#Weak Signal

[yourlatesttrik]

lost connection

1 loop

[dustedmagazine]

Weak Signal — Fine (12XU)

Weak Signal has been my pick for “best rock band you never heard of” for a few years now, and this fourth full-length only strengthens the argument. It pulls their clanking, grinding VU-ish drone in new and intriguing directions—an acoustic blues folk a la Aquarian Blood, a guitar-heavy clangor akin to Crazy Horse—without sacrificing any core competencies. It adds some guests, including Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor, Doug Shaw of Gang Gang Dance and Cass McCombs, without diluting the locked in synchrony of its three founding members.

To review, Weak Signal is a three-piece led by Mike Bones who is linked to some cool NYC noises via an association with Endless Boogie and a stint with Soldiers of Fortune (Kid Millions is also a member). Sasha Vine plays mostly bass, but also a little violin and sings. Tran, the drummer, also sings. They’ve been a band for about seven years, and Dusted has favorably reviewed two of the three previous albums, 2021’s Bianca and 2022’s War on War.  

Fine is an advance for Weak Signal but not a shock. Though most of its songs sound very much in line with previous albums, it diverges in some fruitful ways. Both “Out on a Wire,” and “Baby” begin in a frenzy of feedback and improvisation, beginning side one and side two of the vinyl edition in exhilarating freefall.

“Out on a Wire” coalesces eventually into Weak Signal’s trademark vamp, a dissolute cousin to “Peter Gunn” that slinks and struts and smirks and all but has a lit cigarette dangling from the corner of its mouth. And yet, it’s pure rock and roll, this cadence, full of menace but also vibrating with heart and vulnerability, talk-sung with bracing cynicism but sweetened by boy-girl harmonies.

“Baby” is more of a surprise, because once the din lets up, a softer aesthetic emerges in jangling folk acoustic chords and soft lyricism. It’s an appealing shift, and it continues through “Terá Tera,” a fragile, pretty but deeply felt cut that puts me in mind of other unplugged psychedelic garage rockers: Aquarian Blood, The Duchess and the Duke and the Gris Gris’ Greg Ashley’s solo work.

The best cut, though, is “Wannabe,” a blown-out guitar-psych tune with shades of ragged glory. That’s the one where Cass McCombs guests, and if it’s him letting the long notes fly at the beginning, they should consider offering him a full-time gig. If Weak Signal’s songs have had a flaw up to now, it’s been a certain dank claustrophobia. This cut blows the doors down and lets some light in.

Weak Signal entertainingly imagines life as a Brian Jones-style figure in “Rich Junkie,” tapping into a pre-digital fantasy of rock ‘n roll excess (and financial rewards). Though spiritually part of a strung-out but brilliant lineage, Fine will likely never buy a mountain villa for anyone involved. It’s just another good one from a band you ought to know but probably don’t. Why not fix that right now? You owe it to yourself.

Jennifer Kelly

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

The Hard Quartet - WFMU's Burn It Down! with Nate K., November 8. 2024

The Hard Quartet (l-r: Matt Sweeney, Stephen Malkmus, Emmett Kelly, Jim White) played a handful of shows over the last month or so — and it apparently went so well that they've got a much bigger tour now scheduled for the spring of 2025. Hope we all make it to the spring of 2025! While the band was in the NYC area, they recorded a short session for Nate K. on WFMU — and it's archived for our listening pleasure now! Just three songs, but if that's not enough for ya, go dig the DynamicCalories recording of the Webster Hall show from the night before. It's got the HQ playing their entire debut album start-to-finish; some tunes really take off in the live setting! "Renegade" in particular seems like the most b-side-y track on the record, but at Webster Hall, White's insane drumming takes it to an awesomely manic level. And "Hey," both at WFMU and Webster Hall, is a real favorite, especially when Malkmus and Sweeney lock in on those twin guitar lead sections. Will be interesting to see where these guys go in the future — a talented bunch of kids!

