Face front, True Believers! It's time for another round of all-day football/parade marathons on TV, Tryptophan-induced comas and beer-fueled arguments with your brother-in-law. In short, Thanksgiving is once again upon us. Unbuckle your belt, gird up your loins and break out the backhoe, it's time to eat!
Make the jump for a few of our favorite Thanksgiving Day-related metal tunes and be sure to tell us what you're thankful for -- or suggest more appropriate songs -- in the comments section.
InB4 William Burroughs:
InB4 Iron Maiden:
Agoraphobic Nosebleed - "Thanksgiving Day":
Anthrax - "Indians":
November 24, 2011
HAPPY HOLIDAZE: THANKSGIVING
November 23, 2011
NOT A CRUSTY CLIP: HEXVESSEL RELEASE JUSTIN OAKEY-DIRECTED VIDEO FOR 'I AM THE RITUAL'
Hexvessel, I Am The Ritual (Music, 2011) from Justin Oakey on Vimeo.
We're big fans for Justin Oakey's video work. In the past, we've featured his work filming Column of Heaven and Slaughter Strike, but he doesn't just work with Endless Blockade-related bands. He's just release his video for Finnish (by way of the UK) psych-folkers Hexvessel's "I Am the Ritual." The track comes from the ex-Code/Dødheimsgard conspirator Kvohst-led band's release from this year, Dawnbearer. No boobies here (so yes, it's SFW), but plenty of shamanistic madness goes down in the video. Watch it to ease the despair that you won't be going to Roadburn, where Hexvessel will perform with a bill that includes Voivod, Nachtmystium, Coroner, Agalloch, Urfaust, Barn Owl, and many other bands that will make you jelly.
Without further ado:
CRUSTY CLIP OF THE WEEK: XIBALBA - 'COLD'
Every single Wednesday without fail, your hosts post a suitably stale video clip that we think needs to be revisited. Click here for more Crusty Clips. Got a clip you think we should post? Send it to crustcake@gmail.com.
By The Swizard (ATX)
Music videos are fucking awesome. Who doesn’t have a fond memory of seeing their first music video on MTV, then getting a hairbrush out of the bathroom and rocking out in front of the mirror like Axl, Ozzy, or Rob Halford? Being able to listen to a song you love with visual enhancement can intensify a listener's experience of a band and ultimately make a casual listener into a rabid maniac of a fan. Even though MTV and Fuse seem to care less about music and more about knocked-up teenagers, the music video is still a very powerful form of expression for any band in 2011.
Unfortunately, making music videos isn't cheap. A lot of the most famous music videos were fucking expensive to produce. Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'" and Oasis' "D'You Know What I Mean?" are both rumored to have cost upwards of a million dollars each to make. In the metal realm, Metallica’s "Unforgiven" wasn’t a low-cost, DIY affair, and Guns N' Roses "November Rain" was basically a seven-minute short film. Spike Jones, Michel Gondry, and Marcos Siega all demand more than a few cases of beer to get out of bed with a camera, leaving mid- and small-level bands with limitations as far as music video production value is concerned. Attempting to imitate big budget video production without big budget money to spend is a great way to make your band look corny (if not cheap), so this dilemma poses an important question: How does a band make a ruling music video without a lot of money?
Enter Xibalba, from Pomona, Calif.
Not to be confused with the Mexican black metal band of the same name, the American Xibalba play incredibly heavy metallic hardcore, influenced by bands like Disembodied, Crowbar, Earth Crisis and Entombed. These boys ripped their way into the Southern California hardcore scene back in 2008 and have since been crushing audiences across the US, touring in support of their first full-length, Madre Mia Gracias Por Los Dias. Their unrelenting brutality and insane live shows eventually caught the attention of Southern Lord, who distroed Madre Mia and are on board to release the band’s upcoming full-length which will be dropping in early 2012.
Two full US tours and a home on the Southern Lord roster are nothing to scoff at, as far accolades for any band, but Southern Lord aren’t known for financing big-budget videos for their other, more established acts, and while Xibalba are awesome, it would be odd if that trend were to be bucked for a newly signed band. Regardless, the band decided to make a video anyway, ad with very limited resources. So what did Xibalba do? The band cleared out one of their apartments, bought a sizable amount of beer, weed, and barbecue supplies, invited 50 to 60 of their closest friends over and played a set in their living room while partying their faces off. The end result? A fucking AWESOME music video. The apartment decor shows many of the band's influences via posters on the wall and provides a glimpse into the band's everyday life that inspires their art. The abundance of libations consumed by the band and their friends ultimately lead to the crowd being a touch on the intoxicated side of things, resulting in a surprisingly energetic and violent reaction for a house show. The booze, weed, and moshing shots segue nicely into the WWE wrestling match between band members at the end of the video, which required little to no post production to look realistic (and a lot of those moves looked like they hurt). All of this was accomplished with a few good quality digital video cameras, hot dogs, carne asada, chips, beers, a bottle of Night Train, a bottle of whiskey, some club weed, a gravity bong.
Had Xibalba attempted to hire some of their friends as "actors" to follow some hair-brained screenplay or allowed their song to be an undergraduate’s film school final project, the video for "Cold" could have been a mediocre or even laughable video trying to be "baller on a budget." Much like recording, a good band is a good band, despite whatever technical limitations they’re faced with. Taking what little budget they had and using it to get their friends stuffed with grilled meats and relatively wasted resulted in a video that sets Xibalba apart within a subgenre of metal that’s often difficult to be memorable in. A music video needs to enhance a band’s art, and amazing art doesn’t need a deep pockets behind it to be impactful. Knowing what’s realistically capable with what you’re working with and maximizing what you have creatively trumps a patchwork attempt at mimicking out of budget technology 100 percent of the time. Xibalba did that perfectly with the “Cold” video. Besides, if a band can’t look good playing a raging barbecue house party in their hometown, they have bigger problems than their music video production budget.
November 22, 2011
CAKE BITES: KEN MODE - LIVE
With Cake Bites, we present you with sweet, crusty morsels of our writing in bite-sized form. Think of them as heavy metal petit fours -- all killer, no filler left-hooks to your brain's mouth.
Photo by Scott Stewart
KEN mode
When: Oct. 13, 2011
Where: The Korova, San Antonio
I usually hate resorting to referencing tropes like glaciers cracking or mountains heaving, but KEN mode really are that loud. There's a certain wry perverseness in playing so loud the listener is forced to confront the band and accept or FOAD. These Winnipeg natives must ascribe to that. And whether it's the frosty climate of Central Manitoba or those precedent glaciers, there is a brittle, industrial feel to their noise -- a cold-steel ferocity to their hardcore. And I really hate resorting to namedropping Jesus Lizard or early DEP (or abstracts like Brutalist architecture or constructivism), but there's a little bit of all of that in their live show. Lit solely by two floor-level can lights, brothers Jesse and Shane Matthewson, joined by Andrew LaCour, of Florida's Kahnn, roared their way through highlights off their stellar new album, Venerable, and generally pulverized the spare few of us who dared to stand firm in the onslaught of blasting noise. Fourth time seeing them this year -- each time more intense than the last.
