V/A - Guitarrorists

I have been shopping the blogs for some old compilations that I used to have but, for one reason or other, have gotten away from me over the years. Among the ones that I found is this little gem from around 1991. "Guitarrorists" is a compilation of instrumental pieces by some of punk/underground music's most cutting edge guitar players. Each does what they do best while showcasing the sounds that them so recognizable. There's not much to say about this album, otherwise. The line-up here speaks for itself. Among the players featured are Sonic Boom, J. Mascis, Helios Creed, Thurston Moore, Paul Leary, Nikki Sudden, and Kramer from Bongwater. My personal fave is Steve Albini's "Nutty About Lemurs" track. Here Albini gives us a taste of pretty much every trick in his bag! Back in about 1998 or so I ended up seeing his band Shellac at a strange little place in the small town of Cookeville, Tennessee. It was a pretty intimate setting and between songs Albini announced he was taking requests. I was sitting up front so I decided to yell one out. I thought I would pick something obscure that no one else would probably be asking for and "Lemurs" was the first one to pop in my mind. I yelled it out and after giving me sly grin he went into it and played the entire piece. Anyway, I thought Michael (Zer0_II) would enjoy this one and I'm sure a lot of you will also dig it.

Track List:
1. Sonic Boom - Overture [Spaceman] (1:54)
2. Kurt Ralske - Tar, Iodine, Blood + Rust [Ultra Vivid Scene] (2:40)
3. Kathy Korniloff - I Really Can't Say [Two Nice Girls] (2:59)
4. Jeffrey Evans - Longwood Mansion [Gibson Brothers] (1:46)
5. Wayne Coyne - I Want to Kill My Brother: The Cymbal Head [Flaming Lips] (3:36)
6. J Mascis - A Little Ethnic Song [Dinosaur Jr.] (2:58)
7. Dean Wareham - West Broadway [Galaxie 500] (2:38)
8. Mark E. Robinson - Guitarrorists Theme [Unrest] (1:44)
9. Marc Gentry - Mariposa [Rein Sanction] (2:43)
10. Dave Rick - Where's Gitchi Oombigat At? [King Missle] (4:01)
11. Kat Bjellend - Bruise Violet [Babes in Toyland] (3:12)
12. Thurston Moore - Blues for Spacegirl [Sonic Youth] (4:51)
13. Helios Creed - Green Volcano [Chrome] (1:37)
14. Tom Hazelmeyer - Guitar Wank-Off #13 [Halo of Flies] (3:16)
15. Paul Leary - Fillipé Mepelpeepe [Butthole Surfers] (3:19)
16. Nick Salomon - Dark Field [Bevis Frond] (3:00)
17. Don Fleming - Sound as Steel [Gumball] (1:08)
18. Kim Gordon - Kitten [Sonic Youth] (1:43)
19. Nikki Sudden - Cats Cradle (3:26)
20. Kramer - Ovulation Always Brings Me Down [Bongwater] (2:23)
21. Neil Haggerty - Fallen off the Rocks [Royal Trux] (4:03)
22. Wayne Rogers - Hoichi the Earless [Crystalized Movements] (3:28)
23. Rick McCollum - Spider Plum [Afgan Whigs] (4:18)
24. Marcy Mays - Always Late [Scrawl] (1:06)
25. Lee Renaldo - Here [Sonic Youth] (5:27)
26. Steve Albini - Nutty About Lemurs [Big Black] (1:43)

Download: Guitarrorists
Download Size: 128mb

Various Artists - What It Is! Funky Soul & Rare Grooves [Box Set]

Liner Notes:
Funk emerged in the 1960s, a scorching sound that amped up the spirit of R&B and became the precursor to hip-hop. While major artists topped the charts with funk hits throughout the '60s and '70s, What It Is! celebrates the smaller ones—the heady, groove-monstrous strain of gutbucket funk that remains a major force in American music.

A four-CD, 91-track compendium that would take incalculable hours to assemble from dusty bins at disappearing record shops, What It Is! is culled mainly from the treasure-filled vaults of Atlantic, Atco, and Warner Bros. Records. It's an unprecedented shadow history of funk, pulling together rare sides from well-known artists and definitive grooves from less-known but supremely gifted masters of the art form.

Artists include Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band, Eugene McDaniels, Baby Huey & The Baby Sitters, Allen Toussaint, Little Richard, Labelle, Eddie Hazel, Earth, Wind & Fire, Lulu, Wilson Pickett, Malo, The Meters, Cyril Neville, and many more. Deluxe packaging houses a massive booklet with rare photos, liner notes, and track-by-track commentary.


