Echoes and Mirrors » Aural Attak

Aural Attak: Apocalypse Hoboken – Date Rape Nation/Jerk Lessons

Daniel — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:41:00 +0000

Today I present the “punk rock you forgot about, but damn it was awesome when you heard it” band that you (now that you’re thinking about it) haven’t listened to since high school. Put your volume up and prepare for high-energy shenanigans: it’s Apocalypse Hoboken – Date Rape Nation/Jerk Lessons.

1. Pop Sensibilities
2. Girl
3. Great Escape
4. Microscopic
5. Personal Best
6. Teen Anger
7. Hopeless and Fucked
8. Drunk Helen
9. Idiot Revolution
10. Hello Hello
11. Pop Goes the Weasel
12. Blockhead
13. Small Things
14. Dear Abby

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Aural Attak: The Benjamins – The Art of Disappointment

Daniel — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:47:00 +0000

The Benjamins have a wildly upbeat and positive sound; it’s this sort of mid-winter Wisconsin optimism (the band is from Milwaukee). It’s punk-rock in the Lagwagon fashion. They sound a bit like Weezer, I guess. The lyrics are smart, funny and somewhat depressed. The optimism and a teen-movie romanticism shines through, though. Everything about this album should make you smile. I got the album at the 2001 Warped Tour from the band’s booth. They gave me a bunch of other trinkets, too, but the beer bottle opener broke and the bumper sticker ended up on the front of my computer. It is a shame they have since broken up.

Track listing:

Couch
Wonderful
Sophia on the Stereo
Dr. Frank was Right
Shine
Clover
Riverwest Creeps
Weather’s here, Wish You were Beautiful
Gave it Away
Little Tin Heart

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Aural Attak: Bender – Jehovah’s Hitlist

Daniel — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:17:00 +0000

Bender is one of those bands you only catch once in a while but most often hear about second-hand. They’re like Isis in that regard. Jehovah’s Hitlist is a very rough, melodic and (most importantly) entertaining album.

It is billed as ‘Soundgarden at its heaviest’ which is a misnomer: it’s more like an indie folk band with their knobs turned to 11. They’re not entirely serious, but not whole-heartedly comedic like The Darkness. A couple of their songs might draw in the radio-rock crowd, but they most often turn back after hearing the whole album.

Superfly
Isolation
Fresh Daddy
Passion Flower
Dig it Boy
Fall on Your Head
Seizures
Sharon Stone
Prick (What the Hell’s the Matter With You?)
Body & Soul
Lobster
Angel Dust
Breath Again

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Aural Attak: Death Ride 69 – Screaming Down the Gravity Well

Daniel — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:09:00 +0000

It’s better than most Industrial you’ll ever hear. It also took me forever to acquire ever since I lost the disc my friend burned for me of them and LUXT.

Fifth Column reviewed it as such:

The albums opens with more that it’s fair share of background samples appropriated from Blade Runner and then suddenly shifts into high gear dragging it’s audience along at the speed of sound. Linda LaSabre, better known as Beatmistress, doesn’t give her listeners a single second to catch their breathe as she piledrives on the percussion and charismatic vocals. DeathRide 69 is one of the few female lead industrial acts which doesn’t feel constrained to work stay within usual roles that most female vocalists are pigeonholed into. Instead of using her voice as slender instrument to keep in harmony with the music she uses it to thrust her lyrics down the throats of her audience and shake them up a bit. Finally a female driven band, with dare I say it, a pugnacity to insult you to your face and make you come back for more. Perhaps all those other wimpy acts ought to take notice of Linda as being someone who doesn’t feel the need for social posturing and will simply go straight for the kill.

Tracklisting:

First Contact
Needle
F##cked Up Generation
Penetrator
MK Ultra
Digital Submission
Screaming Down the Gravity Well
The Razor Girl Machine
Sinister Fetish
Super Hot Sister 69
I, Virus
Elvis Christ –The Ressurection
Long Dirty Needle
Big Penetrator –Forced Entry Mix
F##cked Out Generation-Save the Robots Mix
Anomaly
Financially Catastrophic Results (track 69)

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Aural Attak – The Sleepy Horses

Daniel — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:41:00 +0000

The Sleepy Horses is probably one of the most enthralling alternative country (is that even a fucking genre?) groups I’ve ever heard*. I’ve seen them live two or three times at the Stillwater Taproom, here in Augusta. I purchased this live album from them the first time I saw them and am absolutely in love with it. The sound is dreamy, intricate and inspired; it puts the taste of Americana in your mouth. It is irristable and fun.

Tracklisting:

One Moment More
Immigrant Prayer
Geography
Hearts are Breaking
Makes No Sense
Far, Far Away (From My Heart)
Floods

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[Yes, I'm going to start doing this every Sunday; I'll be going through my more esoteric tunes and finding the real gems that you might otherwise miss out on. Drop a link the comments section if you review it; let everyone know what you think.]

*Their sound has changed dramatically from what you’ll hear on this or on Somewhere Out West, Lonesome For You; they sound more like country-fried Mars Volta, sans all the Spanish.