like these guys.

The album is sludge metal, inspired by bands like Down, Motorhead, Eyehategod, and Crowbar. The band features ex-members of Lickgoldensky, Smut, and Otophobia. This is a very straightforward metal disc. This album is heavy in more of a literal sense, in that it sounds like a band made up of a bunch of large, angry dudes. The vocals basically sound like a dude who's about to smash your face in with nothing but his fist. The album typically sticks to more straightforward rhythms with more emphasis a thick, sludgy tone than on displaying the players' chops (which are definitely there).

The musicianship is competent. There's quite a bit of punk influence here (particularly on tracks like “Asbestos”), and even a little bit of modern “post-metal,” for lack of a less annoying term (like the sort of stuff Robotic Empire has been putting out a lot of, lately) on “Architect,” which is probably the best track on the album, but I'd say it'll appeal more to metalheads than anyone else. If you like bands with Phil Anselmo in them (e.g. Pantera, Down, Superjoint Ritual), then these guys might be right up your alley.

These guys are currently on tour, so if you like what you hear, go check 'em out! Their debut album is out now on Translation Loss records. More info: Official MySpace page

May 17 2008 8:00P The Drunken Unicorn w/ Withered Atlanta, Georgia

May 18 2008 8:00P Hell w/ Tooth, Horsefang Chapel Hill, North Carolina

May 19 2008 8:00P NARA Sushi w/ Tooth, Lord By Fire Richmond, Virginia

Jul 11 2008 8:00P Talking Head w/ Sourvein Baltimore, Maryland

Jul 12 2008 8:00P Manhattan Room w/ Sourvein Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jul 13 2008 8:00P The Knitting Factory w/ Sourvein New York, New York

-Soup

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Gregor Samsa - Rest

2008-05-17T02:17:36Z

05/16/2008 21:15:18 ♥ written by vu ()

Gregor Samsa - Jeroen Van Aken

Gregor Samsa

Tour Dates

05/17/08 Melos Pestoia
05/18/08 Traffic Roma
05/20/08 Casa de Cultura San Sebastian
05/22/08 BeCool Barcelona
05/23/08 La Marquise Lyon
05/25/08 Cactus Brugge
05/26/08 Mains d’Ouevres Paris
05/27/08 Le Grand Wazoo Amiens
05/28/08 Treibhaus Lucern
05/29/08 Elfer Frankfurt
05/30/08 d:qliq Luxembourg
05/31/08 Gleis 22 Munster
06/01/08 Steinbruch Duisburg

Discography

[2006] 55:12

[2008] Rest

[2008] Rest (Limited Edition)

Taking their name from Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa is a band with members from New York, Chicago, Boston, DC, and Richmond. Their latest album is called Rest and it was released last Tuesday, May 13^th. This album was composed primarily through e-mail, because of the various band member's living location!

The band is headed by frontsman, Champ Bennett, but you can tell this isn't a dictatorship, but a collaboration, with each band members adding in their own color to the music. Sometime these addition seems to make their songs unconventionally long. Take, for instance, their most accessible song "Jeroen Van Aken" is over eight minutes long - definitely not radio material.

What makes "Jeroen Van Aken" good is you get to hear the melodic vocals between Champ Bennett and Nikki King and the chorus seems to be "it seems the devil's got a grip on me" while the music build in the background. But instead of ending at the four minute mark, the song continues on with a great bass line played by (and I'm guessing because there are several bassists listed in the liner notes) Billy Bennett.

The other songs that I was drawn to all features sweet lush vocals, including "Pseudonyms", which has some nice pianos and some haunting noises that sounds like a musical saw. Be sure to check out "Abutting, Dismantling", another whispery vocal song - with some great rhythmic percussions.

I am unfamiliar with their earlier works, but judging from Rest, I would recommend Gregor Samsa to any fans of slowcore bands like Minnesota's own Low.

Rest is out now, can be purchased directly from their record label, Kora Records. There is a limited edition of this record for only $7 more (with less than 200 left) that I suggest you get instead of the standard version. I've taken a look at the pictures of the limited version and I'm very tempted to place an order very soon. They are also on tour to support the new record.

Links: gregorsamsa.com myspace.com/gregorsamsamyspace

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lyric of the yesterday 5/15/08

2008-05-16T20:13:14Z

Just cuz it was on the radio on my way home from getting my hair cut n coloured yesterday.

Crazy.
Crazy for feeling so
Lonely.
I'm crazy.
Crazy for feeling so blue.

I knew
You'd love me as long as you wanted.
And then someday
You'd leave me for somebody new.

Worry
Why do I let myself worry
Wondrin'
What in the world did I do.

Crazy
For thinking that
My love could hold you

I'm crazy for tryin'
Crazy for cryin'
And I'm crazy
For
Lovin'
You.
- Patsy Cline, "Crazy"

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this does not surprise me

2008-05-16T19:09:53Z

embarrasses me maybe, but doesn't surprise me:

Cheesy Rock Ballads Quiz No. 1

Score: 100% (10 out of 10)

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Vox Hunt: I've Got My Eye on You

2008-05-16T18:40:29Z

Show us your gorgeous eyes.
Submitted by [Susan].

