2017 Wrap Up

     I am not a fan of the end of the year best of lists that are endlessly churned out in the month of December.  A lot of them feel like they're just taking up space and seem to play favorites while overlooking records that warrant mention.  With that said, here's my list of notable records that came out this year.  This was written as more of an exercise in writing about music and is in no particular order.  Since I did not keep a running list of the records that I bought this year, I'm sure there are more than a few glaring oversights.

Killer Of Sheep-Scorned:

     The long awaited LP from Killer Of Sheep was finally released this year.  I have been waiting for this album to come out since I heard the single they released as part of the Mind Cure Records singles series, years ago.  It was around 2013 or so that I heard the band was starting to record.  Oyo and company did not disappoint.  Scorned is a raging slab of vinyl that even includes an Al Green cover.  As far as I can tell, the album is only available on the Taang! Records website or at their shows.

https://www.taang.com/product-page-ejm6h/killer-of-sheep-scorned-lp

Code Orange-Forever:

     Forever is Code Orange's second album after dropping the “Kids” from the band name.   These art-metal youngsters, from Pittsburgh, have been going at it since they were students at the local creative arts middle/high school, CAPA.  Forever finds the band making better production choices than their previous outing, I Am King, but leaving their usual mix of brutality and synth made noises in tact.

     The band has landed on the European festival circuit and earned themselves a Grammy nomination in the process.  It feels good that the weird kids from this town are having some success and getting out into the world, instead of only hearing about the overhyped local bar band that was never really relevant.  Forever was put out on Roadrunner.  It was pressed on red vinyl and clear vinyl. The first hundred copies sold at the release show came with an alternate slip cover over the usual album artwork.

http://store.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists-1/code-orange/forever-vinyl-1.html

Lemuria-Recreational Hate:

     Lemuria snuck Recreational Hate in just under the 2017 wire.  The album was made available in the digital realm on December 15^th and the vinyl will be out on February 2^nd.  The band started their own label this time out called Turbo Worldwide.  They used the funds raised from the sale of their annual “secret bundle” to help cover the production costs.  The “secret bundle” usually included some of their older material pressed on funny looking vinyl.  This year it was an advanced copy of Recreational Hate on clear vinyl, with options of an extra single, t-shirts and test pressings.  I haven't had a chance to spend too much time with the album but so far, I'm liking what I've heard.

https://lemuriapop.bandcamp.com

Sharptooth-Clever Girl:

     I came across Sharptooth while goofing around on Bandcamp.  If it weren't for Lauren Kashan's vocals, Clever Girl would have ended up being another hardcore album that I've heard a hundred other times with the “I hate my mom, I hate my dad” white boy lyrics.  But Lauren lends an intensity from the female perspective that lends the music boatloads more credibility.  They'll be opening for Anti-Flag in January and February.  They sound like they'll be a lot of fun to see. The album was put out by Pure Noise Records on half and half oxblood/black vinyl and oxblood/black swirl with gold splatter.

http://purenoise.merchnow.com/products/v2/259635/clever-girl-blackoxblood-with-gold-splatter

Crystal Fairy-Crystal Fairy:

     Buzz and Dale, from the Melvins, teamed up with Teri Gender Bender, from Le Butcherettes, and Omar, from At The Drive-In, to form Crystal Fairy.  The pedigree of this band really says it all.  Buzz and Omar trade off bass and guitar duties.  Dale Crover playing drums with all of his Dale Croverness.  And Teri Gender Bender doing what she does best, wreaking havoc all over every track like a cornered badger with rabies.  Ipecac released the album on pink, lavender and clear vinyl.

http://revolvemerchandise.shop/ipecac-music-store

Boris-Dear:

     If all indications are correct, Dear might end up being the last Boris album.  They had almost called it quits after they toured for the anniversary of the Pink album but decided to treat us all to Dear and a subsequent tour instead.  Dear is a collection of what Boris does best.  From speaker melting, sludgy metal to ambient soundscapes.   This record dares to be played at maximum volume. In the U.S., Sargent House released vinyl on yellow and black marble along with a gray and black marble version.  In Japan, Daymare released a three LP version.  The first two LP's were on gold vinyl and contained the album proper.  The third LP was on clear vinyl with two bonus tracks and an extended version of the song D.O.W.N.

