Warning: listening to this music may cause a significant increase in heat. Your body may feel hot and you will feel an overwhelming sensation of “fire.” The Sugar Candy Album “666” is a unique style of music that was perfected by the cross-section of the passing of early 2010’s Psychedelic Rock and the popularization of more mellow Indie Pop. All pretentiousness aside, 666 is a really good album. It is probably Sugar Candy Mountain’s best music that they’ve put out since they emerged back in 2014 with their first full album “Mystic Hits.”
While “Mystic Hits” was undoubtedly a hit, “666” showcased the band coming into their own unique sound. Most of their songs tend to follow a similar pattern. The beginning starts out with a lackadaisical, relaxed beat that goes on throughout the entirety of the song while multiple layers slowly get added on as the song goes on. Moreover, the songs steadily flow into each other, making it easy to listen to all the way through.
However, if you’re in a rush and don’t have time to listen to the whole album, I would suggest starting with the first three songs and ending with the eighth and ninth. “Windows” and “Change” make a good impression of the album and “666” is definitely going to be one of my most played songs of the year. With it’s echoed guitar and dreamy lyrics, the song can change around my mood on even the most stressful of days.
Well that’s about all I have to say for this album, would definitely recommend with a score of 9/10. Hope you guys enjoy the music, -The DJ Formerly Known as Chippypants
Regina Spektor has gotten the short end of the stick in terms of early 2000’s indie. While her contemporaries like Amanda Palmer and Fiona Apple have developed a ride-or-die fanbase, Spektor is probably best known today for… writing the theme song for Orange Is the New Black? Don’t get me wrong, that theme song is one of the best things about an already good show, but there is so much more to Spektor’s music than just a killer pop song, so let’s look at one of her weirdest and most endearing albums “Soviet Kitsch.”
“Soviet Kitsch,” is, at its heart, a set of piano ballads. A simple form that makes an excellent showcase for just how freaking strange this woman is. She grunts, coos, belts, oohs, and ahs her way through almost every song on the tracklist, weaving these vocal ticks in with melodies organically to entrancing effect.
Her skills as a pianist are equally singular (indulge this classical piano-loving nerd for a moment if you will). She plays the usual notes of her songs in the most unusual of ways. The chords form familiar progressions, but she accentuates them with unexpected dynamic changes and staccato hits on off beats. The notes come not as a smooth melody, but as a flurry, unlocking the percussive potential of her instrument in ways Fiona Apple wouldn’t until last year.
However, for all its musical strengths, the true value of Soviet Kitsch is in the lyrics. Spektor takes her background as a Russian immigrant as a perspective, not subject matter. She frames familiar topics from the unique Eastern-bloc worldview that will be familiar to anyone who has had an extended conversation with an older Russian person. Social issues we think of as trite and incomprehensible- refusing treatment for cancer, nostalgia for a long-gone political order- are portrayed empathetically, though not always flatteringly, by a woman caught between two worlds. The lyrics find old ways of saying new things; classical forms used for subversive ends.
Frankie Cosmos, also known as Greta Kline; a well-loved indie artist, has been making incredible music since “Zentropy”, her first studio album. Not only is this album well-done for a 19-year-old independent artist (at the time), it remains one of my favorite works. “Zentropy” helped set the stage for future success for Kline in subsequent years and helped establish her within the indie pop scene.
The album begins with an ode to the dreariness of school and ends with the sadness of a dog’s passing away. It’s strange, girlish, experimental, but simple. The beauty of this album is highlighted in its simplicity. A mixture of mediocre electric guitar and drum beats are all that makes up the melodies on the album, but sweet-sounding vocals entice the listener. Frankie Cosmos gives a solid look at the life of a nineteen-year-old girl. Issues of love flings, loss of pets, and disinterest in school make up most of the album. Her ability to use simple lyricism to convey these ideas gives an easy glimpse into her life and what is most important to her. The emotional depth of this album and its catchyness as an indie pop-adjacent style of album makes it one that is so easy to return to again and again. Even seven years after its release, I find the lyrics stuck inside my head while I go about my daily life – thinking of lyrics like “I’m the type of girl/Buses splash with rain” or “This is when I say my I love you.” Surprisingly (or not), “Zentropy” ended up gaining
Frankie Cosmos has come a long way since this first studio album, since creating three more albums and dozens of music videos. Her latest album was released in 2019, and she has teased fans throughout quarantine with Instagram performances of her music and hopefully a new album coming soon.
How’s it going, Butcher Crew?! Today I have collected for you three albums that are heavy on my rotation lately. All three records were released during 2020, and all three were released by Unique Leader Records. Watch these three bands. And enjoy the madness of these three albums that made The Saw’s Choice Cuts. They will surely pound you into dust!