November 21, 2011
CRUSTCAKE STREAMS: ANAL CUNT - THE OLD TESTAMENT
Anal Cunt were never sycophants to good taste - a simple Google search of their song titles will say a lot more than we can. But if you think they were offensive in their heyday, you should hear them when they first started in the late 80s. The late Seth Putnam and his band of musical anarchists weren't relying on provocative titles to make themselves the most hated band in America. Instead, they were confusing listeners on whether their music was music or freeform noise. In my review of Anal Cunt's hair-metal satire Fuckin' A, I said that album was their "most musical album ever" - their 88 Song EP and 5643 Song EP are the exact opposite. Nothing is decipherable - it's a wall of noise with a few flecks of silence sprinkled in. Putnam's screechy vocals become another layer of abrasive textures. Anal Cunt's confrontational attitude that made them underground household names was in its embryonic stages on those EPs.
They also found time to record a split with the only band that could be considered more offensive than them - The Meat Shits. Even with that said, their two demos preceding everything else they've made are easily some of the most barbaric music ever put to tape, making most of the bands we cover look like Huey Lewis and the News. Was Anal Cunt really just Merzbow playing a prank on the punks? I wouldn't put it past him.
A lot of the band's formative EPs and splits have been out of print for quite some time. Relapse Records has complied them for The Last Testament, which drops tomorrow. We know you're impatient to hear the whole thing, so we've got an exclusive stream of Testament in its entirety below. Be warned: some of this is ROUGH, even by Anal Cunt's standards.
Anal Cunt - The Old Testament by crustcake 
Like it? Buy it from Relapse here.
CRUSTCAKE INTERVIEWS: FLOURISHING
Photo by Randy Levine
by Chase Macabre (STL)
Flourishing are a band that are impossible to easily describe using genre descriptors. They're a hodge-podge of styles, influences, and ideas. They sometimes sound furious, like a drunken meathead frat boy with a Louisville slugger who doesn't like the way you said "'Scuse me, bro." They remind me of older bands like Bloodlet whose rhythm section is always about to teeter out of control, like your all too eager brother who barrels down the stairs without caution and will one day certainly slip and break his neck. Other times they're sweetly melodic and tender, like they're a tiny toy tank grinding it's way over pillows with superhero slip covers. Which is cute as shit, but still a fucking tank nonetheless.
Vocalist and guitarist Garett Bussanick answered a few question over email regarding guitar gear, recording and their stellar new album The Sum Of All Fossils (which their label, The Path Less Traveled, has made available for you to check out and purchase at their bandcamp page). Check out the interview after the jump.
Crustcake: Flourishing is an awesome band name. I like how it isn't evocative of any particular genre or era. I know you've said before you liked its seemingly contradictory nature to the darkness present in the music you play, but where'd the name come from? What does it mean to you?
Garett Bussanick (guitar, vocals): Along with the contradictory aspect, another meaning the name has comes from the psychology end of things. It's an idea that there are a set of circumstances that enable and promote positive human experience. I'm interested in this idea, and it ties into the band's lyrics as many of them are about examining experience. When choosing the name, I had this idea in mind just from the definition of the word, but didn't know there was this whole field of study, so I remember not being able to articulate it well until more recently.
Crustcake: Along the same lines, great song titles on the new record. I'm so pissed I didn't think of "As If Bathed In Excellence" first. What does "The Sum of All Fossils" mean to you as a phrase? And how about as a whole album?
Bussanick: The phrase TSOAF is based on an idea I had while working on the lyrics for the album. It starts with the idea that all life on earth is at its current state because of the existence and influence of all previous generations of all forms of life that have ever existed on the planet. It's like this pyramid-type effect resulting from countless events in the history of life over the last 4 billion years or so. Each new generation or species is built from the last and is the latest "block" in the pyramid or "level" in the overall structure. Every form of life in earth's history, from one celled organisms right on up to blue whales, has contributed some kind of influence or outcome during it's time, no matter how small and insignificant. And they've all resulted from something that happened before. The examples of this main idea are infinite. For instance, without the existence of mammals, obviously there'd be no humans. So whatever influences from other species that lead to the existence of mammals is an example of this idea that has built upon itself for around 4 billion years. Life that doesn't "work (is good at surviving)" becomes extinct and mutations will create the next "test model", etc. So this is where life on earth is at, after all the natural selection and every species' evolution/influence/contribution, whether it was "notable" or not. They all have a place in the chain of events leading up to where life is at the moment. Now getting to the point: I don't mean to have humans as the main focus of this idea just because we're the highest order of life with, by far, the biggest influence at this point. The point is the opposite. It's meant to belittle humans and our everyday concerns. We're a side effect of this whole machine of life. You take the building blocks of life, put them in a place they can survive and propagate (earth), and, after huge spans of time, you wind up with what's here today given these particular conditions. I feel in awe and insignificant just by typing this. It's also supposed to point out that life on earth is accidental. It's just by chance that we're here.
As for the meaning of the whole album, there are a few different ways I could look at it. One is just looking at it for what we tried to do: make an album that would be engaging from beginning to end with songs that cover different vibes, while still being pretty cohesive as a whole. Another way I look at it is from the perspective of finally having these songs recorded and out there. A good portion of the songs on TSOAF are quite old, so I feel like they can finally be laid to rest.
Crustcake: When I first heard the record, I said that Fossils "sounds timeless to me. At times modern, 10 years ago, and 20 years ago" meaning I hear Death, Bloodlet, Intronaut, and something alien. Genres are nearly meaningless at this point, and I would have no idea what to genre to call you guys if asked. I'm curious what you think Flourishing sounds like?
Bussanick: I look at things in a similar way. Of course we're playing heavy music, but I feel no allegiance to a particular genre and just give in to the creative ideas that present themselves while writing. But it's not like anything goes in the band.. there's no way some kind of blatant jazz or blues influence could show up. I think that tastefully allowing certain influences when coming up with the framework of what you're doing is part of the creativity and challenge. I say framework because once you have something that feels like a song, you can take things sonically in any direction that makes sense to you. I think the influences in the material on TSOAF are fairly easy to pick out. Guitar-wise, stuff like Righteous Pigs or early 90's Napalm Death is a big influence. Then there's also Godflesh, and my interest in playing in a dissonant way. Vocally, I employ my best "John Tardy" most of the time. I think it's a stretch to call Flourishing a death metal band because there are moments on the album where we're definitely not playing death metal. I guess I look at Flourishing as a band that partly plays a form of deathgrind, and partly puts deathgrind through the filters of other genres. And if that's not quite accurate, I at least think of the band like that.
Crustcake: I'm curious if y'all use any alternative guitar tunings? I hear a lot of atypical voicings and foreign sounding chords on Fossils (particularly on "In Vivid Monochrome") and, as a guitarist myself, I wonder what you're doing.
