Idol Threat: Warning Shots at the Mainstream

DIY Toolbox version of the Gentleman's Boombox w/Floyd Davis IV of Artpentry

2012-01-23T23:57:00.006-06:00

CRAFTSMAN enlists Floyd Davis IV of Artpentry, Code of Conduct & C4 fame to show them how to make a toolbox version of his Gentleman's Boombox. Watch them get weird. This project streamed live on January 13, 2012 at:

http://livestream.com/craftsmanexperience

Coffins Has a New Vocalist?!

2012-01-22T22:04:00.001-06:00

COFFINS HAS A NEW VOCALIST?!?!?!

Iron Man Monster Concept Design

2012-01-19T12:01:00.002-06:00

"Tony Stark the evil genetic engineer... Hommage for ironman."

Check out this great Iron Man concept design from artist Retrovenus Miravis.

ego trip Presents: “Imagine” Starring Common & Drake

2012-01-14T12:30:00.004-06:00

"Dream. Believe. Take Care."

Check the jump for a bonus

ego trip's 20 Common vs. Drake Diss Songs We Are Waiting For:

1. “Sweaters Ain’t Shit”

2. “Hairlines”

3. “No Emo”

4. “Over My Insulted Body”

5. “Touchy Feely N*gga”

6. “Super Ugly (But Beautiful On the Inside)”

7. “Canadian H.A.M.”

8. “The Makeover”

9. “Degrassi Knoll”

10. “Fuck Wit’ Aubrey Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)”

11. “N*ggas In Serena (Serena’s Room)”

12. “Tissues”

13. “I Used To Fuck H.E.R.”

14. “No Vagisil”

15. “The Electric Circus Experience Shower”

16. “Pop’s Rap 4… The Scolding”

17. “One Day It’ll All Make Scents (Lavender Mist)”

18. “Manicured Nail In the Coffin”

19. “We See The Bitch In Each Other”

20. “You Say Aubrey, I Say Lonnie, Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off”

Refused Reunite to Play Coachella

2012-01-09T22:47:00.007-06:00

What? WHAT?! Refused are reuniting too?!! First Company Flow reunite, then At the Drive-In, now Refused too? It's officially the late 90s all over again! All three of the aforementioned bands will be playing this year's Coachella so you West Coasters are in for a fucking treat. Check the official announcement taken from Refused's website after the jump:

"We had a band once, in Umeå. We would pile in a van, like every other punkband, and thunder off in pursuit of friends and glory in some basement in front of 20 people, 50 people, in towns 4-5 hours away. Sometimes there would be more than a hundred people and we would later in the week refer to that as a "big show". We were ambitious, but we didn't think of it as a career. We never made any fiscal sense whatsoever during 7 years of touring. Like most punkbands, it never occured to us to even try. We had a scene, we had some politics and we had just a hint of artistic ambition. True to our swedish roots we got very serious very fast. And then suddenly we got good. It's a delicate path to tread for precocious twentysomethings anywhere on the planet, but this particular bunch didn't make it. And that was fine. Most enterprises in life are unrelated to incredibly violent rock music.

It's been a motley 14 years since our band came apart. We've all kept busy in our respective endeavors but we've all remained friends and kept in touch. There have been offers, and lots of jokes about these offers. We've sort of looked down from our high horses and made fun of people who've just wanted to share the psychopathic intensity that we would deliver on a nightly basis in our post-pubescent prime. A reunion has just seemed irrelevant to us. Too much other shit to do.

But then Kristofer got his degree from the Swedish opera academy, Jons medical studies began drawing to a close and Dennis and David started a new hardcore band together. Finally, after a decade and a half hiatus, Kristofer picked up the guitar again. Which made David want to play the drums again. Which in turn led to all four of us suddenly making new music in assorted constellations. As all this was brewing, Coachella got in touch. There were a couple of phone-calls, lots of skepticism, some hesitant enthusiasm before one of us basically said: "– This is ridiculous. There are friends of ours who would murder close relatives just to go see bands there. Let's just do it, one last time." And with that, socialist fag-loving pc scumbags were on the road again.

We never did "The shape of punk to come" justice back when it came out, too tangled up in petty internal bickering to really focus on the job. And suddenly there's this possibility to do it like it was intended. We wanna do it over, do it right. For the people who've kept the music alive through the years, but also for our own sakes.
We feel that you deserve it and we hope the feeling is mutual.

See you in the pit.

//Refused"

Refused Website: www.officialrefused.com/

At the Drive-In Announce Reunion

2012-01-09T13:27:00.005-06:00

So the following statement recently showed up on At the Drive-In's official website:

"ATTENTION ! To whom it may concern: AT THE DRIVE-IN will be breaking their 11 year silence. THIS STATION IS .... NOW ....OPERATIONAL."

I'm not sure how I feel about this but 2001-me is currently jizzing in his pants. No further details have been released so stay tuned to Idol Threat for more news.

At the Drive-In Website: http://atdimusic.com/

Twitter: @AtTheDriveIn_

?uestlove Explains how J Dilla made Black Star's "Little Brother" Beat

2012-01-06T01:18:00.004-06:00

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Ascites Live at New Years Noise 2012

2012-01-04T11:15:00.004-06:00

Ascites is a harsh noise group from Dallas, Texas. This was their first show with Ryan Jones aka Struggle Sessions. I wish we had a New Years show like this. Enjoy the video, blow your speakers.

