Travis Waves Goodbye to 2008 with his Top 10

(in no particular order)

Thee Oh Sees- The Master’s Bedroom is Worth Spending A Night In / For a couple of years now I’ve paid very close attention to all John Dwyer’s projects (all six of ‘em) but Thee Oh See’s have always been my favorite. It started as a lo-fi bedroom experiment that morphed into a full on garage-psych explosion. The Master’s Bedroom is full of catchy tunes that stay in your head all day, hell, all year. Can’t wait for whatever Dwyer has planned for 2009.



Eddy Current Suppression Ring- Primary Colours/ Literally the first time I heard this album I knew it was going to be on my end of year top ten. ECSR blend post-punk, proto punk, and pub rock influences into ten brilliantly crafted songs. For my money these Aussie boys created one of the best and unassuming albums of 2008.





Deerhunter-Microcastle/ This album was less weird and experimental than 2007’s “Cryptograms” which I thought was a good thing. I always thought “Cryptograms” was a good album but it will remain one that I have to be in the “mood” to pick up and listen to. Microcastle on the other hand is an album that I enjoy listening to straight through. I truly believe this is the bands best work thus far.




Ten Kens- Ten Kens/ It’s interesting to hear bands debut albums because I always get the feeling the band has been working on the songs for a couple of years and are trying to grapple all of their different influences. This causes each song to sound completely different than the one before. Sometimes this makes for disheveled listen but in the case of Ten Kens we get eleven songs of “where the hell did these guy’s come from”. This shit is excellent.



Endless Boogie- Focus Level/ Top Ten of a Top Ten of why I love Endless Boogie:
1.) The band is named after a 1971 John Lee Hooker Album.
2.) Band members go by Top Dollar, Grease Control, The Governor, and Memories from Reno
3.) Top Dollar rocks the Cat Power haircut with a crusty goatee.
4.) Endless Boogie is all of the members hobby, two work for Matador records The other two at record stores.
5.) They will play for free if you ask them.
6.) Average song on Focus Level clock in at 7minutes of pure psych/ metal/classic rock/blues jams, full of riffs that melt faces into pudding.
7.) Have songs called Low Lifes, Smoking Figs in the Back Yard and Jammin’ With Top Dollar.
8.) The combined age of the band is 169, but rock harder than any band with a combined age of 80.
9.) List influences as ZZ Top and Canned Heat.
10.) Oh yeah, did I mention they fuckin’ slay!!!!


Blood on the Wall- Liferz/Brother and sister Brad and Courtney Shanks share leads vocal duties once again for their third full-length. Blood on the Wall keep a mid-west honesty to their music. The tunes balance humor along with insanity and the Shanks male/female vocals kind of remind me of Frank Black and Kim Deal.





Flat Duo Jets-Two Headed Cow/ This is the soundtrack to a documentary that was done on the duo. No new material but a lot of live and different versions of songs. The Duo Jets are pure energy and the intro to the album sums up pretty much what you’re going to get for the next 70 minuets.






Black Mountain- In the Future/ In the Future is a far-out adventure that makes me want to hang out in my moms basement and smoke weed for seven days straight, drink high-life and play Atari. This was one of my most anticipated albums of 2008 and it didn’t disappoint.






Religious Knives- The Door/ Bands that start out as side-projects and morph into main projects 80% of the time kick ass. Maybe it’s because the band members have the freedom to try new things that they wouldn’t normally try and then they realize just how great it is. This is proven with Religious Knives, started as a side-project of Maya Miller and Michael Bernstein of Double Leopards the band creates complex garage-psych songs that are downright amazing.



Thomas Function-Celebration!/ I can finally say I love something from Alabama. Thomas Function is not one person but instead four gentlemen that constructed some of the catchiest tunes of 2008. Tracks like Relentless Machines and 2012 Blues are the type of songs that get tattooed into your brain causing you to sing, hum, or whistle them for weeks.

Top Ten 2008 Shows I saw in Missoula:

1. The Dodos
2. Monotonix
3. Dirtbombs
4. Thee Oh Sees
5. Blood on the Wall
6. Black Diamond Heavies
7. Ponytail
8. The Sword
9. Wilco
10. Blitzen Trapper

Eddy Current Supression Ring:

COMPACT AUSTRALIAN-PUNK.
There are a couple of things to immediately like about the Eddy Current Suppression Ring: 1) they formed on sort of a lark, to play some music for the Christmas party at the record pressing plant where they all work; 2) the singer has a vocal delivery sort of reminiscent of one of my favorite rock and roll singers, Bon Scott; and 3) their songs are short, neat packages of well-constructed rock and roll music.

Sounds like a kind of clinical examination of what's more of a visceral thing... I really like this band for some reason, and like most good things, I'm not positive why. Something about the challenge of writing an entire album that does its job well in about a half hour, and that leaves you singing songs like My Ego Got the Best of Me. I hear all sorts of power pop and proto-punk goo all over the place. Stuff like the Celibate Rifles, Replacements, the Real Kids, and the Jam all come to mind.

Their wikipedia entry tells the story, and lists their discography. Domestically, the Goner record label has just released their Primary Colors record.
Thanks to Goner and the band for getting us both their debut CD, and their most recent release! Both are excellent examples of modern rock and roll played with an ear for the best of the past. Terminal Boredom did an interview with them after their 2007 U.S. tour, you can find that here.

Other things in the KBGA new pile of note: Quintron: Too Thirsty 4 Love, Usaismonster: Space Programs, Pierced Arrows: Straight to the Heart and the Paranoia 7", Touchers: Blithe

We'll be asking for your support for KBGA this January during our annual RadioThon. Talk to you soon--

Fun fact: Speaking of Australia, and its people: the word "aussie" sounds like "ozzy", not "ossy".

