Suicide - Suicide (first album 1977)

Hey everybody. Here is the stuff you can't miss. Another one brilliant gem. Absolute classic. Essential. Masterpiece. Here is the first Suicide album. Suicide is unique. Yes, I know that the "Silver Apples" was the first duo in that genre and they got their records earlier than Suicide, but they didn't have the punky spirit inside, and great image. Alan Vega is a truly shaman. He always was on psychedelic substances on his shows, just look at his eyes. And his voice, his manner, he got a giant strong charisma. I don't know english so good to desribe all that I want to say about Suicide music, so just listen it.

In 1977, a band called SUICIDE took nihilist minimalism further than punk would dare, aiming to scare your neighbours with nothing more than stark keyboards, a drum machine and whisper-shriek-yelp vocals. Being a fan of Ghost Rider the Marvel Comics hero, I of course took a liking to the sinister opening track that bears his name: "America, America is killing its youth" is not the stuff of Nicholas Cage blockbusters, however. This is repetitive, three-chord "new wave" stripped to its bones before new wave even existed. It lays the blueprint for industrial rock as well, though it doesn't so much rock as ominously sway, powered by creaky pistons instead of slaughterhouse guitars. The music brings to mind an eyeless, earless, armless genetically-engineered troglodyte being driven down a conveyor built by robotic hands. This is a New World D.A.F. you can't dance to, a subterranean STOOGES, beatnik poetry transmitted back in time through radio sometime after World War III, a Ballardian nightmare for your ears.- peacedogman.com

P.S. And please leave a comment. Even if you don't know what to say , just write - Fill your posts sucks!:)) or whatever you want. Even this will be better than ignorence.
And sorry for not sharebe link, but its works fine, if you got a trouble with download please tell me, I'll try to reipload it to your favorite share service

Year of Release: 1977
Genre: Electronic, Experimental, Minimal
Bitrate:192kbps

Track List:
01 Ghost Rider (2:32)
02 Rocket U.S.A. (4:15)
03 Cherree (3:46)
04 Johnny (2:08)
05 Girl (3:20)
06 Frankie Teardrop (10:24)
07 Che (4:50)
08 Cheree (remix) (3:48)
09 I Remember (3:11)
10 Keep Your Dreams (4:49)

Download: Suicide
Download size: 185,3 mb

River City Rebels "Hate to be Loved"

Hello again folks. Sorry for too long break. But now I am back in buisness. Here something very intresting. RCR are known like a '77 Oi Punk band. But this album is absolutely different. Its a pure teenage rock, with great catcthy tunes, pure rock'n'roll like it must be. As for me, I'm not a big fan of punk, and this album much closer to rock neither to punk sound, and that the reason I like it. Just listen to the "No Easy Way Out" . This melody you will sing all day long, it will stuck in your head for long time. There is also a blusey tunes here, and some fast songs with glam rock accent. Just wacth some videos of this band at youtube , and you will see this guys got a great style and taste in fashion, and great sense of humor too.

"... However their latest effort Hate To Be Loved is quite interesting in that it finds the band channelling the New York Dolls and Dictators rather than The Clash. Strangely enough the River City Rebels sound far more comfortable in this skin than their prior one. Bopper's snotty, often high-pitched, vocals are a better fit for sleazy glam than they are guttural shout-along street punk. Just compare the scathing "Hurt Like I Do" to "Dreamy 17" for an on-disc example. Not that the moments when the Rebels lapse into their past songwriting styles are of lesser quality, far from it, but the band's current direction has far more character and is just simply more interesting... ...The album opening "Hurt Like I Do" forgoes the usual bombastic lead track and instead starts things off with a slow building, vulnerable rock song. The glam influences and the Rebels' ever present knack for a good chorus shine through on "I'm So Vain" and "No Easy Way Out." There's a blues swagger that runs through the record, emerging rather viciously in "Die Young" and in a more jovial way in "Her New Man." If recording under Sylvain and band's current image doesn't drive the point home, there's even a cover of Otis Redding's "Don't Mess With Cupid," also famously covered by... you guessed it..." punknews.org

Year of Release: 2004
Genre: Rock, Glam, Punk
Bitrate:192kbps

Track List:
1. Hurt Like I Do
2. Cloudy Times
3. Hate To Be Loved
4. I'm So Vain
5. No Easy Way Out
6. Dreamy 17
7. Don't Mess With Cupid
8. Die Young
9. I Wilt
10. Glitter And Gold
11. Her New Man
12. Bloody April

Download: hate to be loved
Download size: 54 mb

The Warriors (1979) OST

Hello Boys and girls. For the first I want to make a little apology for my weird english. I'm Russian, so my skills in knowing english not so perfect.

Okey. Lets start. I want to thank Zero, for inviting me in guestbloggin at such cool blog. A few words about me. My name is Fill ,I live in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. I'm 24. I'm workin in small firm by web-designer, and currently I'm at work right now.

So this is my first post. It is a great soundtrack from a great movie. Walter Hill's "Warriors" (1979).This movie is an absolutely cult classic. If you haven't seen this, so you may be just an alien from another world. Movie is a brilliant, and soundtrack is brilliant too. Its a many cool gems here."Nowhere to Run" by Arnold McCuller is a killer. I can't just sitting when I hear this tunes, I starting to dance around my chair. Ha-hahahaha. "Love is a Fire" by Genya Ravan, is a very very strong, beautifull rock, soul, or whatever you want, its amazing song. and Desmond Child's "Last of an Ancient Breed" is an epic, marvelous, one of the great example of songwriting I ever heard. So here it is. Enjoy. CAN YOU DIG IT?

Shot on location in and around New York City's grimy nighttime subways, flaunting a virile cast of unknowns, Warriors remains a '70s cult favorite, featuring violent gang warfare and a perfectly matched movie score. Barry De Vorzon's bone chilling compositions envelop hard rock and subdisco funk with gritty apocalyptic urge. Conjuring strange film images, "Theme From Warriors," "The Fight," and "Baseball Furies Chase" are testosteroneladen instrumentals, combining sinister guitars and plodding drum work peppered with creepy sounding keyboards. Adding laidback soul texture is a smooth Mandrill rarity, "Echoes in My Mind," highlighting solid basslines popping over funky horns and catchy vocals. "In Havana," performed by Kenny Vance with Ismael Miranda, boasts deepcut ethnic spicing and seamy hornwork dressed in easy rhythms. Memorable audio clips from the mysterious female DJ informing rival factions of the Warriors' brutal clashes are placed between tracks, as well as the infamous battle cry complete with clacking beer bottles, "Warriors...ome out to playaay" The film's exhausting conclusion is forever cemented to Joe Walsh's desperate survival anthem "In the City," as our heroes walk triumphantly into a dreary Coney Island sunrise. - Craig Curtice, All Music Guide

P.S. If you haven't seen this movie, I got an .avi file over a 700mb. so ask me if you want me to upload it to somewhere.

Year of Release: 1979
Genre: Rock, Soul, Funk, Dark Pop
Bitrate:192-320kbps

Track List:
01. Barry De Vorzon - Theme From "The Warriors"
02. Arnold McCuller - Nowhere To Run
03. Kenny Vance With Ismael Miranda - In Havana
04. Mandrill - Echoes In My Mind
05. Barry De Vorzon - The Fight
06. Joe Walsh - In The City
07. Genya Ravan - Love Is A Fire
08. Barry De Vorzon - Baseball Furies Chase
09. Eric Mercury & William Smith With Johnny Vastano - You're Movin' Too Slow
10. Desmond Child - Last Of An Ancient Breed

Download: 1979-The Warriors OST
Download size: 57,5 mb

Be Back Shortly

I'll be without internet access for a short time. Hopefully it won't last more than a couple of days. I wish that I could have found someone to guest blog during the meantime, but unfortunately I didn't have much notice or time on my hands. I'll be back before you know it though. In the meantime check out the DM blogroll for hundreds of other great blogs: http://music-bloggers.blogspot.com

Update: Unfortunately it looks as if I'm going to be without internet access for a few more days. I'm intercepting someone else's connection at the moment. I may be able to upload a couple of albums soon, but I'll have to load up some albums on my flash drive from my spare hard drive first. I've invited someone else to guest blog during the meantime. Hopefully they will accept my invitation and be able to start soon so that this blog can continue to be updated during my temporary absence. Stay tuned for more updates.