A righteous undertaking of great magnitude, What It Is! Funky Soul and Rare Grooves trawls through a decade-long stretch of the Warner-distributed archive -- taking in the catalogs of Warner Bros., Atlantic, Reprise, Atco, and smaller nodes like Cotillion, Curtom, Alston, and Jonie -- and pulls up 80 soul/funk truffles, almost all of which were left for dead shortly after release. While many of these cuts have been repurposed as vital ingredients of hip-hop tracks, which has in turn fostered a voracious collector's market (it would cost a fortune to collect these songs in their original formats of release), the box is a leagues-deep trawl through an otherwise forgotten past. There are few well-known names on these four discs, but even they tend to be represented by selections that are not obvious. Curtis Mayfield's "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below We're All Going to Go" is likely the best-known inclusion, and after a substantial number of cuts that can't be considered truly rare, there's a sudden drop into (sweet, sweet) oblivion -- unless you're of the small minority whose spines tingle at the sight of names like Grassella Oliphant and Rasputin's Stash. The chicken-scratch guitars, wild Hammond B-3 runs, group chants, and blaring horn punches are served by the dozens, but the box also illustrates an evolution that took place through the '70s. Since the sequencing is, for the most part, chronological, those changes are all the more perceptible. Funk Factory's "Rien Ne Va Plus" and Faze-O's "Riding High" churn and float slowly, steeped in synthesizers, electric pianos, and studio effects, while legions of artists have attempted to replicate the sound and spirit of Stanga's "Little Sister" and 6ix's "I'm Just Like You" -- two songs graced by the hands of Sly Stone in tripped-out, otherworldly There's a Riot Goin' On mode. It's not one big party, either. Check Baby Huey & the Baby Sitters' harrowing "Hard Times" (written and produced by Mayfield), where the poor and paranoid protagonist subsists on Spam and Oreos and keeps his curtains drawn so he won't see those who peer in on him. The themed playlists and imaginary compilations hiding within this compact box are innumerable, bound to take the average overthinking funk freak to new levels of nerd-dom. There are region-specific sets to be made, as well as sets with possible titles like Latin Funk and Flute Funk and The Early Arrangement and Production Work of the Late Arif Mardin, in addition to a remarkable batch of covers, a tight collection of instrumentals, and a not-very-exclusive list of tracks that have been sampled throughout the years. The accompanying booklet could be sold separately, as it contains scads of seldom-seen photos and scholarly track-by-track notes. Rhino also deserves applause for resisting the urge to house these discs in a massive synthetic afro or an oversized wah-wah pedal. You can snugly tuck this thing between your arm and chest and sense its power run through your whole body. Bring on a second set that extends past the disco era and involves the likes of Slave, Mass Production, Brides of Funkenstein, and Dinosaur.

Year of Release: 2006
Label: Rhino/Wea
Genre: Funk/Soul
Bitrate: 128kbps
File Format: .m4a

Download: What It Is! Funky Soul & Rare Grooves (Disc 1) [69MB]
Download: What It Is! Funky Soul & Rare Grooves (Disc 2) [68MB]
Download: What It Is! Funky Soul & Rare Grooves (Disc 3) [71MB]
Download: What It IS! Funky Soul & Rare Grooves (Disc 4) [72MB]

We're Late For Class - Another Collection

What should be the punishment for someone who hijacks a tribute blog for their own selfish reasons? A harsh verbal warning? Banishment? To be hanged, drawn and quartered? No! How about their own tribute blog post? And who said crime doesn't pay? Thanks to the recommendation of fellow blogger, NØ, We're Late For Class drew my admiration instead of my fury. I strongly urge any fans of experimental psych-rock, fans of legal downloads, and fans of faded, black XXXL t-shirts to check them out. But don't take my word for it; read it straight from the horse's mouth.


"We're Late For Class is an improvisational psychedelic college collective who've been posting free albums on line for over 2 years. Another Collection is their 40th. 2-CDs, 142 minutes, of uncharted improvisation and drug fueled excess, including a seance with Jim Morrison, a musical romp with O.J. Simpson, a homage to producer Jimmy Miller, the theme song for a low budget cable comedy sketch show, one too many accidental nods to Hawkwind and stoned tributes to Ali, Guess Who guitarist Kurt Winter, Pink Floyd and whatever was on the box that given weekend. It's all culled from their previous 19 releases (#21-#39). Last year's #20 A Collection features highlights from #1-#19. WLFC is also prone to 20, 30 & 40 minute space jams, but didn't have the space to include any this time. The best part? It's all free for the taking. You can find We're Late For Class at any local hash bar or at their blog, We're Late For Class"

Tracklist

Disc 1

Herd Mentality (3:05)
Low Budget Cable Sketch Comedy Show Instrumental Theme Song (2:48)
Transmission From Jimmy Miller's Car Phone (6:46)
Ali Ali (4:57)
Under 30 Second Tribute To Kurt Winter (0:29)
Lab Animal (3:16)
Checkers (5:42)
Wind Of The Hawk (4:20)
67 (4:23)
The Lumbering Rex (Remix) (5:05)
Universal Cardigan (Live At Pompeii) (9:08)
Dirge Experience (In Easter Hay) (5:31)
Buttery Hog Mosh (8:49)

Disc 2

Sequel To The Return Of The Son of Monster Magnet (11:00)
The Premiere & Final Performance of Jazz From Outer Space (10:31)
Liquidity (The Spastic Conductor) (11:25)
The Jim Morrison Seance Tapes (13:57)
Trippin' In A Plymouth Belvedere (10:25)
Particle Alert (12:55)

Download: Another Collection Disc 1
Download Size: 142 MB (@320 kbps)

Download: Another Collection Disc 2
Download Size: 150 MB (@320 kbps)

Sci-Fi Novelty, Break-In Records, and Copyright

Greetings Digital Meltd0wn readers! I’m really honored and excited to contribute to this blog and I’d like to start my guest blogging here simply by thanking Zer0 for all the work he does for the music-blog community at large.

