NULA

 

It's hard to communicate and/or quantify our connection to this...thing. Yesterday a dude I work with talked about a tour in the '90s when he was stuck in the Lower 48 with The Merchandise while The Band (he was touring with) played a few shows in Canada and he snuck in a CRUDOS show in Boston while he was waiting for them to come back. Then tonight I was listening to Numero Group's Miracle Year record and feeling sorry for myself for never getting to see The Best Band Ever even though I have been lucky enough to see some really fukkn important bands. 

Anyway, NULA are so far outside of the above mentioned realms that it's not even worth discussing. Furious, raging '90s DIY punk from another world - listen to "Žrtve" and "Demokracija" and tell me the shit isn't important....just like CRUDOS and DÜ. Listen to "Anarhija" and tell me punk doesn't rule everything. There you go. That's it. Punk rules. 

POBJEDIMO LAŽ

NINJA HATORRY

 

Full throttle metallic thrashcore from Jakarta.....there's not much analysis required here because 2021's Fase is more akin to a beating than a listening experience. Twenty three exercises in grind mania with a conscious eye towards Y2KThrash - shit sounds like fukkn magic to my ears. It's great from start to finish, but "Youth" into "Me & My Holiday" gives me exactly what I needed this morning. Sometimes, my friends.....faster really is better.

FASE

COLIN LANGENUS

 

One Side: A multi-instrumental freak out captured live in 2007.

Another Side: A collection of improvisations collected by Colin Langenus between 2005 and 2008 and manipulated to create.....this.

SON OF BEETHOVEN // HIGH AS HELL

HIGH AS HELL

OSCAR WILDE

 

Been sitting on this one for a minute because I pledged to read the 1890 novel before I posted the 1980 book-on-tape. But alas.....here's the novel in audio form, perhaps we can all enjoy together. Enjoy the tale of a young and beautiful man who chose to trade his soul for continued youth and beauty while his sins and his years were cast upon a portrait. A bizarre concept (especially considering the time) and Wilde's only novel....I really wish I could share an educated and/or intelligent analysis here, unfortunately I can only say that I recognize its importance. 

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
Read By: Peter Egan

REFLECTIONS OF INTERNAL RAIN

 

Y'all remember that melodic metallic European screamo from the 2000s, right? The sensitive side of stadium crust? REFLECTIONS OF INTERNAL RAIN don't have to remember it...because they embodied it. Enjoy your week.

ANSWERS

MATERIAL

 

Pretty sure there are a few MISSION OF BURMA records spinning in their collective minds. WIPERS too. Although, instead of hip-shot comparisons, I should have encouraged you to focus on the guitar, on the earnest vocals straining through a throatful of gravel. Then again, for the second time in a month I'm going to say that this makes me feel like I felt the first time I heard NEON PISS....and that's a high fucking bar. 

MATERIAL

THE CHOSEN ONE

This one is problematic, but here we are listening to some twenty year old Indonesian punk. The title track "Anarchy Sunrise" is perfect melodic punk and there's a very clear '90s East Bay influence (specifically talking Kerplunk and Let's Go! here) on tracks like "Otoritas" and "Someone Gonna Die," while there are punk ska/reggae bits to keep you guessing and give you a breather ("Stereo" is the choice jam) and a brilliant would-be street busking classic called "Government." And then there's one rampant violently homophobic track what the actual fukk kids?! Sigh....this is why it's so hard to have nice things. Anyway....maybe I should have just skipped this one, but also maybe listening out of context and off of the radar can shed a light on how conflicted, conflicting and challenging everything was. And can still be. 

ANARCHY SUNRISE