Bussanick: There are no unusual tunings at all actually. The whole record was done in B-standard. There are perhaps some chords that aren't extremely common here and there, but nothing super out of the ordinary. One thing I started to get into on this album was recording separate tracks of a single string or chord which, when played back together, make up the chord, or riff. I think that type of idea allows for lots of exploration and creativity, so I want to get into that idea more in the future. There are a few guitar parts that don't even sound like guitars to me. There's one part in "In Vivid Monochrome" where there's this short bass and drums break, and I do this decaying chord that hangs over the part. I think it sounds like a sample of a down-tuned car horn. But it's just a guitar and a delay pedal straight in and unaltered. And later in the same song toward the end, I did an almost clean guitar overdub that really sounds like a keyboard to me.
Crustcake: "A Thimble's Worth" sounds like it's describing going undergoing therapy. Is that accurate? If not, what does the song mean to you, particularly the lines: "One day I will find the middle road. Finding out the true sense of things is something I could say that matters."
Bussanick: That's a song Eric [Rizik, bass] and I co-wrote the lyrics for. The lyrics mainly deal with initiating any change that's deemed necessary. And I think it's cool that you mention therapy, since that's a step many people take advantage of to work on change. The first line you mention relates to finding balance with conflicting ideas. The second has to do with taking the time to evaluate things that perhaps one wouldn't naturally consider.
Crustcake: Fossils is a very live feeling record to me, as though y'all played all together in one room until you got the best take. Is that how you did it? What was the recording process for the album?
Bussanick: We recorded it in our then-rehearsal room. It's not a live recording, but there's definitely a raw quality to it that gives it a live vibe. While in the attended mastering session with Alan Douches [West West Side Music], he told us casually that he thought it sounded like we set up in a parking garage and pressed record. I pretty much took it as a compliment, but I have a feeling he didn't think terribly highly of the recording. Anyway, Brian [Corcoran] (drums) and I played together to get the drums and I did a scratch track that wasn't used in the end. It was tracked and mixed bit by bit over this past winter into the spring. As for tracking my guitars, I did a lot of organizing of the rhythms and overdubs beforehand so I'd know exactly what I had to get done with what gear. There are lots of parts and overdubs, so I took the time to get prepared.
Crustcake: I also like the line "I've been trying to enhance my own expression or did I take it away?" on "Momentary Senses". I love music, and metal in particular, and I voraciously consume it. I also play music, and that influence inevitably seeps in. Similarly, in life I'm influence by what people may think of me. My peers, parents, bosses, girlfriends… Is recognizing that inner struggle what you mean by that line, and by "To diagnose the moment is to battle dichotomy"?
Bussanick: Well, the examination of inner struggle and indecision are recurring themes running through many of the lyrics on the album. That particular song kind of deals with social interaction and how complex and off-putting it can be at times. It takes an unusual type of person to truly not be affected by what others may think of them. I'm certainly not one of them. I'm also not sure I'd want to be, because with such an unusual way of being, there must be certain things amiss! I think many people throw the phrase, "I don't care what others think", around carelessly without realizing the deep meanings such a statement has.
Crustcake: Getting back to guitar again, what's your setup? Same for Eric on bass and Brian on drums.
Bussanick: My main guitar I've used for Flourishing is a USA BC Rich Warlock that I got back in '92. It's a guitar from the Class Axe era of the company. I use 2 half stacks...a Zinky Mofo head through a Mills Acoustics cab and a Mesa Dual Rectifier through a Mesa cab. On the album, probably about 80 - 90% of the guitars were played through the Zinky amp and Mills cab. I also used another BC Rich Warlock of mine for one of the rhythm tracks and some of the overdubs on the album.
Eric plays a Fender jazz bass and tracked the album using my Mesa head through Ryan's (engineer for TSOAF) Sunn cab. Live he plays through a Line 6 head and an ancient, rotting bass cab that used to belong to the bassist from Time's Up (who at one point played bass for us).
Brian uses Tama Granstar drums, Paiste, Sabian and Zildjian cymbals, and a Trick double pedal with longboards.
Crustcake: Anything you'd like to plug?
Bussanick: We tracked a 3 song ep just recently in August, which will come out sometime next year. We shot a video over the summer for the song "Summary" and I believe it is almost done being edited so we hope to get that out there before too long. Also, TSOAF has a vinyl release planned for November or December. The Path Less Traveled is going to put it out, however Sean is looking for a label to split the release with. If anyone is interested, get in touch.
November 18, 2011
HEINALI AND MATT FINNEY COVER LOUTALLICA'S 'JUNIOR DAD'
With an album as divisive as Lou Reed and Metallica's Lulu, you know cover versions would be rolling out eventually. Well, transatlantic "whiskeygaze" duo Heinali and Matt Finney (whose Ain't No Night we reviewed here) have just released their version of Loutallica's "Junior Dad." Granted, it's quite a ways truncated from the nearly 20-minute original, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Stream it below, and you can also download it at no charge if you decide you want to blast this on your iPod. Don't sweat it - we like this version better.
November 16, 2011
CRUSTY CLIP OF THE WEEK: ROBIN TROWER - 'BRIDGE OF SIGHS'
Every single Wednesday without fail, your hosts post a suitably stale video clip that we think needs to be revisited. Click here for more Crusty Clips. Got a clip you think we should post? Send it to crustcake@gmail.com.
By Andrew Wilhelm (Denver)
The clearing of Zuccotti Park early yesterday morning has left the nation strung out. Really, really stressed. We're all acting very un-Dude. My good people, just watch this 1974 live clip of Robin Trower's eternally dreamy "Bridge of Sighs" and relax, maaaaaan. If this song came emanating from the skies, there wouldn't have been any tension...everything would be cool. No teargas, no torn tents, no "You're sexy, you're cute, take off your riot suit." Just 100% - better than 99% - positive vibes.
Holy shit, I am sounding like a hippie. Boulder is ruining me.
November 11, 2011
FUN FUN FUN FEST: THE RECAP
PIT-R-DUN!
All pics by Van Damned
By Van Damned (SATX), The Swizard (ATX), and Andrew Wilhelm (Denver, but TX for life)
Bangover, hangover, smangover - whatever it was, we've recovered from it and will now present you our highlights from this year's Fun Fun Fun Fest. It was one hell of a weekend, filled with metal, tacos, dank hip-hop, Shiners, Tecates, and swag off the meter. We hope to do it again next year.
FUN
SLAYER: In some regards, Fx3 felt like a Slayer show with a bunch of opening bands. That's not a slight to the organizers or to the other bands, but when your headliner is fucking Slayer, everything else just pales in comparison. Slayer is so LOUD, so FAST, so EVIL, it takes up all the space in your consciousness, whether live or on record. Even with a couple songs from World Painted Blood, Slayer's set was full of bangers. And they added some humor to the setlist -- an early "Postmortem" and feedback prior to "Silent Scream" hinted at "Raining Blood," but we had to wait until the end for it, as we should have. The Big 4 is really just the Big 1 -- Slayer are still an amazing live unit, and even if their newer material isn't quite as good as the classics, they never plumbed the depths that some of their peers did. Props to Gary Holt of Exodus on filling in for Jeff Hanneman. He was more than up to the task.
Kool Keith: When god MC Rakim had to bow out at the last minute, Mr. Black Elvis himself -- Kool Keith -- stepped up the mic and graciously filled in, delivering an hour-long set that ripped through dozens of highlights from his extensive discography. Sometimes barely a line or chorus made it out, but those moments were as exhilarating as they were fleeting.
