Always trust the Gene Genie !

This is a rather unusual post I'm making here. Lately I've been having a craving for 70s music, probably because of the weather, and because of a particular show on the BBC, called 'Life On Mars'.

It's a show about a cop Sam Tyler who's involved in an accident, and wakes up in 1973. It rapidly became one of the most favourite shows I've ever seen. There's a good amount of suspence and a fair bit of mistery in it, and the unforgettable character of Gene Hunt.

But that's not the only reason this show rocks, as to be expected the music is great ( 70s d'uh), going from bands like Atomic Rooster to Hawkwind, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy,...

I've found a fanmade compilation from the music in the first season, and I've been waiting to share this with other people for a while, and the first anniversary of the blog seemed like the right time.


Gene Hunt: Drugs eh? What's the point. They make you forget, make you talk funny, make you see things that aren't there. My old grandma got all of that for free when she had a stroke.

"In your eye"

-The Electric Eel-

Life On Mars - Fanmade OST (Megaupload)

Life On Mars - Fanmade OST Part1 (Rapidshare)
Life On Mars - Fanmade OST Part2 (Rapidshare)

"Big Bikes, Heavy Boots and Chain Belts..."

Band: The Lords Of Altamont
Album: To Hell With The Lords Of Altamont
Origin: USA (Los Angeles)
Genre: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Punk
Year: 2004

Are you in for some hell-raising garage rock, influenced by the raw power of 70s rock? Then this is the post that'll satisfy your needs.

The lords of altamont, a band consisting of ex-members from The Bomboras, The Fuzztones and from the legendary band MC5, are a force to be reckoned with. As you can notice the band, their alter-ego's and songtitles are inspired by biker culture. While some might say, they're some kind of fraud hardcore bikerband ( some equivalent like the punk The towers of London 'play'), I say that they're a band respecting the music they love, by bringing the world a mighty loud sound.

If you ever have the opportunity to see them live, don't hesitate, unless you're bothered by the way they show their 'rockerconfidence' ( in form of poses, or cocky talks with the audience). Luckily I love that stuff, when I go to a show, it's mainly for the music but also a little for the show ( that's why I went to see KISS last year).

The link is below , enjoy as usual, if that's what you're into...

"In your eye"

-The Electric Eel-

The Lords Of Altamont - To Hell With The Lords Of Altamont

Make way in the fast lane, make way for the choo-choo train...

Band: The Killbots
Album: The Killbots
Origin: Belgium ( Hasselt)
Genre: Hard Rock/ Stoner Rock / Garage Rock
Year: 2007

Hellbent and ready to rock, The Killbots are an example that Belgium still has some talent. With their fast Rock 'N' Roll they resemble another great belgian band El Guapo Stuntteam, but upon listening to this record you can't help hearing some influence from the likes of Clutch and Masters of Reality.
This self titled album is actually their second album, as they tried to sell their first ( 8 Balls of Steel) to a number of record labels. That didn't work out until one day in 2007 Funtime Records thought it was time to bring back some of the heavier guitar violence. That resulted in this record with 12 songs that are filled with strong and mature riffs and a couple of great solo's.
This record is still one of the best records from belgian artists I've ever heard. And I have been going to their shows ever since the first time I heard them play at the Pukkelpop festival together with El Guapo Stuntteam. They got me hooked with their song Tantra ( my favourite ).

This record won't leave you unsatisfied, I'm sure of it.

"In your eye"

-The Electric Eel-


The Killbots - The Killbots

Mmmmm, hot sausage !

Band: Ten Benson
Album: Danger Of Deaf
Origin: U.K. (London)
Genre: Heavy Metal
Year: 2003

This is the last album to be released by Ten Benson, a band of 'psychedelic hillbillies' that was formed by Chris Teckkam in 1997. Their first releases saw them described as a "geeky gaggle of quirk-rock experimentalists", but their last album, being a re-take of their own favorite songs, is a lot heavier and rawer, and thus my favorite.
With the band being compared to bands like Tenacious D for the comedy in the lyrics and, as described in a review, like "ZZ Top in bed with The Strokes", I just had to listen to them. And I saw it was awesome. The sleazyness of the sound really dripped of the riffs from songs like Tits and Stern and that's what The Eel likes best.
They had quite a lot of changes in the line-up, actually besides Hawkwind, the most I've ever heard of. ( Changes in Line-up )
I've never seen them live, but they say this album is getting close to the experience. So I hope you all enjoy this album with cue songs about tits, war and Christmas, sung with abandonment like a junkie in a stairwell.