Buy Ascites stuff and more here: http://www.deadlinenoiserecordings.com/

ShowYouSuck: One Man Pizza Party 2 – Mo Slices, Mo Problems

2011-12-31T01:07:00.004-06:00

Here's another one from the homie ShowYouSuck. "Mo Slices, Mo Problems" is the sequel to his last mixtape "OneManPizzaParty" so you can definitely expect more pizza, more soup songs, more girl problems and more raps about everything. The record release show for OMPP2 is on Friday, January 13, 2012 at Reggie's Rock Club on 2105 South State Street, Chicago, IL. The show is only $5 before midnight and starts at 10:30pm so don't be late! This has been a big year for Show so let's celebrate by downloading this:

Download Everything: One Man Pizza Party 2 – Mo Slices, Mo Problems

Comic Legend Joe Kubert Comes to C2E2 2012

2011-12-28T10:47:00.006-06:00

That's right folks, Jack Kirby and Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Famer Joe Kubert will be attending next year's Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo! It's refreshing to see that C2E2 is continuing to snag comic legends at a time when Wizard World (Chicago's previous Comic Con giant) has been branching further out into the Sci Fi and TV genres leaving alot of comic creators and companies, such as Marvel and DC, noticeably absent.

Joe Kubert is mostly known for his work with DC's Hawkman and Sgt. Rock and is also the creator of the Harvey & Eisner award winning graphic novel "Fax from Sarajevo." Two of his sons, Adam and Andy Kubert, are also successful comic book artists as well. Mr. Kubert will do a panel and conduct signings at the show and in addition, The Kubert School, which he founded in 1976, will also have a booth at the show.

This is especially great news for Idol Threat since we've just received our Press Credentials for C2E2! Tickets are now on sale for a special, low Early Bird Price but ticket prices will increase to standard pricing after December 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM CST.

Order Here: http://www.c2e2.com/

Message Board Poster Hall of Fame #6

2011-12-22T17:08:00.003-06:00

"Beef between Common and Drake Would be like a pillow fight between a koala bear and a baby seal."
-Eric B Is Prez, OkayPlayer Board

I got 5 bucks on the Koala. Aaaaaaandddd from the same thread...

"drake should sing his response to common"
-cbk

Common Confirms "Sweet" Was Originally a Drake Diss [Updated]

2011-12-21T00:49:00.019-06:00

Everyone had their suspicions when this song first leaked and now it seems that during an interview with Shade 45's Sway in the Morning, Common confirmed that originally it was aimed at Drake. Chicago is killin it right now, I wonder how far this Drake Hate will go? Here's what Com had to say:

"Hey, he opened his mouth and said some things. So if he wants it, that’s what he wants, all that subliminal, you can do that too. But you might want to say that now," he said. "I mean, the verse is about me, but when you hear some stuff on the chorus, it’s like you can’t help but think about dude, and that’s what he felt. So at the end of the day, he fit in that category. He already embraced it, so wear it."

(Read the rest at HipHopDX.)

*Update – Apparently Drake’s Producer Noah Shebib aka 40 has some things to say on Twitter about Common in response to all this “Sweet” business. His Twitter moniker is @OVO40 and he claims he isn’t dissing but it’s pretty obvious that he’s taking shots at Com:

“I remember being called a bitch in grade 9 cause I had your cd. Good thing I also had 456 by kool g rap on me. Now that's real ;)”
Dec 20 via Twitter for iPhone

“After "one day it'll all make sense" came out I spent months arguing weather or not @common was hip hop. Everyone was saying it was too rnb.”
Dec 20 via Twitter for iPhone

“I'm not dissing, just facts. I love common. I also love swv and John b.”
Dec 20 via Twitter for iPhone

C’mon son, are you serious? You callin Common too soft and RnB? The beats you make sound WAY more RnB than any of Common’s shit, and you talking about being hard and you’re using a wink emoticon? Unless you’re G’s wife you should NEVER use a wink emoticon and Kool G Rap’s name in the same sentence! I’m beginning to think that owning Common’s cd wasn’t the real reason you were called a bitch in 9th grade.

Idol Threat's Top 10 Albums of 2010

2011-12-19T15:41:00.012-06:00

Yes you read the title right, this is my list for the Top Albums of 2010. I’ve been getting all my year-end lists ready and remembered that I never actually put out my Top Albums of last year. I posted a list of the Top 10 Idol Threat Posts of 2010 which featured my best posts of the year but I never released my Top "Non-Free" Album picks of the year. I made the list at the end of last year but unfortunately I didn’t actually finish writing the post and it got lost in the mix. I’ll be posting the lists for this year real soon but before I do I wanted to finally get this out of the way, so here in no particular order is Idol Threat's Top 10 Albums of 2010. Click the jump to see the honorable mentions and the rest of the list.