https://www.hellomerch.com/collections/boris/products/dear-12-vinyl

Ty Segall was busy as usual:

     The year was only a few weeks old when Ty Segall unleashed yet another LP.  It was his second self-titled release and he seems to be getting better and farther out there as he goes along.  A few months later, he puts forth the Sentimental Goblin EP.  It was only a two song EP and neither song was titled Sentimental Goblin.  And a few months after that, Ty released the benefit EP, Fried Shallots, which had a few new tracks and a few alternate takes of old songs.  Then as the year was winding down, Ty started releasing a single every few weeks.  Five of these tracks were released and then there was an album announcement for Freedom's Goblin which will be released at the end of January 2018.  And I'm sure by the time I finish writing this he'll have put out another record of fuzzy garage stompers.

http://www.dragcity.com/artists/ty-segall

Thee Oh Sees/Oh Sees/OCS:

     And not to be outdone in the field of fuzzy garage stompers, John Dwyer and his cohorts found it within the kindness of their hearts to give us two albums of weirdness this year.

     With the release of Orc, the band dropped the “Thee” and put the album out under the name Oh Sees.  Orc feels like the band is playing at a frenetic and, somehow at the same time, laid back pace.

Their second release of the year, put out under the name OCS, was Memory of A Cut Off Head.  It's a much mellower album than Orc and harkens back to the early days of the band when John Dwyer wanted a quieter affair after the ruckus of the Coachwhips.

https://www.castlefacerecords.com/collections/thee-oh-sees

Monolord-Rust:

     Swedish, stoner-metal heavyweights, Monolord came out of the laboratory, this year, with Rust. Tons of riffage and fuzzed out bass are present throughout.  If you are a fan of Sleep and old school Black Sabbath, then this is the band for you.  RidingEasy Records pressed Rust on a multitude of colors with a few different limited slip covers made of faux leather, denim and paper.

http://www.ridingeasyrecs.com/product/monolordrust666/

Here's notable reissues and live records:

Aus-Rotten-...And Now Back To Our Programming:

     Aus-Rotten's ...And Now Back To Our Programming was reissued this year on Profane Existence. And in 2016 the label reissued The System Works For Them.  When I saw they were reissued, I thought to myself, “Do I really need to buy these records again?”  Profane Existence stated that they made a few balance corrections to the original mastering but didn't touch too much else.  The original releases were such blazing pieces of savagery that I didn't think they could be improved upon.  Boy, was I wrong.  I took the Pepsi challenge with my original copy of The System Works For Them and the Bandcamp download of the new mastering.  The improvement was tenfold.  I couldn't believe it was the same record.  I immediately went to the Profane Existence website and ordered up the vinyl which also had the option to bundle with some t-shirts.  Sold.  Now I can replace my old Aus-Rotten t-shirt with one that doesn't look like I painted my torso a faded black and written “Aus-Rotten” across my chest.  Hooray for me.

http://profaneexistence.storenvy.com/products/21156266-aus-rotten-and-now-back-to-our-programming-lp

In the Iggy Pop department:

     The behemoth seven CD Funhouse sessions box set that was released several years ago has been boiled down to a two LP set called Highlights From The Funhouse Sessions.  This makes for easier listening than an entire CD of every take of TV Eye.  As much as I could, and have, listened to that song repeatedly, an hours worth of TV Eye is a bit much.  Also included are the non-album tracks Lost In the Future, Slide (Slidin' The Blues) and a different version of L.A. Blues called Freak.  The vinyl comes pressed on clear orange with black smoke.

     Then there was the three LP release of the concert Iggy played at the Royal Albert Hall, in London, on the Post Pop Depression tour.  This was from the brief run of shows with Josh Homme and other members of Queens of The Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys as Iggy's backing band.  The set was loaded with songs from The Idiot, Lust For Life and Post Pop Depression and there were no Stooges songs present.  This tour was meant as a showcase for Iggy's solo material and that band hit those songs as if their lives depended on it.

