New idea.

Alright, I'm way too busy to stay on top of writing about new releases right now. Reviews of 2007 releases? Forget about 'em. They're dead to me. Maybe I'll try to catch up on 2008, but probably not. My intake is so frenzied that there's no way to catch up, gotta start from where I'm at.

Hitting the books full time these days, so there's not always free time to do shit I want to be doing. Been freelancing for a few publications too. Bringing in a few extra dollars and cents here and there. Playing in Bored Straight still, too. Buy our 7". We've got a lot of 'em.

To get back in the swing of writing on this ole thingie, I'm gonna put the Winamp on shuffle. First 5-10 songs get written up. Regardless of what they are, I'll spew about 'em. Let's see how this goes:

1. Scorched Earth Policy - Batwing (Foaming Out cassette/Xpressway/1991). Part of my vast collection of Kiwi bands. Not particularly familiar with this one. Might be live. I don't know. Kinda droney, thick distortion. I remember their releases being pretty decent.

2. Half Japanese - Gloria (We Are They Who Ache With Amorous Love/TEC Tones/1990). Blown out deconstructed cover in the 1/2 Japanese tradition. Who did it originally? Them? Real primal stomper of a take on this 'un. If this doesn't get the blood pumping then you ain't got a rockin' bone in yer body.

3. Los Llamarada - Better Stand Up. Overblown and mind scrambling. Pumps forward and ends abruptly. Not sure what it's off of, some demo I think. Don't worry about it. Just find their records and scoop 'em up. Not a bad one in the bunch.

4. Colin Newman - Not Me(A-Z/Beggars Banquet/1980). Offa the first solo record by former (at the time) Wire frontman. The whole album's solid. Fits right in with the first 3 Wire records. A must own. Yeah, this coming from a guy who doesn't own it. Put it in my mitts. I'll slide ya the dough.

5. 13th Floor Elevators - Earthquake (Easter Everywhere/International Artists/1967). I recently stated that I might like The Bubble Puppy as much or more than the Elevators. Been rethinking it. BP's record's pretty great, but you can't fuck with Roky's vocals. The songwriting's solid. Only thing I can't handle is the damn jug player. It would be cool in touches, but throughout the entirety? You kiddin' me? This one's offa Easter Everywhere. Not quite as jarring as the debut, but no slouch of a record let me tell ya. "Earthquake" feels like "Rollercoaster" on a bit of speed. Killer, fo' sho'.

6. Pink Reason - Dead End (live). Haven't heard this in a while. Live version, I think with Hue Blanc's Joyless Ones. What do I say? I could gush like a school girl about Pink Reason. And this song's one of my favorites. Russia/Eastern European music's got a certain darkness to it and Pink Reason's an extension of that.

7. No Hope For The Kids - Angels Of Destruction (b/w Cold Touch of Death/Backwards Masking/2006). Recently got the discography tape. The thing didn't leave my tape deck for weeks. Fucking great band. Early comparisons to Warsaw aren't all that on the mark. Has the same ominous feel, but not the same sound. More of a uptempo peace punk sound.

8. Birchville Cat Motel - Transparent Soul Fragment (Birchville Cat Motel/Insample/1997). Kiwi noise. 7 minutes of droning and weaving frequencies. Intensifies. Melts brain. Ends.

9. Lollipop Shoppe - I'm Gonna Be There (Just Colour/UNI/1968). For all this time I thought I only liked one LS song, but this one's changing my mind. The vocals get over impassioned at times, but not enough to kill it. Dead Moon guy, right (correct -ed.)? Damn fine laid back 60's garage churner.

10. Plagal Grind - (live song 12). Not sure on song titles. Found a live show and that's all I know 'bout it. Dirging, driving, petering out. Another Kiwi winner.