Today’s offering is a bit different from a lot of the posts on Digital Meltd0wn. The actual compilation being offered is entitled “Out of This World Flying Saucers “ and it promises to be “A compilation of 31 of the all-time best flying saucer novelty recordings.” As host of a sci-fi radio show I couldn’t pass this up. Upon its arrival I realized something about this compilation; yes, it is a compilation of flying saucer novelty songs, however, the majority of cuts featured on this compilation are from the “break-in” records that were so popular in the late fifties/early sixties. I offer the compilation in full, but I want to say a bit about the “break-in” recording and its place in musical history. Break-in recordings are, perhaps, the starting point for the “sampling debate” we find still continuing in the realm of contemporary music. As such, they are a rather fascinating bit of music history.

The first thing we should probably do is to offer an idea of just what a “break-in” recording is. Essentially, “break-in” recordings are a specific type of novelty song. The gag is this: usually there is a brief clip of a song playing that is interrupted for some important breaking news (the break in). From there, it cuts to a reporter who is interviewing eye witnesses of an event, various experts about the event, or sometimes even fictional characters about whatever the breaking news has been reported to be. The responses to the reporter come in the form of snippets from popular songs of the time; in other words, there isn’t an actor playing the eyewitness, instead, you hear samples from various songs played back that respond to the reporter. That, in a nutshell, is what a break-in recording is.

Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman are often credited as the originators of this type of recording. Their first “break-in” recording (and, really, THE first) was the 1956 hit “The Flying Saucer” (this usually appears on compilations, including this one, as The Flying Saucer (Part One) and The Flying Saucer (Part Two). This recording became wildly popular and spawned a league of others who were keen to get in on the “break-in” phenomenon.

Now here is the interesting bit. Think about what Buchanan and Goodman are doing. This is long before sample-based hip-hop or electronic music enters the scene. As familiar as we are nowadays with sampling in music and audio entertainment, Buchanan and Goodman were innovators at this time. Some claim The Flying Saucer to be one of the earliest if not the earliest example of sampling within a pop recording ever. If nothing else, it seems to be the first recording that relies upon sampling that reached such a level of popularity.

So did this go without controversy? Of course not. Copryright lawsuits were just around the corner for the originators of the break-in record. However, the results of the legal proceedings may surprise you. A judge ruled that the Goodman’s work could be properly classified as burlesque/parodies and should be considered as new works in-and-of-themselves. The various lawsuits facing Goodman were, apparently, settled out of court after this decision. However, it seems that this case is one of the first, at least to my (limited) knowledge, legal cases where the art of sampling was defended within a court of law.

The point of all this? Well, the point is more historic than anything else. I just found it interesting that we can easily trace the sampling debate all the way back to the fifties.
That said, here is the track listing for this compilation. Note: not all of these are break-in recordings. The Jesse Lee Turner track “The Little Space Girl” is simply a novelty recording and there may be one or two others that are not break-ins on this compilation.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Buchanan_(songwriter)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickie_Goodman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Saucer_(song)

Track Listing:
Out of this World Flying Saucers (Pt. 1) - Dave Barry & Sara Berner
Out of this World Flying Sauvers (Pt. 2) - Dave Barry & Sara Berner
The Flying Saucers in Brooklyn (Pt. 1) - The Merry Martian w/ The Marching Band
The Flying Saucers in Brooklyn (Pt. 2) - THe Merry Martian w/The Marching Band
The Flying Saucer (Pt. 1) - Buchanan & Goodman
The Flying Saucer (Pt. 2) - Buchanan & Goodman
The Answer to the Flying Saucers - Sid Lawrence & Friends
The Little Space Girl - Jesse Lee Turner
The Flying Saucer the 2nd - Buchanan & Goodman
The Space Man - Geddins & Sons
The Flying Saucer the 3rd - Buchanan & Goodman
Man in Orbit - The Space Men
The lying Saucers Go West - Buchanan & Goodman
A Moonflight - Vik Venus
The SPace Ship - The Missiles
Santa & The Satellite (Pt. 1) - Buchanan & Goodman
Santa & The Satellite (Pt. 2) - Buchanan & Goodman
Luney Landing - Captain Zap & The Motortown Cut-ups
Henry Goes to the Moon (Pt. 1) - Ruff & Reddy
Henry Goes to the Moon (Pt. 2) - Ruff & Reddy
The Space Man - Alan Freed, Steve Allen & Al ‘Jazzbo’ Collins
Santa & The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley
Cape Canaveral (Pt. 1) - Manny Sootz & The Thieves
Cape Canaveral (Pt. 2) - Manny Sootz & The Thieves
I Saw Elvis in a U.F.O. - Ray Stevens
Luna Trip - Dickie Goodman
The Return of the Flying Saucer - Jon Goodman* [This is Dickie’s son and was a sort of tribute to the original if memory serves me]
Our Space Man Came Back - Jeff Hughes
Hey E.T. - Dickie Goodman
You-Eff-Oh (Pt. 1) - Those Five Guys
You-Eff-Oh (Pt. 2) - Those Five Guys

Download: http://rapidshare.com/files/254689627/Out_of_This_World_Flying_Saucers.zip
Download Size: 173.9 mb [320 kbps]

Opal - Early Recordings

Let's get on down, get on down the road.

While SST's release Happy Nightmare Baby by Opal is essential, this set of 'Early' (1983-1987) recordings is a great showcase of the song-making skills of Kendra Smith & David Roback. Made up primarily of songs from the Northern Line & Fell from the Sun eps, with additional outtakes & unreleased tracks ("Harriet Brown" being a great haunting melody previously unheard). Opal is an oft overlooked band that always manages to please me, no matter the set or setting. I hope the uninitiated (if there are any) will take a chance on this wistful yet lovely offering.