Top 10 Albums of 2010:
Ruste Juxx & Marco Polo - The Exxecution
Ghostface Killah – Apollo Kids
Author & Punisher - Drone Machines
High on Fire - Snakes for the Divine
Julie Christmas - The Bad Wife
Little Women - Throat
Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
Man’s Gin – Smiling Dogs
Shining - Blackjazz
Thou - Summit

Honorable Mentions:
Ski Beatz & Various - 24 Hour Karate School
Electric Wizard - Black Masses
Bastard Noise - A Culture of Monsters
Harvey Milk - A Small Turn of Human Kindness
Yellow Swans - Going Places
Year of No Light - Ausserwelt
Castevet - Mounds of Ash
Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky
Black Milk - Album Of The Year
Guilty Simpson & Madlib - OJ Simpson

Top 5 EPs:
Rotten Sound: Napalm
Torche: Songs For Singles
Daedelus: Righteous Fists of Harmony
Trap Them: Filth Rations
Guards - New Flesh

Honorable Mention EP:
Nails - Unsilent Death (Despite being under 15 minutes long it’s not officially an EP)

The Rest:
Best Mixtape: El-P - Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3
Best Soundtrack: The Book of Eli Soundtrack (Atticus Ross)
Best Song: (tie) Black Milk - Deadly Medley/ Electric Wizard - Nightchild
Best Label Compilation: Crucial Blast - BLASTWAVE X: 2010 Compendium
Best Re-Release/Re-Master: Harvey Milk - Self Titled (The Bob Weston Sessions)

Idol Threat 2011 Holiday Gift Guide Pt. 2

2011-12-17T02:36:00.040-06:00

The Idol Threat Holiday Gift Guide was so popular that we decided to do a sequel in case people needed more help with their gift ideas. Some of these are alternatives to gifts from the previous guide while others are new ideas, and with Christmas & Hanukkah just around the corner the clock is ticking for those trying to get gifts shipped on time. Some may already know that yesterday was “Free Shipping Day” for tons of online retailers and many are extending the free shipping throughout the weekend. As of today Amazon’s free shipping says it can still get your gifts in on time for XMas but there’s always the 2 day or overnight shipping option if you're worried. Either way you’ll have to act quick, so here to help is Part 2 of Idol Threat's 2011 Holiday Gift Guide (and once again click on the "jump" for the rest of the 15 gift ideas):

For the Classy Music Lover:
Artpentry Gentleman’s Boombox ($ Varies)
Lets start the list off right with the ultimate luxury gift for music lovers - remember when boomboxes were cool? Well since those that are old enough to remember have matured its only right that the boombox mature with them. Enter Artpentry’s Gentleman’s Boombox, vintage suitcases altered with powered speakers that can play songs from your iPod or nearly any other device you have. Every boombox is handcrafted so each one is classy, one of a kind and really, really fucking cool. Go to Artpentry to pick one up right now or bring in your own suitcase to get converted.

Order Here: http://artpentry.com/

For the Serious Gamer:
Onlive Gaming System ($10-$160)
Online cloud storage is finally starting to take off with more companies (like Amazon with their Kindle Fire) even offering them for their devices. OnLive takes that a step further and gives you the ability to play video games so big they were previously only available on Video game systems or desktop computers. This lets serious gamers play brand new games such as Batman: Arkham City and L.A. Noire on your smartphone or tablet by streaming from their cloud. You can rent or buy these games and keep them stored on their site and they even sell their own controller so you can have the full gaming experience all on your tiny mobile device.

Order Here: https://www.onlive.com/

For the Comfort Camper:
Selk'bag 4G Lite ($100)
Do you like camping but hate the restrictive confines of a sleeping bag? It’s understandable, not everyone likes feeling like a mummy or a caterpillar while they sleep. Now you can have your freedom without sacrificing warmth with this ingenious, body conforming sleeping bag. Walk, jump, roll around and sleep practically anywhere outdoors and you’ll still manage to stay warm as long as it isn’t colder than 45 degrees (or 35 degrees if you get the $160 “classic” version.) Or you can just walk around and pretend you’re an astronaut or the gingerbread man.

Order Here: http://www.selkbagusa.com/

For the Dog Lover:
GoDogGo Ball Launcher ($110/$135)
Since I featured a pet gift for lazy cat owners I figured it’d only be fair to do the same for lazy dog owners. This does actually seem more useful than the automatic laser light although it costs quite a bit more. GoDogGo is the World's Original Fetch Machine/ball launcher that you can use via remote control or even train your dog to do it himself! Now you can save your throwing arm for more important things like playing Wii games and you dont’ have to keep picking up a slobbery tennis ball all the time either! They have a sale closeout on their 2010 model and are even offering a $10 holiday coupon code so act quick.

Order Here: http://www.godoggoinc.com/

For the Peanut Butter Lover:
PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter ($8)
Love peanut butter but want a healthier option? Powdered Peanut Butter is great and allows people to enjoy a peanut butter taste without the high fat and calorie content. You can add it to smoothies, yogurt, protein shakes or even mix it with jelly for a lowfat PB&J sandwich. To make it the manufacturers squeeze all the oil out of roasted peanuts and what remains is the powder that is all natural with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives. When you’re ready to eat it you mix a bit of the powder with a little bit of water and you get the same consistency as full-fat peanut butter, but with 85% less fat calories.

Order Here: PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter

For the Battery Hog:
iGeek Large Capacity Portable Charger ($62)
Surprise surprise, the one bad thing about the new iPhone is its horrible battery life. It’s a problem that plagues any device that contains cutting edge technology, until thinner batteries that hold bigger charges are made then this is a problem that will persist. For now you can at least keep all your gadgets charged with iGeek’s Large Capacity Portable Charger. This external battery pack weighs less than 9 ounces and can charge your smartphone, tablet, PSP, Nintendo DS or practically anything else that can be charged with a USB connection. It has a 9900 mAh capacity that the makers claim can keep your devices charged for a full week with normal usage. To give some perspective the new iPhone battery is rated at 1420 mAh. Boom goes the dynamite.

