Sailing Sideways Up the Back Hole of Not Sane-ness: Best Records Of 2013, Says Me.

If you've ever read my Blog before, you know I'm way into several different genres of music. I'm not even going to go into a long disclaimer again this year. Suffice it to say that this will be an eclectic list. Music is music, you like it or don't. Labels are for bottles of pills. Furthermore,these are in no particular order. Ranking is for Roger. Let's DO this, sexy internet warlocks and witches!

GIUDA- Let's Do It Again
70s inspired, bell bottom wearing, soccer playin', chant along, sing along, bombastic guitar glitz from the way back machine. Stumbling along the same gutters as Slade, Gary Glitter, Bay City Rollers, Cocksparrer. Oh, you best get to buyin' this.It's makin' all the skinheads fall in love!

JOHNNY MARR- The Messenger
While his former partner Morrissey has made consistently good records since the break up of the Smiths, Johnny Marr has flitted about, joined other people's bands and formed his own(Pretenders, Bryan Ferry, Modest Mouse, The Cribs, The The, The Healers etc), experimented, mucked about, made money and changed his hairstyle multiple times. He's always been interesting, but he's never lived up to his legend for shit. Not playing wise, not any-wise. Clearly, getting away from his legend was what was important to him in those years. All that changed rather abruptly and violently with the release of his newest solo album "The Messenger" this year. It's catchy, rockin', emotive, dark, perfect. Lurching about the same atmospheric, anthemic, dark alleyways as Echo And The Bunnymen, Joy Division, The Smiths, The Church, etc.

NIKKI HILL- Here's Nikki Hill
Wow. Just wow. This very classy, very raunchy, very inspiring lady came out of nowhere in the last year or two and already she's being touted as the next Tina Turner. Her husband and guitarist Matt Hill is the perfect foil for her soulful, raspy and sweet as-needed vocals. Matt keeps it raw and bluesy, slashing at his beat up Fender slab like Ike Turner. You've now noticed two Ike and Tina references, but I'm not talkin' about fisticuffs. I'm talking about very obvious true love and fated partnership. These kids are formidable and adorable together, and this record is fuggin' brilliant.You like Otis? Early Ike and Tina? Early Black Crowes, Small Faces, Little Richard, late 60s early 70s Stones? Who doesn't love that stuff? You'll love this.

IN SOLITUDE-Sister
Sweden's In Solitude are probably the greatest young metal band to come along in 20 years. Less gimmicky and silly than their more popular counterparts Ghost,they nonetheless share that band's gift for haunting melody and punchy guitar dirges. This record dips into 80s UK Goth territory for sure. There is a definite Sex Gang Children/Ausgang/Birthday Party-esque quirkiness to some of the guitars, and the melodies are darker, catchier and more coherent on this album. "Sister" on the whole is also slower and more atmospheric than the last. For fans of Sisters Of Mercy, early Iron Maiden, NWOBHM, Ausgang, Joy Division, King Diamond,etc

LION'S LAW- A Day Will Come
This album punched me in the very taint! IN MY TAINT! Anthemic, catchy, sing along boot boy rock and roll played by a bunch of prole Skins from Paris (of all places). Really strong, solid songwriting with a sing along in every tune. Hard as nails, rocking Les Paul and Marshall Half-Stack guitar wallop throughout, and melodic but raw throated vocals. Punk ain't dead, it just shaved it's head. Kicking big Doc Martens down the same violent streets as Cocksparrer, Angelic Upstarts, Sham 69, The Clash, 4 Skins, Cockney Rejects, etc. OI!

NIKKI HILL AND DEKE DICKERSON-Soul Meets Country
Nikki Hill makes a second appearance in my countdown, yes ma'am. She is that awesome. Paired with the extremely personable Deke Dickerson, she shines blindingly on this four song EP of country-inflected soul tunes. Her soulful wail sits nicely next to Deke's warm, calming country drawl. One definitely misses a kick-ass Matt Hill guitar solo here and there, but other than that I hear no flaws on this frickin' superb vinyl platter. As great as Deke is on this, if Nikki ever decides to duet with Dwight Yoakum I will soil my undergarments (and yours) in utter drooling joy. So if you collect Stax and Sun singles with equally insistent grabby-fingers, you will enjoy this 'un, boogie chilluns.