Oh and hey — the great Weak Signal opened the Webster Hall show. Haven't seen a tape of their set, but here's one from a few weeks earlier up in Kingston via Mr. Kliked. Have you gotten Weak Signal's latest album yet? It's not just Fine, it's awesome.

[musickickztoo]

CONTRA2024 - 10

13072024 (ALL NEW)

TRACKLIST:

Wilco - Livid MJ Lenderman - She's Leaving You The Jesus Lizard - Alexis Feels Sick Osees - Earthling Ismatic Guru - Heroes Ismatic Guru - Get Em Eye Ball - Kick You The Bug Club - Lonsdale Slipons The Courettes - California (feat. La La Brooks) Kim Gordon - ECRP Sleaford Mods - Git Some Balls The Saints - Break Away Sad Eyed Beatniks - It's Who Makes The Scene Bright Eyes - Bells And Whistles Chime School - Wandering School Bad Moves - Hallelujah Weak Signal - Wannabe Lifeguard - Telepathic Love (Wipers) Erik Nervous - R 'G' M The Fadeaways - Ain't No Friend

The 10th playlist of the year!!

Listen: https://www.mixcloud.com/Contraflow/contra2024-10-13072024-all-new/

[goodbysunball]

Illegal life forever

Sleep's hard to come by these days, but important new music is not. Really excited about all of these albums, though I think a lot more people would be into the J.R.C.G. and Weak Signal records if they heard 'em. Feels wild to be alive in a time where this much new music hits a nerve.

J.R.C.G., Grim Iconic (Sadistic Mantra) LP (Sub Pop) Second album post-Dreamdecay from Justin R. Cruz Gallego, and it's a monster step forward from Ajo Sunshine. While sonically the two albums are drowning in layers of tom-forward drumming, buzzing synths, and effects-garbled vocals, Grim Iconic (Sadistic Mantra) puts all the pieces into a coherent whole. For whatever coherence is present, this is still a deeply adventurous, genreless, psych-damaged, electronics-rich album with enough twists and left turns to hogtie any attempts to pigeonhole it. My favorite songs, "Drummy" and "World i," are lush, heavy meditations on a single theme, driven forward by Gallego's nimble drum patterns and padded with enough synths to glide smoother than a limousine, even where blasts of white noise and black metal vocals come in. Then there's "Liv," in which Happy Songs For Happy People-era Mogwai splits open to reveal a warped vision of '00s dance-punk, or "Junk Corrido," where what sounds like a Goblin track falls off a cliff into eerie ambience, complete with thin, shallow woodwind exhalations. The album can feel just as impenetrable as it is approachable, but all the pieces fit, even where they normally wouldn't, a credit to the production of Gallego and Seth Manchester. Whether you're interested in pulling the million audio-instrumental threads stuffed into Grim Iconic (Sadistic Mantra) or you, like me, just want to listen to "Party People (Heaven)" at maximum volume and never leave its luscious confines, it's one of the year's must-hear records, and one that's scarcely left my listening rotation for months.

Jim Marlowe, Mirror Green Rotor in Profile CS (Medium Sound) From way back in January, a second solo cassette release from Louisville's most active musician, he of Sapat, Equipment Pointed Ankh, Tropical Trash, and now a member of Ryan Davis' Roadhouse Band. Where Time Out on the Miracle Index (Haha Tapes, 2022) veered more toward drone and ambient, Mirror Green Rotor in Profile triangulates on the surface somewhere between Vince Guaraldi, ZNR when they let their guard down, and the oft-orchestra'd crescendos of 00's indie. The latter is woven into a decidedly psychedelic tapestry, stripped of its sometimes embarrassing vocals and melodrama, revealing the many moving parts and layers intertwined and churning beneath. Hooks seem to fall right out of Marlowe's brain and hands, augmented by tumbling drums and hammered piano and a litany of other instruments I'm doomed to misidentify. The tracks that jump out on early listens, like "Imaginate Me" and "64 Deluxe: Plank Ring," are inventive and cartoonish like the cover art, both music and art reminiscent of animation for children from the '60s and '70s. The more pensive moments ("Bud Morton's All Gone," "Pink Rotor Mist") feel no less bright and vivid, the rich, warm percussion-heavy sound stringing together the short vignettes. The noted lack of cynicism, dropped in favor of a bright, punchy sound, shows where Marlowe contributes to Equipment Pointed Ankh, and anyone who liked either or both of their albums last year ought to be right at home on MIrror Green Rotor in Profile. The rest'll find something to hang their hat on across the albums 30 minutes, as these quick, unassumingly busy tracks reward both cursory and repeat listens. My favorite cassette of the year so far.

