Fuck You Nick

Rant on your own blog.

(NICK THINKS) You Listen To Music Wrong

All right. Listen up all you mother fuckers, and listen up good.

You listen to music wrong.

"But Nick," you protest, in your sulky wiener voice, "how can I listen to music wrong? I mean, I just put it on, and let it roll". Shut up, you whiny ass mother fucker; I'm gonna tell you why.

Two things which you use/have that make you listen to music wrong: discographies and shuffle. If you use shuffle or DL full discographies, impale yourself on a rusty pole for me this very instant. Thanks.


Fuck Shuffle:
Thanks to the invent of iTunes and all that bullshit, it's pretty typical for people to put all their music into a program and just let it play random songs. WHAT THE FUCK?! Do you even care about music and the people who make it? I assumed, if you read this blog, you did. But apparently not. For a musician, (especially so for the type of bands featured here) their album is their life. They put there heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears and usually all their money into making an album. They spend hundreds and hundreds of hours putting together something that, essentially to the rest of the world, is THEM. Making sure the flow from track to track is perfect, that that last song is the ultimate ender song for an album, building an atmosphere and feel that coherently progresses from song to song. And what do you do with your fucking shuffle?? Piss in that bands eyes; essentially telling them that the work they put into crafting that masterpiece is all for not, seeing as you're just gonna listen to what ever fucking song comes up in what ever fucking order iTunes likes. FUCK. THAT. If you care at all about the bands you love, listen to their fucking albums the way they were intended!

Fuck Discographies:
"Oh man, I own every song ever done by Converge, so I must be a huge fan" - typical douche fuck

No. Fuck you. Take a grapefruit spoon and carve out your eye. Music is not a commodity. Owning music does not get you scene points. Your coolness is not measured by how many bands exist on your hard drive. Music is a special and precious thing; it can invoke emotions and feeling in ways that nothing else can. The right album can raise the spirits of otherwise unfixable moods, can keep you from offing yourself, or start a fucking party. But thanks to your discography downloading bullshit, you've reduced an entire band's life work to a fucking folder on your hard drive.

An album can't be truly appreciated until you've given it time and listens; let it sink in. Until you wake up with it in your head, until you can start humming the opening riffs to the next song as one song ends because you know that album that well, until you've really THOUGHT about the music you're listening to, you'll never truly appreciate and album. Discographies make this impossible. Twenty five to two hundred songs by an artist (even if not on shuffle) is impossible to appreciate or understand.


So here's what you're going to do. If you're not going to buy an album and are going to DL it instead (which I understand; music is expensive, and buying an album you've never listened to can be a waste if you don't like it,) download JUST that album by that artist. Listen to that album, from start to finish, front to back. Let it sink in. Listen to it as the artist INTENDED you to listen to it. If you don't like the album, or it doesn't move you, delete it. If you like it, keep that album, maybe pick up another album by them. Go out and buy that album in hard copy, go see the band live when they come to town, and scream their lyrics at their show; buy the album from them in person, or a t-shirt, or any other way to support them.

Now go out there, and listen to music the RIGHt way.



Nick.




PS, Surprise hit of last year, Converge's guitar player's other band, Doomriders - Darkness Come Alive http://www.mediafire.com/?4iwd3jj2jom (and yes, I have listened to this album the right way)

Die, Emporer! Die!

I've been pretty much obsessed with this band as of late. I have just ordered their 7" acoustic album from this great website, and will add it to this post if I ever get it converted from vinyl.

Die, Emporer! Die! was a duo from Texas from 2003 to 2005 who played some of the most raw and intense emo I've ever heard, "emo in a screamo manner."
I think the acoustic album is the best, and by the way, the "discography" on the web you find is bullshit. It's just the first 7 tracks from their 9-track demo, this being said I just plain don't have all of their releases.

DEMO (2003)
7" split w/ Burned Out Bright (200?)
7" split w/ Toru Okada (200?)
Acoustic CD-R (200?)

Orchid

With a blog named after the first track from this bands album "Totality" it seems strange that I have waited fifty-odd posts in order to finally assemble a sufficient Orchid installment.
Regardless, they formed in Amherst Massachusetts way back in late 1997 and began experimenting with the emo sound. By adding spastic, screamed vocals and increasing the temp of the emo backdrop they more-or-less initiated and defined the screamo genre. Orchid has influenced in some way or another, countless bands and musicians over the last decade. Since their break-up in 2002, Orchid's members have left to form/join some other really great groups such as Panthers, Ampere, Bucket Full Of Teeth, Transistor Transistor, and Wolves; any of which I would well recommend.

We Hate You DEMO TAPE (1998) sorry, but I don't know the track names (or if they have names)
Chaos Is Me (1999)
Dance Tonight, Revolution Tomorrow (1999)
Gatefold (2002)
Totality (2005)

The final album, is comprised of the material from all of their splits and 7" vinyl releases. As far as I know, this is a complete collection of their recorded works. I do have their splits though, so if interested just leave a comment and I will post them as well.

Here is also a copy of their final show.

Withdrawal

Have you ever been to Winnipeg? It fucking sucks for the most part.

1. The winters are insanely cold.

2. 2008 murder capital of Canada.

3. Hostile natives.

4. Almost everyone that lives in the city is a prick.

The one great thing about living in such an awful place is it gives you a lot of fuel to create angry music and motivates you to tour. This is where Withdrawal comes into play.

With a demo and highly acclaimed 7' under their belts, Withdrawal is ready to spread the gospel of holy terrorism as far as possible. Blending the sounds of clevo style hardcore and death metal, listeners should be ready for a punishing affair.