Year of Release: 1989
Label: Rough Trade
Genre: Indie, Alt-Psychedelic

Track List:
Empty Box Blues
She's a Diamond
My Only Friend
Empty Bottles
Grains of Sand
Brigit on Sunday
Northern Line
Strange Delight
Fell from the Sun
Harriet Brown
Lullabye
All Souls
Hear the Wind Blow

Download: Opal - Early Recordings
Download Size: 114.74MB (at 320Kbps)

Michael Jackson Tribute (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)

This blog traditionally strays away from mainstream material, but I would be remiss if I did not mention the passing of who I consider the greatest entertainer of all-time. Although I have been quite promiscuous with music; experimenting and dipping my fingers in any honey pot I could find, you never forget your first love. Michael Jackson was my first love. In a sad attempt to reconnect with that little girl singing "Heal the World" into a hairbrush, I purchased tickets to what was supposed to be Jackson's final tour in London. The purchase highlighted my European vacation planned for mid-July, but obviously upon the news of his death; plans have been altered.

Dubbed "The King of Pop" and deservedly so with such accolades as 13 Grammys and 750 million records sold. His Thriller album remains the best selling album of all-time, and the 1987, Bad album is the only album ever to produce five #1 singles. ("The Way You Make Me Feel," "Bad," "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," " Man in the Mirror," and "Dirty Diana")



I decided not to go with the more popular of Michael Jackson releases, since the majority of his catalog is so readily available. The first album I have decided to post is The Jackson 5's ABC album. ABC was the second studio album release by The Jackson 5. Although The Jackson 5's Third Album was more successful, I find ABC to be the band's best work. Album highlights include their covers of Funkadelic's "I'll Bet You" and the Delfonics' "La-La (Means I Love You,)" and the title track, "ABC." Although the standout track for my money is by far, "The Love You Save." An absolute gem of a pop song where the group's harmonies seem to be at their peak.


Year of Release: 1970
Label: Motown
Genre:Pop/Soul


Track List:
1. The Love You Save
2. One More Chance
3. ABC
4. 2-4-6-8
5. (Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need
6. Don't Know Why I Love You
7. Never Had a Dream Come True
8. True Love Can Be Beautiful
9. La-La (Means I Love You)
10.I'll Bet You
11.I Found That Girl
12.The Young Folks

Download: Jackson 5 - ABC
Download Size: 57.47 MB

The second of the two releases is the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Story Book Album Released in 1982, Michael Jackson narrated it while the infamous John Williams provided the music. Jackson received a Grammy in 1984 for Best Recording For Children.

I hope you enjoy these albums. Regardless of what you thought of Michael Jackson as a human being, his accomplishments as a musicians must be respected. I love Michael Jackson and I have no problem saying that about anyone that enriched my life with so much joy. Apparently, I am not alone in this feeling, as evident by the heavy Jackson related traffic on sites such as Twitter and Google. Sales of Jackson's albums have spiked tremendously on digital sites such as iTunes and Amazon as well. My favorite thing during this whole ordeal has been discussing with others their favorite Jackson songs and what the songs meant to them. Feel free to chime in with your comments here or on the Michael Jackson official site.

Year of Release: 1982
Label: MCA Records
Genre: Soundtrack/Audiobook


Track List:
1. Someone In The Dark
2. Landing / Discovery
3. Home / Intrusion / Chase / Good Bye
4. Reprise (Someone In The Dark)

Download: Michael Jackson - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Download Size: 66.78 MB

Previously I posted Phallus Dei - Pornocrates. Thought some folks might be interested in the video to the title track.

Download: Phallus Dei - Pornocrates video mpg
Download Size: 59.81MB

Otto Kinzel IV - e.p.

Since it would seem that JUnit1 isn't quite ready to start his guest spot here at DM I thought I would post this interesting little homebrew release. Every once in a while someone contacts me asking if I would listen to and review their music. I always try to oblige with the condition that anything I review must be available for download on the internet. For an "unsigned" artist I think it's essential to put one's work on the the net for free. It encourages people, who have access to any album they want in a matter of seconds, to listen to something new from an unknown musician and most times it's at least refreshing to know music does not need corporate sponsorship to be good.

This little e.p. from New Hampshire musician Otto Kinzel is in advance of a full-length album entitled "The Pain and the Progress". Kinzel's industrial/electronica influences are apparent on these four tracks. KMFDM and Foetus spring to mind upon a first listen as well Faith No More during their "Angel Dust" period. Kinzel plays all the instruments while "guest" vocalists belt out mostly rap/rock style lyrics. Of course this is not the brand of rap/rock that's been shoved down our throats for the last ten years by bands who do it all for the nookie. The first track, "Life's Blood", really does remind me of Mike Patton's vocal styling with a hard edged industrial dance groove. "Missed Call" features a pretty rad combination of an old school jungle beat with some interesting guitar and an original arrangement that somehow stays danceable while flirting with experimental noise. The other two tracks here are pretty decent, as well. One is an instrumental showcasing Kinzel's metal guitar skills while the other is a mellow sort of meditation with a carnival theme.