Where Only Gods May Tread (2020, Unique Leader Records) is the 5th studio album from the British Brutal Death Metal band, Ingested. Now, I’m here to tell you, this band delivers the beat-downs in quick order! Jason Evans utilizes many different forms and types of vocal techniques – most notably, screams and gutterals in a more DeathCore fashion. In fact, IMO, Sam Yates and Sean Hines (guitars), Lyn Jeffs (drums), and Brad Fuller (bass) masterfully deliver the beatings in a sort of Brutal DeathCore/Technical Death Metal assault that will leave you gasping for air. Formed in 2006, Ingested have some miles on their carcasses! As an example of their crushing abilities, they’ve toured with the likes of Black Dahlia Murder, Carnifex, 3 Inches of Blood, Aborted, Disentomb, Enterprise Earth, I Declare War, Kublai Khan, Despised Icon, and Cryptopsy to name a few.
Favorite Songs: Follow the Deceiver; The Burden of Our Failures; Leap of the Faithless
Rating: 9/10! This one will beat your brains in, for a long time!
Revive The Throne (2020, Unique Leader Records) is the 7th full length album from the German GrindCore/Brutal Death Metal band, Stillbirth. This band is as old as me, forming in 1999! Now, here is what I like about these butchers, they strongly incorporate the CORE (as in HardCore) aspect into their efforts. With multiple tempo changes, mid-riff (the GrindCore aspect), and crushing, gurgling gutterals, this record will give you whiplash. Lukas Swiaczney is the vicious vocal master, Dominik Konig also gutterals, and plays bass, Martin Grupe is banging, smoothly and quickly on drums, Jens Strack and Simon Sturmlinger slay the blistering dual guitars, and Lukas Kaminski is like a steam roller on the 2nd bass. Double gutterals and double bass players?! You know the beatings are life threatening!
Favorite Songs: Degraded to Mutilation; Panem et Circenses; Dethrone the King
Rating: 8/10! Skull splitting frenzy!!
Nuklearth is the newest album (2020, Unique Leader Records) by the German band, Cytotoxin. Right from the start, I’ve got to say that this band is like the WhiteChapel of Technical/Brutal Death Metal (and you already know that I love some WhiteChapel!). But this record… what an incredible piece of work we have, here! The arrangement, style, and structure of the powerful music by Fonzo and Jason (guitars), Stocki (drums) and Vitalis (bass) is nothing but pure, “Chernobyl Death Metal” (as Cytotoxin, themselves, refer it), and Grimo’s vocal delivery is nearly perfect – brutal gutterals and growls (reminding me of Phil!). Cytotoxin formed in 2010 and Nuklearth is their fourth full length album.
Favorite Songs: Soul Harvester; Coast of Lies; Nuklearth
Rating: 10/10!! This record will bang for MANY years to come!!
The second studio album from All That Remains, This Darkened Heart, was released on March 23, 2004 (Prosthetic / Razor & Tie). The band’s debut record, Behind Silence and Solitude, as well as its third release, The Fall of Ideals, are very good records in their own rights; but it is their sophomore release that stands in a category all its own.
So, All That Remains was first listed as a “Heavy Metal” band, with This Darkened Heart listed in the genre of “Melodic Death Metal.” Later, the band would come to be known as one of the first bands of an evolving sub-genre known as Metal Core, while the vocal style of This Darkened Heart is a perfect example of very early “Death Core;” though, the music (and its composition) is very much Heavy Metal, leaning toward Death Metal. Today, this combination of styles would be considered a band’s way of breaking out of the various “Core” genres. But in 2004, this is the expression of a band forging an entirely new brand of Metal.
Philip Labonte (Shadows Fall) is the founder and lead vocalist of All That Remains. He is one of the visionaries of the, then, forming new genre of Metal. His first band (in the mid-90s) was a Death Metal band called Perpetual Doom, where he also played guitar. He left the band to join Shadows Fall as the lead vocalist, recording the band’s debut album, Somber Eyes to the Sky, in ’97. He left Shadows Fall the following year due to “musical differences,” and formed All That Remains. In 2010 Labonte filled in as the touring vocalist for Killswitch Engage. And in 2016 he filled in as lead vocalist for Five Finger Death Punch. Labonte had a great band with him for This Darkened Heart with Mike Martin and Oli Herbert on guitars, Matt Deis on bass, and Michael Bartlett on drums.
I understand This Darkened Heart to be a bridge between Metal genres. While All That Remains went on to be more Metal Core, this record, with its combination of styles, really helped the logic of the evolution of sub-genres. My dad (The OG), as an Old School Death Metal head, remembers when this record dropped. “Oh, I loved the riffs of the songs, and Philip’s vocals were incredible. But I also recognized that there was something different being developed, here. The structures of the songs were departing from the style of pure Death Metal, while the riffs were very Old School. And the vocals, while delivered with “gravel,” were more melodic, but not like Melodic Death Metal. We knew that something new was happening.”