Mordecai, Seeds From the Furthest Vine LP (Petty Bunco) Sixth LP from America's finest purveyors of lo-fi scuzzy jangly rock, and if you thought they'd clean up with age, breathe a sigh of relief. The band has regrouped to deliver their best and most enjoyable LP yet, even with its members now spread out worldwide, far from their Montana roots. Seeds From the Furthest Vine eschews any crisp production techniques, arriving instead chock full of vocals that sound as if they were recorded through an oscillating fan, cardboard box drums, and guitar solos that wriggle violently like eels out of the players' grasp. While sonic similarities to their forebears can be spotted - Rep/Shepard/Jay, early Pavement, and a splash of the Galbraith/Russell corner of the NZ underground - there simply aren't many groups left that sound like Mordecai, let alone deliver on the promise of that suite of influences. Peep how the soft jangle of "Oval Door" collides with the sharp, clattering noise of "Meat on a Stick," or how the piercing woodwind of "Seeds From the Furthest Vine Pt. II" presages the Fall-indebted blare of "Never Get Ahead." Then there's the audacious seven minutes of garbage heap clang and manic vocals on "Down In an Alley," delivered over a warm harmonium and serving as the speaker-crackling comedown on a rather brilliant album. While it can sound like the group records spontaneously, using whatever means at hand when the situation demands it, the fact that the whole record flows effortlessly belies a logic behind the album's construction. The fragments of lyrics I can make out indicate a thoughtful, poignant core, roughed up and resilient, though more often they're buried and indecipherable ("When You Know Them As"). Vocals are an instrument, too, so whether you're comfortable with that fact or not, Seeds From the Furthest Vine's a winner, capable of floating on the fringes of your consciousness as much as it is enveloping it like a rough wool blanket.

Negative Gears, Moraliser LP (Static Shock) Second record from Sydney's Negative Gears, arriving after five long years, and it couldn't be more suited to the moment. The band sits within the dark grooves laid down by Crisis, Siekiera (both mentioned by the label) or Juju, fleshing that framework out with multiple guitars, keyboards and vocals dripping with contempt. They frame the moment through a psychological lens, lending fresh eyes to all the seemingly unsolvable problems everyone acknowledges: crushing workloads, social media-begotten loneliness, and keeping up appearances that everything's fine through it all. While their sound is certainly of a contemporary Australian lineage (equal parts Total Control, Constant Mongrel and Low Life), they keep it fresh and stand out on their own by bringing wild energy to the topics at hand, eyes bulging through the swelling, driving noise on "Room With a Mirror" and "Lifestyle Damages." Moraliser's catchy as hell in spite of its lyrical evisceration of society, late-stage capitalism and themselves, which they cover right off with "Negative Gear." Despite the dour topics tackled, there's an undeniable itchiness and movement about these songs; you could probably dance to "Ants" or "Connect," and I imagine they'll be crowd favorites in no time, tightly wound construction leading to anthemic release. Even though the music might lend itself to movement, there are long, moody tails at the end of each side to drive home the real state of things, conjuring visions of empty city streets, drizzle, wet trash rolling around, the unavoidable mess humans leave when they're gone. The earth will be fine even if we won't, and it's hard not to have some optimism about younger generations' action and impact, but on days when it feels like all's lost, Moraliser is the album to lean on.