Order Here: iGeek Large Capacity Portable Charger

For the Hungry Bear:
Uncle Milton Rainbow In My Room ($18.50)
Do you wish you could ride Unicorns all day or wish all your outfits could match the Lucky Charms cereal box? Are you Drake or the Trix Rabbit? Then you definitely cannot live without your own personal rainbow maker! With one magical wave of your hand this device projects a rainbow across your walls and ceiling that may or may not be powered by Skittles (its actually powered by 4 "AAA" batteries which are not included.) Buy two machines so you can have a DOUBLE RAINBOW FTW!

Order Here: Uncle Milton Rainbow In My Room

For the Budget Photographer:
Easy Macro Cell Lens Band ($15)
For those of you who thought the $70 Olloclip iPhone lens I featured was too expensive or cumbersome then I have a minimalist option that’s less than a fourth of the price. Its only a macro lens as opposed to the 3 in 1 Olloclip but is way more portable and simple. It fits on any cell phone and you can keep it on your wrist or the included card for storage in your wallet. For those that thought the Olloclip wasn’t BIG enough you can shell out $180 more for the iPhone SLR Mount.

Order Here: http://photojojo.com/

For Androids:
Blade Runner Style LED Umbrella ($20)
Do nerds dream of electric umbrellas? If they’re Blade Runner fans then the answer is fuck yes! Instead of looking to the past for ideas on new umbrella designs like the Samurai Sword Handle Umbrella we covered previously these designers look to the not too distant future of 2019 for inspiration. This awesome umbrella actually has an LED shaft for glowing style and visibility at night, and yes unlike the Star Wars light saber umbrella it does actually light up! Plus Blade Runner fans are better than Star Wars fans, if you don’t like it you can suck my Philip K.

Order Here: Blade Runner Style LED Umbrella

For the QWERTY Lover:
Cube Laser Virtual Keyboard ($180)
You can’t get more portable than lasers. You just can’t. It’s the lightest option. Literally. So why carry around a huge bluetooth keyboard for your smart phone or tablet when you can have this futuristic ass Laser Virtual Keyboard? We may not have holograms coming out of microchips implanted in our wrists yet, but you can now have a full-size QWERTY keyboard that projects on any flat surface and can approach typing speeds of a standard keyboard, all in a size a little larger than a matchbook. The future is now.

Order Here: Cube Laser Virtual Keyboard

For the Closet Closet Freak:
Quirky Contour hanger ($10)
Apparently if you’re a woman keeping your clothes wrinkle-free while saving space in your closet is a big problem. The piles of t-shirts and jeans on my floor says I have the answer but I’ve been told otherwise, so instead they may want to buy a bunch of these Contour Hangers. The shape of these hangers allows dresses, halter tops, and asymmetrical shirts to hold their shape and stay wrinkle-free. Pants and accessories (such as ties and scarves) can even rest on the horizontal bar of the hangers. For the guys out there it has little hooks for holding lingerie so you cheapos can buy these for your girlfriends and they may take the hint and buy the lingerie on their own. Its a win win.

Order Here: http://www.quirky.com/

For the Texter:
Quirky Digits ($12)
If you’ve ever tried texting outside in the winter then you know how hard it is for smartphones to register your cold ass fingers. Quirky’s Digits are pins that are made out of conductive silicone that you can attach to the fingers of any gloves you choose so you can text in the cold without having to take your gloves off. Whats even better is that they come in packs of 4 so you can keep a spare or give one to a friend as a gift. Or y’know, give them all to your friend as a gift since this is a gift guide.

Order Here: Quirky Digits

For the Romantic:
Romance By You - Personalized Novel ($40)
This is a nifty idea, its like a choose your own adventure book and Romance novel all rolled into one. Actually it isn’t but wouldn’t that be cool? Its probably been done already anyways but we’re getting off topic, THIS is actually a 160-200 page romance novel that is personalized per order to include your lover’s name and up to 26 different customizable characteristics! If this sounds a little middle-aged to you, I’d like to point out that they have a book called “Vampire Kisses.” That Twilight/True Blood crap is what all the kids like nowadays, right?

Order Here: http://www.bookbyyou.com/

For the Artist:
Expandable Sketchbook ($13 or $52)
I have no idea why no one thought of this earlier. With The Spaces for Ideas Expandable Sketchbook artists no longer have to be restricted to one paper size for drawings and ideas. It comes in a portable A6 size (5.8 x 4.1 inches) with each of its 5 pages expandable to a generous A3 size (16.5 x 11.7 inches.) You can buy 1 for $13 or a set of 5 for $52 and each one is hand made and assembled in Singapore.

Order Here: http://store.yankodesign.com/

For the Wine Lover:

Vino Arielle Wine Aerator ($35)

Are you a wine connoisseur but don’t want to wait to drink your bottle or stand around a decanter looking like a pretentious douchebag for half an hour? Back in the day when filtration processes weren’t as advanced sediment from wine barrels and organic material often remained in the wine so decanting it allowed the unwanted matter to seperate and fall to the bottom. Nowadays decanting is still beneficial for newer wine since it softens its youthful bite and encourages the development of the more complex aromas that normally develop with years in bottle. Yeah that doesn’t sound douchey at all. If that isn’t enough you can get your favorite wine lover these dishwasher tethers that makes most wine glasses dishwasher safe.

