Faith No More have announced they will play King For A Day... Fool For A Lifetime in its entirety at the Maraquinaria Festival in Santiago, Chile on November 12... with Trey Spruance on guitar!
(via Twitter)
Bill: "Santiago, Chile: King for a Day from front to back, with original
guitarist Trey Spruance!! Told you it would be something different...!"
Roddy: "FNM show in Santiago, Chile in Nov will be KFAD in it's entirety
with the original lineup from that record. Trey Spruance on guitar!"
Here's the album in its entirety:
(note there's no live Star A.D. video as I don't believe they've ever played it)
Exciting news from Dub Trio with the band set to release a new album, entitled IV, on October 25. It's been a while between releases for Dub Trio after touring extensively with Mike Patton in Peeping Tom and then as the backing band for Matisyahu.
Druumer Joe Tomino describes the album; “When listening to IV you can hear that ‘dub’, as a concept and less as a genre synonymous to reggae, is at the core of the music, and while listening you’ll hear every thing from metal to dubstep….there’s even a prepared piano track,” says Tomino.” As always, we aspire to create a visceral experience for the listener, and IV is no exception. Our intent is that you listen to this album from start to finish. While this record is heavy, in more ways than one, there are a lot of subtleties inherent in the music. IV is a snapshot of where and who we are at this moment in time,” Tomino explains. “There are a lot of twists and turns sonically, emotionally, and stylistically on this record. Play it loud!”
Watch the evolution of Dub Trio below and check out my review for their previous album Another Sound is Dying here:
Casting Out the Nines - Exploring the Dangers of (2004):
UPDATE: It looks like the Fantomas live DVD will now be released on September 6th.
Judging by the title it will be from Fantomas show at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on 31st December, 2008, where they played The Director's Cut in its entirety, along with Simply Beautiful and Chariot Choogle. Disappointingly, I don't think Dave Lombardo played this show (as he wasn't on the tour which followed) but Dale Crover does a great job filling in.
Soon after they played the Big Day Out festival's in New Zealand and Australia. Here's some footage from that tour:
Full length pro-shot video of Faith No More playing Serbia's Exit Festival on July 11, 2010.
Highlights include Surprise! You're Dead (23rd min), a failed attempt at crowd-surfing during Ben (52nd min), the band performing Serbian song Ade Jano (twice, 62nd & 77th min), and Mike Patton's antics during Just A Man (69th min)
Handsome Boy Modeling School was a collaborative project between Dan the Automator and Prince Paul. They released two albums with guest appearances from DJ Shadow, Sean Lennon, Kid Koala, De La Soul, Mike Patton, Jack Johnson, Chino Moreno, Pharrell, and many more, I think Linkin Park was in there somewhere as well.
This track's called The Truth off their first album So... How's Your Girl? It features J-Live and Roisin Murphy.
Another one of the Mr. Bungle members to move to Australia is Danny Heifetz. He now resides in Sydney and is part of the band The Tango Saloon.
(Phantom, 2008)
Transylvania is suspenseful tango/spaghetti western music with dash, no make that a whole heap, of comedy.
First track The Count opens up the album with a thriller/mystery type introduction giving some insight as to what is about to come. What follows includes; a worrying tale of a woman crying out for something in her life (I Want Some Fun), enchanting stories of seemingly distant places and times (Into the Castle, L’Anima Sulle Sue Mani), and action packed escapades (The Chase). We also see a whole lot of exotic tango and humour.
Title track Transylvania gets thing going in real tango fashion with rhythm and heart, at times sounding like something out of Curb Your Enthusiasm; you could certainly see Larry David getting up to something mischievous to this music. Dance of the Dead turns the Curb Your Enthusiasm notch up a level, while Oblivious (There’s Something Down There) and Kiss of Death sound like, in the right context, they could be genuine attempts at some serious tango (if tango is meant to be taken seriously).