Vampire, What Seems Forever Can Be Broken LP (Televised Suicide) It's been a bumper crop year for bands on the Amebix-Rudimentary Peni sound axis, and amongst the bunch that I've heard, Vampire's What Seems Forever Can Be Broken stands tall as my favorite. Any fan of Death Church is gonna find a lot to like here: tom drums pound, the bass threads vicious lines around each hit, and the guitar’s a distorted buzz saw. Where Vampire really distinguish themselves is their vocals, placed right up front and enunciated clearly despite the rage and bile bubbling underneath. Sounds like each of the three members takes turns, but the feral gnashing and their more melodic foil are the two vocalists that make the most appearances. The best vocal performance has to be the opening verse on "Endless Chain," where it sounds like the one vocalist is chewing off and spitting out each syllable, blood dripping from the corners of their mouth. "The Letter" is another standout, a disarming takedown of shamers and abusers set to an absolutely bulldozing riff. The band keeps things trim, with most songs snuffed out after two minutes, and that extends to the lyrics, too: “We’re looking for a future/there’s nothing to hold” hits the nail. There's a respect for their anarcho forebears, but Vampire veers slightly more toward hardcore, except with audio so crisp you can feel the sweat and spit coming out of the speakers. The production allows tracks like "Human Market Capital" to hit that much harder, all tightly wound tension and release squeezed inside 90 seconds. Gotten a ton of mileage out of What Seems Forever Can Be Broken, as much of an adrenaline boost and it is an unfortunate reflection of our current moment. Apropos now, and probably forever.

Weak Signal, Fine LP (12XU) If there is one band you should hear this year, it's Weak Signal, the quietly prolific trio from NYC. Fine already feels like a future classic, the kind of record that I listen to multiple times a day and still find more time to listen to again. The trio is brutally efficient: drums hammer rudimentary patterns, locked down by the bass, and the guitar chugs along with crunchy, muted notes and chords until a solo breaks free. The band's lyrics and Bones' straight, baritone delivery cut to the quick with the bite of Denis Johnson, unpretentious sentiments that are washed and tumbled from half-a-lifetime of experience, as cynical and biting as they are heartbreaking in their economy. They can cut both ways at once, like "I only love my friends/that's why I leave them be" from "Baby," or the chorus to "Wannabe," where Bones manages to sound both at peace and deflated. They even reach for a bit of unapologetic hedonism on "Rich Junkie" and all without a whiff of condescension, a fleeting thought given space and squashed in the span of two minutes. The lyrical efforts would all be for naught if the music wasn't up to snuff, but the band has doubled down on their streamlined grunge sound, excess grime wiped clean and even given a bit of polish with acoustic guitar and mellotron accents. There are blasts of noise that open up each side of the record, rock star moves from a group that deserves to make 'em, but they're tamped down in favor of choruses and guitar lines that both stick in your craw. The combination of the music and lyrics connects in such a primal, satisfactory way that it's almost beyond words, but when the solo on "Disappearing" hits, or "A Little Hum" leaves you with a lump in your throat, you just know this is it. Feels like a big moment for a band that deserves a bit of recognition - a fact wryly acknowledged by Bones a few times on the album - and here's hoping Fine is the album that does it.

[thejaymo]

I think the ability to get 1 million people on zoom call is pretty wild futures weak signal for 'something' that's coming.

[10whatifs]

Future of human forms_V3

Food

Future: A protopic shift where technology improves food accessibility but diminishes the cultural and sensory experience of traditional cuisines.

Details: Pellet-based diets or lab-grown food become the norm, preserving resources but erasing culinary diversity. Urban agriculture initiatives may counteract this by restoring local food cultures.

Water

Future: A mix of dystopia and protopia. While technology enables water vapor collection and mist hydration, resource distribution disparities persist.

Details: Wealthier neighborhoods enjoy private hydration stations, while public zones for the underprivileged are overcrowded and under-resourced.

Housing

Future: Protopic advancements with modular and adaptable housing addressing space constraints. However, disparities between rural and urban areas could widen.

Details: High-tech, multi-purpose homes rise in cities, while rural areas grapple with minimal infrastructural support despite subsidies.

Education

Future: Largely protopic but with dystopian undertones. AI-driven learning personalizes education but risks eroding human interaction and creativity.