     When the tour was announced, I made plans to haul ass across the state to Philadelphia for a family outing to see this show.  It felt like Iggy finally had a band, without the Asheton brothers, that could contain him and keep up with him.  In all of the Iggy live bootlegs that I have, I have never heard his solo songs played so well.  The Royal Albert Hall release captures that feeling perfectly.  The three LP version was a pricey Record Store Day release, back in April, but it's also available on CD with a blu-ray or DVD option.

http://www.drasticplasticonline.com/The-Stooges-Highlights-From-The-Fun-House-Sessions-Lmtd-Edition-2x-LP-set-180-Gram-Virgin-Vinyl-_p_6321.html

https://www.discogs.com/Iggy-Pop-Post-Pop-Depression-Live-At-The-Royal-Albert-Hall/release/9745531

The Beatles-Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band:

     The 50^th anniversary remix/remaster of Sgt. Pepper was an incredible kick in the head.  My ears had grown accustomed to the 2009 mono remaster and I was not prepared for the monster that was on my turntable.

     When Sgt. Pepper was originally recorded there were technological limits in the studio so the drums had to be mixed down to a single track to leave room for all of the other sounds the Beatles wanted to achieve.  Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer George Martin, swapped out the original single track drum mix for a multi track drum mix.  The 2017 mix creates a swirling effect where it feels like the sound is coming from different directions and everything is more pronounced.

https://thebeatlesstore.com/products/sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band-2-deluxe-lp

Brian Eno-Half Speed Masters:

     The first four Brian Eno albums have been reissued.  Here Come The Warm Jets, Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), Another Green World and Before And After Science were all remastered and recut for 45rpm.  They were remastered at Abbey Road Studios using what they call the half speed mastering process.  This process brings the high range sounds down to the mid-range and makes them easier to manipulate and clean up.  This helps prevent the harsh distortion on “S” sounds that can appear on vinyl.  The albums were cut at 45rpm instead of 33rpm and on two LP's instead of one. This allows for more room on the surface of each side so the lines aren't crammed together. Here Come The Warm Jets has never sounded so good.

http://www.drasticplasticonline.com/search.asp?keyword=brian+eno&search=

Ramones-40^th Anniversary Reissues:

     This year, we were treated to two Ramones reissues.  There was Leave Home and Rocket To Russia.  The deluxe versions include a new mastering of the original albums, a new mix of the albums, demos and outtakes and a live recording.  So far, the new mixes have not disappointed.

https://store.ramones.com

Yes, Virginia, Blackface Is Racist

     What do you do when someone close to you does something really stupid?  In honor of the holiday season, my mother sent out an email with a picture of Santa Claus being flanked by two “elves” in blackface.

     I am aware of the European tradition of Black Pete but I am also aware of the tradition of racism that has persisted in the United States and Europe for centuries.  I don't think I need to take a show of hands to determine that blackface in any shape or form is racist.  Period.  Fuck your tradition and heritage of ignorance, it's racist and if you try to defend it, you are a racist.  Period.

     This leads to my quandary.  If the person who sent this picture to me were anyone but my mother, I would have no problem writing them off and coming to the conclusion that I didn't need to know them anymore.  I have not been able to figure out a way to even talk to her about it without hurting her feelings so I haven't offered a response.

     Part of me is hoping that she wasn't wearing her glasses when she chose this image to be the one to send out as a holiday greeting and only saw Santa with two elves.  But I also have to keep in mind that this behavior is coming from the person who decided to show their animal-loving, vegetarian, granddaughter pictures of a dead deer that was shot by some other relative.

     Another part of me is hoping that it's alzheimer's or some other neurological disorder that comes with old age.  As heartbreaking as that would be, I think it might be better than, “Wow, my mother is a racist” or “Wow, my mother doesn't have a clue.”

