Happy MLK Day!

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And to celebrate I've uploaded one of the most enjoyable records I can think of. Last Poets member Jalal Mansur Nuriddin takes on the persona of "Lightnin' Rod" and is backed by a slew of talented artists (including Kool and the Gang and session bass player Chuck Rainey, who played on Aritha Franklin's amazing "Amazing Grace").
Lightnin' "raps" about hustlers, cocaine, cards and dice. It's funny, soulful and both of the time and ahead of its time. If you don't DIG IT then go home and listen to your Don "No Soul" Simmons record, you jive ass turkey!

Spoon

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Bang

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The now legendary Bang started forty two years ago this month in Philadelphia, PA and since then not many have put out a record as good as their self-titled debut. I could go on about how they moved to Florida, opened up for (and supposedly blew away) their heroes, Black Sabbath...but instead here's a great link for those who want to dig deeper.
I will say that this "debut" is actually the second album Bang recorded and was all written within 2 weeks while their producer was away on vacation. Their first album, "Death of a Country" was a concept album shelved by Columbia out of the fear that people "wouldn't get it". For some reason Columbia assumed that everyone would "get" Mahavishnu Orchestra's debut, "Inner Mounting Flame", released that same year. Go figure.

Future Shock

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Requiem

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OK, I said no more metal for a while, but since I went to the Diamond Head-Evil Dead-Slough Feg show last night, I am making an exception.

Diamond Head was basically Brian Tatler, a younger singer and a band who looked they actually played "back in the day". Thanks to the ever-handy droid, it turned out the drummer Karl Wilcox played in the 1979/80 NWOBHM band Requiem/Rekuiem. This single doesn't sound much like Sabbath or Budgie as the internet searches claim; the A side sounds more like a mix of Caravan, Hawkwind, Blue Cheer's "Piece of Mind" and Moby Grape - with metal leads of course. I really dig the genre-bending title track, but things pick up steam for side B. A very Budgie riff gets hammered throughout and overall is far more a "NWOBHM" song. The singer's unique '60s style vocals make it almost sound like a precursor to the Lou Barlow songs off the first Dinosaur Jr record or later Meat Puppets though. If that's the bag you're in, don't miss it! Give it a couple spins...the songs really grow on you. History of the band with interview here

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DL

Fact

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Yeah I've been posting a lot of metal lately, but I just bought this LP and really love it, so after this I promise it'll get punker (or something) around here.

Anyway, Germany's Fact have everything you want in a '80s metal record: crazy screeching vocals, catchy riffs and solid soloing. Check out "Heavy Metal Powerplay", my favorite tune on the record and a pretty amazing song title if you ask me. If you like Accept, Priest and the first Crue record you'll probably dig this. In fact, if you can imagine Udo Dirkschneider never dropping down below his high pitched wails, you might be close to what Fact sounds like.

Without Warning

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HAMMERSMITH

VINYL RIP - LP

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Canada week concludes with the second LP from Calgary's Hammersmith. Hammersmith formed after the break up of Painter and kept the same kind of Guess Who sound (Listen to Painter's "West Coast Woman" — a pretty blatant copy of "American Woman") with most of it falling into the "we need a big radio hit" category. There's some great songwriting on this LP though, and then awesome 1-2 punch of "Kickin' Back" and "Hello, It's For You" followed by the slow and heavyish psyche number "Under The Sea". Unfortunately things end with Bass player Royden Morice's piano number "Mr. Las Vegas" that comes off sounding like bad/worse Barry Manilow. So, a half great record in my opinion (recorded in Edmonton by the way, where I just visited), and a must if you dig 70s rock a la Montrose, BTO, and April Wine

Be A Star

Moose Molten Metal vol. 2

LP Scans Included

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Canada week continues...This here LP I scored at the Antique Mall in Edmonton and does it ever SMOKE! The bands are fairly NWOBHM sounding with very little trace of lame "Sunset Strip hair metal" (though a few of the photos definitely show signs of that scene emerging). All the songs are pretty damn solid but the last two tunes on the comp by Hateful Snake and Outrage and are my personal favorites — and the most shredding. I nearly ripped the record, but I found mp3s on Mediafire at the final hour. Any problems with them, let me know and I'll fix 'em.

Beaver Fever

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Superconductor

CD EP

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After spending the past 5 days in Edmonton, Alberta Canada it's gonna get pretty moosey around here this week at Blog the Jerk HQ. Before I post the couple used LPs I got in the land of poutine and beavers, I thought I'd rip one of my favorite Canuk releases: Superconductor's "Heavy With Puppy". I'd pretty much buy anything on Boner Records back in those days (is it time to rip some DUH and Milk Cult?) but this here is one of my favorite releases. Noisy, catchy, SEVEN guitar players and a cover of "Satori Part One" by Japan's Flower Travellin' Band. Good stuff! Laughing Hyenas, Steele Pole Bathtub and Pain Teens...but with more pop sensibility. That figures, since a quick google tells me that one of the 10 listed band members went on to form the New Pornographers...but which one is it? Delicious Warm, Dream Whip, or Flying Fist? Maybe it's Sweet Bitch...

Ride the Big Penis

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