"In your eye"

-The Electric Eel-

Ten Benson - Danger Of Deaf

The Southern Militia

Band: Southern Voodoo
Album: Devil's Drive
Origin: Belgium
Genre: Southern Rock
Year: 2007



In 2001, from the depths of my own hometown, Ghent, 4 egomaniacs tried to assemble a rancid rock'n'roll band that would reflect their love for sleaze, mayhem and everything that's rock'n'roll, but all just a little dirtier.
Led by Do(minique) De Vos, Southern Voodoo started on what they thought was a demo, but 'Love Militia' turned out to be their first album. The gritty riffs and sneering solo's accompanied by lyrics about the things Do loves best, dark and kinky sex. If one of those words speak to you ( and I'm certain they do ), then Southern Voodoo should suit you best.
After their first CD the positive reviews were piling up and in february 2007 they released a second album, Devil's Drive. The petrol guzzling bus through hell was back and this time driven by the best damn busdriver from Sweden : Chips Kiesbye ( The Hellacopters, Dozer, ... ).
So here is this second album for you to enjoy, and to finish this post a review from Rock Tribune :

One thing should be clear: Southern Voodoo rocks like a solid boob and that in the end is all what matters to us.

"In your eye"

-The Electric Eel-

Southern Voodoo - Devil's Drive

Kicked out of Hell cos they were too bad

Band: Demented Are Go
Album: Satans Rejects
Origin: Great Britain
Genre: Psychobilly
Year: 1999

Wales, 1982, more specifically Cardiff. That's where the Horror was born that is known as Demented Are Go ( DAG). One of the first few bands that embraced the combination of punk and rockabilly music, they followed a few years after The Meteors. The music DAG played was just a little different than the first wave of psychobands, they were 'dirtier'. And with their debut album In Sickness & In Health they inspired the later bands like Mad Sin and Nekromantix. They mostly toured Europe as it seemed that psychobilly wasn't getting any attention in the States.

Only after Reverend Horton Heat had a hit with Psychobilly Freakout in 1990, the horror-influenced psychobilly started to get popular in the States. This made the fanbase of DAG grow bigger and bigger, because punk-rock was still popular in the States.

DAG has experienced many line-up changes and break-ups throughout the years, reasons going from different oppinions about their own music to the other band members, unable to pay the bail of 60.000$, leaving Sparky ( Frontman) behind in a prison in the US because he pinched a 16-year old girl's behind. But they have been up and touring again since 2005.

This album is a 'best of' and of course a good introduction into Demented Are Go. So I hope you enjoy it.

"In your -festering- eye"

-The Electric Eel-

Demented Are Go - Satans Rejects

I can see a dead moon rising

Band: Dead Moon
Album: Strange Pray Tell
Origin: USA
Genre: Garage Rock
Year: 1992


Dead Moon was a Portland, "Beaver State" Oregon band formed in 1987 with Fred Cole on guitar and vocals, his wife Toody Cole on bass and vocals, and drummer/bartender Andrew Loomis.


The main idea of Fred and Toody when they asked Andrew to join a new project of theirs, was to create a sound they described as "some weird-ass kinda country & western". But when they noticed that Andrew Loomis wasn't really into it and the try-out wasn't exactly what they hoped it to be, they decided to go back to stripped down garage rock, punk with some country influences. This was the beginning of Dead Moon.

Fred Cole engineered most of the band's recordings and he cut the first singles on the mono disc cutter that was once used to cut the singles of 'Louie Louie' by The Kingsmen. After a few singles in 1990 they did some gigs in Europe, and the German record label Music Maniac noticed them and quickly released a compilation album of their work so far. And from then on the 'Dead Moon magic' was born in Europe. Strangely enough, while being a big hit in Europe, it wasn't until the mid nineties that they started touring in the USA.

In 2006 Sub Pop released a two CD's anthology of the almost 20 year's long legacy of garage rock gems and Fred Cole's amazing songwriting. And also being called 'THE band to check out' by both Krist Novoselic (Nirvana) and Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), this was the moment of breaking through to the bigger audiences. Well it should've been, but as I started my first line of this post with: 'Dead Moon was...'. At the end of 2006 they officially stated they called quits :

-After 20 yrs, Dead Moon is retiring. It has been a journey we will always treasure and feel that a worldwide family has emerged in its place. Dead Moon became much bigger than the band itself, it became a DIY underground hopeful for a lot of people. The candle is still burning! –Fred Cole-

The cd I have uploaded is "Strange Pray Tell", their 8th cd. Considered as one of their classics, this cd is a good introduction to Dead Moon. So enjoy if you will...