Jim Woodring - The Artist's Eye

Randy Holden - Early Works '64-'67

UPDATE: This post was re-uploaded 11/17/2013.

I ran across this little gem over at the Garage Music blog, and I thought that I would cross post it here for Aaron since he requested Population II. The Garage Music blog is operated by a real nice guy by the name of Pablo, who does a great job over there. If you enjoy this be sure to stop by his blog and thank him for making this available.

"A nifty compilation of most of the rare mid-'60s singles that Holden played on before joining the Other Half. The two 1966 singles by Sons of Adam are solid psych-pop-punk, particularly the scorching "Saturday's Son." Those four tracks are joined by three previously unreleased Sons of Adam cuts that show an unexpected Zombies/Beau Brummels influence. The remaining six selections are by the Fender IV, including both of their Imperial singles and a
couple of previously unreleased items. It's solid surf music, highlighted by Holden's stellar w all-of-staccato reverb on "Mar Gaya" (also available on Rhino's Legends of Guitar: Surf, Vol. 1) and the propulsive (vocal) surf-Merseybeat hybrid "You Better Tell Me Now." If only it had the third and last Sons of Adam single, this would be a complete retrospective of Holden's pre-Other Half output; unfortunately, that third Sons of Adam single ("Feathered Fish"/"Baby Show the World") was the group's best, so its omission is significant. (It is available on a hard-to-find EP on Moxie that has all three Sons of Adam 45s.) Incidentally, unlike many such import compilations of impossibly obscure '60s music, this is personally authorized by the artist himself.

Amazing compilation of one of the best guitar players of the 60s...remeber that Randy was part of Fender IV (surf-rock), Sons of Adam and Other Half, before joining Blue Cheer. Not a good career ah??? This album contains a lot of great Surf-rawn-rock-music, great covers, yes, "Mr, you are a better..." its just amazing!. Some surf classics as "Highway surfer" and "Mar Gaya" among others. Highly Recommended." - Pablo

Year of Release: 1997
Label: Captain Trip
Genre: Surf, Garage, Psychedelic
Bitrate: VBR

Track List:
1. Take My Hand
2. Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day
3. Saturday's Son
4. Mr. You're A Better Man Than I
5. Without Love
6. I Told You Once Before
7. You Make Me Feel Good
8. Mar Gaya
9. You Better Tell Me Now
10. Malibu Run
11. Everybody Up
12. Highway Surfer
13. Little Ollie

Download: Randy Holden - Early Works '64-'67 (decryption code in comments)

Download Size: 71.6MB

Randy Holden - Population II

Here's another great album I managed to find on DC++. The following notes were included with the download:

LOUD. Very LOUD. Louder than Blue Cheer, who were louder than god.Chris Lockheed of Kak helped ex-Blue Cheer guitarist Randy Holden on the above album, which is an extension of the proto-metal direction he explored on Side Two of the third Blue Cheer album, New! Improved!. Probably because Holden plays all the music himself, the album sounds rather one-dimensional and sparse. It certainly isn't the best record that he's played on, but it's by far the rarest, and is still highly sought-after. The stories which have circulated for years, about it being withdrawn from the market immediately after release, are probably accurate. It is still held in high regard by collectors of primitive heavy rock, and copies were changing hands for hundreds of dollars over twenty years ago.

Holden had earlier played with The Fender IV, Sons Of Adam, The Other Half and Blue Cheer. His early works have been compiled on the CD, Randy Holden Early Works '64-'66: The Fender IV, Sons Of Adam (Captain Trip Records) 1997. It includes both of The Sons Of Adams' 45s for Decca plus three previously unreleased cuts, Without Love, I Told You Once Before and You Make Me Feel Good. It also includes the two 45s for Imperial by The Fender IV plus two previously unreleased tracks, Highway Surfer and Little Ollie.

One year after his departure from Blue Cheer, Randy Holden released this solo album accompanied only by ex-Kak drummer, Chris Lockheed on drums. And until the original master tapes surface and “Population II” gets reissued for real, one must be content with a recording level a little less coherent than “Metallic K.O.” But despite its total lack of fidelity, one thing it still has going strong in the mix is Holden’s lead guitar blasting out relentlessly from the curtain of his Sunn amplifier cabinets, as pictured on the back cover. I count 16 in this photo, but there were probably more. I mean, Holden had to rent an opera house in order to just rehearse, as each speaker could handle 200 watts. However many were fit into the confines of Amigo Studios, the very same studio Blue Cheer had recorded “New! Improved!” with Holden in tow (well, for half an album’s worth, anyway*) is anybody’s guess. But there were enough to make it… LOUD. Very LOUD. Louder than Blue Cheer, who were louder than god.

But Population II were gods one louder: a Power Duo with their amplifiers set at eleven. What we hear is a little under a half an hour’s worth of Holden’s super-slowed and heavy guitar riffing/wailing/soaring. The pure sludge of it will cause cracks in your ceiling, all the windows of your room, the sky itself and possibly even your brain. It’s almost as though Holden is trying to make his drummer sense his purpose is futile and bolt the studio door to leave him alone to continue his deafening work as it dwarfs everything in its path as guitar solo upon guitar solo reduce Lockheed’s drumming to function more as punched pillows in the background. And Holden’s volcanic eruptions continue as slow as molasses and fiery as lava, spewing forth a barrage to drown out even the caterwauling-ness of his own vocals…not to mention his rhythm and bass guitar tracks.

It’s a telling sign that the album’s opener is entitled “Guitar Song”, for this is a man truly in love with his guitar. He loves it so much, it rivals his own vocal lyrics as more a voice-over (or rather, ‘voice-under’ as it’s buried by a couple hundred decibels of guitar) that scream (although by comparison to the lead guitar, is a microscopic whisper in comparison): “I pierce the air with pain -- AND LOVE!!!” as the guitar lines crawl and wriggle while roaring out at top volume simultaneously.

“Fruit & Iceburgs” (sic) is one of the three tracks Holden wrote and played on for Blue Cheer’s “New! Improved!” album*. It’s far bettered here -- far more unrestrained, and much darker and with a psychotic introductory solo that is all vibrato, sustaino and a thousand dead souls howling in the wind akin to the death lament sustain Iommi shakes out at the very end of “Children of The Grave”. A brief track called “Between Time” divides “Fruit & Iceburgs” into two parts and sees the drums getting a bit more audible. It’s also the only place where the tempo swings up by half a notch in tempo, with plenty of vocal punctuation from Holden who coaxing his guitar into a bitching bump and grind as though to give Daddy more sugar as he soars off on the (probably all too) tangible wings of volume. “Fruit & Iceburgs (Conclusion)” fades back in and although it is really just the coda, it takes them little over a minute to end it with drum fills and shrieking sustain of infinity (Playing at a volume as high and long as Population II did must have altered their biochemistry to some degree, and the deliberate volume abuse must have caused their perception of time to slow).

