Medium Rotation: Shock of the New

Here are a couple new records I got recently.  Medium Rotation:  Shock of the New will feature records that aren't necessarily new, but they will be recently acquired and so therefore new to me.  You can hit the players to listen to the tracks.  The recording is shitty because it's just me holding a mic up to my shitty speakers.  I like that though.  It reminds me of when I would sit in front of my boom box with my finger on the pause button so I could try and record a new song off the radio onto a cassette.


OFF!  Compared to What / Rotten Apple 7"  Tour Version 

OFF! went into the studio in February to record a couple tracks for this new 7" on Southern Lord.  They wanted to get it done quick so they would have something for the tour and it shows because it's got the same live and urgent sound that exemplifies everything this furiously focused punk outfit has done so far.  This is the limited Tour Version of the record which features a sweet Vans print by Aaron Edge Design and heavy ass blue vinyl.  If you missed out you probably won't be able to get one unless you see them on their current tour.  The official Southern Lord release is scheduled for Record Store Day in April and I think they are releasing a couple of cool versions then as well.

The original lyrics to Compared To What by Gene McDaniels sound as if they were written just so Keith Morris could yell/snarl/scream the fuck out of them.  The song was made popular by Roberta Flack and OFF! has written completely original music for this version.  The B-side is Rotten Apple and although it never seems like OFF! is trying to re-live or re-create the glory days of punk, this track confirms that they are still pissed off(!). 




Destroyer / Black Mountain Quiet Weather Singles Series

I recently got to see Destroyer perform during their tour in support of their new album Kaputt.  The sound is completely different than anything they have ever done before and Daniel Bejar has put down the guitar, preferring to concentrate on delivering his intricate manipulation of the English language while taking countless sips of any alcohol within reach.  The new album is incredible and it's awesome seeing them pull it off live.

I got lucky and found this 7" split at the merch table.  There were only 500 copies pressed in 2004 by Spirit of Orr Records.  It's on white vinyl and Black Mountain's Bicycle Man is the B-side to the Destroyer track Jackie, Dressed in Cobras.

The Destroyer track is basically just Daniel Bejar recording a demo of Jackie, Dressed in Cobras at home.  It sounds awesome because it's a simple little jam with Bejar recording a few vocal tracks of his insanely cool lyrics over the top.  It is from (before this new album) the era of Destroyer that I have always enjoyed most, 2004's Your Blues spanning back through Streethawk: A Seduction and Thief.  The New Pornographer's released their version of the song on 2005's Twin Cinemas.  It's nowhere near as good as this demo.  I've never been a New Pornographers fan and I have always wondered why Bejar continues to give them what is always their best material.

I was unfamiliar with Black Mountain until listening to Bicycle Man on the B-side of this record.  It immediately reminded me of Dead Moon.  These Canadians have got a sound I like:  Take the barest minimum of chords and then play them as hard and as tough and as dirty as you can.