Order Here: Vino Arielle Wine Aerator

MOTÖRHEAD Rings by The Great Frog

2011-12-14T09:42:00.004-06:00

QUICK! Someone get me this ring! Or maybe The Great Frog should send me a free one for promoting their product!

Buy Here (Hint Hint): The Great Frog, London

Jean Grae - Cookies or Comas [Mixtape]

2011-12-13T12:39:00.007-06:00

Whats this? A female MC who doesn't wear Gucci AND has actual talent? All snark aside Jean Grae is not only my favorite female MC, but she's also better than most rappers out right now. Period. If you need proof just take a listen to her new, free mixtape "Cookies or Comas" which is a precursor to her upcoming album "Cake or Death." The album was set for a fall release but seems to have been pushed back, with Grae stating she doesn't want to announce a new release date until the LP is perfect. Looks like we'll need to survive on snacks before we get any cake.

Luckily this mixtape is more than just a snack with 11 tracks featuring her fellow Blacksmith labelmate [and label head] Talib Kweli, The Lox's Styles P, Royce Da 5’9″ from Slaughterhouse, and Pharoahe Monch. One of the tracks was previously released on Talib Kweli's last album "Gutter Rainbows." Mixtape or not this is one of the better releases of the year and comes highly recommended.

Download Here: Cookies or Comas at DJBooth.net

Idol Threat 2011 Holiday Gift Guide

2011-12-08T02:20:00.085-06:00

The holidays are stressful enough with bad weather, bad relatives and bad gifts so Idol Threat has decided to relieve you of some of that stress with our first Holiday Gift Ideas post. Whether its for your parents, significant other or co-worker gift-giving is no simple task. Trying to figure out what they would like out of all the things they didn't already get themselves on top of making it affordable is damn near impossible but hopefully these out-of-the-box suggestions will help. There's something for almost everyone here from cat lovers to insomniacs so scroll down to be inspired and check the jump for the rest of Idol Threat's 15 Holiday Gift Ideas!:

FOR THE BREAKFAST LOVER:
Obol, the Never-Soggy Cereal Bowl ($20)
You ever make yourself a bowl of cereal and then get interrupted by a phone call or way-too-interesting infomercial only to return to a bowl of soggy un-edible mush? If that sounds like you or someone you know then the Obol Original Crispy Bowl is the gift for you! This ingenious little bowl and its swoop and scoop spiral design keeps the milk and cereal separate until its ready to get in your belly! If cereal doesn't get your breakfast rocks off then maybe this Egg-and-Muffin 2-Slice Toaster is more your speed.

Order Here: http://www.obol.co/obol/

FOR THE IPAD/TABLET OWNER:
ReAuthored Tablet Book Case ($59)

The number one gift idea for the past couple of years has got to be the iPad. Everyone and their mother has been clamoring for a tablet so chances are everyone who wants one already has it. In fact its so popular that even getting a case or accessory is hit or miss since they probably already rabidly stocked up on everything the second they got their tablet. Enter ReAuthored and their unique and classy cases. Their cases are made out of recycled books proving once and for all that the rise of the eReaders doesn't necessarily mean the end of books. These cases look great and also gives you a discreet way to walk around with your expensive new toy instead of carrying it around in a case that screams "steal me please!" ReAuthored makes cases for iPads, Kindles and practically every other tablet and rumor has it a certain smart and sexy someone is in the process of re-designing their logo!

Order Here: http://www.reauthored.com/

FOR THE GAMER:
Supaboy Portable SNES Console ($80)
The Super Nintendo Gaming system is considered by many to be the greatest gaming console of all time. From F-Zero, Mega Man X, Chrono Trigger to Super Street Fighter II: Turbo gamers all over the world could not get enough of the 16 bit system when it came out in the early 90s. Now you can play these games wherever you like with Hyperkin's new portable SNES system "Supaboy." You can even connect it to a tv and play your SNES or Famicom games on there! If you don't want to lug around all your bulky game cartridges then maybe you'd rather get the a320 Pocket Retro Game Emulator, the tiny system that lets you play SNES, NES, Genesis, Gameboy games and almost any other emulator you throw at it.

Order Here: Supaboy Portable SNES Console

FOR THE WANNA-BE NINJA:
Samurai Sword Handle Umbrella ($20)
Real talk, real ninjas never get wet. They walk between the raindrops. Since you or your would-be gift recipient are most likely not ninjas then you may need a little help in the staying-dry department. Lucky for you this can be done in style with these umbrellas and their fancy ninja (or Samurai for those with honor) sword blade handles. They come in short or long sword/umbrella versions. Ninja vanish!

Order Here: Samurai Sword Handle Umbrella

FOR TEACHERS WITH ATTITUDES:
Uncrate Bulletproof Clipboard ($45)
Are you or someone you know a teacher? And do you or someone you know spends most of your or his/her life living in a gangsters paradise? Are you Michelle Pfieffer? Then you probably need to own this insane bullet-proof clipboard to help you teach in case you don't know Capoeira. This little baby is made of Level II body armor and can stop 9mm rounds! FUCKING NINE FUCKING MILLIMETER!!! Knowledge is power.