There are exactly 0 wasted songs on This Darkened Heart. This is truly a great record that still, today, speaks to the struggles and suffering of life lived in community; the darkness of loneliness and the light of friends and loved ones. This record, itself, is a light in that darkness.
Favorite Songs: Focus Shall Not Fail; Tattered on My Sleeve; This Darkened Heart
Rating: 10/10!! A perfect record at the perfect time
I can already tell that I am going to be loving this band. Loving is a slow-wave indie bedroom rock band from Canada. Their music gives off the impression of a lazy sunday, which pockets of sun poking in through the windows as the rain taps against the glass. The band consists of a group of three from Canada, who play sparse, intimate songs.
The band started back in 2015 when David Parry and Jesse and Lucas Henderson, who are brothers, started recording music together. It was initially a long-distance project, since some members of the trio were in Victoria while others were in Toronto. However, their initial success inspired the trio to become a full-time band and set up shop in Victoria.
The music of Loving is like psychedelic folk. It’s calming, relaxing, and uplifting all at once. Loving’s first album is their self-titled debut, which came out back in 2016. My favorite song is “The Not Real Lake,” closely followed by “Bowlly Goes Dancing Drunk Into the Future” and “A Long Slow Little Wave / Citizen, An Activity.” Their second album, “If I Am Only My Thoughts,” came out in 2020. It is a bit more fast-paced and features more acoustic sounds than their debut album. From this I would choose “A Mirror for Two Voices” and “Only She Knows” as my favorites.
You can love, you can leave it, and say you’re nothing without it, but don’t sleep on Loving. Hope you guys enjoy the tunes, -The DJ Formerly Known As Chippypants
Prior to the making of “Rumours”, the band was in a great period of growth. Just two years before the release of “Rumours”in1977, Fleetwood Mac released their self-titled tenth studio album, commonly referred to as “The White Album” by Fleetwood Mac fans. This was their first album featuring Stevie Nicks as vocalist and Lindsey Buckingham as guitarist, a duo that would later become monumental to rock and roll. Just over a year after its release on July 11, 1975, “Fleetwood Mac”reached number one on US charts and later peaked at number 23 on UK charts. This was the first number one record for the band and a major accomplishment. Fleetwood Mac was finally thrust into the spotlight after nearly 10 years as a band and several changes in members.
Inner-band Turmoil
From 1975 until the late ‘80s, Fleetwood Mac maintained its most commonly known lineup, consisting of vocalist Stevie Nicks, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, vocalist Christine McVie, bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. With new success and more than one inner-band relationship, the five members of Fleetwood Mac were swarming with the drama of love, fame and money. The majority of the recording of “Rumours”took place in 1976 California. This was shortly after the romantic split of the long-time relationship between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Following their split, the two maintained a professional relationship courtesy of Fleetwood Mac, creating some drama-filled song writing material. To add to the band’s stress, Christine McVie was in the middle of divorcing her husband, bassist John McVie. These failing relationships put great pressure on Fleetwood Mac and created some of the most beautiful music of all time.
The Release
Upon its release on February 4, 1977, “Rumours”reached number one on US and UK charts. The songs “Dreams”, “Go You Own Way”, “Don’t Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun” were released as singles, all of which placed in the top 10 on US charts. The album was wildly successful and continued to gain popularity throughout the course of the band’s international promotional tour. “Rumours” was critically acclaimed for its brilliant lyrics and stunning harmonies, provided by the interchanging dominance of three talented vocalists. The album was named Album of the Year at the 1978 Grammy awards and maintains its position as the eleventh highest-selling record of all time, with over 40 million copies sold. As of “Rolling Stones”’ 2020 ranking of the 500 greatest albums of all time, Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” falls at number seven. It was clear from the success of “Rumours”that Fleetwood Mac had become a major name in rock music in the 1970s. Their success would continue with a run of three highly praised albums following “Rumours”: “Tusk”, “Tango in the Night” and “Behind the Mask”. They continue to be regarded as one of the most influential bands of all time.
ALBUM: “Mink Mussel Manticore” by Mink Mussel Creek
RELEASE YEAR: 2007/2014
LABEL: Spinning Top Records
RATING: 8/10
BEST TRACKS: “They Dated Steadily,” “Meeting Waterboy” and “PROMISING QUINTET RISE TO POWER (MACHO PEACHU)”
FCC: Clean
When I first heard the song “They Dated Steadily” on my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist, I would’ve never thought Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker was behind it. With its heavy metal riffs and psychedelic feel, I immediately fell in love with the 13-minute-long song and the album it came from, “Mink Mussel Manticore.”