Death Grips: Hip-hop on the Black Stage? When your band features a terminally angry, nameless frontman with skills for days and Hella's Zach Hill behind the kit, it would have been a tragedy to not be on the Black Stage. Loud, abrasive, chaotic -- Death Grips came not to party but to kick your teeth in. Standout: the "Rise Above" sampling "Klink."
Deafheaven: While it was great enough hanging with the dudes (holla!), seeing the Bay Area blackgaze boys put one of their craziest shows yet was one of the best things about Saturday. With shows like Saturday night's, it's easy to see why Deathwish was so eager to get them. Also, there was a lot of air traffic in the set, especially from vocalist George Clarke, who launched himself over the top of the first several rows, screaming like a banshee. Also, Andy busted some R. Kelly with some Denverites before Deafheaven's set. Get them on a day stage pronto!
Fucking with Danzig: French Onion Soup is buzzing like Pitchfork gave it a 10. Expect a joint with A$AP Rocky in the coming months.
From Ashes Rise tearing up Friday NITES: Some bands were meant for the smaller stage, and From Ashes Rise are among them. The power of their melodic crust got somewhat lost in the Black Stage, but inside Red 7, they truly got to unleash themselves. They don't play often, so if you missed it, you really missed it. And unlike Tragedy at Chaos in Tejas, they played at a reasonable hour.
The Swizard's guide to picking up crusty chicks: "Wanna ride on my Rudimentary Peni?"
Cannibal Corpse's Pit: As good as these death metal OGs were (and they were fucking fantastic), nothing on stage could match the brutality occurring in the dust below. Sure Austin has seen its share of pit violence in the past, but the pit during "Hammer Smashed Face" was astounding. Spanning the length of both black stages, for four minutes, the audience was one snarling, windmilling, teeth-jarring mass. Is this the stuff European festivals are made of?
Kid Dynamite making the Black Stage look like their own show vs a reunited band playing a fest. Highlights included barricade dives and The Swizard coming out of mosh retirement.
Trash Talk playing the only barricade-free set of the weekend, bringing the "unsafe" element of Fx3 to new heights.
Purity Ring keeping witchhouse scary, weird, and bouncy...even in broad daylight.
Bay Area Legend Michael Madfes and his continual wit, wisdom, weed, and free drinks. WWLD?
Henry Rollins letting us all know that North Vietnam refers to John McCain as a shitty pilot.
The Zero Boys when their singer wasn't babbling about yoga and positivity between songs.
Hum: doing their part to make up for the fact that neither Torche nor 
Eyehategod, even without dudes getting tasered or a plethora of Mike Williams shit-talking, still made Sunday the unholiest of days. NEW ORLEANS IS THE NEW VIETNAM!
The ATVs named after characters from Twin Peaks. Andy caught Shelly Johnson, Log Lady, and of course, Laura Palmer. Yeah, that show really isn't that good, but it's good to see Andy trying to be an art nerd has paid off in some regard. An early 90s Sherilyn Fenn at the fest would have been a much cooler celebrity sighting than Ryan Gosling.
Basically being able to completely avoid the Orange Stage for most of the weekend.
NOT FUN
Danzig a.k.a. Don'tzig a.k.a. Soupgate: You've probably heard all about it at this point, but the sting still feels fresh. And, since Van worked the cop beat for the newspaper in Waco and Andy went to Medill at one point, we have to call it "Soupgate." Due to Danzig's diva bullshit, Andy missed Mindless' set at Red 7. He followed up with vocalist Faiza later that night, who told him that they performed an Autopsy cover. Goddamnit, Glenn.
Dust Dust Dust Fest: Bandannas became mandatory - hell, we're surprised security wasn't handing them out. Mini dust bowls would arise wherever there was a mosh. Given that we spend a lot of time at the black stage, we became acquainted with the earth more than we wished.
Fried chicken waffle tacos: This should be in the "FUN" column, right? Austin is not the Soul Food Capital of the World, sadly, and Lucky J's did not furnish an exception to the rule. A++ for concept, C for execution.
This gross food item multiple food tents kept marketing as "pizza." Andy, for the record, is not down with vegan cheese.
Beer prices: Paying $9 for a Tecate that costs $2 everywhere else in the world is HARSH.
Realized the Murder City Devils' ability to play live is contingent upon how much booze and cocaine the spectator consumes before they go on (approximately $30 in Fx3 beers wasn't nearly enough).
The Slayer Zombie Flash Mob/ironic or hipster Dickzig and Slayer fans.
No Lil' B? Shit could have gotten straight BASED if he made an appearance.
Ceremony's singer trying to act weird on stage and failing miserably.
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - NEW CAKE IN THE OVEN: CHILDREN OF GOD/SEVEN SISTERS OF SLEEP SPLIT 12"
By The Swizard (ATX)
There’s something going on in Southern California. It seems as though a scene dominated by brutal breakdowns and gimmicks co-opted from Motley Crue and Poison has been quietly fueling those who are striving for something more in their art. For every kid who’s content with big hair and over-dramatic lyrics about heartbreak that no one I know has ever experienced, there’s a kid struggling with anguish or agony that can’t be personified with slick production and wardrobe-related gimmicks. Theatrics and studio-trickery can only get a band so far, and those residing in the sunny urban sprawl of Southern California have started to demand more from their bands.
Children of God
Enter Children Of God and Seven Sisters Of Sleep. Both bands hail from Orange County, but couldn’t be less like the bands that usually come to mind when people think of that part of the country. Fashionable clothing and heavy mosh parts have been replaced by loud amps and anguish personified through instruments. Children Of God blend elements of powerviolence and grindcore with some of the more atmospheric elements of doom and black metal. At times they are chaotic a la Converge or Trap Them, but just as easily slow things down to an agonizing crawl in a way Neurosis hasn’t been able to do in years. Seven Sisters Of Sleep play hardcore influenced doom, but differently than a lot of their peers. Lots of modern doom bands pay homage to Black Sabbath or Pentagram these days - SSoS sound like an Integrity 45 played at 33rpm. The band has an uncanny ability to sound mournful while still being punishingly heavy. There is enough common ground for both bands to compliment each other in the context of this split, but each side is a very different yet equally visceral listening experience. The contrast between Seven Sisters Of Sleep’s sorrowful dirges and Children Of God’s chaotic rage appeals to the entire spectrum of negative human emotion.
Seven Sisters of Sleep
At a time when the world appears as though it is going to derail itself into any number of fucked up oblivions, Children Of God and Seven Sisters Of Sisters of sleep have provided the perfect six song soundtrack to lead you into that moment when enough becomes too much. Seven Sisters Of Sleep are gearing up for a winter tour with fellow Southern California band Low Places that see’s them appearing at the A389 Recordings 8th Anniversary in Baltimore on January 21st, 2012. Children Of God are gigging around Southern California, but hope to be out and around the US in 2012.
November 6, 2011
FUN FUN FUN PREVIEW: EYEHATEGOD
By Andrew Wilhelm
"New Orleans is the New Vietnam."
How's that for a loaded title?