     I can no longer chalk these instances up to being generational or some sort of Archie Bunker-ism.  At 90+ years old, Norman Lear would be the first to tell you that Archie Bunker and the ignorance of the character is what he was making fun of when he created the character for All In The Family.

     I have put a lot of work into removing the racist undercurrents I was raised with from my programming.  As far as I can remember, there was never anything out in the open but there was a lot of implied racism from both of my parents when I was growing up.  There was a lot of grumbling that went on when the demographics of our neighborhood shifted.  But they somehow forgot that the neighborhood started to decline when the white trash element moved in and there were broken down cars and abandoned couches everywhere.  When I attended predominately black elementary and middle schools, the only times I was bullied or beaten up was by white kids.

     It's getting harder and harder to spend time with my elders when they are constantly putting forth their low-level vibes of white-supremacy and pining for the good old days that never existed.  Always saying that if it weren't for the threat of nuclear war that those were the halcyon days of civilization.  Those times were great if you weren't black, a woman, gay or any other minority but were hell on earth if you were.  My parents were never clubbed over the head or threatened with lynching for the sole crime of wanting their existence to be acknowledged so the perspective they have of their youth might be a little skewed.

     This might be one of those instances where I will need to swallow my furious anger and try to move past this.  But a piece of me says that if I let this slide, it is a moral failure on my part.  Is this really worth putting a strain on my relationship with my mother when there are more years behind us than in front of us?  I don't know.

      To quote Mr. Garrison, “Merry, Fucking, Christmas.”

Here's the offending photo:

Here's an educational bit from the Jim Jefferies Show:

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/y5m8zx/extended---meet-black-pete---uncensored

Here's a lyric video for a song off of Anti-Flag's new album:

The Office Where I Work Or Winnie The Pooh And The Pants Shitter, Too

Context:  A while back, Lewis Black had a thing called "The Rant Is Due."  People would submit their rants and he would read them at some point during his shows.  Unfortunately, most of the events that you are about to read about took place after the submission deadline but I decided to write one anyway just for the therapy.

     I work in an office for a multi-national corporation.  This office is populated by a cast of characters that no television show or film could portray accurately.  This is the reason I find no enjoyment in shows or movies set in the workplace.  In no particular order, I will try to describe some of my coworkers.

* * *

     First, there is the woman I have dubbed Winnie the Pooh.  She is a morbidly obese, middle-aged woman.  We work in a building that was constructed around World War II so there is no elevator to the second floor, where our office space is located.  Winnie the Pooh filed a complaint for the company to accommodate her obesity by putting in a stair lift (much like the one from Gremlins) that would go from flight to flight up the stairs.  She refused to come into work until this was done.  The compromise put forth by the company to get her back to work was to build a desk/office space in the corner of the first floor conference room so she wouldn't have to walk up the steps.

     Then she filed another complaint and stopped coming to work because she claimed the stalls in the first floor women's bathroom were too small and wanted her own private bathroom.  This reminded me of the episode of South Park when Cartman pretended to be transgender so the school would have to give him a private bathroom.  The compromise this time was that the company would renovate the bathroom to make the stalls larger by going from three stalls down to two.

     When I heard this was happening, all I could do was imagine that there was some sort of Winnie the Pooh incident where she had gotten stuck in the stall and said, “Oh, bother.”  Now, when Winnie the Pooh had gotten stuck in the doorway to Rabbit's house, Rabbit having to bring in a general contractor to blow out a wall in his house wasn't part of the story.  Pooh was stuck in the doorway until he lost enough weight to make his way through.  I think if the stuffed bear had a better lawyer, it would have been a very different story.

* * *

     That brings us to Dorf the Asshole.  Dorf the Asshole is the woman I sit next to for forty hours a week.  She is a woman so inconsiderately annoying that she must workshop material over the weekend to bring in on Mondays.  If there is a noise to make, she will make it.  From gum cracking to whistling to random mouth popping noises.  But what she is most proud of is her singing.  I'm not talking about absentmindedly singing along to a Beatles song when it comes on the radio.  I'm talking about full fledged throat clearing, with purpose, singing along to today's greatest Christian rock hits.  Add to this the fact that Dorf the Asshole's singing sounds like you had just run over a box of cats in your driveway.