Dracula Cha Cha puts everything to bed with an appearance by none other than Mike Patton; and we see the whole outfit seems to be in jest. It is a fun album and would no doubt be better in a live setting (where they are sometimes known as The Mango Balloon).
Due to his role in Faith No More and his massive array of other projects since, and also because he's a complete genius, Mike Patton is the most well known member of Mr. Bungle. While he played a large part in making Faith No More and Tomahawk what they are/were, they were never solely his responsibility. Fantômas is his baby, his creation, his warped point of view.
(Ipecac Recordings, 2005)
Fantômas have released four studio albums to date; their self-titled debut was (and still is) unlike anything I’ve heard; experimental to say the least, with Mike Patton using his voice to frighteningly great effect. Next came an album of horror movie songs, The Director’s Cut, which was surprisingly accessible. The masterpiece in Patton’s entire library would have to be Delìrium Còrdia, a 74 minute mind-fuck where the listener overlooks a surgical procedure. However, for me, Suspended Animation best sums up Fantômas – playfully evil.
The album retains Fantômas dark and twisted way of looking at things. Patton is once again screaming, squealing, and making any other sound effect he finds appropriate; his support cast of Buzz Osborne (Melvins, guitar), Dave Lombardo (Slayer, drums), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, bass) as precise as ever. The difference comes with the abundance of samples, but they’re not just any samples; they’re all linked to children. Cartoons, toys, and kids laughing and playing; not exactly what you associate with music of this variety.
Each track represents a day in April, and by 04/10/05 Saturday there’s an overload of samples and a myriad of "uh oh’s", "bye bye’s", and "boing’s" thrown in. 04/24/05 Sunday is a prelude to the work Patton did on the Crank 2: High Voltage soundtrack and 04/14/05 Thursday somehow stands out above the rest, its production simply superb.
The end result is total meltdown of your senses best listened to on headphones; disturbing yet cheeky, sinister yet merry. It’s pure Patton; you’re unable to tell if he’s just plain evil or if he’s got tongue firmly planted in cheek and is just fucking with your head.
This week I've decided to do a little tribute to Mr. Bungle. Each member has gone on to produce some pretty incredible and different music since the band's breakup in 2004 so each day this week I'll focus on one of these projects. First up is saxophonist Clinton "Bär" McKinnon and his band Umlaut.
(Amphead Aus/Zoom, 2009)
Melbourne based Umlaut’s first effort combines quirky jazz based instrumentals with humorous experimental pop and even includes an appearance by someone named Mike Patton.
The album undeniably has the blood of Mr. Bungle running all the way through it; there’s some sort of structure but it’s impossible to tell which direction it is headed next. The songs alternate between suspenseful jazz-based instrumentals and catchy pop tunes filled with comedic lyrics. Just like Mr. Bungle the music is beautifully arranged but is not to be taken seriously, and how could you take it seriously with tracks like Dirty Dishes (an ode to cleaning up after yourself), Work Truck ("who wants oysters?"), and Chill Pill (“just chill, chill the fuck out”).
The album makes a splash early on with the vocals on Atlas Face provided by Mike Patton. He displays several different vocal techniques for the song and has me guessing as to whether some sort of voice effects machine is used for part of it or if he’s just extremely talented. The short answer is both. A heavier element is also prevalent throughout the album but most noticeable on Bigfoot is Real and Buttons. The latter is a sweeping track that encompasses electronic and heavier components before ending with a dramatic flow of synth.
Keyboards play a large part in the sound of Umlaut, but it is Bär’s excellence on the saxophone and flute, plus the addition of a vibraphone which give an edge to their sound, a sound comparable to a junior Mr. Bungle.
The Melvins are headed for the upcoming Soundwave Festival across Australia, but before then will be stopping in New Zealand for a whopping five shows! So I thought I’d do a quick little guide on them in time for their first show of the tour tomorrow night at the Kings Arms in Auckland.