It is one the new songs that New Orleans' infamous sons Eyehategod have been playing at recent shows. Given their combined affinities for their city and for getting under people's skin, only they could make a title like that work. It certainly ranks among their most provocative titles like "Sister Fucker," "Kill Your Boss" and "Man Is Too Ignorant to Exist." Vocalist Mike Williams says that the song's subject matter deals with the spike in crime following Katrina, whose effects still hover over Williams and many other New Orleans residents. Fitting with their demeanor, however, there's a black tongue in that cheek.
"It would be silly to compare to the war in Vietnam, it's not that bad at all. It's just a good heavy-sounding title," he said.
The song itself is a throwback to Eyehategod's early days, where they were especially vigilant in sabotaging good taste.
"A lot of that stuff, in the beginning, was kinda done for just shock value. As we got older, we kinda wanted to make it, kinda be a little more intelligent about some of the things, but yeah, it definitely goes along with our older titles," Williams said.
The fire's not gone. Williams said some of the other new song titles include "Medicine Noose" and "Robitussin and Rejection," which fit well with the band, especially when you consider that they're not on the sober path to divinity. Eyehategod, despite not releasing a studio album since 2000's Confederacy of Ruined Lives, tour on a more regular basis now, and they've been testing these new songs to their audience. From what I saw at their set during SXSW, the new material is going over well with fans. Williams says these songs are constantly changing - the lyrics, vocals and riffs may change around by the time these songs are imbued on tape.
Speaking of which, what's going on with that new record?
"It's basically all written, we gotta put vocals to it all and tweak up all the songs, and then after that go into a studio. It's been a slow process," Williams said.
Williams accounts the crawling pace of the album's creation to the busy schedule of the band members. After all, guitarist Jimmy Bower plays drums in Down, the band sans Bower play in Outlaw Order, and Williams has a noise project, The Guilt Of.... He shot down rumors that the album will feature a disc of only covers. Though if anyone can do a better "Sweet Leaf" than fellow Louisianans Thou, it would definitely be Eyehategod.
As the old saying goes, when it's done, it's done. And if "Vietnam" is any indication, it will be worth it.
Eyehategod will play the Black Stage today at 4:30.
November 4, 2011
CRUSTCAKE PICKS: FUN FUN FUN FEST - SUNDAY
We realize that not everyone has the good fortune of living in the great state of Texas, but between SXSW, Chaos in Tejas, Rites of Darkness and Austin's anti-ACL, Fun Fun Fun Fest, we feel the Lone Star State has got the lock on kickass music festivals and and you're really missing out if you haven't made the trek down for at least one of them.
If you're fortunate enough to make it to Austin this weekend for Fx3, use this guide to help you decide who to see, where to park and (duh) what to eat.
Fall festivals are fun in Texas if only because, unlike events held earlier in the year, the temperature is more manageable. The wind blows a little cooler, the night comes a little sooner. The heat-induced tendency towards assholery diminishes. Past experience dictates the final day of any festival to be a little subdued, but don't let that stop you from going balls-out (proverbially, of course) and making the most of it.
Read on to find out why.
Cali powerviolent hardcore upstarts Ceremony aren't first-billed for Sunday, but they're the first band you'll catch Crustcake at (no offense Schmillion, OBN III's and Davila 666, but we expect pretty wicked hangovers). They're furious and spiteful and will help wash that first Foster's oil can down like a kick to the gut. Nobunny may be known more for his onstage antics than for the (admittedly hooky) squall of trash pop, punk and noise he produces, but that may be part of the appeal. If GG Allin in a bunny mask playing Ramones covers means anything to you, feel free to stick around, get day-drunk and punch your neighbor. Long-running Midwest hardcore crew Zero Boys follow.
Regardless of what you choose to do with your Sunday afternoon -- drink heavily, nap under a tree, drink heavily THEN nap under a tree -- get your ass geared up for Louisiana sludge legends Eyehategod. Like a collapsing vein or a rotting swamp log, these sultans of Southern discomfort are death, decay and $30 worth of cheap dope writ large and attendance at their show is mandatory. Feel free to take a breather after that. Rehydrate; rest those aching feet. Track down a gourmet hotdog from Frank (Van recommends the duck meat and foie gras dog; Andy, the beer brat, Pork It®-style: wrapped in bacon then deep-fried). Maybe you'd like to give your ears a rest. There's options. It's Fun Fun Fun Fest. For instance, we prefer Ted Leo's other, prior band to the Pharmacists, but his literate take on indie rock is not without its own merits. Otherwise, check out recently reunited Philly posicore crew Kid Dynamite.
Ready for further brutality? Cannibal Corpse will hammer smash your face otherwise. These Buffalo death metal demigods certainly need no introduction and are among the oldest and originalist of the oldschool OG legends still in the game. Vocalist George Corpsegrinder may get all the face-time, but Crustcake will be in front of bassist Alex Webster, trying to follow the blur that is his fingers while simultaneously seeing if whiplash can be self-inflicted.
For all its many duds, this recent dubstep (re)emergence has given us some pretty clear standouts -- chief among whom is, in this writer's opinion, Flying Lotus. The Los Angeles native's beats are dark and smoky and just warped enough to warrant repeated, intensive listening. But, as one would hope to hear from a relative of Alice Coltrane, they aren't the big, brain-dead stadium fillers that populist homeboys Skrillex or Kode9 churn out. Think more along the lines of a West Coast hip hop answer to England's Burial or Clubroot. And because of Daylight Savings time, it'll be appropriately dark and maybe just a little chilly when FlyLo takes the stage, something that will probably also benefit Japanese experimental doom weirdos, Boris. They're appearing on the Black Stage opposite Mr. Lost Angeles. It's a tough call; we're sure you'll make the right one.
If it is big beats that you're after, however, you're in luck. Walking fashion advertisement Diplo appears immediately following Flying Lotus on the Blue Stage. The preternaturally good-looking Thomas Wesley Pentz aka Diplodocus aka Mr. ex-MIA has remixed or produced everyone -- including your mom -- and should hype all hipsters within earshot. An overweight, balding comedian who talks primarily about weed and metal more your style? (Thought so.) The hilarious (and Relapse Records-worthy) Brian Posehn hits the Orange Stage for its penultimate show. Like how I used that word correctly? Read on.
The Back Stage may be all about the more extreme bands on the bill, but Slayer is so metal they're too big for the Black Stage. They're upgraded to the larger, more centrally located Orange Stage, where they will hopefully sacrifice Spoon onstage. We can only hope. What else can we say about them? They're goddamn Slayer. If you're worried that Jeff Hanneman might give you a flesh-eating virus, though, those no good punks Odd Future will be headlining the Blue Stage. The group that inspired a million thinkpieces will make sure that a million more will be written about them after their performance. Tread lightly, especially if you're a photographer, a member of Tegan and Sara, or just a garden-variety hater.
If you've got anything at all left in you, feel free to hit up the smattering of aftershows poppin' off around Sixth Street. Zero Boys will be playing the second show of their day at Beerland, as will synthgoth chanteuse Austra, this time doing a DJ set at Beauty Bar. As for Crustcake, we plan to leave it all on the well-trampled grass of Auditorium shores.