The Eye

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Forty-four times

2008-05-16T16:38:58Z

After living through the coldest wettest April on record in 100 years, and a week of damp, wet, foggy weather, it's going to be 84 and sunny here in Seattle.

Enjoy your Friday. I'll be waiting for what I hope to be a beautiful sunset.

************************************************************

The_little_prince

"I really like sunsets. Let's go look at one now..."
    "But we have to wait..."
"What for?"
    "For the sun to set."
    At first you seemed quite surprised, and then you laughed at yourself. And you said to me, "I think I'm still at home!"
    Indeed. When it's noon in the United States, the sun, as everyone knows, is setting over France. If you could fly to France in one minute, you could watch the sunset. Unfortunately, France is much too far. But on your tiny planet, all you had to do was move your chair a few feet. And you would watch the twilight whenever you wanted to...
"One day I saw the sun set forty-four times!"
And a little later you added, "You know, when you're feeling very sad, sunsets are wonderful..."
    "On the day of forty-four times, were you feeling very sad?"
But the little prince didn't answer.

~ from one of my favorite books, The Little Prince

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Jason Yudoff - Tragic Hero

2008-05-16T13:50:10Z

05/16/2008 08:46:34 ♥ written by vu ()

Jason Yudoff - Personal Addict

Jason Yudoff

Discography

[2003] Smoke Sex Water

[2006] LIVE at The Cutting Room

[2008] Tragic Hero

Jason Yudoff just released his second studio album, Tragic Hero last Tuesday, May 13^th. Apparently this album's been hitting the music industry rounds for a while now, because, despite just officially released to the general public, it's already been nominated in the 2008 Grammy Ballot in four categories: "Best New Artist", "Album of the Year", "Record of the Year" (for the song "Personal Addict") and "Producer of the Year" (Ron Thaler).

Since the song "Personal Addict" is nominated for "Record of the Year", I thought it that would best represent him: a little funk and jam. Even his funky voice on this song sounds a little like Jamiroquai, doesn't it?

I also really liked the frantic piano-driven song, "Locked in a Box", which really shows off Yudoff's piano-playing skill.

Jason Yudoff & The New Hotness-Too Late Janie

There's also a studio version of "Too Late Janie", which originally appeared on his live album, LIVE at The Cutting Room, which sounds a little more controlled. It even sounds better in the studio, but I did missed the improvised piano in the middle of the live version.

Tragic Hero is out now, you can find his music on amazon and itunes as well as cd baby. He's playing one show in New York at the Make Music at the Waterside Plaza on June 21^st.

Links: jasonyudoff.com myspace.com/jasonyudoffandthenewhotness

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pop!

2008-05-16T03:51:53Z

Ran out of floss last night and forgot to buy more today. I ended up using one of these plastic throwaway flossers that my 8-year-old uses. I was on the second tooth and--pop!--off fell the crown. 11:30 PM.

I have to figure out how to get to my dentist tomorrow.

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My Uncle Again

2008-05-16T02:42:28Z

Hi guys,

For anyone that has been following this soap opera, my Uncle came out of the surgery at 5pm...so it ran from 7:30am to 5pm. Can you imagine how tired the surgeon and staff must have been? The first surgery my Uncle had, when he was brought into the city because of that incompetent small-hospital surgeon, was begun around 8pm and lasted into the wee hours of the morning. She caused "severe injuries", we were told. Well, trying to murder the poor man would be considered "severe", I would think. *smile*

Anyways, he made it through and is now in ICU. It just is up to him to survive. Whether he has the strength left or not is yet to be seen, and as most people know, patients don't usually die in the Operating Room but during recovery. His poor body has been through so much, and he even went into a deep depression while waiting to build up his strength for this second surgery (they gave him anti-depressants for that). He still wasn't strong enough, but he hasn't been able to keep any food down for the past 4 days, didn't have the strength to walk anymore, and his legs and toes were beginning to have spasms and twitching. They couldn't wait any longer. But he made it through, the tough old man! I just hope he recovers because the staff has been making us quite aware that the body can only take so much. And he was weak to begin with, going into this second major surgery. Apparently they stated that it was more complicated than they had anticipated. Well, if you have bile leaking out into your body.....since the first repair surgery wasn't a COMPLETE success but they were just trying to give him time to gain his strength.....I can't imagine how many organs and body structures that bile could have damaged. He was just slowly dying again, poor man.

Prayers would be appreciated. He has quite a battle in front of him, and he may just want to go Home and be done with this world by now. Who could blame him? Remind me never to get gall stones...or ANY stones for that matter! Actually, no surgeries would be a good idea all around!!!! Lol.

Thanks for reading our little soap opera, and I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks.

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Woo Hoo! Go Cali!

2008-05-15T21:52:55Z

Gay Couples Celebrate California Court Ruling

SAN FRANCISCO — Gay and lesbian couples in San Francisco rejoiced Thursday over a California Supreme Court decision affirming their right to marry even as political leaders on both sides of the issue girded for an extended fight in the courts and at the ballot box.

NYT article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/us/15cnd-scene.html?ref=us

Course, it'll probably be bumped up to the US Supreme Court, but hey, this is awesome!

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