The second side offers more of Holden roaring out at top volume and minimum speed with guitar lines that seem more a barometer of his soul than mere riffs, flowing together like trains of thought constantly converging and splitting apart. “Blue My Mind” has a feel like a far more damaged “Had To Cry Today” by Blind Faith played far heavier, doomier and slower. A wordless chorus almost tries to hurry up the pace of the main theme, but no way -- this is Holden’s experimental journey, and getting there is more important than the destination. “Keeper of The Flame” starts off with a tom-tom pattern from Lockheed that gets practically wiped out by Holden’s sudden departure from Population II’s speed limit: He’s now really kicking up speed and letting loose, with slurred accenting up and down the neck. He then starts wah-wahing and soloing with expertly felt tone and sustain. One short break and feedback flourish sets the stage for the emergence of the ultimate “Population II” riff: one whose tail AND scrotum dragging-ness is of the s-l-o-w-e-s-t order. It’s so slow it’s on the verge of heading back in time. And it’s so heavy it’s off on a forced march to armageddon with attached lead weights.

Year of Release: 1970
Label: Hobbit
Genre: Instrumental, Metal
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:
1. Guitar Song
2. Fruit & Iceburgs
3. Between Time
4. Fruit & Iceburgs (Conclusion)
5. Blue My Mind
6. Keeper Of The Flame
Bonus Tracks (From "Guitar God" Album 1996)
7. Dark Eyes
8. Wild Fire
9. Scarlet Rose
10. Pain in My Heart
11. Hell And High Water
12. No Trace
13. Got Love
14. Blue My Mind

Download: Randy Holden - Population II
Download Size: 74MB

Thank You Ally

Thank you Ally for the time and effort you devoted here at Digital Meltd0wn. You more than exceeded my expectations as guest blogger of the week, as I knew you would. Although I was familiar with some of the music you posted, there were several artists/albums that I had not heard of. Judging from the comments, which the minority of the visitors here leave, I'm sure that you introduced countless others to music that they were unfamiliar with. The whole point of inviting guest bloggers here to DM is to share music that I wouldn't post myself, either because I'm not familiar with it, or I'm just not a fan of. It's interesting to visit my own blog as more of a visitor than a participant, and look forward to the latest album to be posted here. Thank you for making that possible. You are more than welcome to return here any time.

A Return To Wonderland

This is my final post here at Digital Meltdown. I hope you all have enjoyed having me as much as I have enjoyed posting here. I would appreciate any feedback you have about my postings here. There is a bit of a melancholy air in my tone because I have so much music to share and I feel I've only revealed a 1/10th of what I am about. This is a very nice blog here and I am sure I will come here time to time to comment and nab some great music. (I pick up a Negativland album here not too long ago. Joy! :D )My time ending here doesn't mean we cannot still talk music. Feel free to contact me, especially if you have an extensive knowledge of music @ my LastFM or MySpace page; which some of you already have or on AIM. Screen name: AllyBeingAlly.

I love learning about new music from people and sharing my finding with others. I leave you with something to remember me by: the American McGee's Alice soundtrack. It is one of my favorite soundtracks and video games of all-time. It's nice dark ambient music by Chris Vrenna (of Tweaker and NIN) Enjoy and take care! I am due for tea with the Mad Hatter in an hour.

Year of Release: 2000
Genre: Dark Ambient, Industrial
Label: Six Degrees Records

Track List

1. Falling Down The Rabbit Hole
2. Village Of The Doomed
3. Fortress Of Doors
4. Fire And Brimstone
5. Wonderland Woods
6. The Funhouse
7. Skool Daze
8. Time To Die
9. I'm Not Edible
10. Taking Tea In Dreamland
11. Fungiferous Flora
12. Tweedle-Dee And Tweedle-Dum
13. The Centipede
14. Pandemonium
15. Flying On The Wings Of Steam
16. Late To The Jabberwocky
17. Pool Of Tears
18. Battle With The Red Queen
19. A Happy Ending
20. Flying On The Wings Of Steam (Remix)

Download: American McGee's Alice soundtrack
Download Size: 65.62 MB

Rapeman- Two Nuns and a Pack Mule/ The Tear Garden- The Last Man to Fly

Many times musicians take a hiatus from their more well-known bands to create new musical experiences. Whether the hiatuses are permanent or temporary, these experiences can produce a lot of good music. I present to you a mix pack of albums by lesser known bands comprised of well-known band members.

The first album in this pack is Rapeman's Two Nuns and a Pack Mule. Rapeman was a noise punk band formed in 1987 by Steve Albini (of Big Black and Shellac fame,) David Wm. Sims and Rey Washam (of Scratch Acid.) The band's name is taken from the Japanese comic, The Rapeman, and has been the target of controversy. On a side note, I have read a few of The Rapeman comics out of curiosity and the story lines are some of the most disturbing story lines I've ever read.

This version of Two Nuns and A Pack Mule also contains the Budd EP. This album is definitely in the vein of the noise rock of Big Black with a more art-rock atmosphere at times. Album highlights include the hilarious Kim Gordon's Panties, Monobrow, and the cover of ZZ Top's Just Got Paid. While, I prefer Big Black as a whole, if you enjoy Shellac, Scratch Acid, or Big Black you will definitely dig this.

Year of Release: 1988
Genre: Noise Rock, Punk Rock
Label: Touch & Go Records

Track List

1. Steak & Black Onions (2:47)
2. Monobrow (3:45)
3. Up Beat (2:15)
4. Coition Ignition Mission (2:23)
5. Kim Gordon's Panties (4:17)
6. Hated Chinee (2:01)
7. Radar Love Lizard (1:50)
8. Marmoset (2:12)
9. Just Got Paid (3:35)
10.Trouser Minnow (4:06)
11.Budd (7:29)
12.Superpussy (2:12)
13.Log Bass (2:23)
14.Dutch Courage (2:40)


Download: Rapeman-Two Nuns and a Pack Mule
Download Size: 97.03 MB



PLUS






The second album is The Tear Garden's The Last Man to Fly. The Tear Garden is a band with an odd mix of psychedelic, experimental electronic, and Gothic elements. The Tear Garden was formed in 1985 by Edward Ka-Spel of The Legendary Pink Dots and cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy. They have often been labeled as industrial as well, perhaps because of the Skinny Puppy connection but industrial, they are not.

The Last Man to Fly was the second full-length album released by The Tear Garden and, in my opinion, their best effort. Key and Ka-Spel were joined by Dwayne Goettel of Skinny Puppy and The Silverman, Ryan Moore, and Martijn de Kleer of The Legendary Pink Dots for this album. I cannot recommend album highlights because this album is a sonic adventure that must be experienced from beginning to end. Imagine Jefferson Airplane or Pink Floyd from the future and possessed by Satan and you have a general idea of this album. If there is anything I could recommend you taking away from me during my guest blog time here, it will be this album. I also recommend if you enjoy this to check out The Legendary Pink Dots as well. I hope you enjoy.

Year of Release: 1992
Genre: Psychedelic, Electronic, Gothic
Label: Nettwerk

Track List

1. Hyperform (5:12)
2. The Running Man (8:22)
3. Turn Me On, Dead Man (6:37)
4. Romulus And Venus (6:08)
5. The Great Lie (4:49)
6. Empathy With The Devil (7:52)
7. Circles In The Sand (3:27)
8. Love Notes & Carnations (5:19)
9. A Ship Named 'Despair' (3:41)
10. White Coats & Haloes (2:19)
11. Isis Veiled (3:22)
12. Last Post (8:58)
13. 3-D Technicolor Scrambled Egg/ Trip Down The Hell Hole (With Canary) (7:10)


Download: The Tear Garden- The Last Man to Fly
Download Size: 120.89 MB

Boo!- Seventies, Eighties, Nineties, Naughties

It's Exam week at my university. If you are like me, this can make for very trying and depressing times. You need something to lift your spirits. Well, look no farther...

