A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

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revbob
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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by revbob »

Bruce Lee Band - Division in the Heartland: I find it hard to not like ska and by extension ska-punk. Its generally fun and upbeat music with horns and guitars, sometimes (American variety) it can be a bit silly so I dont indulge as much as I otherwise might. This is solid ska-punk with timely lyrics and catchy as fuck. 8/10


The Red Aunts - I'm Crying: Yes the 90s did produce some good music. Im more familiar with them by name than I am with their music. I really should explore them further. This song is noisy raw and fun of course I like it. 7/10


Lemonheads - Belt: I forgot they were once a good band. Very good song reminds me of Husker Du. 7/10


Catbite - Pabst Me Up: I love that line/scene from Blue Velvet, wish they hadnt morphed it. There was a cool club here back in the 90s that sold shirts that had that slogan on the back. Anyway the song. So I appreciate that they are just having fun with this song and this definitely fits the silly bill that I mentioned earlier. The song is fine but has a short shelf life with those lyrics. I dug deeper and this is a play on their? song Scratch Me Up. I like this band for all the reasons mentioned previously about this style. This song itself gets 6/10 but the band gets 7.5/10


Asie Payton - Nobody But You: Solid song, I like blues music but am not always in the mood for it. This one gets better with repeated listening. Interesting thing about adding the other instrumentation after. 7/10

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by matedog »

weller259 wrote:
06 Apr 2021, 7:34pm
The Toasters - Dub 56 chat version - I have a hard time discerning good from great with this genre. I really like this. Big energy, great horns, great vocals. 7.5/10.

Mega City Four - Stop - I almost really like this. I wish the singer's voice wasn't so clean, it would sell it a lot more for me. Nice power pop tune that almost really worked for me. Unrelated to song quality, but one white guy with dreds is too many. This band had like three. So 90s's. 5/10

Psychefunkapus - Hillbilly Happy Smash - This is just not for me. Is this what Primus begat? Too much slap bass and goofiness. I do like the Point Reyes shoutout which is one of my favorite places in the world.

The Holy Sisters Of Gaga Dada - Paranoid - Truckly if I am using the term correctly. Good version of a great song. Always fun to hear genre exercises. 7/10

The Sports - Who Listens To The Radio - This is a lot of fun. Exuberant and well executed. Nothing mind blowing but good stuff. 7.5/10
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

Marky Dread
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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Marky Dread »

Is this still starting every Monday?
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Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Marky Dread wrote:
17 Apr 2021, 4:05pm
Is this still starting every Monday?
In my mind it does. If people are late with their observations, that's on them, but selectors should roll as usual every Monday (even with tears in their eyes over lost royals).
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Marky Dread »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
17 Apr 2021, 4:14pm
Marky Dread wrote:
17 Apr 2021, 4:05pm
Is this still starting every Monday?
In my mind it does. If people are late with their observations, that's on them, but selectors should roll as usual every Monday (even with tears in their eyes over lost royals).
Well I ain't lost no royals so I'll be posting Monday. 😎
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Marky Dread »

The BellRays - Zero PM
Like a young Tina Turner fronting The Stooges. I love this band.


The Icicle Works - Tin Can
Why bother writing a song when you make a kick ass tune out of one line.


Dave Bartholomew - The Monkey
Another simple repetitive groove with a heavy message for mankind.


The Electric Soft Parade - There's A Silence
These two brothers had it going on for a while back in 2001. Great stop/start tune.


The Dramatics - The Devil Is Dope
Fucking brilliant track. Every bad trip you ever had with a heavy warning.
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

revbob
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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

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Fuck yeah Marky kicking it off with the Bellrays ! A tremendous band that deserves way more love.

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Dr. Medulla »

The BellRays - Zero PM
The Tina Turner/Stooges description is really apropos. Somewhere between joyous and snarly fuck you. And then it kicks in that extra spurt. That said, it’s a bit too basic r n r for me. It’s not bad (duh), just not that distinctive in any way.

The Icicle Works - Tin Can
I only know “Whisper to a Scream” so I’m confused completely here. Which song is the outlier? This song would be a fucking riot live, tho.

Dave Bartholomew - The Monkey
I’m more drawn to the rather hypnotic effect of that groove just running over and over. There’s an endurance test of sorts at work (something Wire has done well). Cool experience.