Details: Marginalized groups might struggle with AI adoption due to costs, but universal curriculums could reduce systemic biases.

Healthcare

Future: Protopic improvements in preventative care and AI diagnostics, but dystopic challenges for emergency services.

Details: Over-reliance on AI makes healthcare affordable for many, but the gap in human-centered emergency care grows.

Social Equity & Gender Equality

Future: Protopic, though unevenly distributed. Legal recognition of diverse identities advances inclusivity, but social acceptance varies across regions.

Details: Urban hubs become melting pots of inclusion, while rural areas hold onto traditional gender norms.

Work & Income

Future: Protopic with risks. Increased digitization allows for flexible work-life balance, but automation threatens job security for manual laborers.

Details: Gig economy thrives, yet workers in physically intensive sectors face greater precarity.

Energy/Electricity

Future: Protopic. Solar, wind, and fusion energy revolutionize power supply, making energy more accessible.

Details: Rural electrification improves, but urban areas may dominate energy innovations.

Peace & Justice

Future: Eutopic aspirations with dystopian realities. Increased surveillance ensures safety but risks privacy violations.

Details: Technology aids law enforcement but may stoke fears of authoritarian control.

Transportation

Future: Protopic. Autonomous electric vehicles and hyperloop systems transform mobility.

Details: Rural connectivity remains a concern, though drone-based delivery helps bridge gaps.

Air & Noise Pollution

Future: Protopic. Urban greenification and stricter regulations reduce pollution, but challenges persist in industrial zones.

Details: Electric vehicles and noise-dampening tech mitigate urban disturbances.

Non-Human Life

Future: Protopic resurgence. Biodiversity parks and stricter wildlife protection laws bring some species back from the brink.

Details: Urban areas integrate wildlife corridors, though habitat loss in rural areas persists.

Waste Management

Future: Protopic with challenges. Circular economies minimize waste, but enforcement of segregation policies remains spotty.

Details: Advanced recycling hubs emerge in cities, but smaller towns lag behind.

Land Use & Public Spaces

Future: Protopic. Urban planning prioritizes community spaces, yet privatization risks exclusivity.

Details: Smart cities boast vertical gardens and mixed-use developments.

Ocean & Chemical Pollution

Future: Mixed. Policy reforms curb industrial pollution, but microplastics remain an ongoing battle.

Details: Coastal zones may show signs of recovery with better waste management systems.

Effects of Climate Change

Future: Dystopic tipping points tempered by protopic mitigation efforts.

Details: Coastal cities invest in climate resilience, but rural areas suffer erratic weather patterns.

Urban Agriculture & Greenification

Future: Eutopic revival of nature in cities through green rooftops and vertical farming.

Details: Rural-urban partnerships grow to sustain food and greenery.

Diversity, Accessibility & Sustainability

Future: Protopic. Inclusive tech and policy reforms reshape societal norms.

Details: Public spaces become more accessible, and renewable tech ensures sustainability across sectors.

[thesearenotphotographs]

The Hard Quartet and Weak Signal at Webster Hall

On Thursday, October 17, 2024, the indie rock supergroup known as The Hard Quartet had their first New York City performance ever at Webster Hall in Manhattan. The band features Stephen Malkmus (whose other band Pavement played the same city sixteen days prior to this show), Matt Sweeney, Emmett Kelly (who played the same stage with Ty Segall earlier this year), and drummer Jim White.

Photos of The Hard Quartet that I created for Bowery Presents’ “The House List” are now available here. Their opening act was Weak Signal and photos of the local trio’s set can be found in this gallery.