Boo! is a quirky, 3-piece band out of South Africa. Known for their unique sound, absence of guitar, and combination of bass, drums, brass instruments and keyboards has led them to describe their sound only as Monki Punk music. It is three parts ska, two parts punk, one part synth-pop...all fun. I was introduced to this band by Ruscca of LastFM. She has an impeccable taste in music and perhaps you may share more in common with her.

Released in 2000, Boo!'s Naughties promises to deliver good vibes and perfect music to usher in summer. Have fun!

Year of Release: 2000
Genre: Monki Punk, Ska, Punk
Label: Monki Punk Productions

Track List

1. Stiki Choon
2. Avrocado Pair
3. Champion
4. Wishboan
5. Bipass
6. Sting
7. Hosanna
8. Franki
9. I Ying I Yang
10. Wannabe
11. Ben Hur
12. #1
13. Krusti (La View re-mix)
14. Blêrrie Hunter

Download: Boo!- Naughties
Download Size: 48.13 MB

Tripping Daisy- Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb

While musicians Tim DeLaughter, Mark Pirro, and Bryan Wakeland maybe best known today for their contributions to the symphonic rock group, The Polyphonic Spree; arguably their best work was created with a prior band named Tripping Daisy. I was introduced to Tripping Daisy through a person from LastFM, whose name I cannot recall now but if you are reading this; thank you, for enriching my music library.

Tripping Daisy was an alternative rock band formed in 1991 in Dallas, TX. I cannot understand for the life of me how this band went virtually unnoticed (much like The Toadies also from the Dallas area) in a time where post-grunge bands like Bush seemed to flourish. They possessed all of the qualities that could have made them a huge success in the late 90s; concise, psychedelic, grunge-pop songs with lyrics reminiscent of The Beatles. Tripping Daisy disbanded in 1998, shortly after the death of lead guitarist, Wes Berggren, but not before they released what is widely-considered their masterpiece amongst their fans, Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb.

Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb is a 15 track, 57 minute slice of psychedelic pop-rock heaven. This is one of those albums that must be listened to from start to finish, as the transitions from track to track are flawless. Stand out tracks include, "Waited A Light Year," a masterful and the longest track on the album (6 minutes) that teeters on the brink of shoegaze yet maintains its pop form and remains quite polished. "Geeareohdoubleyou," "Human Contact" and their two-in-one cover of Brianiac's "Indian Poker, Pt. 2" and "Indian Poker, Pt. 3" are the other highlights of the album.

Whether you are a fan of psychedelic pop rock, a fan of bands like The Flaming Lips, or a curious The Polyphonic Spree fan; check out this underrated pop rock gem.

Year of Release: 1998
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Alternative-Pop Rock, Post-Grunge
Label: Island

Track List

1. Field Day Jitters
2. Waited a Light Year
3. Sonic Bloom
4. Bandaids for Hire
5. Mechanical Breakdown
6. Your Socks Have No Name
7. Geeareohdoubleyou
8. New Plains Medicine
9. Our Drive to the Sun / Can a Man Mark It?
10. Human Contact
11. Pillar
12. 8 Ladies
13. About the Movies
14. Tiny Men
15. Indian Poker Pt. 2 & 3

Download: Tripping Daisy- Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb
Download Size: 93.72 MB

NoMeansNo- The Sky Is Falling/ The Jelvins- Never Breathe What You Can't See

Today is your lucky day. I am in a good mood and since you all have been good little kiddies, how about some dessert? Wash your filthy hands and enjoy a double helping of Jello with me. There is always room for J-e-l-l-o.

Jello Biafra, if you are unfamiliar with this name then you are unfamiliar with punk rock. Most notably, the legendary front man for the hardcore punk band, Dead Kennedys; Jello has also been known to branch out and dabble into other endeavors such as spoken word poetry, running for the Presidential nomination for the Green Party in 2000, and bands: Lard, 1000 Homo DJs, Pigface, and RevCo

I present to you two of Jello's collaborations. The first being, Jello's joint effort with underground punk rock darlings, NoMeansNo.

"The Sky Is Falling and I Want My Mommy" was recorded in 1991, born out of a previous collaboration between the two on the track, "Falling Space Junk," for the Terminal City Ricochet soundtrack. It is quite an interesting collaboration. Eat up!

Year of Release: 1991
Genre: Hardcore Punk
Label: Alternative Tentacles

Track List

1. The Sky Is Falling, And I Want My Mommy (Falling Space Junk)
2. Jesus Was A Terrorist
3. Bruce's Diary
4. Bad
5. Ride The Flume
6. Chew
7. Sharks In The Gene Pool
8. The Myth Is Real



PLUS





For collaboration number two, I have included Jello Biafra With The Melvins' "Never Breathe What You Can't See." This collaboration was a dream come true for me, being a huge Melvins and Dead Kennedys fan. The members of this band performed under different aliases. Jello perfromed under the name, Osama McDonald, Buzz Osborne (of the Melvins) performed under the name Jon Benet Milosevic, Dale Crover (of the Melvins) under the name Saddam Disney, Kevin Rutmanis (of Tomahawk) under the name George W. McVeigh, and even Adam Jones (of Tool) lend his talents to this project.

The Jelvins (as they are often referred) album highlights include "Caped Crusader," "Dawn of the Locusts," and "McGruff the Crime Dog."

Year of Release: 2004
Genre: Hardcore Punk, Sludge Metal
Label: Alternative Tentacles

Track List

1. Plethysmograph
2. McGruff The Crime Dog
3. Yuppie Cadillac
4. Islamic Bomb
5. The Lighter Side Of Global Terrorism
6. Caped Crusader
7. Enchanted Thoughtfist
8. Dawn Of The Locusts



I will be away for the weekend but I will return Sunday afternoon. I am still unsure how far I want to veer off the rock path, as I am still trying to gauge this audience. I may have a few curve balls in the future. Hopefully, these 4 albums can keep you satisfied until Sunday. Ta-ta!

Download: NoMeansNo- The Sky Is Falling and I Want My Mommy
Download Size: 50.98 MB


Download: The Jelvins- Never Breathe What You Can't See
Download Size: 86.28 MB

Birth Control- Hoodoo Man

Often when one thinks of the Krautrock phenomenon that took off in the 1970s, bands like Tangerine Dream, Can, Neu!, and Kraftwerk come to mind. Often forgotten in the wave of those bands is Birth Control. Formed in Berlin, Germany in 1969, Birth Control has been described as a Krautrock, progressive rock band but this band had a harder edge and more of a jazz influence than most progressive rock bands of their era. I believe Birth Control's first three albums are essential buys for any fan of progressive rock or Krautrock, but I have chosen to spotlight "Hoodoo Man."

Released in 1972, Hoodoo Man, immediately attracts attention by its unusual cover art, which had been a running theme for Birth Control up until this point. If the cover art is not enough of a signal to what Birth Control is about, the first track, "Buy!" offers up an immediate glimpse into their serious with a light-hearted spin subject matter.

Tracks "Buy!," "Get Down on Your Fate, and "Gamma Ray," the band's biggest hit, are album highlights. With only 6 tracks, it is all killer and no filler. Do not let this great piece of progressive rock continue to go underrated. Enjoy!

Year of Release: 1972
Genre: Krautrock, Progressive Rock
Label: CBS

Track List

1. Buy!
2. Suicide
3. Get Down to Your Fate
4. Gamma Ray
5. Hoodoo Man
6. Kaulstoss

Download: Birth Control- Hoodoo Man
Download Size: 77.18 MB

Alice In Chains- Is Layne Still In Rehab? (Bootleg)

If you asked the average person what does Alice in Chains and glam metal have in common; the general response would be nothing at all. As a matter of fact, Alice in Chains along with bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam are widely considered to be the wave of bands to drive home a death nail into the heart of glam metal's popularity. Those people do not know the Alice in Chains I know.