The complete schedule for New Zealand, with Oakland’s High On Fire supporting, is:
February 19 – The Kings Arms, Auckland
February 20 – ReFuel, Dunedin
February 21 – Al's Bar, Christchurch
February 22 – Bodega, Wellington
February 23 – Whammy Bar, Auckland (w/ Kylesa)
Formed in 1983, with an original lineup consisting of Buzz Osborne, Mike Dillard, and Matt Lukin, the Melvins are still going strong almost 30 years later with at least 18 full-length albums and countless other releases to their name. Buzz (guitar) was joined in 1984 by Dale Crover on drums while a long list of bassists have come and gone. The current lineup features two drummers after a merger with Big Business members Coady Willis and Jared Warren (bass).
Here are a few albums to check out (if you don’t have time to sit down and listen to all 20 to 30-odd releases):
Houdini
& Houdini Live 2005: A Live History of Gluttony and Lust
(Atlantic, 1993 & Ipecac, 2005)
The definitive Melvins album, Houdini is straight up heavy sludge/grunge from start to finish. Songs such as Hooch, Night Goat, Lizzy, Hag Me, Set Me Straight, and Sky Pup remain amongst the best of their kind. The lineup had Buzz and Dale joined by Lori Black on bass and Kurt Cobain adding guitars for Sky Pup.
A Live History of Gluttony and Lust came about after repeated calls from fans to play the Houdini album and proving its legendary status. They updated the tracks giving them a live yet very polished feel with Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantomas) providing the bass.
Stag
(Atlantic, 1996)
Stag opens with The Bit, a thunderous beast which generates momentum for the rest of the album. What follows are a real mixture of styles; Bar-X-The Rocking M includes a trombone and turn-table like effects making it feel ahead of its time, Black Bock is almost Melvins unplugged sounding more like Blind Melon, Skin Horse has some downright freaky helium vocal effects, and The Bloat is just classic Melvins sludge.
(A) Senile Animal
(Ipecac, 2006)
(A) Senile Animal marked the start of the current formation of the Melvins; half Melvins, half Big Business. After over 20 years together, the band gained a new edge with the two drummers providing extra crunch and a somewhat more cohesive feel. The addition of Jared Warren’s vocals to accompany Buzz gives extra force to an already powerful sound. Standout tracks include; The Talking Horse, Blood Witch, Civilized Worm, A History of Drunks… shit, I could just name the whole album.
The Maggot, The Bootlicker, & The Crybaby
(Ipecac, 1999-2000)
I was going to put Honky here as it is considered the Melvins most experimental release, however putting out three albums in the space of a year to help kick start the Ipecac label is a more Melvins type thing to do and these three albums are pretty strange in their own right.
The Maggot starts off with two tracks called amazonAMAZON, telling you all you need to know about the Melvins; they don’t operate like other bands. The move to Ipecac Recordings allowed them the creative freedom to do whatever they wanted (although they seem to be doing this anyway). and
The Bootlicker is the best of this trio of albums; it’s typically slow, and at times haunting. Up the Dumper and Lone Rose Holding Now are great but the centerpiece is Let It All Be which is almost two tracks joined together by ambient noise creating 10 minutes of brilliance.
A distant hint of Nirvana ends The Bootlicker and The Crybaby runs with this by opening with a cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit and then adding covers of Jesus Lizard and a couple of country artists. Mike Patton also makes an appearance on G.I. Joe.
There is a lot more Melvins to check so go and do so. Here’s their latest video for Electric Worm off last year’s album The Bride Screamed Murder:
Brooklyn dub rockers Dub Trio, consisting of DP Holmes (guitar), StuBrooks (bass), and Joe Tomino (drums), have got progressively heavier in sound since their debut album in 2004. Their third studio album, Another Sound is Dying, comes out of the blocks sounding like it could be a heavy metal album, that is until we are reminded of the groups original dub origins.