The Electric Soft Parade - There's A Silence
A little of the old quiet-loud-quiet. I really like all the weird bits that drop in and out for a second. I creates more of a sense of chaos than the “loud.” Weird band name, tho—evocative of the psychedelic 60s, but the music ain’t nothing like that.

The Dramatics - The Devil Is Dope
The gospel side of soul is really on display here, not just lyrically but in expression. Nancy Reagan would approve, if not for all those scary Negros.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by gkbill »

Hello,

The Bell Rays - I've got a lot of their stuff thanks to someone here. The previously mentioned comments about Stooges and Tina Turner are all appropriate - and those aren't bad things! 9/10

The Icicle Works - really great, straight-forward rock. 9/10

Dave Bartholomew - less speaking, more singing - because he could really be much better (perhaps he is - I just don't anything of him beyond this track). 7/10

The Electric Soft Parade - good build up and break down stuff - very slinky. 8.5/10

The Dramatics - a bit overdramatic (hence the name?) beginning - good soul stylings - I'd bet they have stuff I'd like better (will investigate). 8.5/10

This gives me more new bands to check out (and revisit - see Icicle Works and the Bell Rays) - great! Thanks, Marky.

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Heston »

The big Icicle Works hit in the UK was "Love Is a Wonderful Colour", superb song.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Marky Dread »

Heston wrote:
19 Apr 2021, 5:26pm
The big Icicle Works hit in the UK was "Love Is a Wonderful Colour", superb song.
Their only hit as such, I like it a lot and the 12" version. But they had a few singles that featured highly in the indie charts. The song I posted was a B-side.
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

revbob
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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by revbob »

Going into this Bellrays are the only band I am familiar with.

The BellRays - Zero PM
This is a great song from one of my favorite bands. Lisa is a fantastic singer. This like so many of their songs kicks ass. 9/10

The Icicle Works - Tin Can
It wants to like me and I want to like it but I dont think our friends will get along. 6/10

Dave Bartholomew - The Monkey
This is new for me, good lyrics. Im reminded of something I can't recall, maybe its just the blues riff. 6/10


The Electric Soft Parade - There's A Silence
It's not bad but doesn't really click for me. At times it feels like it might break thru that barrier but never quite does for me. 6/10

The Dramatics - The Devil Is Dope
There's a great funky groove there that I can just get lost in. Im still tappping my foot and nodding my head to it long after its ended. 8/10

Good job Marky.

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by matedog »

matedog wrote:
09 Oct 2020, 3:27pm
Here's the real video for it:

FAO Flex, Rosenstock just released a Ska version of his latest album because why not?
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Heston »

The BellRays - Zero PM
A bit bluesy for me but a great vocal and some nice parts. Not sure about the cowbell. 6/10

The Icicle Works - Tin Can
I would never have guessed this was The Icicle Works in a million years. I love the guitar solo in the middle but otherwise is a bit ranty for me. 6/10

Dave Bartholomew - The Monkey
Yeah, nice groove and good lyric. 7/10

The Electric Soft Parade - There's A Silence
I'm digging this, sounds like a Britpop hit that never was. 8/10

The Dramatics - The Devil Is Dope
This is a little bit "out there" for me but it is really good. I wish I'd heard it on one of my LSD trips in the 80s. Catchy chorus and great instrumentation. 8/10
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by matedog »

Flex wrote:
12 Apr 2021, 1:08pm
Digging the emphasis on piping hot new tunes.

Bruce Lee Band - Division in the Heartland
Hey, my boy Rosenstock and his backing band make up most of this band. This is great stuff and love the timely, political lyrics. 7.5/10

The Red Aunts - I'm Crying
Ha, this is the same riff as Wolt's favorite post-grunge song "Jesse" by Paw. That's not a bad thing. Great use of the two vocalists, distortion, dissonance, and I wasn't expecting that slide guitar at the end. This is fun when I'm in the mood for something abrasive 7.5/10.

Lemonheads - Belt
Getting real early Replacements vibes on this. Nice hooky guitar, though this doesn't grab me as much as the others. 6/10.

Catbite - Pabst Me Up
Tight band and energetic performance. This is a weird novelty remake of a more straightforward song. I think I prefer that one, but both are solid. Always love an organ solo. Nice arrangement too with lots of rising and falling within its short run time. 7/10.

Asie Payton - Nobody But You
Interesting back story. Perfect arrangement for his voice - super fuzzy guitar and rhythm sax. Song melody and lyrics are good but don't stand out too much. This is good though. 7/10.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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