I present to you, "Is Lanye Still in Rehab?" a compilation bootleg of Alice in Chains tracks consisting of mostly of unreleased Pre-Facelift demos. The album kicks off with "What the Hell Have I?" and "A Little Bitter," which are easily recognizable AIC tracks from "The Last Action Hero" soundtrack. Also the studio version of "Killing Yourself" was a B-side of AIC's first EP, "We Die Young." The demo version of the track along with the tracks "I Can't Have You Blues," "Social Parasite," and "Queen of the Rodeo" have been since released on the AIC Music Box.

The other remaining 13 tracks have never seen the light of day on an official AIC recording and are little pieces of Alice in Chains glam gold.

The album highlights include: The cover of David Bowie's "Suffragette City;" "Social Parasite" and "Chemical Addiction," which offer up glimpses of what AIC would become, especially pertaining to subject matter; "Queen of the Rodeo," a hilarious track that must be experienced; the glamed out "Glamerous Girls," which could have been written by Poison and "Fat Girls," a sexist but hilarious take on what make overweight girls worthwhile.

Trade in that smack, tattered jeans and flannel jacket for some spandex and Aqua Net and enjoy the not so serious side of life!

Track List
1. What The Hell Have I?
2. A Little Bitter
3. Killing Yourself (studio)
4. Suffragette City
5. Social Parasite
6. Chemical Addiction
7. King Of The Kats
8. Killing Yourself (demo)
9. Queen Of The Rodeo
10. Heaven 'N Hell [pre-Facelift demo]
11. Fairytale Love Story [pre-Facelift demo]
12. I Can't Have You Blues [pre-Facelift demo]
13. Lip Lock Rock [pre-Facelift demo]
14. Fat Girls [pre-Facelift demo]
15. Over The Edge [pre-Facelift demo]
16. Sealed With A Kiss [pre-Facelift demo]
17. Ya Yeah Ya [pre-Facelift demo]
18. Glamerous Girls [pre-Facelift demo]
19. Don't Be Satisfied [pre-Facelift demo]
20. Hush, Hush [pre-Facelift demo]
21. Football [pre-Facelift demo]

Download: Alice In Chains- Is Layne Still in Rehab?
Download Size: 88.72MB

Premature Ejaculation- Anesthesia

Premature Ejaculation. The mere mention of the words can make a man blush and a girl sigh with disappointment. It is two of the worst words that can ever be uttered, unless you are talking about the Rozz Williams (of Christian Death and Shadow Project fame) side project.

Those of you who are thinking Premature Ejaculation is just an extension of Christian Death, need not apply. Arguably the most unique and controversial project of Rozz Williams, Premature Ejaculation was an experimental, industrial, noise outfit that included outrageous on-stage theatrics including the eating of roadkill (a dead cat.) While not nearly as accessible as Christian Death or Shadow Project, it is worth experiencing for you Rozz fans out there.

The album I present to you is called, "Anesthesia." It is one of PE's most recognized effort. There are virtually no lyrics throughout the entire album, just nine pieces of dark ambient music. The standout tracks include: "Red," " Transillumination," and "The Most Astounding Living Monstrosity." Hopefully, this will satisfy your dark ambient craving and you will not find this Premature Ejaculation effort unfulfilling and limp. Cheers!

Year of Release: 1992
Genre: Noise, Experimental, Industrial, Dark Ambient
Label: Dark Vinyl Records

Track List
1. Salvation, Deliverance, Prayer For The Sick
2. Red
3. The Nature Of Pain
4. Partial And Complete
5. Transillumination
6. Fistula In Ano
7. Taking Good Care Of Your Fear
8. The Most Astounding Living Monstrosity
9. Ara

Download: Premature Ejaculation- Anesthesia
Download Size: 60.61MB

Mirrorthrone- Gangrene

When one feels the need to express themselves or let off some steam, one usually writes in their journals, listen to music, paint or perhaps even exercise. Few people compose cathartic symphonies from the comfort of their own bedrooms. Vladimir Cochet is one of these rare beings. Hailing from Switzerland, Vladimir is the brainchild behind the one-man projects such as Unholy Matrimony, Weeping Birth, Deafening Loneliness, and Accursed Journey. His most celebrated project would be Mirrorthrone, an avant-garde, symphonic black metal outfit that can only be described as Igor Stravinsky meets Emperor.

After two album releases ("Of Wind and Weeping" and "Carriers of Dust") and a big buzz amongst the underground metal scene, Mirrorthrone released "Gangrene" in April of 2008.

From the opening track "Dismay," there are significant changes I hear from past releases. One of the biggest knocks of previous Mirrorthrone releases has been the heavy reliance on programmed drum beats that leave the listener empty at times. While, the programmed beats still exists; they have been cleaned up and done tastefully to compliment the driving guitar riffs and piano compositions. In other words, "Gangrene" comes across as a more living, breathing, flesh and blood "human" album that is capable of providing the complex feelings of a human.

I have made 3 tracks from the Gangrene album available below.

The first track, "Dismay," is a song I didn't particular care for from my first experiences with "Gangrene."It has since grown on me and I consider it one of the most unique song on the album. The song runs beautifully through the first six minutes ranging from the baroque classical style symphonic metal we have grown to love from Mirrorthrone to an industrial feel at some points. This song would be perfect if it were only around 6 minutes long; it seems to get bogged down and I am left with the feeling of being stuck in quicksand in the last five minutes of the track.

The second track and my second favorite track on the album, "No One By My Side," is a rather straight forward Mirrorthrone song that is carried greatly by its woeful lyrics.

The final track I included and the final track on the album is entitled, "So Frail," my favorite track on Gangrene and an absolutely beautiful song. "So Frail" is indeed a proper title . Between the song structure and Vlad's vocals, which seems to be at their most vulnerable; one couldn't help but think of the adjective "frail" to describe this song. A gentle breeze could collapse the entire song.

Gangrene may only be six tracks but it is over an hour of some of the most unique metal music you will hear. If you have enjoyed the tracks I provided, you can purchase the entire album at the following link: Mirrorthrone-Gangrene You can also just drop him a message or a comment at Mirrorthrone's Myspace page. He's a really nice guy and typically willing to respond. Enjoy!

Year of Release: 2008
Genre: Avant-Garde Black Metal
Label: Red Stream, Inc.
Country of Origin: Switzerland

Track List

1. Dismay
2. No One By My Side
3. So Frail

Download: Mirrorthrone-Gangrene (Sampler)
Download Size: 55.18 MB

Sailin' On

I would like to thank Zer0_II and Digital Meltdown for the introduction and this great opportunity to guest blog. It's a privilege and I will try my best not to sink this ship. I guess now would be the time to tell you a bit about myself.

I'm a 22 year-old Rutgers University student, living about 30 minutes outside of New York City. I am majoring in journalism and plan to further my education by going for my Masters this fall. I was born in Munich, Germany and lived there for the early part of my life before moving to the United States. I still love Germany very much and try to visit my relatives there at least once a year. I have written for a few webzines, guest blogged, and even at times maintained blogs of my own for about 6 or 7 years now. I have done summer internships for the New York Times and the New York Mets (as a stat tracker.) Unfortunately, my free time has been limited, largely due to balancing between work, school, and friends; therefore, I have retired my past blogs.

Again, I am grateful for this opportunity to break up the monotonous approach to journalism in my life and hopefully share some great music with you guys this week. If you are interested below are a few of my contact links.

MySpace: AllyWonderland
LastFM: AllyWonderland
Blogger: AllyWonderland
AIM: AllyBeingAlly

Avast ye mateys, It's time to set sail on this voyage....or something....