Although this sort of music isn't really my usual cup of tea Otto Kinzel does it well. He's able to put together some really lush and complex arrangements that demonstrate his unique musical and production skills. Although this is a home recording, it's slick enough to be mistaken for an expensive major label release. I look forward to hearing the full album when it comes out. Good summertime driving jams.

Download: Otto Kinzel IV
Download Size: 33.7mb

Guest Blogger JUnit1

I am pleased to report that fellow music blogger, Josh aka J-Unit1, has agreed to guest blog here for a short stint. Josh is the founder of The Deuce Project, a science fiction themed radio show broadcast on 89.1FM in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He also runs a blog http://89deuce.blogspot.com/ by the same name where he shares podcasts of the previously aired radio broadcasts. The show covers a wide range of music, from cult classics to rare tracks, all with a sci-fi flavor. I'm sure that we will all be delighted by the material he has in store for us for us in the near future.

As some of you may already know, I have been on hiatus for a while due to being overworked. As soon as I have enough free time on my hands I will resume regular updates to the blog. I would like to thank Josh for agreeing to guest blog, along with Psyche Zenobia, AllyWonderland, and Nathan Nothin. Without your help this blog would be stagnant, and that would be a real bummer for me and all of the visitors. Thank you for your contributions. You're doing an amazing job.

The Deuce Project: Science Fiction Radio - http://89deuce.blogspot.com/

Southland Tales OST

Southland Tales is the follow-up to Richard Kelly's debut film, Donnie Darko. Don't be fooled by a film floating around out there called S. Darko which is marketed as a "sequel" but is really a completely unrelated cheap attempt to cash in on the success of the original. In reality, there is no sequel to Donnie Darko but Southland Tales is as close it comes. Kelly uses an incredible ensemble cast to explore familiar themes of time travel, identity, and destiny weaving a tale worthy of eventual cult classic status.

Although half of my reason for posting this is to encourage people to watch the movie, the soundtrack is no slouch either. Original music composed by Moby and a good mix of other tunes make this a decent compilation on its own. The Pixies, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Jane's Addiction are among the more familiar names but there are also some pretty obscure tracks and some that were composed for the film such as a very interesting re-working of the Star-Spangled Banner. Enjoy!

Tracks:

1. Wave of Mutilation - The Pixies (UK Surf Version)
2. Oh My Angel - Bertha Tillman
3. Howl - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Extended Version)
4. Look Back In - Moby
5. Me & Bobby McGee - Waylon Jennings
6. Chord Sounds - Moby
7. Lucky Me - Roger Webb
8. 3 Steps - Moby
9. Broken Hearted Savior - Big Head Todd & The Monsters
10. Teen Horniness Is Not a Crime - Abbey McBride/ClarKent/Sarah Michelle Gellar
11. Tiny Elephants - Moby
12. Forget Myself - Elbow
13. Star Spangled Banner, The - Rebekah Del Rio & The Section Quartet
14. Three Days - Jane's Addiction (Live Version)
15. Memory Gospel - Moby

Download: Southland Tales
Download Size: 105mb

SleepResearch_Facility-Nostromo

Final exams are over. School is out. It's time to enjoy some fun in the sun! Right? Not so fast my friends. Friday afternoon I encountered an injury that will shelf me for a time. I fractured my ankle in a water skiing accident in New Jersey. Hopefully I will not be away from my internship any longer than a week. Fear not my downloading friends; for not all is lost! My pain is your gain.

Most artists, regardless of genre, construct their music in such a way that forces the listener down a direct path. As listeners we are usually at the mercy of the composer. One would argue that SleepResearch_Facility does the exact opposite; leaving SleepResearch_Facility to be as vivid or bland as the listener's imagination. Their unique brand of dark ambiance is perhaps best explained from their own official website:

"Sleep Research Facility explores notions of awareness and perception in the sub/unconcious listener. Focusing primarily on sound bereft of rhythm based energies, SRF(acility)'s goal is to provide listening environments wherein the music simply adds texture to the silence. SRF entertains the idea that music can forgoe notions of compositional architecture, resulting in noise which draws attention away from itself, leaving room for the listener to focus on other things (or, focus on nothing at all). SRF puts emphasis on these aesthetics in the search for a kind of "play me quiet" sound suitable for listening to actively or passively depending on circumstances, creating an aural experience which guides the mind through gentle misdirection rather than forcing its attention, allowing listeners to drift in their own diversified thoughts."

Nostromo is the debut album of SleepResearch_Facility that heavily draws its inspiration from the 1979 film, "Alien." Fans of the film will recognize the name of the album bears the same name of the ship; and much like the ship in the film, the album is separated into decks aside from the 2007 bonus track, "Narcissus." Enjoy the tranquility of deep space my friends; but just remember: "In space no one can hear you scream." :)

Year of Release: 2001/2007 (bonus track)
Label: Cold Spring
Genre: Dark Ambient


Track List:
1. a-deck
2. b-deck
3. c-deck
4. d-deck
5. e-deck
6. Narcissus* (bonus)

Download: SleepResearch_Facility-Nostromo
Download Size: 36.57 MB

Brainticket - Alchemic Universe

Zero posted up those lists of last.fm Monthly Member Recommendations & I thought it would be kool to feature some of the listed artists.