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

Live Concert Photography: Brooklyn Brewery and Amaro Montenegro Presents FREE TUESDAYS at Union Pool 2/6/24 feat. Eric Copeland with Weak Signal

Live Concert Photography: Brooklyn Brewery and Amaro Montenegro Presents FREE TUESDAYS at Union Pool 2/6/24 feat. Eric Copeland with Weak Signal @UnionPool @BrooklynBrewery @AmaroMonte @echobro @mvbones1980

Live Concert Photography: Brooklyn Brewery and Amaro Montenegro Presents FREE TUESDAYS at Union Pool 2/6/24 feat. Eric Copeland with Weak Signal Union Pool, Brooklyn Brewery and Amaro Montenegro‘s second annual FREE TUESDAYS concert series runs from mid-January to the end of this month.  The series began with a hardcore punk showcase that featured Philadelphia-based punks Dark Thoughts, local…

[kit-screams-into-the-future]

drawing your favorite guys being silly is very effective at keeping The Horrors at bay

bonus doc from a different canvas:

[star-trekster]

Green Wraparound Tunic Captain Uhura for the Day 1 Uhura Month Prompt!

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Highlife - Sleepy At Tubby's

I hadn't heard of Gang Gang Dance / White Magic member "Sleepy" Doug Shaw's solo work as Highlife until a friend tipped me off recently — and though this stuff is quite different from those groups, it is absolutely great and well worth your time. This live solo recording up at Tubby's in Kingston, NY, is packed with gorgeous guitar tones, wonderful vocals and a generally sweet vibe. You might hear some John Martyn echoes here and there — the more FX-ed out playing is a bit "Small Hours"-ish — but Shaw sounds like an original to my ears, finding his own distinct musical language and generously sharing it with the rest of us.

And hey, I recommend you follow up Sleepy At Tubby's with this killer Weak Signal set, recorded the same evening." As Sleepy says, "It's about to get fuckin' fun on a Friday night!"

[goodbysunball]

Parched & parcel

Things are getting noticeably heavier and weirder, and we're the better for it. Some metal, finally, paired with some fine Aussie experimental noise and a band that'll make you believe in the dream of NYC again. It's the best season for this kind of stuff, so dive in.

dprk, Shitville Tourist LP (Studio Fabrik)

May I introduce to you Shitville Tourist (title of the year) by dprk, apparently a duo of Nick Dan (xNoBBQx) and Richard Fielding (Severed Heads) with support from a few mates. It feels like a journey in time back to where Twisted Village and Kye once roamed, where the journey largely justified the end product and the listener could take it or end up spending big later. While there is no question this record took me a few listens to unravel, what didn't take much to pique my interest was the gentle loop on "Crazy Little Corkscrew," something that sounds like a lullaby played with a steel drum, being poked and prodded by various electronics over its seven minutes. The track, like all four tracks on here, doesn't really go anywhere over its duration, but floats, writhes, twists and soaks in the sounds being made: pure joy in the noise made by machines. The title track and "Blumen Schmerz" are darker, more cavernous, where synths bleep and blot and drum machines whirr and exhale steam, creating the illusion of life where there is none. The latter has some creepy guitar parts splayed out on the pulsing synth backbone, but the investigation leads to no further conclusions; there is no categorization here. The finale, "Gulag In Space," provides not only another great title but a track nearly worthy of dancing, especially after the mind-fuck of the first three tracks. The beat bounces off all surfaces, as slippery as the rest of the record, but there is a sparkle on "Gulag" that winks at the listener as Shitville Tourist winds down. Something magnetic, or just plain alien, about the whole affair, but whatever it is, the sheer number of times I've played this have more than justified the hefty price tag. Great debut; let's hope for more from these true underground freaks.

Excarnated Entity, Mass Grave Horizon LP (Nuclear Winter)