Guest Blogger - AllyWonderland

Guest Blogger: AllyWonderland

I would like everyone to give a warm welcome to Digital Meltd0wn's newest guest blogger, AllyWonderland. I met Allison on last.fm a few months back while trying to discover members there who had rather eclectic taste. Her profile immediately stood out to me because of her extremely high OMI score. For those of you who aren't familiar with OMI, it is a stat tool called Open Mind Index, which is commonly used by last.fm users. Describing how one's OMI score is calculated in a technical manner would require more time than I have at the moment, but basically it determines your score based on the number of different musical genres that you listen to. After listening to her last.fm radio station and marveling at the diversity of tasteful music that I heard, I thought it would be a great idea to invite her to guest blog here. Fortunately she was gracious enough to accept my invitation. Thank you for filling in for me here Allison, and I look forward to seeing what you decide to share with us all.

Swans - Children Of God

Kicking off with "New Mind", which while having the same general pace of most earlier Swans songs, also sounds distinctly different with its clearer, inventive arrangement, call-and-response vocals, and Gira's declamatory but not screamed lead vocal, Children of God finds the band making their own particular great leap forward. The simmering changes that were apparent in the albums just before this one's release fully come to the fore, as Swans take the courage to explore both their huge-sounding, bombastic side and gentle, if often still disturbing, delicacy (due credit especially to Westberg, Kizys, and Parsons, possibly the best musical lineup Swans ever had until the final years). The results are fascinating, ranging from the spare piano melting into ambient feedback of "In My Garden" and the twisted gospel blues of "Our Love Lies" to the acoustic guitar and organ on "You're Not Real, Girl" and the raging pounder "Beautiful Child." Equally importantly, if not more so, Jarboe now assumes a full role with Gira as co-leader of the band; while all lyrics are still Gira's, the two share lead vocal duties (though aside from the title track, no duets) throughout the album. The weary, evocative croon which Gira developed into his major vocal trademark here emerges to full effect (though he can still roar with the best of them at points) while Jarboe's cool, rich tones are simply astounding, as evidenced on an even more compelling version of "Blackmail," originally from the A Screw EP. Though Children is dedicated without any apparent irony to Jesus Christ, Gira's words remain as irreverent, challenging, and obsessed with overarching issues of religion, power, sex, love, and control as before, but with an ever-increasing depth and beauty to match the lusher musical textures. With flute, oboe, and strings adding further texturing to the often quite lovely songs created by the band, Children remains perhaps the key album of Swans' career, the clear signpost towards their ever-more ambitious albums in the future.

Year of Release: 1987
Label: Caroline
Genre: Experimental/Industrial
Bitrate: 160kbps

Track List:
1. New Mind
2. In My Garden
3. Our Love Lies
4. Sex, God, Sex
5. Blood and Honey
6. Like A Drug (Sha la la La)
7. You're Not Real, Girl
8. Beautiful Child
9. Blackmail
10. Trust Me
11. Real Love
12. Blind of Love
13. Children of God
14. Bonus Track

Download: Swans - Children of God
Download Size: 80MB

Einstürzende Neubauten - Kollaps

Einstürzende Neubauten's first album, as one might imagine, is their most primitive and radical effort, the purest expression of their original aesthetic. This makes the album both historically significant and conceptually intriguing, of course, but what's most interesting about this album is that it still sounds surprising decades after its release. Often, albums that are considered extreme art statements upon their debut sound almost quaint a few years later, but while Kollaps perhaps sounds less extreme to ears that heard industrial music turned into disco pabulum by the likes of Nine Inch Nails than it did before, songs like the eight-minute title track and the rumbling live closer, "Negativ Nein," are still a fascinating blend of rhythm and random bashing, tonality and atonality, with anguished vocals by Blixa Bargeld that often seem to have little connection with anything else in the piece. The brief tracks, like the 80-second "Sehnsucht," are even more extreme explorations of pure noise. Starting as early as the next album, Einstürzende Neubauten would begin slowly introducing more mainstream musical concepts into their aesthetic, making Kollaps as undiluted a listening experience as there is in the entire catalog.

Year of Release: 1981
Label: ZickZack
Genre: Industrial
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:
1. Tanz Debil
2. Steh auf Berlin
3. Negativ Nein
4. U-Haft Muzak
5. Draußen ist Feindlich
6. Schmerzen Hören (Hören mit Schmerzen)
7. Jet'm
8. Kollaps
9. Sehnsucht
10. Vorm Krieg
11. Hirnsäge
12. Abstieg & Zerfall
13. Helga
14. Negativ Nein (Live)

Download: Einstürzende Neubauten - Kollaps
Download Size: 53MB

Jean-Jacques Perrey - Moog Sensations

I have a lot going on in my personal life right now, so until further notice I'm going to try to keep my posts here as brief as possible. That may mean that you will have to wait (not long) for album art, track listings, and other additional info concerning the material that I post. I'll go into more detail as soon as I have time.

It is no secret that Jean-Jacques Perrey broke considerable ground for electronic music. But did you know he also cut his fair share of sound library tracks? It makes all the sense in the world. Created for the Montparnasse 2000 label during an unspecified year (probably in the early '70s), Moog Sensations has all of the hallmarks of Perrey's brilliant sound: pulsing electronic rhythms, whimsical melodic inventiveness and virtuoso keyboard work.

Listening to tracks like "Aerolithe Alpha" and "Ballet Intersideral" one quickly understands why today's electronica artists (and even techno pioneers like Kraftwerk) owe such an incredible debt to Perrey.Perrey's cooly cerebral sonic fabrications set the stage for today's electronic musicians.

Year of Release: 1971
Label: Dare-Dare/Pulp Flavor
Genre: Electronic
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:
1. The Percolator
2. Moog Sensations
3. Aerolithe Alpha
4. Ballet Intersideral
5. Borborygmus
6. One Zero Zero
7. Chronophonie
8. Coeur Synthetique
9. Berceuse Pour Un Bebe Robot
10. Indicatif Spatial
11. Pizzicato Pour Venus
12. One Two Two
13. Music
14. La Panthere Cosmique
15. Soiree Chez Jean-Sebasien
16. Quand Le Temps Sera Venu
17. Colonie Celeste
18. La Tour Pointue
19. Relaxation
20. Moogie Boogy

Download: Jean-Jacques Perrey - Moog Sensations
Download Size: 40MB

Black Devil - Disco Club

Don't let the Disco tag fool you. This isn't your typical happy-go-lucky type of disco, but rather its dark atmospheric doppleganger. BA one-off collaboration between French producers Bernard Fevre and Jackie Giordano, who credited themselves respectively as Joachim Sherylee and Junior Claristidge Originally released on Italy’s Out label in 1978, Disco Club became slightly infamous in the disco underground despite its extreme scarcity. Don't let the Disco tag fool you though. This isn't your typical happy-go-lucky type of disco, but rather its dark atmospheric electronic doppleganger.

It was made manually in a recording studio in the suburbs of Paris using synths and occasional tape loops and a drummer. No midi or computers. According to an interview given by Bernard Fevre in January 2007, Jacky Giordano only financed the recording sessions. His being credited as co-composer was just a deal for recouping his financial investment.

A copy eventually fell into the hands of the Rephlex label’s PP Roy and soon won the hearts of Richard James and Luke Vibert. Rather than do a straight reissue, Rephlex opted to first release a 12” including four tracks from the original vinyl; after that, they annoyingly trickled out the two other tracks, along with a couple outtakes and a remix from Luke Vibert (under his Kerrier District guise), via 12” and CD single releases that featured different track lists.

Year of Release: 1978
Label: OUT Records
Genre: Disco/Electronic
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:
1. H Friend
2. Timing, Forget The Timing
3. One To Choose
4. We Never Fly Away Again
5. Follow Me
6. No Regrets

Download: Black Devil - Disco Club
Download Size: 41MB

Salvador Dali

Kim Salmon and the Surrealists - Hit Me With The Surreal Feel

This album was requested by Browner a while back, and Nathan Nothin was actually the one who supplied this album.