November 3, 2011
CRUSTCAKE PICKS: FUN FUN FUN FEST - SATURDAY
We realize that not everyone has the good fortune of living in the great state of Texas, but between SXSW, Chaos in Tejas, Rites of Darkness and Austin's anti-ACL, Fun Fun Fun Fest, we feel the Lone Star State has got the lock on kickass music festivals and and you're really missing out if you haven't made the trek down for at least one of them.
If you're fortunate enough to make it to Austin this weekend for Fx3, use this guide to help you decide who to see, where to park and (duh) what to eat.
Read for Round 2? Forecast looks like mostly sunny with highs in the low 70s, so basically perfect. Bring your A game, amigos. There's three times the fun to be had.
Start your day off right at the Black Stage with with some Deathwish-approved melodic post-hardcore (those things aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, you know) in the shape of LA's Touche Amore, who will take you back to being 19 and feeling simultaneously invincible and totally unsure of yourself and your future. Afterward, go grab a Bestwurst to fuel your decision between Death Grips' dark and fractured experimental hip hop and the free-form, psychedelic desert jazz of Tinariwen. Death Grips features the frenetic drumming of Hella's Zach Hill and their Exmilitary mixtape is claustrophobic and confrontational; Tinariwen are Tuareg nomads from Mali's Saharan wastes. It's a tough call, but we're leaning toward the latter.
If you're set on hip hop, blitz over to the Blue Stage to catch Wugazi. Remember Danger Mouse's The Grey Album? Picture that, but swap in Fugazi and the Wu-Tang Clan. How could it NOT work? Otherwise go watch the idiots of Anarchy Championship Wrestling bodyslam each other onto thumb tacks and fluorescent light bulbs at the Yellow Stage. Come 4 p.m., though, hustle back over to the Black Stage for recently reunited Texas death-thrash heroes Dead Horse. They may not be a household name, but their gleeful take on breakneck speed and brutality paved the way for fun-mongers like Municipal Waste, Gama Bomb and Violator.
Stick around for SoCal punk veterans Youth Brigade (their "Sink With California" will bring Van Damned running) or catch Cold Cave's hotly-anticipated return to the Capitol City. Their incredibly loud and incredibly close Cherish the Light Years is among our favorite releases of this year and finds mastermind Wesley Eisold (ex-Give Up the Ghost) again collaborating with noise magician Dominick Fernow (Prurient) and keyboardist/vocalist Jennifer Clavin and guitarist Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) on a stadium-sized collection of pitch-perfect, goth pop anthems. Cred be damned, we are stoked on this show.
It'd be a good idea to grab a falafel at this point and rest up for Midwest hardcore legends Negative Approach -- unless you're still on a rap kick, in which case god emcee Rakim (of Eric B. & Rakim fame, but you should know that) will be dropping lyrical miracles over on the Orange Stage. Satisfied? Then get front-center for reactivated metalcore Massholes, Cave In. Other, better writers have spilt plenty of physical and digital ink over these cerebral hardcore hierophants, so go see what the heck all the fuss is about for yourself.
Closing out the official festival portion of Saturday are graveyard punk icons the Damned. After 35 years, Dave Vanian and Co. are still spitting in the face of conformity and convention, holding the torch of loud, brash and snotty hardcore aloft as only true innovators can. Short of digging up the corpses of Sid, Joe, Joey, Johnny or Dee Dee, this is the closest any of us will get to seeing true, '70s punk royalty in 2011.
By Saturday night, if you've got any energy left (and you've got a wristband), again swing by Red 7 for the Brooklyn Vegan/Transmission Entertainment aftershow. Headlining inside are San Fran blackgaze upstarts Deafheaven. This is their sole Fx3 appearance, so don't miss 'em. They're touring with instrumetal sleepies Russian Circles, who're playing outside. Also appearing are Japanese psychdoom weirdos Boris, Eagle Claw, Ancient VVisdom and others.
FUN FUN FUN PREVIEW: TOXIC HOLOCAUST
By Andrew Wilhelm (Denver)
The saying "The more things change, the more they stay the same" sticks with us, because of one thing: it's true.
Early in his career, Joel Grind of Portland thrashers Toxic Holocaust was the sort of dude to go it alone. He performed all instruments on his first two records, Evil Never Dies and Hell on Earth. Bobby Steele from The Undead and formerly of The Misfits made a guest appearance on Earth, but there was little outside input otherwise. When Toxic Holocaust signed to Relapse Records, that was no longer the case, as Donny Paycheck from labelmates Zeke did session drums on An Overdose of Death. Now Toxic Holocaust is an actual band, with ex-Rammer bassist Phil Zeller and Kingdom of Sorrow drummer Nick Bellmore. Toxic Holocaust's latest record, Conjure and Command, is their first as unit, instead of a Joel Grind solo outing. Grind says while earlier records were more of "see-what-happens" affairs, Command had a solid foundation.
"This one turned out a lot better, I think, because of the fact that we have the live experience working together, and also being able to go into the studio well rehearsed," Grind said. "It finally took it this long to have it become a band, but I'm glad I waited."
Grind's had to employ many a session live member before, but he now feels Toxic Holocaust is a cohesive unit. While he has no bad things to say about the people he's played with before, he is glad to have a dedicated band.
"It's kind of demanding to ask for a lot of people. A lot of people will say they're in a band, but then when it comes down to doing the work for it, they don't really want to put the effort into it. It's cool that I found these guys that are kinda on the same page as me," he said.
You can notice that change of dynamic in the new record. The best way to describe Command is that while it doesn't sound quite like Toxic Holocaust's other records, it still has what makes them...them. A notable change is the use of midpaced sections - while there's still plenty of the thrashing that Grind is known for, there are parts in Command where you can take a breather. Don't expect Grind to record an album with a horn section or a Rod Stewart guest apperance, though.
"I don't really like when bands do a total 180. I've always been from the camp that thinks they should change their name if it's gonna be that much different," he said.
While Toxic Holocaust may be on a bigger label now and have, at least for now, a stable lineup, frequent touring was never out of the question for the group. Grind has toured pretty much all over the world, and he says that there isn't a magic bullet (or bullet belt) to making constant touring work. What it boils down to is have reliable contacts from every corner.
"It's kind of funny how it works, that's what so great about underground music. Everyone just helps each other out and it's kind of like a gang kind of mentality," Grind said.
Inevitably, though, some things fall through. You may drive overnight to a show only to find out it's been canceled. In that case, get a Teflon attitude and hope a house show comes around. Hell, Grind may even prefer a house show.
"Those shows have the most energy, and it's just so in your face and raw, I love those kind of shows," he said.
It's not without perils.
"Every time I play one of those shows, I'm always wondering if I'm gonna get my teeth knocked out or something from the mic," Grind said.
But if you aren't putting yourself in dental-averse situations, you're not living life, are you?
Toxic Holocaust will play at Red 7 tonight as part of FFF Nites with Hull, The Fucking Wrath, and Pushmen. As with all FFF Nites shows, a wristband is REQUIRED for entry.