Order Here: Bulletproof Clipboard

FOR THE STREET ART LOVER:
Banksy Art Downloads (FREE!)
"Street art" is one of the most wildly popular forms of art in existence today. This combination of outsider art, graffiti and modern art has had many Legends over the years including Obey's Shepard Fairy, Neck Face and Mike Giant. One of the most infamous and prolific of those legends has to be English artist "Banksy." His satirical and often darkly humorous stencils can be seen on the walls in cities all over the world but you or someone you know can own a copy of his art for the amazing price of - FREE! The mysterious artist has put a bunch of his images up for free download for personal use and you can make holiday cards, gift wrap paper or frame up one of his prints to give to a friend! No selling or passing it off as original though, or we'll cut off your balls. Or surgically implant some THEN cut them off.

Get them Here: Free Banksy Art

FOR THE IPHONE/IPAD GAMER:
JOYSTICK-IT iPhone Arcade Stick ($9 - $13)

Not everyone is a gamer but most everyone has played a video game at some point in their lives and nostalgia can be a powerful tool in fueling their desire for old games. Combine that with the fact that practically everyone owns an iPhone or similar Smart Phone and you have a new budding industry of retro gamers clamoring for an authentic gaming experience and there's nothing more authentic or satisfying than the feel of a real joystick. Now you can own a joystick that sticks to your iPhone and there's even an iPad version as well, but if that's not enough for your arcade fix then maybe you need the iPad iCade System for the full joystick & buttons experience.

Order Here: iPhone Joystick

FOR THE COMIC BOOK NERD:
Original Comic Book Art (Price Varies)
Comic Book Nerds has got to be some of the most difficult people to shop for since their insane collector mentality has more than likely led them to own or subscribe to every single comic they desire. You can try for statues or other related paraphernalia but if you don't know them well enough you might just accidentally get them a duplicate (some nerds have so much nerd schwag they might even have stuff in storage and therefore away from your prying gift-giving eyes.) As long as you even have the slightest idea of their favorite book or character there exists a surefire way of getting them something they don't have - original comic book art. Not only is this a classier and more "mature" looking gift but the fact that these are the ORIGINAL comic book art pages makes them a completely unique item that no one else will have. Depending on the artist prices can range from $50 to hundreds of dollars so shop around, you can often get them directly from the comic book artists or there's even some galleries you can shop from. I recommend buying anything from Geoff Darrow.

Order Here: How to Order Original Comic Art

FOR THE MEDIEVAL HIPPIE:
Smoking Dragon Incense Box ($25)
Okay, I'm not a dirty hippie but even I will be willing to own incense if it came in a holder that looked as badass as this! This statue of a dragons head not only burns incense safely, it also lets the smoke sinisterly billow out from its mouth and nostrils and even acts as a storage space for your unused/spare incense sticks! If you need an awesome way to hide the smell of the ganj or just want a smoking dragons head in your home then this is the item for you, or y'know a good gift.

Order Here: Dragon Head Incense Holder

FOR THE BUDDING PHOTOGRAPHER:
Olloclip 3 in 1 iPhone Camera Lens ($70)
So we've already went over the fact that almost everyone owns an iPhone. Since they probably already own the new and improved 4S why not get them something to help them take advantage of the new and improved camera that came with it? Even if they're stuck with the regular ol "4" they can make any of their pictures better with this attachable 3 in 1 lens that has Macro, wide angle and fish eye lenses! Everybody's already an amateur photographer so why not feed their delusion with these amazing lenses? Seriously though these lenses are pretty good and well worth the $70, combine them with the $20 GLIF tripod mount and you have yourself a phone that can truly replace your digital camera!

Order Here: http://www.olloclip.com/

FOR THE BAG LADY/DUDE:
MOMA LED Bag Light ($9)
You know a girl that carries everything they own in their bag? Or maybe you know a guy who never leaves home without their backpack or bike messenger bag? If its stuffed enough with crap then its got to be a bitch finding anything in there, even during the day with great lighting, but now you can easily and stylishly light up the inside of your bag with this handy LED light that you can attach to the handle of your bag. Fuck it, besides the free Banksy art this is the cheapest thing on here so you can at least get it as a stocking stuffer.

Order Here: Moma LED Bag LIght

FOR THE INSOMNIAC:
Zeo Smart Phone Sleep Manager ($100)
Okay now there officially isn't a problem out there that they don't have "an app for." Do you or someone you know have problems getting a good night's sleep? Do you sleep for 6 to 8 hours only to wake up and STILL be tired? Don't you wish there was a way to see how much REM sleep you get and keep a record of your sleep scores so you can improve the quality of your rest? Well now you can with the MOBILE ZEO SLEEP MANAGER! This little doozy tracks and improve the quality of your sleep on your smart phone and comes with a headband and app that works with iOS and Android systems. If you think $100 is a lot of money to spend on this note that a real sleep study for one night can cost thousands of dollars or at least a couple of hundred for the deductible on your insurance if you have it. I bet this stupid little phone headband is starting to look pretty good now huh?

Order Here: http://www.myzeo.com/

FOR THE CAT LOVER:
Frolicat Automatic Laser Light ($20)
Fuck a string, there's nothing more fun you can do with a cat than watching it chase after a laser light. Give it a shot, its a fucking hoot. Now you can let the fun go on for hours even after your arm cramps up with the Frolicat Automatic Laser Light! Just set it down somewhere safe if you're too tired or lazy to wave the thing around yourself and watch your cat go nuts trying to catch the intangible little dot. Stoopid cat, no you cannot haz da lite.