Brainticket is generally classified as Krautrock, but they were actually pioneers of Kosmiche music along with the likes of Tangerine Dream & Klaus Schulze. Though the earlier (70s) Brainticket material are their classic releases, Psychonaut & Celestial Ocean remain available many other places around the Interweb. Fortunately Brainticket main-man & keyboardist Jöel Vandroogenbroeck is still making interesting musick today. I thought you might like to give Alchemic Universe a listen. It was originally released by Hologram Records in 2000. It features primarily Jöel with Carole Muriel providing the vocals & lyrics by Lance Bunda (who also produced).


The CD opens with "Life's Mirror", a great combination of mind-expanding symphonics & killer alien sounds with narration from Carole Muriel (who crops up intermittently throughout the album). "Relics 'N' Roll" seems the most reminiscent of the Prog/Kosmiche days.This album draws on Joël's past from the pioneering 70s, but is not merely a retro rehashing of past glories It's the Brainticket sound that you hope for with new life & fresh ideas.

Year of Release: 2000
Label: Hologram Records HOL 2001
Genre: Prog, Krautrock, Kosmiche

Tracklist:
Life's Mirror
Transformation of a Stream
Within Venus
Alchemic Universe
Relics 'N' Roll
The Sunspace Between
A Dreamer's Reflection
Time

Download: Brainticket - Alchemic Universe
Download Size: 135.37MB at 320Kbps

Ultra - Ultra

I have reuploaded this very rare gem of classic rock as requested. I originally posted this back in 2006, and the download link has been broken for quite some time, along with all the other gigasize links that I posted. I wish I could remember where I found this so I could give the original uploader due credit. In all likelihood this came from the now defunct ChrisGoesRock blog, but since it no longer exists I can't be certain.

Before Ultra, there was Homer. By 1974, the line-up of the Texas band “Homer” was: Don Evans (vocals & drums), Chet Himes (bass), Van Wilks (guitar), and Galen Niles (guitar). This version of the band lasted for only a short while, as Van Wilks left to pursue a solo career (“Bombay Tears” - Mercury Records) and Chet Himes left to pursue a career as a recording engineer (“Christipher Cross”, “Ted Nugent Live”, etc.). After a brief time-out, remaining “Homer” members Galen Niles and Don Evans teamed up with Larry McGuffin (guitar), Scott Stephens (bass), and Tom Schleuning (drums) to form the group “Ultra”. They agreed that the music of Ultra would be a departure from the 3-part vocal harmonies and “mellotron” background characteristic of Homer’s music; Gibson Guitars plugged directly into Marshall 100 watt stacks blasting out twin lead guitars playing harmony and trading solos would form the basis of Ultra’s music.

After several months of rehersal, they set about securing management. Not wanting to be labeled a “club band”, the group found management services in the form of a Texas rock-concert promotion company: “Stone City Productions”. Consequently, Ultra’s public performances were almost exclusively as the opening act for several touring bands popular at the time. Performing at this level gave Ultra a fair amount of audience exposure, but it also meant that their road expenses were very high; in fact, their “roadies” usually took home most what little money that there was.

Three years of starvation and the creeping popularity of “disco” and “punk” music convinced the band mambers that the prospect of getting a hard-edged rock band off the ground at that point in time was not very good, and the group disbanded in 1978. These songs were recorded from 1976 - 1978 at United Audio Recording Studios in San Antonio, and were engineered by Bob Bruce. All songs were written by Niles, McGuffin & Evans

Ultra is old school metal/70's southern rock grooves with outstanding vocals. These songs all have a southern groove thing happening and I could easily see Ultra on a bill with Dixie Witch or Weedeater alike. The songs are super tight rock and roll veteran style. The rhythm section is unstoppable and just trucks along like a well oiled machine the whole time. The guitar work is outstanding and fitting for the music, but seems to push the envelope one step further and adding styling/leads that would be equally fitting on a Iron Maiden or Judas Priest record...I guess this is where the main metal aspect comes from. There are tons of 2 part harmony guitar leads and super precise chops. Top notch musicianship in all fields.

Track List:
1. Mutants
2. Android
3. Battery
4. Ten Years Since
5. Lamp Black White Fight
6. Windjammer
7. Diggin' Deep
8. Circe
9. Sasons Pass
10. City On Ice
11. The Desert
12. Souled There With Care
13. Man On The Street
14. Get Away
15. Compass
16. Hot'N' Cold

Download: Ultra - Ultra
Download Size: 66MB

last.fm Monthly Member Recommendations

As some of you may already know, Digital Meltd0wn has it's own group on last.fm, which can be found here - http://last.fm/group/digital+meltd0wn I couldn't be more pleased with the eclectic yet amazing taste of the members there. Recently all of the members have been participating in a monthly music recommendation discussion on the group forum. It has turned out to be a great way for us all to discover new artists, genres, and albums. I have decided to start sharing these monthly recommendations on all of the sites within the Digital Meltd0wn network. I have also set up a temporary page on geocities http://geocities.com/zer0ii/recommendations.html which I will transfer to a better location eventually. Here is the list of artists that were recommended during the months of April and May:

May 2009 Recommendations

Antic Clay • Alt. Country

Doo Rag • Blues Punk

Don Tiki • Exotica

François Rabbath

Lycaon Pictus

Nighthawks

Peter Alamoo

Polk Miller

Ritualistic School of Errors

Scale the Summit

School of Seven Bells

Scott H. Biram Alt. Country

Slim Cessna's Auto Club • Alt. Country

Turner of Wheels

Woven Hand • Alt. Country

April 2009 Recommendations

Alan Sondheim

Andrew Liles

Annette Krebs

Anton Bruhin

Aphorism

belladonnakillz

Collection d'Arnell~Andréa

Beati Mortui

Beatriz Ferreyra

Brainticket • PsychedelicKrautrock

Calyx After This

Camille Sauvage • Library Music

Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes

CH District

DuOuD • World Fusion

Duuster

Dym

Egisto Macchi

Frank the Baptist

Fritz Weiland

Germaine Tailleferre

Gewaltakustik

Horacio Vaggione

Ike Yard

J.A. Caesar

Jeff Wayne

John Fahey

Lodge Doom

Mad Marge and the StoneCutters • Psychobilly

Matamachete

Miasma & The Carousel of Headless Horses

moniek darge

Nebulo

Pine Tree State Mind Control

Present

PURPLE FOG SIDE

Rabbit Junk • Digital Hardcore

Raymond Scott • Library Music

Remko Scha

Rune Lindblad

Semool

Speculativism

Steaming Coils

Syllyk

The Autumns

Univers Zero

U.S. Maple

Virgins O.R. Pigeons

Voice Crack

Von Südenfed

Winter Soul

Xyn

Yma Sumac

Yusef Lateef

I hope that some of you will take the time to explore these recommendations, and are able to find some enjoyment in the process. If you have an account on last.fm please join the Digital Meltd0wn group. We have a great group of people with superb taste, and the best part is that they don't mind sharing their latest musical discoveries for all to enjoy. I hope to see you there.

Doo Rag - Trudge/Breakin' Straw 7"

As several people commented requesting that I post more material from Doo Rag, I present to you yet another 7" from the blues trash duo. There isn't much that I can say about Doo Rag that I haven't already covered in my previous posts. The Trudge/Breakin Straw 7" was released one year after the previously posted Hussy Bowler 7". Unfortunately Doo Rag would split up two years after releasing this due to a falling out between Bob Log and Thermos Malling. Bob Log would go on to put out several solo albums, while Thermos faded into obscurity. This vinyl release is extremely rare. You won't even find it on ebay. Fortunately for you fine folks Digital Meltd0wn is here to fullfill your Doo Rag needs. Once I finish taking care of a few reup requests I will be posting the equally rare Swampwater Mop Down/Engine Bread 7" from Doo Rag, followed by the full length What We Do LP.

Track List:
1. Trudge
2. Breakin' Straw

Download: Doo Rag - Trudge/Breakin Straw 7"
Download Size: 4MB

Doo Rag - Hussy Bowler/Grease & All 7"

From the moment I discovered Doo Rag I knew that I would be exploring the entirety of their discography, and what a pleasure it has been. Doo Rag was essentially formed at a house party in Tucson, Arizona in 1990. One-Man-Band Bob Log happened to be covering Fred McDowell songs on his custom made guitar/snare drum combo at this part. Eventually Thermos Malling joined in banging on a cheese grater with a spoon. The music gods smiled knowingly from above as Doo Rag was born on this fateful night.

Doo Rag - Bob Log & Thermos Malling

I would consider Doo Rag to be essential listening for any fan of lo-fi, blues, punk, or experimental music, as it is an amalgom of these styles, and yet this still just isn't quite enough to explain their truly unique style. Up until this point Bob Log has become accustomed to performing as a one-man-band, and with Thermos Malling taking up percussion duties, it allowed him to unleash his primitive blues punk style on the guitar. Thermos Malling's unique style perfectly complimented that of Bog Log's. He shunned traditional percussion instruments, instead opting to use cardboard boxes, cheese graters, and various other common household items.

Bob Log III

It would be three years before Doo Rag released their debut in the form of the Hussy Bowler/Grease & All 7" on WestWorld(?) records. Their subsequent releases would be increasingly hard to find, beginning with Barber Shop, an impossible to find album released only on cassette, followed by a series of rare 7" singles released on vinyl. I don't think that it would be accurate to describe any of Doo Rag's albums as polished, but their early material was much more crude than the more accessible What We Do LP the duo released several years later. Let me know if you enjoy this, as I have more Doo Rag material that I would be willing to share if anyone is interested.

Download: Doo Rag - Hussy Bowler/Grease & All 7"
Download Size: 6MB

Mr. California & the State Police - I'm Gonna Kick You in the Head

If the bastard son of Eugene Chadbourne & the Sun City Girls was a one-man punk band, he'd be Mr. California & the State Police. Terry Ryan is Mr. California & the State Police. He's now moved to Cleveland,Ohio but warns everyone not to call him Mr. Ohio. His album Audio Hallucinations is available but good luck finding this here slab, an ultra rare release on cult underground record label PEER PRESSURE ZOMBIE RECORDS.

Armed with a cheap keyboard, a drum machine & a guitar, Mr. California creates a blend of industrial punk mixed with blast beats of thrash & odd interludes, electronic anarchy mixed with a warped sense of humor. Mr. California & the State Police sound like the music of the pre-teen younger brother of someone from Men’s Recovery Project. Fifty-two really short songs in less than 30 minutes with vocals providing insults, childish behavior & other insane ramblings set to a fast beat with distorted guitar. There are songs like "Hot Coffee" that remind me of early Black Flag while tunes like "Pig Eye Poison" (She's a witch [x3]/first she stabs the eye/then she takes the broth/cleans up the mess/cleans up the rest/pig eye poison [x4]/yeah) that remind me of the Sun City Girls heritage. The world should prepare itself for this weapon of mass destruction. Mr. California & the State Police might very well be insane -- or at least attention-deficit . Blistering noise worthy of Lightning Bolt. This is demented no-wave music that flies in the face of all conventions.