Salmon formed the first lineup of the Surrealists in mid-1987, with Brian Hooper on bass and Tony Pola on drums. He formed the band to record the album Hit Me With The Surreal Feel, using minimalist lo-fi approaches to recording a basic trio: recording the band live with microphones around the studio capturing the entire sound, rather than one instrument per track. The recording and mixing cost was AUD$240 total. The band also played live around Perth in mid-1987. The Surrealists did a few songs by the Scientists (particularly "Shine" from The Human Jukebox) and had a similar sound, in that Salmon remained the leader and primary songwriter, but the feel of the music was notably different: far less tense and confrontative. In 1999, Salmon renamed the band Kim Salmon and the Business.

Year Of Release: 1988
Label: Black Eye Records
Genre: Garage, Lo-Fi
Bitrate: 160kbps

Track List:
1. The Surreal Feel
2. Bad Birth
3. Feel
4. Bellyful of Slugs
5. The Surreal Feel
6. Black Velvet
7. Intense
8. Blue Velvet
9. The Surreal Feel
10. Torture
11. Devil In Disguise
12. The Surreal Feel

Download: Kim Salmon & the Surrealists - Hit Me With The Surreal Feel
Download Size: 35MB

1910 Fruitgum Co. - Indian Giver

Thanks for all your comments guys and gals. It's been fun guest blogging here for the week. I'll leave you with one last little groovin' record. This one is from the legendary 1910 Fruitgum Company. This was one of the great bubblegum bands of the late 60's. As with everything else on Buddah Records, at the time, they played some infectiously catchy tunes and were even part of the Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus, as well. This is a fitting album to end my stint here on since I began with the Tater Totz album on which they did a cover of a song that is on here in its original form, "1, 2, 3 Red Light". Actually, I don't even know why they call this stuff "bubblegum" since some of it is pretty raw and could even pass for biker rock of the time. Anyway, I defy you to not have fun listening to this classic slab of. . . digitally compressed audio, ha! Get out your trip toys and go to the lake or beach or wherever you gotta go to get your groove on and burn this one for the road.

Thanks for having me Zer0 and thanks for listening to all of you!

Track List:
1. Indian Giver
2. No Good Annie
3. I've Got To Have Your Love
4. Good Good Lovin'
5. Candy
6. Special Delivery
7. Game Of Love
8. Let's Make Love
9. Groovy Groovy
10. Sweet Lovin'
11. Cotton Candy Castle
12. 1, 2, 3 Red Light
13. Simon Says
14. Reflections From The Looking Glass

Download: 1910 Fruitgum Co. - Indian Giver

Bad Brains - Rock For Light

I can't tell you how long this cassette stayed in my car at one time. Bad Brains second album, produced by Ric Ocasek, is their most shining moment. This album just boils over with raw energy and talent. A few years back some dumb ass decided to mess with the production when they re-released this on CD. They really did a number on it, muting the amazing lead guitar and generally castrating the album. Luckily, I found this version which was ripped off the original vinyl @ 192kbps so don't worry, this is the one you want to hear. The band goes from rippin' hardcore like "Big Takeover" and "How Low Can A Punk Get?" to soft reggae tunes without missing a beat or making the album feel like it's incoherent. To me, this is one of those albums where it's hard to listen to just one song when you get used to it. If I start playing it, I have to play it until it's finished. H.R. is in his strongest form here, going from unrestrained anger to contemplative and spiritual and back again. It's a shame they don't rock like this anymore but at least we have the records. Anyway, crack open a beer and do some lawn work while you blast this out your window and disturb the neighbors. They'll think it's over when it gets to the soft stuff.

Track List:
1. At The Movies
2. Attitude
3. Banned In D.C.
4. Big Takeover
5. Coptic Times
6. Destroy Babylon
7. F.V.K.
8. How Low Can A Punk Get?
9. I And I Survive
10. Joshua's Song
11. Rally Round Jah Throne
12. Right Brigade
13. Riot Squad
14. Rock For Light

Download: Bad Brains - Rock For Light

Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street

It's hard to say that The Stones ever had a real peak. They had so many great albums for so long. I offer this one here for your listening pleasure simply because it's not the most popular but still probably in the top three or so, in my opinion. Just a great rock and roll record and recorded during a period when the band was really on a high (creatively as well as physically). Originally it was released as a double album and is kind of a mish mash of stuff recorded over a period of two or three years. The band was deep in their heroin phase by the time a lot of this was going on and they were hanging with the like of William Burroughs and, I think, the Warhol crowd somewhat. At any rate, this is back to back great southern inspired raunchy rock and it deserves to played loud from beginning to end. It's also probably the only classic rock album with the word "turd" in a song title. Also, feel free to indulge in whatever you indulge in (as long as you don't kill yourself in the process) while rockin' out to this one. Follow these simple steps and I assure you'll find out why this is always ranked very high on the list of greatest albums of all time.

Track List:
1. Rocks Off
2. Rip This Joint
3. Shake Your Hips
4. Casino Boogie
5. Tumbling Dice
6. Sweet Virginia
7. Torn And Frayed
8. Sweet Black Angel
9. Loving Cup
10. Happy
11. Turd On The Run
12. Ventilator Blues
13. I Just Want To See His Face
14. Let It Loose
15. All Down The Line
16. Stop Breaking Down
17. Shine A Light
18 Soul Survivor

Download: Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street

Screamin' Jay Hawkins - At Home With Jay In The Wee Wee Hours

Screamin' Jay Hawkins (1929-2000) was a true original. A former opera singer and boxing champ, he was also one of the innovators of rock and roll who often gets overlooked today. I like to say he was the Little Richard who could kick your ass. "At Home With Jay" is an incredible and intimate live album, obviously recorded in a very small venue, and reveals him as the entertainer that he was. No band, just Jay and a piano with a little singalong help from the crowd. I hadn't heard this in years until the other day and I can't stop listening to it. This is a record that just really makes you feel good and appreciate that kind of talent. To just be able to fucking entertain like that. I mean I would put this in the same category of live album as Sam Cooke's "Live at the Harlem Square Club". Difference is that Sam had a rockin' band to go with his voice on that record. Here Jay has only his piano and his sense of humor. There's actually another great Screamin' Jay live record that I almost posted. It's Jay with The Fuzztones backing him up. I'd recommend that one next to this one.

Anyway, here's another great feel good rock and roll record that strips it on down and gives you only the best of what it's about. Impossible to not tap your little wingtips to! Now "get yourself a fur burger" and download this classic!

Year of Release: 1988
Label: Midnight Records
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1. Lawd, Lawd, Lawd
2. Hong Kong
3. Downstairs
4. Cherry Pie
5. In Her Room
6. Constipation Blues
7. I Need Your Love
8. Feast Of The Mau Mau
9. Let It Roll
10. Make The Blues Rock/Bite It
11. I Put A Spell On You

Download: Screamin' Jay Hawkins - At Home With Jay In The Wee Wee Hours
Download Size: 84MB

Radio Cramps - The Purple Knif Radio Show

Great for those long commutes to work or drag racing in your hybrid while pretending your girlfriend is Mamie Van Doren and opening your PBR with a switchbladeIt's always been a rock and roll dream of mine to hang with The Cramps at their house with a bottle of wine and just flip through their record collection. Well, after many years of listening to their music I did finally meet Lux and Ivy but, alas, we were in an antique store and not near a record player. Never fear, though, this is as close as one can get to that dream. Just crack open a bottle of your chosen poison and download this little gem of a podcast. It's called the "Purple Knif" (pronounced ka-nif) and it's an obscure radio show hosted by Lux Interior back in the 80's where he takes us on an archaeological dig through the vinyl mines of his home and dusts off some fossils of rock and roll past. Sit back and enjoy an hour of high weirdness from the Pope of Psychobilly as he plays a wide variety of poppin' and cracklin' 7-inch wonders including everything from alien offspring to a jammin' version of "The Addam's Family" theme. In between tunes Lux gives us his own introductions with appropriate delay effects and B-movie samples. Great for those long commutes to work or drag racing in your hybrid while pretending your girlfriend is Mamie Van Doren and opening your PBR with a switchblade. No track list on this one. Not only would it ruin the fun but this is a podcast so it's one long track. Just listen to it straight through and I dare you not to wanna go out and buy a leather jacket and some smelly hair jelly. Stay sick!