The lead track Not For Nothing starts off with a heavy sludge metal feel to it before giving just a hint of their dub influences and then adding an atmospheric, post-metal layer to the mix. From there the band seamlessly shifts between hard, heavy rock sounds and relaxed reggae/dub grooves throughout, allowing the listener the opportunity to both rock out or sit back and relax.
Mortar Dub is the one track which holds it shape from start to end, paying respect to the styles of King Tubby. This is quickly wiped away however by the machine-like start to Regression Line, its power reinforced by a laid-back bridge two-thirds of the way through.
Mike Patton provides the only vocals on the album for No Flag. This track proves more dark and sinister than their previous collaboration, Not Alone, for Patton’s Peeping Tom project. Whilst the vocals from Patton are a welcome addition to the album, they also demonstrate that having no vocals is what makes Dub Trio sound unique. There’s a real focus on minor effects and variations in sound, something that a vocalist would distract from.
Dub Trio have fused post-metal and dub together much like Bad Brains managed to mix reggae/dub with a punk attitude. This album is an experience whereby listeners can sit back and enjoy or really concentrate and pick up little nuances with each listen.
More stuff from 2010 (with a little more to come):
Tub Ring – Secret Handshakes (The End Records, 2010)
Tub Ring’s sound changes from album to album with Secret Handshakes continuing this trend by having a slightly electronic feel to it. The early Mr. Bungle-ish/punk feel is still there but there’s a tinge of cheesy 80’s electronic/new wave about it. This is a good thing. There’s plenty of energy and the cheesiness shines through in Gold Finger; the tongue-in-cheek cockiness from vocalist Kevin Gibson this song wouldn’t be out of place on an Eagles of Death Metal record. The electronic/cheap 80’s computer sound takes over in Touching the Enemy while Cryonic Love Song sounds like a couple of dying computers crying out for some love before heavy crunching riffs, a few more whimpers, and an abrupt end to the song. I Shot Your Faggot Horse Bitch sounding more like it should be somewhere in Trent Reznor’s back catalogue, is strangely placed in the middle of the album before the rest of the tracks are business as usual for Tub Ring.
Throw in a brilliantly updated cover of Queen’s 1984 hit Flash and, with the exception of I Shot, it’s a action packed album from start to finish. Apparently there’s a remix album on the way too.
Mike Patton – Mondo Cane (Ipecac Recordings, 2010)
Everybody loves Mike Patton performing covers (except maybe Anthony Kiedis); and here’s a whole album of them! On Mondo Cane, Patton has taken his favourite Italian pop songs from the 1950’s and 1960’s and put his own, over-the-top, spin on them. In typical Patton fashion, he is backed up for a 40-odd person orchestra. It is project which had been a long time coming, inspired by the music he heard while living in Italy. Barring Deep, Deep Down it features Patton singing (yes, singing) entirely in Italian; my Italian is non-exsistent so I won’t judge how well he did here, but he is, for the most part, a perfectionist when it comes to his musical projects. He does manage to pull out a few of his famous screams for Urlo Negro, making it the standout track on the album for me.
Patton finally got around to recording the album last year after a few live performances in 2008. The recorded versions have lost a bit of the power of the live sound but it remains a solid and passionate performance from Patton. A live dvd would be a nice document of Mondo Cane but hopefully he gets back to work on more Fantomas and Tomahawk.
Californian stoner rock group Fireball Ministry’s fourth album is perhaps their most commercial release. It seems a lot more work has gone into the production with the album sounding very polished. Gone are the deep, grunting vocals of earlier releases with vocalist James A. Rota coming across as more refined and smooth. Followed By A Fall and Common Enemy are very much like former Fireball Ministry releases, however overall there is a real Fu Manchu feel to his album. It comes as no surprise seeing it is produced by Andrew Alekel who has worked with Fu Manchu numerous times, and given Fu Manchu bassist Brad Davis spent a brief period in Fireball Ministry.
Fireball Ministry seem to fly under the radar a little, which is surprising given they have a sound comparable to Fu Manchu with hints of Queens of the Stone Age and Metallica thrown in.