Parker and Allbrook originally formed Mink Mussel Creek in 2007. “Mink Mussel Manticore” came into being the same year, but wasn’t officially recorded and subsequently released until 2014 when the two musicians reunited. By this time, both Pond and Tame Impala had reached international success, so the gem that is Mink Mussel Creek was left widely forgotten. “Mink Mussel Manticore,” their only album, delves more into the heavier side of garage rock and psychedelia. Imagine “Thickfreakness” by the Black Keys on steroids sprinkled with some Hendrix-esc guitar, and then you’d get something like “Mink Mussel Manticore.” It’s hard to believe the album is only seven songs long. Each track feels like an epic, filled with layers of wild riffs and beat switches.
It’s easy to see how both Pond and Tame Impala stemmed from Mink Mussel Creek, but as Parker and Allbrook went their separate ways, they both softened their tone. What I love about “Mink Mussel Manticore” is its unapologetic heaviness. It’s the kind of album you have to play on full blast. Tracks like “Cat Love Power” and “HANDS OFF THE MANNEQUIN CHARLIE” switch pace often, keeping you on your toes and wanting more. Though songs like “PROMISING QUINTET RISE TO POWER (MACHO PEACHU)” and “Meeting Waterboy” stray more into the funk/blues arena, the rest of the album is a sludgy, fuzzy psychedelic journey.
BEST TRACKS: “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen,” “Hope You’re Feeling Better” and “Samba Pa Ti”
FCC: Clean
There exists few music groups who managed to combine so many genres of music better than Santana. Though the original group first came into being in 1966, their first brush with true fame came at Woodstock in 1968. Carlos Santana, front-man, founder, and the only consistent member of the band since its formation, was a mystery to the world before he was thrust onstage last-minute at the hands of his manager, a man named Billy Graham who was organizing the iconic festival.
In a seemingly impossible combination of jazz, funk, blues, rock, and Latin music, “Abraxas” emerged. Originally released in 1970, it was Santana’s second studio album after the massive success of their first, “Santana.” Carlos Santana and his band introduced Latin music to the classic rock scene in ways nobody had seen before. “Abraxas” was no exception. Searing guitar riffs overlap the sounds of bongos and jazz pianos to create a sound that was truly revolutionary for the time. With psychedelic rock being very much a white man’s arena in the early ’70s, Santana was a breath of fresh air for all to experience the fusion of Latin music and rock n’ roll.
“Black Magic Woman,” one of Santana’s most heralded songs, turned Peter Green’s (Fleetwood Mac) bluesy classic into a samba you just can’t help dancing to. In a cover of Tito Puente’s hit, “Oye Como Va,” Santana adds his own spin with a funky piano line. “Hope You’re Feeling Better,” the second to last song on “Abraxas,” goes in a completely different direction, sounding more like a song from Deep Purple than a Latin-fusion band.
Overall, “Abraxas” will always be one of my favorite albums because of how diverse and experimental it is. It’s a great testament to the incredible exploration into music that was happening in the ’60s and ’70s. Give it a listen!
Toxicity, the second studio album from the Nu-Metal band System of a Down, was released on September 4, 2001 by American Recordings and Columbia Records. Retaining the aggressive, heavy sound and feel of their debut, System of a Down (1998), their sophomore record blended smooth melodies with various instruments (sitar, banjo, keyboards, piano, and etc) in varying styles of music (folk, progressive rock, jazz, Armenian and Greek influences, and etc). This blend accentuated the vocal abilities of the band while the crushing riffs, on the other hand, expressed pure power and aggression.
Over 30 songs were recorded at Cello Studios in Hollywood, CA for Toxicity. The band narrowed that number down to 14 for this record. Many of the others were re-recorded later for the band’s next record, Steal This Album! (2002). The band covers a lot of ground in the lyrical content of this record, too. For example, “Chop Suey” is about drug addiction; “Prison Song” explores the policy of Mass Incarceration, mandatory minimum sentences, and the lack of rehabilitation. And many of the songs are metaphors for the politics of the modern economy (this theme would go on to dominate later albums).
System of a Down are Armenian-American musicians: Serj Tankian – vocals, keyboards, stringed instruments including guitar on “Aerials” ; Daron Malakian – guitars, sitar, and vocals ; Shavo Odadjian – bass ; John Dolmayan – drums.
Toxicity sold 220,000 copies in its first week, and peaked at #1 on Billboard 200 and the Canadian Albums Chart. It was certified triple-platinum by the RIAA in November of 2002, and has sold over 2.7 million copies in the US to date. All the singles released for Toxicity reached the Billboard 100, and “Aerials” hit #1 on both the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and Modern Rock chart. The record received perfect ratings from AllMusic, Kerrang!, and Blabbermouth.net; praised for its groundbreaking sound and innovation.
Rating: 10/10!! This is an incredible record, both vocally and musically!