Greece's Nuclear Winter puts out a ton of releases, so much that I've seemingly looked them over in the last few years. But taking stock, they've been responsible for the physical releases of a number of near-and-dear U.S.-based death metal acts like Blasphematory, the mighty Anhedonist, and now, Excarnated Entity. Excarnated Entity features a former member of Anhedonist, and there's definitely a similar approach to death metal with the two acts: mournful, grandiose but without the heavy-handed use of keyboards or Gregorian chant-like vocals. Excarnated Entity is also singularly focused on the horrors of war - not to be confused with the glorification of such in war metal - and provides ample heft to the incalculable loss of life. The band's demo, also reissued by Nuclear Winter in 2020, was a good primer for their debut LP, but the LP is devastating. The instrumental opener "Abjection" runs an elegant Mournful Congregation-style guitar line into the ground, simultaneously distraught and triumphant, and sets the stage for the rest. For anyone paying attention to the recent death-doom resurgence, Mass Grave Horizon fits right in and sets itself up near the top of that heap. While I think that there's a bit of momentum wasted in the middle section of "Corridor of Flame," that's really the only complaint I can level at the record. Everything else is properly filthy: gurgling vocals over blastbeats slam headfirst into downtuned chugging riffs, and a elegiac solo rises from the cracks in the pointlessly blood-stained soil. It's between "Irradiated Shadows" (the part before the solo, yeesh) and the punishing title track for my favorites here, but there's not a dud in the bunch. It's worth noting that the band does four-minute sprints as well as they can stretch tracks out to twice that length - a versatility that elevates Excarnated Entity above the one-note lifers rehashing the same formula on every track. Bleak, miserable and, given the state of the world, timely death-doom is what you get on Mass Grave Horizon, and if you think you've heard it before, it's worth hearing again in this singularly focused and dimming light.

VoidCeremony, Threads of Unknowing LP (20 Buck Spin)

I've got to give Nic at Repressed Records credit for pushing this one, as anything combining descriptors like "jazz" and "prog" with "metal" usually makes me run for the hills. But, this new VoidCeremony LP is checking all the boxes while flirting with all of the above, while (as Nic notes) throwing in a fretless bass solo on nearly every song to boot. The band plays death metal, firstly, and while there are some space-y outros and instrumentals, everything feels of a piece rather than forcing together disparate parts. The label press mentions that the band plays "with the gliding, controlled chaos and smooth fluidity of a jazz quartet," and that checks out, but I don't smell anything particularly jazzy about the record. Rather, I get a big whiff of Gorguts when listening to this record, another band that seamlessly combined progressive, thrash and death metal with grooves, resulting in something impressively complex without making it feel like a homework assignment. "Writhing in the Facade of Time" probably best displays all of these aspects, from the fading-in tech-death opener, to the sky-scraping guitar solos, to the crushing close of the track before the group's whisked away on a mystical Moog coda. The band shifts from strength to strength without any bloat, and just as importantly, without any clean vocals. Threads of Unknowing is my go-to workout record this year, the fluidity of the drumming providing blastbeat stress and necessary space in equal measure. Strap in, take a trip; whether you buy into the lyrics or overarching theme is up to you, but either way it's one of the most thrilling death metal records of the year.

Weak Signal, War&War LP (12XU)

Cool "reissue" of an album digitally released in 2022, hopefully given a wider reach with the push of 12XU. War&War is Weak Signal's third LP, and it sounds like a band comfortable with themselves, their capabilities and their sound: they can rip off a garage-punk track like "Don't Think About It" and slow things to a simmer on "Consolation" with ease. That the band sounds so self-assured did make this record feel a little too easy the first few times; but, like label mates Lewsberg, the complexity of the tracks shines through on iterative spins. Seemingly small choices like the backing vocal melody on "Names" or the sparkling Cass McCombs guitar on "Spooky Feeling" begin to feel like bold, powerful moves amidst the background of resignation/resilience across the album. The mostly spoken, barely sung vocals paired with the often bluesy guitar lines give the record a rough, workingman feel - which, for me, means that things ain't going your way but what are you gonna do about it - but there's no glory in it, just a general disdain for how things are. It's definitely a bit of a downer, though I think the band would prefer "realist," and two lyrics from the middle of the record seem illustrative of the this approach: "I'm no weirdo/I'm no freak/but things keep happening to me" from "Songworld," and "If you think I care/that's where you're wrong" from "Yr Deal." I don't find that the lyrics convey apathy, rather an infinite patience or aplomb in the face of everything spinning uncontrollably off-axis. War&War feels similar in spirit to what True Widow was doing on the heavy sigh of As High as the Highest Heavens..., though without the depressive bent of that record. A bit of despair creeps in on the cover of Johnny Thunders' "It's Not Enough," which bleeds into the gray, abstract noise of the title track, but the band puts their dukes up again on closer "Who the Hell Are U?," a fitting end to the record to reinforce the group's street savvy instincts. Weak Signal's delivered a doozy, and one of my favorite new-to-me discoveries of the year so far.