SATYRICON- Satyricon
Norse Black Metal legends Satyricon return with this stripped down, pummeling, slinky temptress of an album. It's perfect for the bleak winter with its brittle icy guitars and blasting, freezing rain drum beats. For fans of Norse BM (which does NOT stand for Bowel Movement, in this case)and classic NWOBHM.

ANYTHING THAT CAME OUT ON WILD RECORDS THIS YEAR.
The best roots music label in the world right now. Special props for releasing Aussie rockabilly/r'n'b prodigy Pat Capocci's brilliant record "Call Of The Wild". Pat's gonna be the next JD McPherson if he gets half a chance. The label also dropped incredible sex bomb platters by The Black Mambas, The Hurricanes and more this year. Rockabilly, garage rock, classic punk, blues, you name it, they are cornering the market on it. Seriously, dummies, Wild Records. Google it.

UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS-Mind Control
This would make my list just for the brilliant Beatles meets Sabbath style pop dirge "Poison Apple" alone. Inventing a new, more specific meta-genre with every release, Brit garage-pop-metal-biker-horror-glitter-doomsters Uncle Acid are part of a new wave of accessible, classic sounding hard rock/metal bands that appeal to non metal heads and metal heads alike. For Fans of early Black Sabbath, The Beatles, "Man Who Sold The World" era Bowie, MC5, early Alice Cooper, Blue Cheer, The Sonics, The Cramps, Electric Wizard.

JD WILKES AND THE DIRT DAUBERS-Wild Moon
The hipper among you may remember JD Wilkes from his former band Th' Legendary Shack Shakers, who were a powerhouse punk-blues-rockabilly juggernaut of a live act in the early 2000s. His lyrics have always been filled to the brim with backwoods good'n'evil, every song a scintillating story of sin, hellfire and redemption snatched away. He has lightened up a bit with his newer outfit the Dirt Daubers, who have always been a sort of Shack Shakers Lite, incorporating more folksy, acoustic, bluegrass style sounds. On the new Daubers platter "Wild Moon" however, the band has amped up the Chicago Blues style tube overdrive on the guitar and turned in a rocking disc full of darkly compelling tunes. The secret weapon here is Jessica Wilkes (JD's wife) who lends her sultry vocals and thump-heavy doghouse bass playing, among other things, to this slinky blues-devil of an album. For fans of scratchy old blues and bluegrass 78s, Legendary Shack Shakers, The Cramps, etc.

That's it, people. I'm sure I forgot something, but I grow weary, and require a sandwich. Please support the artists I've named here, and for your sake and mine, check out more independent music. Remember, folks...your next door neighbor could be a better songwriter than Lady Gaga (and probably is)...who would you rather support? -CM

The Wildest Sounds Around: Wild Records gives Rockabilly a new lease on life!

Rockabilly is an old, old beast. It was created when our society was more innocent, at least on the surface. It broke down racial divides and changed pop culture forever. Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Billy Lee Riley, Jerry Lee Lewis, the list of legendary names goes on and on. This is true American music, and while it was entirely of it's time, it has outlived the 1950s by six decades. Sure, it's changed, morphed, mated with other beasts along the way (surf music, punk rock, new wave, even heavy metal)but it has remained recognizably, defiantly Rockabilly.

Yes,there are lame 1950s copyists who, in the mindset of Civil War re-enactors or Renny Fair geeks, want everyone involved to be wearing 1950s underpants and not to ever use microwaves or cell phones because Elvis didn't have those things in '57. This kind of attitude makes Rockabilly a joke to some.

Every decade it seems we have another rockabilly or 1950s style revival in fashion and music, and it's been happening very obviously in the last few years, sparked by the TV show "Mad Men" and it's take on '50s style. This has led some people to do more than just get the haircut, and it seems that 1950s/early 1960s music has made quite the "comeback" as well.

Out in Los Angeles, California however, an Irish Ex-Pat named Reb Kennedy has employed his life long love of the genre to reinvigorate rockabilly to a new level of throbbing, hiccupping, hip shaking intensity. Upon moving to L.A., he immersed himself in the Mexican Rockabilly scene and began releasing records by the young (sometimes teenage) rockabilly and garage bands he found there. Wild Records was born, and there isn't a finer Rock and roll label in the country as of 2013.