Order Here: http://www.frolicat.com/

FOR THE TV LOVER:
Roku LT Streaming Player ($50)
Know someone who wants to stream Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Instant video but don't want to spend the extra loot on a PS3, Wii or Apple TV? It's understandable, hundreds of dollars is an awful lot to spend on someone even if they are related to you. Most compatible Blu-ray players usually offer the ability to stream only one of the aforementioned services, but with the Roku LT Streaming Player you can stream all that and more (including hundreds of free movies from Crackle) all for under $50! Thats even cheaper than most routers! Works with virtually any TV, has built in wireless and streams in HD up to 720p! You can also stream Pandora, MOG, Rdio, and Live365 if playing music from your TV is your thing.

Order Here: Roku LT Streaming Player

FOR HER:
Birchbox Monthly Beauty Sampler ($10/Month)
So I saved the "best" for last. Finding a good gift for any girl is tough, but finding one for someone you're dating or married to is probably the hardest gift to find. You've already exhausted most of the cliche options, especially if you've been with them long enough to have gotten multiple birthday, anniversary and holiday gifts. What can you possibly get them now? How about a gift that literally keeps on giving? Birchbox is a company that offers high-end beauty samples that gets delivered monthly! That's right, they do all the work for you and it STILL comes off as a sweet and thoughtful idea! I don't know any of the brands myself but that doesn't mean anything, they seem fancy enough to me and you ladies will likely know at least a handful of the brands. They also offer a mens version of the subscription but really whats the point? Metrosexuals have to be all but extinct by now. You can buy 3 or 6 month subscriptions for your lady or buy a whole year and get one month free!

Order Here: https://www.birchbox.com/

FALSE winter tour with THOU

2011-12-01T15:12:00.008-06:00

Gilead Media's FALSE is one of the best black metal bands in the US right today and now's your chance to see them live and find out why. They are doing a winter tour with THOU that kicks off tonight at The Orphanage in Chicago. For alI of you hoping that means this would be the FOURTH Thou show in Chicago this year I'm sorry to say that it looks like they're only on 11 dates with False and tonight is not one of them. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go anyways. Check the dates:

FALSE Winter tour (11 dates with THOU)
2/1/11 - CHICAGO - IL - THE ORPHANAGE - 643 West 31st St.
12/2/11 - BLOOMINGTON - IN - THEE LOVE CANAL - 1305 W 11 St.
12/3/11 - NASHVILLE - TN - LITTLE HAMILTON - 1318 Little Hamilton Ave
12/4/11 - BIRMINGHAM - AL - HELM'S DEEP HOUSE
12/5/11 - WITH THOU - TALLAHASSEE - FL - THE FARSIDE - 803 Railroad Ave 32310
12/6/11 - WITH THOU - ST. AUGUSTINE - FL - NOBBY'S BAR - 10 Anastasia Blvd.
12/7/11 - WITH THOU - SARASOTA - FL - SCIENCE RECORDING STUDIO - 1768 10th Way
12/8/11 - WITH THOU - COCOA BEACH - FL - SURFER'S PUB - 350 N. Orlando Ave
12/9/11 - WITH THOU - ORLANDO - FL - WILL'S PUB - 1040 N. Mills Ave
12/10/11 - WITH THOU - MIAMI - FL - CHURCHILL'S PATIO - 5501 NE 2nd Ave
12/11/11 - WITH THOU - FT. MYERS - FL - COOL HAND LUC'S - 2040 Collier Ave
12/12/11 - WITH THOU - TAMPA - FL - UNIT 19 - 5805 North 50th Street
12/13/11 - WITH THOU - GAINESVILLE - FL - WAYWARD COUNCIL - 807 West University
12/14/11 - WITH THOU - PENSECOLA - FL - 309 HOUSE - 309 West 6th Street
12/15/11 - WITH THOU - NEW ORLEANS - LA - MUDLARK THEATER - 1200 Port St
12/17/11 - HOUSTON - TX - VINYL JUNKIE RECORDS - 4202 Canal Street
12/18/11 - AUSTIN - TX - SLAMALOT HOUSE
12/20/11 - DALLAS - TX - QUEEN CITY HALL - 115 North Carroll Ave
12/21/11 - OKLAHOMA CITY - OK - LA CHATEAU BLUE -
12/22/11 - COLUMBIA - MO - HAIRHOLE COLLECTIVE HOUSE
12/23/11 - ST. LOUIS - MO - MANDINA'S

iPad and iPhone Users Get 50GB Cloud Storage FREE from Box.com

2011-12-01T12:54:00.007-06:00

Box.com is a filesharing/storage service that helps you manage documents, media and all your content online. You can share files as a link or even sync files onto your desktop. Anyone can sign up for a free personal account that gives you up to 5GB of free online "cloud" storage. There's also Business accounts available and you can also upgrade your Personal account to up to 50GB of storage for $19.99 a month.

But luckily for iOS users, Box is offering a free 50 GB account promotion for you guys until the end of the week! Get your free space in the cloud by following these steps:

1. Visit the app store and download the Box app for your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
2. Log in to your account or register for a new one directly from the app
3. Start sharing and collaborating in the cloud!

Start Here: Free Box.com iOS App

And for you Android users Box.com has also teamed up with LG to offer free 50GB Box Personal accounts on all LG phones and tablets running Android OS 2.1 and above. Just log into Box for Android on your device before March 31, 2012. If you don’t have a Box account yet, be sure to download the app on your LG Android phone or tablet. You’ll have 50GB of free, secure file storage and sharing for the life of your account.