If I could suggest one active, Canadian hardcore/metal band to anyone it would be this band. If you get the chance to see them on tour, do it. If you dig what you downloaded, pick up Unknown Misery here.

Demo 2008: Promised Heaven, Given Hell

Unknown Misery

The Carrier

You see that photo above?

That's what I look like when I listen to The Carrier.

s/t Demo (2007)
One Year Later (2007)
No Love Can Save me (2008)

Bracewar

If you are ever in Kelowna, BC and see a kid driving around smashing his hands/face against the steering wheel and screaming his lungs out.....Well, that's me listening to Bracewar.

Self Titled (2006)

Juggernaut (2007)

Whatever It Takes Demo (2009)

Raein

One of best bands in the genre.
Enough said.


s/t (2002)
Il N'y A Pas De Orchestre (2003)
Döden Marscherar Åt Väst 7"(2004)
7" split w/ Pheonix Bodies (2004)
7" split w/ Funeral Diner (2004)
10" split w/ Daïtro (2004)
The Harsh Words As The Sun 7"(2004)
From 3 to 1 in 2 and 4 (remix) 7"(2004)
Nati Da Altri Padri (2008)
Ogni Nuovo Inizio (2008)

The Smile

So, it's been a while. Heck, well I've been busy.
This is a great screamo release from a Canadian band out of Toronto, lots of chaos.
It was released on this great independent (now defunct) record label Gorgeous Industries, who's other bands I hope to follow up this post with.
They are now called "Authors" but since they were "The Smile" when I bought this record (2007), that's how I'm posting it!

here

ISIS

I just finished two all-nighters in a row so fuck it, this is what last.fm has to say:

"Formed in Boston in 1997, Isis is a band that combines ambience, atmosphere, and aggression to form a unique style of metal music. Isis draws from post-rock, which leans away from the traditional elements of choruses, verses, repetitive vocals, or fast/repetitive riffs. Compared to many post-rock bands, though, Isis displays more hardcore and sludge influence (especially in their pre-Celestial era)."

Good night.

Mosquito Control EP (1998)
The Red Sea EP (1999)
Sawblade EP (1999)
7" split w/ Pig Destroyer (2000)
Celestial (2000)
SGNL>05 EP (2001)
Oceanic (2002)
Panopticon (2004)
Oceanic: Remixes and Reinterpretations (2004)
Live 1 (2004)
Live 2 (2004)
Live 3 (2005)
"Boris" feat. Agoraphobic Nosebleed (2005) *(single track taken from "Melvins" Tribute Album)
In the Absence of Truth (2006)
Live 4 (2006)
Wavering Radiant (2009)

Amanda Woodward

From Caen, France. Blending solid riffs and dynamic tempos into a delicious French screamo smoothie, these guys know how to make some tasty tunes.
This band does screamo right.

Do yourself a solid a get in on this.
Maybe you'll even learn some French in the process.

Demo CD (2000)
Ultramort (2002)
split w/ 1905 (2002)
Pleine de grâce EP (2003)
La Décadence de la Décadence (2004)
Discography (2004)
Meurt la soif 7" (2006)

Blacklisted

Of all the modern hardcore bands that are currently making music, Blacklisted is my favorite. In a genre where releasing the same sounding album over and over is often celebrated, Blacklisted has found a way to successfully progress their music tastefully. 

I would encourage anyone who is downloading these albums to listen to them chronologically. It's like watching your older brother going from an irate, violent teenager to being in a straitjacket before reaching the age of 30. 

For fans of Terror/American Nightmare/Old Every Time I Die/Nirvana 

Our Youth Is Wasted (EP) (2004)

The Beat Goes On  (2005)
We're Unstoppable (2006) (Compilation of Demo and OTIW)
Blacklisted/First Blood – Dead Man’s Hand Vol. 3 (2005)
Peace On Earth War On Stage (EP) (2007)
Heavier Than Heaven Lonelier Than God (2008)
No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me (2009)
Eccentrichine (EP) 2010

Wolf Whistle

This is a band from New Bedford, Mass. It boasts members from xFILESx and the vocal stylings of Patrick Flynn from Have Heart.

Fast. Pissed. To the point.

Demo AD 07 (2007)

Live on WERS (2009)

Winter Demo 09 (2009)

Pg. 99 (Pageninetynine)

This post was inevitable.

Sustaining at least two lead vocalists, pageninetynine played shows during their 4 year history with from 6 to 14 band members at one time.
This band was busy, influential, and talented, and is certainly coming highly recommended (by me).

Document #1 (1999) - demo cassette
Document #2 (1999) - split w/ Enemy Soil
Document #3 (1999) - split w/ Reactor No. 7
Document #4 (1999) - Tour 6"
Document #5 (2000) - LP
Document #6 (2000) - split w/ Process is Dead
Document #7 (2001) - EP
Document #8 (2001) - LP
Document #9 (2001) - split w/ City of Caterpillar
Document #10 (2001) - LIVE split LP w/ Waifle
Document #11 (2002) - 7" REISSUE of Documents #3 and #4
Document #12 (2002) - split LP w/ Majority Rule
Document #13 (2002) - split 7" w/ Circle Takes the Square
Document #14 (2003) - Singles
*All the tracks are here, many links on the net only have the pg. 99 part

Carpathian

This blog needs more hardcore.
End of story.

split w/ Never Alone (2004)
s/t EP (2005)
Nothing to Lose (2006)
Wrecked 7" (2007)
Isolation (2008)
LIVE split w/ Shipwreck AD (2009)