His Electro Blue Voice Announce Debut Album

The Italian deathpunks have officially signed to Sub Pop, and are releasing their debt album, Ruthless Sperm, on August 20th. A reminder of the group's sound and fury is after the jump. More on the announcement can be found at Sub Pop's site.

Dangerous Boys Club - "Tranzilvania"

A sly, sexy descent into the haze. Dangerous Boys Club recently released their debut LP, Pris, on Dais Records.

Sex and Violence

The Taint (2010)

So many people want to say something profound. If there’s one thing that’s true of most artists it’s that they seek to comment on the human condition in a meaningful, poignant way. They will find artful ways to enlighten us, or scold us, or simply entertain. Few ever intentionally try to offend us. But that’s where Drew Bolduc comes in. You see, Drew Bolduc also wants to say something profound, but he isn’t interested in exploring human nature as a way to provide a profound commentary. And he has no time for artful diversions or fanciful language. No, Drew Bolduc wants to rip out humanity’s heart, shit down its throat, and make crude phallic-inspired cave paintings in its blood while it looks on in horror.

Antoni Maiovvi - "Theme from Maiovvowitz"

Antoni Maiovvi returns from the grave with some more dark giallo-disco. "Theme from Maiovvowitz" is part of his next 12" release Mater Proditus, due out June 1 on J.A.M. Traxx.

His Electro Blue Voice - "Kidult" / Sub Pop 1000

Sub Pop 1000

 
It's always satisfying to see a band you support gain more recognition. Previously, Times is Weird had featured His Electro Blue Voice as part of a Halloween mix. Well, the Italian post-punk group has found it's way onto Sub Pop's 25th anniversary compilation, Sub Pop 1000. The group leads the comp off with "Kidult", an explosive burst of aggression that should sound familiar to anyone who has been exposed to the band. To those that haven't, enjoy.

Time Warp Tuesday - Martin Dupont

Martin Dupont - "Take a Look"

Yesterday I mentioned Martin Dupont in reference to the  excellent Electric Voice compilation; his track on that comp is "Bit of Smile". That track is after the jump, but before we get to that here's another excellent cut Dupont released during the '80s: "Take a Look".

Frank (Just Frank) - Traversez Le Pont

French band Frank (Just Frank) has a new track that appears on the Electric Voice II, a compilation that was put out by Electric Voice Records on March 1st. The compilation marries a new crop of dark-leaning synth artists like Tropic of Cancer with predecessors like Martin Dupont.

Record Store Day: A Critique

For thousands of people April 20th, 2013, was a wonderful experience; for me, it was not. April 20th, 2013, was Record Store Day 13. Conceived as a holiday for vinyl enthusiasts to enjoy the camaraderie of fellow vinyl enthusiasts in a physical space that supported local economies, the day has evolved into something much more awful and insidious. You see, Record Store Day is no longer about enjoying vinyl, it has become about consuming vinyl. And there's a very real distinction between the two.

Antoni Maiovvi - "Driving Theme"

Horror disco soundtrack work from Berlin-via-Bristol composer Antoni Maiovvi, created for neo-giallo short film Yellow.  "Driving Theme" will be released by Death Waltz Recording Company in a limited pressing as part of the full Yellow soundtrack for Record Store Day.

Iceage - You're Nothing

Iceage release their searing You're Nothing today.  It's a refinement on the scuzzy, blown out punk of their first album, New Brigade, and the first steps toward a more mature sound.  For most bands, maturity means haphazardly screwing with electronics or softening the sound in the same way the body softens through age and neglect.  You're Nothing is definitely not a case of the former, nary an instrument except for a guitar, drums, or bass (with the odd piano) assaults the senses; and if anything, the opposite is true of the latter.  This is a more dissonant album, exploring the functions and textures of noise in traditional song structures, that also veers into angrier lyrical territory.  "Morals" could only be construed as a ballad insomuch as it includes a piano and starts off mid-tempo.  By the time frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt begins barking "Where's your morals?" in the closest-thing-you-can-call-a-chorus you know this isn't a song, or an album, that will comfort you.

This is an album that understands that aging doesn't necessarily make you wiser, just infinitely more confused.  "Everything Drifts" and "Wounded Hearts" are a solemn combination that revel in human frailty.  But You're Nothing also finds resilience in the fact that we're fucked.  "Awake" is probably the closest the band has come to writing something that could be considered uplifting.  It's not a "we will carry on" mantra but it offers a call to kick against the pricks.  And then the title track seems to contort it's spiteful insult into a rallying crazy similar to Johnny Rotten's sneering of "NO FUTURE!" becoming a self-identifier for disaffected English youth as much as its intended putdown.

You're Nothing isn't a pleasant slog, but it's one you'll feel better for having committed to.

 Iceage - "Ecstasy"

Time Warp Tuesday: Nitzer Ebb

Nitzer Ebb - "Warsaw Ghetto (Full 12" Version)" (1985)

Today's indie dance should feel ashamed.  Twenty-five years on and almost no one goes as hard as Nitzer Ebb.  And this was before they fully developed their sound.  Hunt down a copy of That Total Age.

TiW's Top Albums of 2012

As is often the case with Times is Weird, we're behind the times.  We're only just now getting around to cataloging the albums we most enjoyed in 2012.  That's partly out of the general sense of apathy the scene inspires in us right now, but also so we could have a greater sense of perspective.  How can you release a Best of... list the last week of the year?  Or the first week, for that matter.

Going along with that, these aren't numbered, because fuck precise categorization.  Any number of these albums have shifted places from week to week, so it would be disingenuous to insert them into specific, numbered slots.

YRNN

YRNN is a post-apocalyptic concoction of swirling synthesizers, rubbery beats, and incomprehensibly seductive whispers. Their work recalls elements of industrial and trip-hop, but never lapses into the realm of pastiche. "TV O'KEEFE" is the chiming highlight, incorporating all the aforementioned elements into a heady brew, but "HEATHEN" should not be overlooked in its attempt to reapproximate those ideas into a creeping dread. Name your price, or don't, over at Perennial Melt; Melt is a fledgling DIY label out of Brooklyn.

Wayward Sounds

Funktionaries - "Kiss My Funky Pts. 1&2" (1983)

Digging through the crates can sometimes result in startling discoveries.  Wayward Sounds is a new project we'll be undertaking to feature obscure and unknown music; those sounds that drifted overhead, carried on a current that wouldn't allow for them to catch an audience.  Hopefully, they'll now achieve some recognition.  The first featured artist is Funktionaries

Time Warp Tuesday: My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult

My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult - "...And This Is What the Devil Does!" (1988)

Never have truer words been stated.

My Bloody Valentine - "She Found Now"

God lives.  From MBV, set to be released later this month.