Be Your Own Pet: Get Awkward

Be Your Own Pet's sophmore effort, Get Awkward, ironically, sounds much more natural than their eponymous debut. At times, Be Your Own Pet seemed forced or contrived, as if they were trying to simulate aggression that they didn't feel. This has been replaced by a thoroughly enjoyable set of pop/punk songs overflowing with genuine swagger and snarl. Jemina Pearl's delivery frequently reminds me of what was so awesome about her punk and no-wave foremothers: Joan Jett, Debbie Harry, Lydia Lunch, Siouxsie, etc. Pearl's star quality originates from her lack of motivation to conceal or be ashamed or pretend. There's not a drop of poetry on Get Awkward, but it's all the better for expressing itself in the most succinct and direct way possible.

Death In June: The Rule of Thirds

Death In June's latest album, The Rule of Thirds, couldn't be accused of being too scattered with any credibility. All the songs follow more or less the same template: Douglas P.'s acoustic guitar and singspeak vocals, reverb and overdubs, sparse samples and minimal embelleshment. From this description, one might be led to believe that The Rule of Thirds is a dull album. On the contrary, its stylistic homogeneity highlights the songs' subtle melodic variations. Some of the album's standout tracks are "The Perfume of Traitors", "My Rhine Atrocity" and "Jesus, Junk and the Jurisdiction". These tracks are the finest examples of the charming apocalyptic resignation and baroque imagery that permeate the album. While it doesn't quite approach the goofy, sinister pageantry of World Serpent labelmates Current 93, The Rule of Thirds shows that the neofolk still have much to contribute a decade after the sound fell out of vogue.

Inaugural post

Welcome to my new blog. I feel it is safe to resume blogging under my own name again, as it has been months since I've heard from the psycho ex. The original blog, pale underweight, feels stale now and blogging under an assumed name at P.U. on the Lam just felt weird. So I've started a new music blog that will be distinct from my previous blogs. I will use this as a forum to recommend new music and to write about older music that has deeply affected me in some way.

Don't expect any Earth-shattering original discoveries here. Everything I recommend will probably have been discovered by someone else first. In fact, most of the music I listen to was recommended to me by a friend with similar tastes or one of numerous music-related sites that I read. You will notice, however, that my opinions are my own and that I will enjoy records that were given bad reviews elsewhere. I'm not in the habit of writing bad reviews, as I believe in not criticizing anyone for trying to do anything to express themselves, but don't be surprised if I've chosen not to recommend records that everyone else seems to love.

I will try to get a couple of recommendations written over the next few days.