Artists like Luis and the Wildfires, the Dragtones (both bands featuring the "Mexican Billy Childish", Luis Arriaga on vocals),Omar and The Stringpoppers, Santos, R&B chanteuse Gizzelle, The Rhythm Shakers, The Hurricanes, etc are all performing an absolutely electric, stunning version of traditional 1950s or '60s music laced with punk rock fire, creating a fresh and vital music out of old traditional components. The video below should give you an idea.



Wild Records has become such a cult in L.A. and indeed the world, that an independent filmmaker, Elise Salomon, made a documentary about Reb Kennedy and the musicians on his label called "Los Wild Ones". I haven't seen the film yet but I have watched the trailer at least 100 times. Here it is, because it says more about the greatness of this label and the people involved than I could ever write.



If you can watch that trailer and hear that music and not be instantly obsessed with this label, then you just ain't rock'n'roll, bub. Me, I am in love with Wild Records.
www.wildrecordsusa.com

5 Sentence Heavy Metal Record Reviews!

I have alot of new records to review, peoples of the universe. Usually, I get bogged down in over describing, effusive praise, negative griping, or jokes and jokes and jokes. Not anymore, groovy funk bitches of the interwebbings. I give you 5 sentence record reviews! since heavy metal is about the most intersting genre currently, with the highest number of decent releases, I'm pretty much sticking to that. Y'all know I love punk, power pop, country, rockabilly, etc. and y'all know I love typing the words punk, rockabilly, etc. and listing what I love. Today is about retro-metal. Understand and get with it!



GHOST- Infestissumam
King Diamond, Freddy Mercury and the members of Jellyfish walk into a bar. I don't have a punchline, it's already funny. This album is great as cartoon, tongue in cheek satanism, it's great as arena style cock-rock, and it's amazing as a Jellyfish style baroque pop record. This band is brilliant beyond words. Can't wait for the inevitable action figures and lunch boxes.



UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS-Mind Control
The mysterious British Doom-Pop band's third album finds them honing the craft that made their previous effort "Blood Lust" so insanely good. Basically, there is no better description than " Early'70s Black Sabbath meets late '60s Beatles". Dark, "Hammer Horror" influenced lyrical themes. Crushing Iommi-esque guitars and catchy two part harmonies in the Lennon/Harrison tradition. They're gonna be huge.



BLACK SABBATH-13
Unbelievably, miraculously,jaw-droppingly, this group of rich, fat old farts have made an album in their dotage that could sit comfortably alongside their best 60s and 70s output. Rick Rubin has clearly forced them to listen to their own classic records and go back to doing what they were once capable of doing. Sadly, it's not an all retro, all the time affair. The production is modern-ish and some of Ozzy's melodies do remind one slightly of his early solo work circa Randy Rhoads, which is not period correct, but still OK with this old codger. IT'S EVEN GOT HARMONICA, ALA "The Wizard"!



CHURCH OF MISERY-Thy Kingdom Scum

Japanese Boogie Doom Metal with a very disturbing serial killer fixation.This album finds them hitting all of the usual buttons, just louder, angrier, and more pummeling than usual. This band seems to juggle vocalists and guitarist often, but the guys that replace the other guys sound exactly like the first guys, so it's totally okie-dokie. I will say that the band switched guitarists again recently and the new guy is just slightly more metal and less groove-boogie than the other guy. I don't approve of that entirely, sirs, and while this album is good, it's definitely no "Houses Of The Unholy".



IGGY & THE STOOGES-Ready To Die
Not metal, exactly, but certainly proto-metal. Reviews for this, the first new Stooges album (with what's left of the "Raw Power" line up) since 1973 or thereabouts, have not been good. I say pish posh, good sirs, and a pox upon your houses. It does sound more like an Iggy solo album with James Williamson on guitar, but would you rather an Iggy solo album WITHOUT James Williamson on guitar? Go buy it, it rocks, it's funny, it's stupid, and it's loud.

THANK YOU, sassy kitten dancers of the internet. This has been 5 Sentence Heavy Metal Reviews. You can go back to your baby pictures and cute puppy videos now.