November 2, 2011
CRUSTCAKE PICKS: FUN FUN FUN FEST FRIDAY
We realize that not everyone has the good fortune of living in the great state of Texas, but between SXSW, Chaos in Tejas, Rites of Darkness and Austin's anti-ACL, Fun Fun Fun Fest, we feel the Lone Star State has got the lock on kickass music festivals and and you're really missing out if you haven't made the trek down for at least one of them.
If you're fortunate enough to make it to Austin this weekend for Fx3, use this guide to help you decide who to see, where to park and (duh) what to eat.
On the one hand, there isn't Slayer. On the other hand, you're not tired yet. Whether this is you first or fifth Fx3, the first day is not slacking at all. We're here to help you sift through the crap and make the most out of the festival.
Onward into battle.
Let's get this parking thing out of the way first and foremost. There isn't a whole lot of it, and while that may sound like your average day in Austin, festival situations tend to make things wacky. The organizers strongly encourage you take alternative transportation - they've got a whole guide here with info on bike parking, shuttles, bus routes, and how to not get towed. Nothing is less metal than getting towed.
The first band worth seeing on Friday are Doomriders, a.k.a. when Nate Newton of Converge decides that he wants to ROCK. “Come Alive” and “Bear Witness” to one hell of a wake-up call. Espresso ain't got shit on these dudes. Immediately after them, From Ashes Rise will pillage the Shores. If you couldn't stay awake for Tragedy during Chaos, this will make up for it. From here, you can go one of two ways. If you're got something to prove and want to settle it in the pit, Bane will help you through the process. In the immortal words of Sarge D: YOU'RE MOSHING! But if you wanna freak, Omar Souleyman may be more your thing. The Syrian musician makes infectiously catchy dance tunes that worship at the altar of the Casio. Missed him during Chaos? You just got a second chance. If you want the dance party to continue, Big Freedia (also a Chaos veteran) will do that and more. Erick's got the scoop on her in his expanded non-metal recommendations. There's a small lull after the Queen of Bounce (Russian Circles = YOU'RE SNOOZING!), but when it comes to closing off the night, Fx3 could not have done a better job.
On the Black Stage, you've got Danzig Legacy. Here, Glenn himself will dust off tunes from the Misfits and Samhain, in addition to his solo material. Better yet, he'll bring out Doyle for the Misfits tunes, and unless Richard Branson wants a reunion, it's as close to one as you'll get. Whether someone decides to spill ashes on his stage or not, as what happened at Danzig's first Fx3 in 2009, it's still going to be a show for the ages. As far as we're concerned, it's still Halloween. Concurrently on the Blue Stage, Public Enemy will be showing the young'ins how it's done. I saw them last year in Chicago, and while the show was poorly promoted, they put on a sold-out-quality performance. Flava Flav still has it even after his VH1 haze, leaving no inch of the stage unused. Cuts like “By the Time I Get to Arizona” and “Fight the Power” are as relevant today as they were when they first shut the game down. Whichever path you choose, disappointment is not in the cards.
Afterwards, come party with us at Red 7 (that is, if you have a wristband - totally serious, you will NOT get into any aftershows without a wristband) where we'll catch encore performances from Doomriders and From Ashes Rise. And without barricades, those nuisances, things will be wilder for sure. Making exclusive appearances will be Orange County grinders Phobia, local death metallers Mammoth Grinder, and the ever powerviolent Mindless. We ain't frontin' – you better come out. You might even catch us grabbing a slice at Hoboken Pie once we've out-flossed everybody in the club.
Check in with Saturday and Sunday picks in the next couple days.
FUN FUN FUN FEST: THE CRUSTCAKE APPROVED NON-METAL PREVIEW
By The Swizard (CA)
Fun Fun Fun Fest is returning to Austin this weekend and seeing as how they’ve stacked the deck with one of the greatest metal and hardcore line-ups of any fest this year, Crustcake just had to make an appearance, with both journalistic and celebratory intentions. It’s a given that you will find us furiously whipping our hair during Slayer, Doomriders, and From Ashes Rise, but Fx3 has also booked some of our favorite non-metal bands through its three musical stages. If you plan on raging at Auditorium Shores, eventually you’re going to need a break from the pit. Here are some of the non-metal bands we highly recommend checking out.
FRIDAY
The Thermals (Orange Stage)
Hailing from Portland, OR, The Thermals play catchy yet unruly garage punk with infectious hooks and witty lyrics. The band was born out of a kitchen jam session in 2002, which ended up spawning a demo that landed in the hands of Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, ultimately leading the band to sign with Sub Pop Records. The band have been taking their wildly fun garage punk party rock on the road for the better part of a decade, and it is likely that The Thermals’ set will be instrumental in kicking off Fx3 2011 the right way.
Big Freedia (Blue Stage)
Who doesn’t like to shake their ass? Big Freedia likes shaking ass so much she’s made a career out of it. Big Freedia is one of the pioneers of “bounce” rap, which focuses heavily on, yes, you guessed it, dance moves that emphasize shaking one’s ass. In her hometown of New Orleans, Big Freedia often plays six nights a week at various venues. That’s a whole lot of booty moving. Aside from Big Freedia being intriguing on her own, her set will be worth catching for the crowd participation alone. Don’t be left assed out on this one.
The Murder City Devils (Black Stage)
The Murder City Devils exploded onto the punk/hardcore world in the late 90s and took everyone by storm. Their unique style of sleazy punk rock n roll saw them touring with the likes of Grade, Thursday, Botch, At The Drive-In, The Locust and Supersuckers, leaving fans of different areas of punk rock rabidly wanting more. Their live show was always on point and more often then not included cymbals being lit on fire, hard partying, and altercations between the band and naysayers in the crowd. The Murder City Devils will undoubtedly bring Fx3 to a frenzied, fevered pitch on Friday night, setting the partying bar high for the remainder of the weekend to live up to.
SATURDAY
Purity Ring (Blue Stage)
Usually, the term “dubstep” leads to idiot shivers and loss of buzz, but Purity Ring is clearly the exception, not the rule. Featuring Corrin Roddick and Megan James of Gobble Gobble, Purity Ring play dub-step tinged electro-pop with infectious hooks and jerky rhythms that would probably get my grandmother dancing on table tops. Anyone with a soft spot for New Order or Ladytron needs to give Purity Ring a whirl. Their cutesy vocal hooks and sleazy synth melodies are a great way to kick off day two of Fx3.
Cold Cave (Blue Stage)
Anyone who saw American Nightmare/Give Up The Ghost or Some Girls will tell you that frontman Wes Eishold is the sort of performer that comes along once in a lifetime. However, the same people who saw Eishold fronting those bands probably wouldn’t have expected to see him reappear in Cold Cave, an experimental, new wave-ish electro group bruning up the indie world. Eishold traded in his blood-curdling scream and recklessly violent stage presence for an Ian Curtis-esque croon and synthesizers, a recipe that landed the band’s music in a Verizon Wireless commercial as well as appearing at several high profile festivals worldwide. The addition of Xiu Xiu’s Caralee McElroy has made Cold Cave much more cohesive and dynamic, and their latest full length, Cherish The Light Years, one of 2011’s best records. Their set is not one to be passed up, so plan accordingly.