This record is pressed on beautiful marbled blue vinyl, the cover has pasted-on silkscreened & spraypainted cover art, totally DIY. Comes with lyric sheet, Please Don't Call Me Poser ("Poser") drawing by Mr. California & a cool sticker. These songs are so short & many run one into the next that I have simply left each side as a single cut (side A tracks 1 - 28, side B 29 - 52). Mr. C says he's gonna kick you in the head, so be forewarned. Enjoy!

Year of Release: 2002
Label: Peer Pressure Zombie PPZ-003
Genre: Punk?, Noise.

Tracklist:

Download: Mr. California & the State Police - I'm Gonna Kick You in the Head
Download Size: 68.4MB (ripped from pristine vinyl at 320Kbps)

Join me on Blip.fm

I just recently discovered a promising and relatively new site by the name of Blip.fm. Blip allows it's members to DJ music using a Twitter-like interface, with a massive selection of songs available from Imeem to choose from, in addition to the content uploaded by members on third party sites.

I first decided to use the service to share music that I wouldn't normally post here, such as recently released material or music that is commercially available. However, since I have started using the service I have come to realize that it also happens to be a great resource for discovering music that I am unfamiliar with, and has also allowed me to rediscover a few old favorites.

As with Twitter, members have 140 characters to play with when writing their messages. Despite the simple interface, there are a number of options available to blippers that allow them to share music and interact with one another. If you are familiar with Twitter commands, such as replying to another person using the @User command, then you will have no problems using the service. Despite the similarities to Twitter, there are a number of music related features that set it apart from it also. DJs are able to create playlists, "reblip" their own blips and those of others, find other members who have blipped the same artist, search blip.fm receive artist's tour info based on your their area code and more. Members are also able to upload their own songs to third party hosting sites, import the url, and blip the song. This is the best method for sharing music that isn't available on Imeem. I recommend using http://boxstr.com if you don't already know of a host that allows hotlinking to mp3 files. Blip.fm has also added integration with other services. At the moment you can scrobble songs you have listened to on blip.fm to your last.fm account, and post updates to Twitter, Ping.fm, FriendFeed, Tumblr, and LiveJournal.

Blip has also set up a system for showing your respect to other DJs for the songs they select. Each DJ receives 15 prop credits to award other DJs when they first sign up. At the moment the props have no practical purpose, other than to show appreciation; however, the developers have hinted around on the blip.fm blog that this will change in the near future.

If you're looking for a truly eclectic listening experience I would recommend going to the public page where you can view every blip being posted in real time. Every style you can imagine eventually makes its way on here. The majority of it is mainstream music, although there are several DJs who make it a point to offer up lesser known yet interesting music. After only a few days of using Blip.fm I have already discovered a few people worth following, and have gained a few followers myself. I would like to invite you all to join me on blip.fm. Please use the invite link that I have posted here, as blip rewards you 10 prop credits to dish out to other members for each person you invite. I hope to see some of you on Blip.fm soon. Please don't be comment shy if you join up. I love interacting with others, especially when dealing with music. I've been sharing music with visitors to this blog for nearly three years now. Now some of you can finally introduce me to the music that you love in return.

Blip.fm: http://blip.fm/invite/Zer0_II
My Blip.fm Page: http://blip.fm/Zer0_II

I would also like to thank OneLuvGurl for inadvertently introducing me to Blip.fm. Check out her blog @ http://dorkmuffin.com

Featured Video: Bob Log III - String on a Stick

I am in the process of uploading and preparing to post a couple of Doo Rag 7" releases. I thought it would be fitting to share this odd Bob Log III video for "String on a Stick" from the BlankTV website. My job has me so bogged down that I am only able to update the blog with less time consuming posts for now. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy this video.

Bob Log III @ last.fm: http://www.last.fm/music/Bob+Log+III

BlankTV: http://blanktv.com

Phallus Dei - Pornocrates

As I promised several people, more Phallus Dei. If you want more info about the band, go here. Phallus Dei put a lot of time & creative effort into writing their songs. The payoff is an immaculate sounding & composed piece of musick. This is one powerful album.

"Monumental." On Pornocrates the line-up is the same as Cyberflesh.

Phallus Dei is: Oliver St. Lingam - vocals & sequencing; Mk. E - guitar, acoustic guitar, flute, bass, & keyboards; Joris Huijbregts - bass, keyboards, accordion, & sequencing; & Richard van Kruysdijk - drums, percussion, synthesizer, keyboards, guitar, & sequencing. Written, arranged, produced & performed by Phallus Dei.

Year of Release: 1994
Label: Paragoric PA 06
Genre: Electronic Industrial

Tracklist:

Dog (Prologue)
On Aloneness
The Arising (A New Day Version)
Unguided Love
Pornocrates (Bloodlust a Go-Go version)
Insignificance
Ladyshave
The Outer Bone
Circles on Circles (Dreams ov Channel Five version)
Never to Believe (My Release version)
Veiled Statues
Dead Birds Floating
Current Lullabye (Epilogue)

Download: Phallus Dei - Pornocrates
Download Size: 109.9MB