Download: Radio Cramps - The Purple Knif Show

A Few New Ideas - Please Comment

Guest Blogger:

Psyche
ZenobiaUpdate: I would like everyone to welcome the first guest blogger here at Digital Meltd0wn. He is a close friend of mine, and introduced me to countless artists that I wouldn't have known about otherwise. In fact I probably wouldn't even be running this blog right now had it not been for him. I'm not a very sentimental person, but I would like to thank you for passing on your musical knowledge to me B. Even though I don't always show it, I appreciate all that you have passed on to me more than you will ever know. Everyone please give a warm welcome to Psyche Zenobia. He will be taking over this blog for the next week. I'm sure that you will enjoy what he has to share with you. If you download anything that he posts, please show your appreciation by leaving a comment. In the meantime I will be busy working on the Digital Meltd0wn Music Blogroll.

I've been playing around with a few new ideas for this blog in my head. When I first started this blog, I claimed that I would be incorporating plans which would make this blog unique. Continuing along that path, I have come up with the following. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think about them.

1. Video of the Week: The 'Video of the Week' addition to the blog seemed like a good idea at first, but I've come to realize that I don't have nearly as much time on my hands as I would like to hunt for worthy videos. So rather than completely cut out the music videos, I'm considering turning it into a monthly affair. This would give me more time to decide which videos I would like to post.

2. Guest Bloggers: I've met many people on the internet who amaze me with their vast knowledge of all things music. Unfortunately many of these people do not run a music blog due to a lack of time, or out of fear of legal troubles. I've been considering allowing a few of these people to "guest blog" for a week so that they can share a small portion of their amazing collections on this blog.

3. Around the World In 180 Days (Or More): This is probably the most ambitious of all the ideas I've been contemplating. I don't want to turn this into a "world music" blog, but I thought it would be a great idea to feature various musicians and bands from around the world. Not only would this give me a opportunity to familiarize myself with cultures from around the world that I know very little about, but it would also allow me to share underrated musicians from all corners of the globe with the visitors of this blog. So I came up with the idea to share one artist/band from each country in the world. By most accounts there are roughly 190 nations in the world at this time. Jules Verne happens to be one of my favorite authors, hence the name of the project. I was considering making this a weekly feature, which would mean that it would take quite some time to finish the project, but it would be well worth it in my opinion. To my knowledge no other blogger has attempted such a thing.

4. Weirdo of the Month: This one is pretty self-explanatory. Basically the idea is to feature a weird musician each month. I know of many eccentric artists, and I'm sure there are countless more that I'm not familiar with. Unfortunately, these weirdos are looked over far too often. I have a fascination with strange people, so I intend to pay proper tribute to these weirdos with the Weirdo of the Month feature.

Once again, I haven't made a permanent decision about any of these yet. As of right now they are simply ideas. I would love to hear your feedback though, so please leave a comment.

The Damned - Music For Pleasure

When I was about fourteen years old most of the other kids at school were drinking their first drink and smoking their first smoke to bands like Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Motley Crue. For me, though, it was punk rock. I had fallen in love with the soundtrack to Return of the Living Dead a couple of years earlier and had scrambled to get records by all of the bands that were featured on it. The Cramps, Roky Erickson, TSOL, and most of all The Damned. I had grown up in a household full of classic rock and had gone through the New Wave period collecting singles by any band with a weird hair cut. By the mid-80's, though, I was ready for something new and discovering these bands introduced me to a whole new world of music.

"Music For Pleasure" was the second album by The Damned and, though it was trashed by the critics when it was released, it remains one of their most raw and rockin' albums to date. For any punk band from the first generation it was hard to top their debut album. Although they had eagerly covered the new explosion of sounds in 1977, the press wanted punk rock to be over with by the time all its great bands were on their second releases. Critics were uncomfortable with the movement and just wanted something new. They didn't want to treat these bands as real musicians but flashes in the proverbial pan. Sounds a lot like post-1956, too. Anyway, The Damned were just hitting their stride and wouldn't be put out to pasture just yet (in fact they still rock clubs on a regular basis and their 2001 album "Grave Disorder" sounded like a band twenty years younger).

So, here you go. The second album by the legendary Damned featuring dual guitars and a sound that's like taking their first album and adding some more complexity without losing the edge. Another rockin' summertime kinda treat with songs like "Stretcher Case", "Don't Cry Wolf", and my favorite "Politics" which still rings true for me today. "I don't need no politics to make me dance!"

Year of Release: 1977
Label: Earmark
Genre: Punk
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:
1. Problem Child
2. Don't Cry Wolf
3. One Way Love
4. Politics
5. Stretcher Case
6. Idiot Box
7. You Take My Money
8. Alone
9. Your Eyes
10. Creep (You Can't Fool Me)
11. You Know
12. Help
13. Sick Of Being Sick
14. Singalong A Scabies

Download: The Damned - Music For Pleasure
Download Size: 44MB

Tater Totz - Mono Stereo

Mono Stereo is a groovy grab bag of pop culture references and rock and roll history as consumed and spat back onto record by some of the best from West Coast punk's rich sceneAnother great summertime album, the Tater Totz were a side project from McDonald brothers (Redd Kross) and friends. The line-up also included members of White Flag, Frightwig, Shonen Knife, and Pat Smear from The Germs, Foo Fighters, etc. The Tater Totz released three albums, two studio and one live, before fading away. "Mono Stereo" was, in my opinion, the best of the lot and includes some really strange and even beautiful tracks. Conceptually, I think the idea was to pay tribute to The Beatles, Queen, 60's punk, and especially Yoko Ono.
Among the odd covers and conglomerations on this album are a version of "Instant Karma" with Cherie Currie (The Runaways) on lead vocals, a nice little cover of "1, 2, 3 Red Light" by 1910 Fruitgum Company, a re-creation of the epic "Cambridge 1969" (the famous Lennon/Ono show), an incredible composition that mixes "Bohemian Rhapsody" with "Who Has Seen The Wind", and even a couple of Os Mutantes songs thrown in for good measure. In fact, the Os Mutantes songs are just taken straight from their records and are included as bonus tracks. Strange as that may be, I've heard that this represents the first time any of their stuff was released in America.
An all around toe-tappin' album, "Mono Stereo" is a groovy grab bag of pop culture references and rock and roll history as consumed and spat back onto record by some of the best from West Coast punk's rich scene. Enjoy!

Year of Release: 1989
Label: Positive
Genre: Punk, Garage
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1. Instant Karma
2. Rock On
3. Rain
4. Who Has Seen The Wind/Bohemian Rhapsody
5. Telephone Piece
6. Strawberry Fields Forever
7. Strawberry Fields Forever (reprise)
8. Record Flip
9. 1, 2, 3 Red Light
10. The Luck Of The Irish
11. Sisters, O Sisters
12. The Lovely Linda
13. Shompton In Babylon
14. Why
15. Two Virgins #9
16. Unlisted Telephone Piece
17. Tomorrow Never Knows (Live)
18. Cambridge 1969 (Live)
19. Unlisted Noise Track
20. Os Mutantes - Panis Et Circensis
21. Os Mutantes - O Relogio

Download: Tate Totz - Mono Stereo
Download Size: 93MB