Donald Glover/Childish Gambino (Yellow/Blue Stage)
James Brown has been gone for a few years, and apparently Donald Glover is doing his best to take his place as the “hardest working man in show business.” In addition to playing Troy Barnes on NBC’s Community and doing cameos in Best Coast videos, Donald Glover is also working at being a budding comedian as well as a rapper. Anyone who’s caught an episode or two of Community can testify to Glover’s razor sharp wit and brilliant timing, but his rhyming skills aren’t quite as well known as his acting and they’re criminally underrated to boot. Glover’s hip hop alter-ego makes words gracefully dance over any beat thown his way, and his wit and charm make his verses a cut above those spewed forth by many of his peers. Glover will be be appearing on the Yellow Stage doing comedy and wrapping up on the Blue Stage as Childish Gambino. His comedy set goes up against some other decent acts, but Childish Gambino’s set time is unchallenged by anyone else of note and shouldn’t be missed.
Hot Snakes (Black Stage)
Hot Snakes are arguably the pinnacle of the very unique and groundbreaking mid/late 90s San Diego punk scene that also featured bands like Rocket From The Crypt, The Locust, No Knife, and Drive Like Jehu. Hot Snakes were aggressive and fierce enough to appeal to the mosh hungry younger punk and hardcore types, yet were cerebral and quirky enough to make older, less punchy scenesters fanatical too. Hot Snakes made a whole lot of noise in a short amount of time. While this may be a reunion, their music is timeless and will sound just as fresh today as it did in 1999. This won’t be just one of the best sets at Fx3, but one of the best sets played a band in 2011.
SUNDAY
Lemuria (Orange Stage)
Lemuria are the emotional highs and lows of a new relationship put to music. The Buffalo, NY trio play emotional post-punk similar to Jawbreaker or The Get Up Kids, but with far superior technical chops. Singer/guitarist Sheena Ozzella’s voice is haunting and she possesses an uncanny ability to tug at even the most guarded of heart strings with lyrics that rival Blake Schwarzenbach’s or Morrissey’s in terms of literary prowess. Ease out of your hangover and into your final day of Fun Fun Fun fury with Lemuria’s soothing blend of indie/post-punk. Maybe you’ll hear a song that will end up on the next mixtape you make for someone.
Le Butcherettes (Orange Stage)
Le Butcherettes began their career when frontwoman Teri Gender Bender moved to Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico following the death of her father in 2008. The band started playing dark, moody post-punk all over Mexico, eventually winning over both audiences and critics all over Mexico. The band eventually landed high-profile Mexican tours with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Dead Weather, and cut their teeth touring in the States with the likes of The Flaming Lips and Jane’s Addiction. The band added Gabe Serbian of The Locust and Jonathan Hischke of Broken Bells to their line up, and released their debut full-length Sin Sin Sin, which saw The Mars Volta/At The Drive-In mainman Omar Rodriguez Lopez handling production duties. A musical pedigree like Le Butcherettes is a rarity and demands to be paid attention to as Sunday’s festival activities begin to kick into overdrive one final time.
Zero Boys (Black Stage)
The go-to first wave American Hardcore bands are groups like Black Flag, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat, however, Indianapolis’ Zero Boys, while lacking infamy, are just as awesome as their more popular peers. Their Vicious Circle LP is a true hardcore classic, featuring such bangers as “Civilization’s Dying”, “Amphetamine Addiction”, and “Livin’ in the 80s”. The mid-afternoon set Sunday will definitely be ripe with circle pits and pile-ons, and a must see for anyone looking to expand their early 80s hardcore knowledge. I will definitely be there, pitting hard with some sort of alcoholic beverage in hand.
Kid Dynamite (Black Stage)
Forming in the late 90s from the ashes of Lifetime and Ink & Dagger, Kid Dynamite turned hardcore upside down while only existing for three years. Kid Dynamite blended the fury of hardcore with the melody and hooks of pop punk, a combo that put them on the top of the heap as far as hardcore in the early 00s was concerned. The band broke up rather unceremoniously shortly before releasing Shorter, Faster, Louder, their second full length, but after reconciling issues amongst band members, reunited to play some benefits and to send off CBGB’s when it closed in 2006. Kid Dynamite live were unfuckwithable, and set off crowds in a way hardcore hadn’t seen since New York in the late 80s. This set will be chock full of stagedives and headwalking which makes it worth catching even if Kid Dynamite’s music isn’t your particular cup of tea.
Hum (Orange Stage)
Hum were an anomaly. In a mid 90s “alternative” music world, four dudes with shaggy hair came out of nowhere playing incredibly heavy, yet melodic, almost shoegaze-ish hard rock. Perhaps a touch less metal/hardcore than Quicksand, but a little more ballsy than The Promise Ring, Hum achieved cult-band status before quietly disbanding in the late 90s. Their influence can be heard in a wide range of current heavy bands including Floor, Torche, Boris, Pelican, Russian Circles and Junius. This set with be worth it if for no other reason than to hear “Stars” played live again one more time. Unfortunately, they play at the exact same time as Boris, but Boris will more than likely tour again. Seeing Hum may be a one shot deal unless you have a flux capacitor laying around.
Odd Future (Blue Stage)
Love 'em or hate 'em, you can’t deny that Odd Future has churned up quite a bit of controversy over the last year. Was some of it earned? Totally. Was some of it overhyped bullshit? Even more so. Be that as it may, I feel like a group of wild LA teenagers who give zero fucks about anything put in front of a bunch of drunk people who love them, but within close proximity to a Slayer show and probably a few thousand people who hate them, has all the makings of one of the most memorable sets gone horribly wrong in Fx3 history. Even if everyone behaves themselves on the final night of Fx3, Odd Future live still manage to be far more interesting than most of their peers in hip-hop, and arguably a lot of indie, punk, and metal bands. If OF's resident crooner Frank Ocean is touring with the rest of the group, then Fx3 will be in store for some riveting r&b from one of 2011’s fastest rising singers. Most metalheads have seen Slayer more times than any of us have needed to, Odd Future provides an equally chaotic ending to what will be one hell of a weekend.
Whether you keep it purely brutal or branch out and check out some new bands or the not as black stages, Fx3 is going to to be the most ruling show of 2011. There’s something for everyone on it’s three stages of music and one stage of comedy, so there really isn’t any excuse to pass this by unless you are allergic to good times. There is the best of the fest as far as non-metal stuff goes, so expand your horizons and check out what the rest of the normal world chooses to listen to on the regular basis. Us Crustcake dudes will be taking it all in, because at the end of the day, beer makes any band sound better.
CRUSTY CLIP OF THE WEEK: HENRY ROLLINS ON SLAYER
Every single Wednesday without fail, your hosts post a suitably stale video clip that we think needs to be revisited. Click here for more Crusty Clips. Got a clip you think we should post? Send it to crustcake@gmail.com.
By Andrew Wilhelm (Denver)
I picked this clip for three simple reasons:
1. Henry Rollins will be at Fun Fun Fun Fest.
2. So will Slayer.
3. And it was recorded in Austin!
Henry Rollins will perform on the Yellow Stage on Sunday. Slayer will headline the Orange Stage, also on Sunday.
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