[mayasaura]

To be clear, I do ship Marcille and Falin!! I just ship them as.... complicated, you know? They have dyke drama. Marcille is deluding herself that Falin hasn't grown up and she's not going to age, and she's not going to die no matter what Marcille does, and Marcille isn't going to have to live most of her life having lost her. Meanwhile poor Falin would like a step by step written explanation of how to convince her very good elf friend that she is an adult, and has some potentially adult feelings about getting wet and naked and crawling into bed together

[littlefankingdom]

~ Batman (2016)

I can't take seriously the "Nobody dies, not after Tim" after his brothers said they all died and came back. He will be back, it's the family tradition at this point, relax. Duke, you're next. See it as a vacation. Also, they joke so much about dying, having died and killing each others for people who died, you know their father is not finding it funny.

Another moment that demonstrates that the missions ISN'T more important than his family and loved ones for Bruce. It's more important to have them all alive and safe than to protect Gotham.

"Ignoring Batman's pretty much the definition of being a Robin." And you think Bruce would learn...

Bruce is in a suicidal era again (it's explicitly told to the reader in this story and the one before), so he thinks he will die against Bane (I'm surprised he survives. He should be dead. The man isn't human) His boys, however, have total faith in their abilities as a family. The contrast in this scene between the warmth playfulness of the boys vs the cold seriousness of Bruce makes him look like an asshole, but he isn't one. He's a dead man walking and he knows it, not them. (Also, he thinks that saving Gotham Girl will provide Gotham with a hero better than him, and will protect his boys from dying again)

Damian commenting on Jason's hairline and Jason being worried he is losing hair is gold. I love it when they are just a silly family that fight crimes. ("Dick, look at my hair. It's fine, right? I'm killing you now, Damian. This is happening." "Many have tried. Many with much more hair." XD)

[kiragecko]

Batfamily Relationship Tournament 2024

It's time once again to decide which Batkid relationships we like best!

Rather than pitting the Batfamily against each other, we're teaming them up! (And THEN pitting them against each other.)

In 2023, the winner was Dick & Tim, though Tim & Cass and Babs & Cass also made strong showings. I'm fine with one of them winning again this year, or with a surprise upset. Let's see what happens!

We've now added in the complications of DOUBLE ELIMINATIONS. Mostly so I can see a bit more Duke. This means that there is a Loser Bracket and complicated math going on. Complicated math makes me happy! Current plan is that Winners Bracket votes will be one week, and Loser's Bracket votes will be one day. (Because the loser's bracket has twice as many voting periods.)

You don't need to understand double eliminations. Just know that every pairing will get at least two competitions.

Starting 1PM Central time (an hour from now)

Round One Matchups:

Dick & Tim VS Dick & Steph

Jason & Damian VS Babs & Tim

Tim & Steph VS Helena (any version) & The Batfamily

Jason & Tim VS Damian & Duke

Alfred & The Batfamily VS Jason & Duke

Steph & Damian VS Cass & Damian

Tim & Damian VS Babs & Steph

Steph & Cass VS Babs & Damian

Babs & Duke VS Tim & Cass

Jason & Steph VS Dick & Cass

Dick & Babs VS Tim & Duke

Bruce & The Batfamily VS Dick & Duke

Kate & The Batfamily VS Babs & Cass

Babs & Jason VS Jason & Cass

Dick & Jason VS Cass & Duke

Dick & Damian VS Steph & Duke

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Reminder that I'm aroace, and DO NOT CARE about how problematic a ship is. (I can assume things are platonic that would awe and dumbfound you.) You can assume they're kissing. You can hate them kissing. But if you a uncomfortable voting without complaining about Batcest or something else ... just sit this one out, please.