Every CD has a poem written on the sleeves by Fred Cole, here's the one from "Strange Pray Tell"

Destinations no one's seen
Flights where no one else has been
Drawn by dark beneath the floors
The echos faintly call once more
Ill of dead who speak in breaths
No longer fear arresting death
Existing in these walled-up tombs
Strangely praying in this doom
I've heard that fleeting, crying sound
Wondering where they're going now
For those forgotten can't remain
Alone their silence fills the space
Death is waiting onforeseen
For those who dare not live their dreams
How could I come so far so soon
My life, my blood, my dying moon

-Fred Cole-

"In your eye"
-The Electric Eel-

Dead Moon - Strange Pray Tell

It's A Box Social!!!

The Whale has found a friend in the ocean. His name is The Electric Eel. He will help the Whale and contribute to his blog!!!! His first act is this Boris Live review (I post it because he hasn't got an account yet).

The Thing Which I Overlooked The Past Years

AKA

The wonderfull build-up of events before, on and after the 20th of may.

I’m proud to announce that I can say that Boris HEAVY ROCKS. This last week was amazing and will never be forgotten ( well at least I won’t). I have to say it all went by so fast. Last month I started looking up things about Boris, a band that the Whale said, kicked ass. And as I promised him to go along to the next show, mostly because I was the only one with a driver’s licence, I thought that I didn’t want to go there half-cocked. So after a few songs, I thought I knew what I could expect from Boris. I expected it to be very very good. I expected it to be one of the best shows I would have ever seen. But I never expected it to be …. Awesomeness on a stick !

The actual review of the show:

First things first, the first show of the evening : Growing

A duo from Brooklyn, New York that, and this is how it is described on wikipedia, brings a sort of drone / ambient music. Well I have to say, they didn't. I never leave shows even if I don’t really like it. I only leave shows when I’m forced to listen to repetitive techno-like beats, with effects just thrown in there at irregular intervals. At some point, when the repetitive beat continued, the other part of the duo, the one in charge of pressing random buttons, wasn’t able to hold the same rythm of stroking his guitar. Which caused the whole part to fall down in a puddle of it’s own musical diarrhoea. So I left the show, hoping that I wouldn’t become insane, and I saw I wasn’t the only one. I could make a list of things I like more then Growing, but I don’t think that list would ever end…

And now to the main event : Boris

Allthough I think they sucked, I’m still happy that growing did the warming up, because everything could follow that and sound good, and when you take a band like Boris , you get great.

This Japanese trio is known for jumping between different genres, every now and then. These are some :stoner-, doom-, sludgemetal, experimental, noise…
They were also accompanied by Michio Kurihara (ex-White Heaven/GHOST ).

Well this was new to me , never saw Boris live, and now the moment had finally come.

Tracklist:

1. Sun Flower Rain

2. BUZZ-IN

3. Laser Beam

4. Pink

5. Statement

6. Floor Shaker

7. My Neighbor Satan

8. Rainbow

9. Ka re ha te ta sa ki - No one's grieve

10. You Put Up Your Umbrella

11. [ ]

(You wonder why I didn’t include a setlist from Growing. Well that’s easy, because I didn’t know what they were doing and they probably didn’t have any setlist.)

From the moment the first note that rung through the speakers reached my unprepared ears, I just knew this was a well spent 12 euro’s. My first impression was a a rythmic wall of sound. While I knew this was bad for my ears , which other people in the audience seemed to know ( they were wearing earplugs), I was already looking forward to the next day when people would have to yell at me ‘till I can hear them.

The show was as themselves , everchanging. From faster rock songs to slower drone and sludge metal. And while Atsuo pounded the drums, Takeshi linked one heavy drone-chord after the other and Michio Kurihara provided the psychedelic riffs, Wata unleashed loud, high-toned solo’s which you would never expect when you see her standing on the stage. Allthough the big stack of Orange amps was a small clue.

And the amazing combo went on. And I can tell you, if my ears could cry, they would’ve. The rest of the songs raced me to different states of mind. From downright feeling stoned to energetic to respect for the amazing contributions from Michio Kurihara to an already amazing trio. I could go on and on, but it’s time to finish.

Verdict : Awesomeness

I went home, satisfied, and I fell asleep dreaming about the next Boris gig.

“In your Eye”

-The Electric Eel