Josh

AIDS WOLF: NAKED ART-JAZZ CANUCKS ATTACK MISSOULA WED. NOV. 26TH
Montreal, Quebec may be better known for the ponderous meanderings of Godspeed You Black Emperor, or the sappy pop of the Unicorns, but for my money, AIDS Wolf get to wear the weirdo crown. In a world where being indie/alternative/punk generally means structuring most all of your music in the standard way that it's been done for the past 60 or so years (blues-based, 4/4 time, etc.), a band that just gets up and beats the shit out of their gear, has a good participatory time, and makes you think is a refreshing change. Speaking of refreshing, judging from the photos of the band (when you google image search) AIDS Wolf seem essentially uncool with clothing.

Amusical music? Free jazz punk? Spazz rock? Not sure.
Compelling, wild and great: Check.

The show's officially free, but as you might imagine, gasoline and food still aren't giving themselves away, so bring along a couple dollars to pitch their way.

If you're into comparisons, I get reminded of Arab on Radar (interestingly another Skin Graft outfit) and lots of the more driving no-wave from the Early '80's.

Faces for Radio: The KBGA Team Hurls Urethane
Here are some photos of the 'Beej crew bowling
(DJ in Training, Dane Hansen)

(top score, Tim Donahue: 127) tonight. That's right. When they're not busy keep the airways ripping with Missoula's only source of anything but crap classic rock, bad screamo, commercial country or baroque, these folks devote an entire DJ meeting to the slurping of suds and chucking of balls at pins. Ahem!
If you need more convincing, simply look at these photos:


To quote Homer Simpson: "U.S.A!"

As a reminder: KBGA is bring Health (L.A./Love Pump
(Niki, the "Sectretary" Promotions Lady)

United) on Monday, November 17th at the Palace lounge and Times New Viking (Columbus/Matador) to the Badlander Wednesday, November 19th and Aids Wolf (Montreal/Skin Graft) to the Badlander on Wednesday, November 26. COME ON!
















More of the Crew!














(Tim and Junie (above) Travis, below)

Bridgebuilder: Blast Off the Rock Excellent
Missoula's home to more than a handful of really good bands (Shotgun Moses, Volumen, Birds Mile Home, Reptile Dysfunction, Knot Knocked Up, Four Horsemen, Sherlocks, Black Velvet Elvis, Vera, etc.) but the band that's been taking the heavy/loud cake for just about a year is Bridgebuilder. They're a power trio in the true sense, playing through huge old PA towers rather than regular guitar/bass speakers, they control a mass of sound that would knock down lesser bands.

Their music has metal roots (quasi-classical sounding intros, Ibanez axes, etc.) but definitely is more along the lines of noise rock, with more frequent starts and stops and mathy changes, rather than being totally riff-bound. They're sort of uh, Helmety, without the churn. Most songs clock in at around two or 2.5 minutes, and their sets by and large are 30 minute affairs that thoroughly leave the crowd wanting more.

They've self-released a CDR called Lay Waste the Siege Perilous, and it's pretty excellent. The mastering/EQing job could've been done with more finesse and less bombast, for a better final product, but the songs help it to stand out and be one of the more exciting records that's come from Missoula in some time.

I think what I like most these guys is the absolutely unaffected in-it-for-the-right-reasons grins they have glued on when they play a show. You can tell they're doing something that makes them happy, and they're well-rehearsed and instense to boot. Check them out.

Josh/Loud MD
Recently on the KBGA loud playlist: Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Signal Lost, Totalitar, Asshole Parade, Bridgebuilder, Pierced Arrows, Harvey Milk

Why Aren't You Listening to the Jesus Lizard?

Hey Kids,

Rod Powers here, you might know me from my work on LA Law, Jake and The Fat Man and Hanging' with Mr. Cooper. When I'm not doing loads of coke and banging hookers I like to stay up on what's hip in the music world. KBGA has asked me chime in every so often to submission you jerks into liking what I like.

So my first order of business is to spread the word of The Jesus Lizard. If you don't like them or haven't heard them before than you're like Sonny Corleone to me "DEAD". This band could have possibly done more coke than me and Corbin Bernsen combined. So take some time out of your boring day and listen to The Jesus Lizard. Now!!

Love You Baby.

Rod Powers

Jesus Lizard Youtube Video links down low.

The Jesus Lizard "Nub" Video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7wilcAlAal8

The Jesus Lizard "Wheelchair Epidemic" Live
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mrAoCp3nI0w

Wilco - Adam's Center 5/5

Wilco drew heavily from 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot for the Missoula audience, featuring eight songs from their career making album. Their most recent effort, Sky Blue Sky, along with 2004's A Ghost is Born were also well represented with six and five songs respectively. Also in the mix was 'When the Roses Bloom Again', a song culled from the band's joint sessions with Billy Bragg but unreleased on their collaboration, Mermaid Avenue. As with other songs from that effort, 'When the Roses Bloom Again' was a lost lyric of Woody Guthrie's set to music by Jeff Tweedy following the discovery of the song by Guthrie's daughter.

Here's the full setlist from last night's show:

Via Chicago
When The Roses Bloom Again
You Are My Face
Hummingbird
IATTBYH
A Shot in the Arm
Side With The Seeds
Handshake Drugs
Pot Kettle Black
On and On and On
Impossible Germany
It's Just That Simple
War on War
Jesus, etc.
Shouldn't Be Ashamed
Theologians
I'm The Man Who Loves You
--------------------------------
Poor Places>
Reservations>
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
--------------------------------
The Late Greats
Hate It Here
Heavy Metal Drummer
Walken>
Monday>
Outtasite (Outta Mind)