     Dorf the Asshole is so skilled at being an asshole that if you politely ask her to not scream “Praise Jesus” at the top of her lungs, you become the asshole.  Show me a better Jedi trick than that.

     I am fairly certain that if I were to exclaim “Hail, Satan!!!” while listening to Slayer, I would end up having a very interesting meeting with HR.

* * *

     Finally, there's The Pants Shitter.  On her breaks and lunch, this woman goes out jogging around the block in order to get her 10,000 steps on her fit bit.  This seems like a very positive and healthy thing for a person to do with their time.  The slight downside of this activity is that she loses control of her bodily functions while out jogging. I will give you a moment to go back and reread that last sentence...

     Yes, The Pants Shitter does just that while out running around the block hence the name The Pants Shitter.  Now, call me crazy but if I engaged in any activity that would cause me to shit my pants, I would think about no longer engaging in that activity after the first time I shit my pants.

     So I guess I'm crazy because The Pants Shitter shits her pants on a regular basis.  Nor does The Pants Shitter keep a change of clothing in her car for such incidents.  And her day to day wardrobe includes wearing a denim skirt so there isn't much available to catch the load that has been jettisoned from the airlock.

     As if this were not horrifying enough, The Pants Shitter is not very concerned with post pants shitting clean up, bringing the wonderful aroma of sweat and feces back to the office for all to enjoy. The most effort she seems to put in is in removing her shit splattered shoes, placing them on her desk and wiping them down with a dry paper towel.  I feel it is important to point out here that The Pants Shitter also eats breakfast and lunch at her desk.

     When the ongoing issue of pants shitting was pointed out to management, we were told that it was a medical issue and there was nothing that could be done about it.  Until the day management came out of its office and caught a whiff of what The Pants Shitter was cooking.  The Pants Shitter was sent home and a cleaning crew was called in.  The office chair was thrown in the dumpster, the desk was cleaned and the carpet was scrubbed.

     To this day, The Pants Shitter continues to go out jogging and shitting her pants.  The only thing that's changed is that she now has a doctor's excuse and gets to go home after shitting her pants which seems to keep happening earlier and earlier in the day.  Go figure.

* * *

     This is why I envy anyone who has had the courage to not enter the 9 to 5 world. From artists, writers, comedians, musicians, actors and the folks that make the shows happen.  I was never brave enough to take the leap of faith in myself that is required to live life without a net.

     There is a theory that if you want to live that way, you shouldn't have a plan B.  If plan B exists in your mind, you may as well go that route to begin with and save yourself the heartbreak of failure.

 There is no greater drive to get something done than “If this doesn't work out, I have no idea what I'll do.” Otherwise twenty years of your life will go by and you'll end up working with Winnie the Pooh and The Pants Shitter, too.

Back From The Dead

Greetings Former Listeners and hopefully Future Readers,

     I have decided to resurrect and repurpose this space in an effort to shake off the rust and cobwebs that have grown in my brain over the past two decades due to my awful day job.  This is an attempt to get my chops back and see if I can still string a few words together into something people might want to read on a regular basis.  If all goes well, the goal is to build something here that might enable me to walk away from my daily brain-crippling, soul suck of a job.

     I have dragged out the rotting corpses of some old articles I had written but were never used by the site I had written them for.  I'll give them another editing pass to see if I can tighten them up.  I've also got a few newer pieces that I've written over the past few months.  I'll see if I can start rolling these things out on a weekly basis.

     I've decided to change the name from Out of Step Music Hour to the Cazart Chronicles due to the lack of music and hours.

Here's the new link:

https://thecazartchronicles.blogspot.com

Feel free to jam your email address into the bar to the right.  I don't see it but Google will send you an email when I do something here.

I'll eventually sign up for the Twitters and the Instagrams when I have a chance to do so.

I'm not sure what this space will become but let's find out.

Cazart.