HP Touchpad users also automatically get a free 50 GB Box account, just download the app from the HP App Store and follow the directions.

Disaster Proof "Dome Home"

2011-11-29T12:25:00.006-06:00

With all the natural disasters happening of late its hard not to worry about ones house or home, especially for someone who's as paranoid as myself. So you can understand how a disaster proof house can seem extremely appealing to people. Enter "Dome of a Home," a house designed specifically to withstand hurricanes but can also weather almost any other natural disaster (it's even mold, mildew, and termite-proof!) Makes me wish I could afford to have one built for myself. Sure its not much to look at, but guess who'll have the last laugh when the apocalypse comes? (Unless theres Zombies, and if thats what you're more worried about you might want this house.) Click on the jump to read some of the things this dome has withstood:

"…As we were building the dome, Tropical Storm Isadore came ashore and left a mess, but no damage. Then, in 2004, Hurricane Ivan slammed into Pensacola Beach wreaking enough havoc that it was called Ivan, The Terrible. …the dome suffered no structural damage. The Dome's front staircase was designed to break away (which it did) to avoid damage to the actual structure. The 2005 hurricane season brought several storms to our shore: Tropical Storm Arlene in June; Hurricane Dennis in July; and Katrina in August. Hurricane Dennis was an extremely damaging storm to Pensacola Beach. Again, the Dome of a Home suffered no structural damage. We had repairs to underground wells, exterior electrical and plumbing issues, etc. but no damage to the dome itself.”

"...The air form concrete dome is a moving-water survivor. Not only does the dome’s round shape allow the water to flow around it, much as the ocean rushes around a light house, its weight, strength and durability allow it to stay in one piece during high winds and storm surge."

"Hurricane Keith, a force 4 storm, raged for three days off the coast of Belize, causing no damage to the two concrete domes built there. The shape of the dome allows the wind to pass around the home, eliminating any serious pressure build up and easily withstanding 150 mph winds. A dome can withstand over 2300psf forces. (A 300mph tornado exerts 400psf.) Because the dome is not flat, the maximum air pressure against it could never be realized."

"The stress created by a 300 mph tornadic winds would increase the compressive pressure in the concrete shell to 1098 psi. Domes can easily withstand 2394 psi using design strengths of 4000 psi, easily giving it a margin of safety that is nearly 1 ½ times its minimum design strength, although the margin of safety is probably more like three or four...domes are virtually tornado proof."

"Because a dome is constructed with concrete, there is no wood to burn...Even a dome with multiple flooring can remain fire resistant by using aluminum studs...there is no threat from termites because the wood they thrive on does not exist in the concrete home. The dome also eliminates the risk of other insects and creatures living in your wall space, as there are no spaces in your walls to infest...There is virtually nothing to corrode or rot on the concrete dome home. The procedure uses Air form and urethane foam that is immune to corrosion."

"Earthquake forces do not even approach the design strength the air form concrete dome is built to withstand. It would take an external force many times as large as the earthquake to approach the design strength of the concrete itself."

"Because free air circulation eliminates hot or cold corners and dead air pockets, dome structures can easily reduce heating and cooling costs by 75%... In Alaska, the 8000 square foot Trinity Christian Center has an average heating bill of $72."

Website: http://www.domeofahome.com/

Cyber Monday Music Deals

2011-11-28T11:22:00.021-06:00

Cyber Monday has been known by consumers as the Internet equivalent of Black Friday and is quite popular to those looking for deals who wish to avoid the crazy lines, potential screwdriver stabbings and sleep deprivation that comes with Black Friday shopping. What isn't well known is the fact that many artists and record labels often take advantage of this day as well, offering huge discounts and deals on their catalogs. In celebration of the laziness and convenience that is Internet shopping Idol Threat has compiled a short list of music-related deals for you, so make sure you jump on one or all of them before the days end!

Former Chicago based label Seventh Rule Recordings is offering what is arguably the best deal this Cyber Monday. Seventh Rule has put SIXTEEN of their releases up on their bandcamp for FREE download! That's right, 16 of some of the best hardcore/metal albums out now all for FREE! You can download albums from Atriarch, Batillus, Wetnurse, Chicago favorites Indian, Millions, Sweet Cobra and more! This deal has been going on all weekend but it will only be extended until the end of the day so you'll have to hurry: http://releases.seventhrule.com/

Wu-Tang Clan fans can now download 3 of their latest releases for the low, low price of $7 each! You can choose from their popular Beatles mash-up album Enter the Magical Mystery Chambers, their new Jimi Hendrix mixtape Black Gold or their Enter the Dubstep album. http://www.wudisciples.com/

Relapse Records, one of the best labels in extreme metal, is commemorating their 21st anniversary by offering a huge sale to celebrate! While not necessarily Cyber Monday related this is still an amazing deal that will end in a couple of days at the end of the month. All Relapse cds (excluding 2011 releases) are now HALF OFF and each day they offer a different cd that you can add to an existing order for a mere 21 CENTS! Today's special cd is Cephalic Carnage's "Xenosapien." http://www.relapse.com/

Decibel Magazine is without a doubt the best metal publication still in print, but you can see for yourself by subscribing to them now for $29.95 for a full year or save 10 bucks by subscribing to two years for $49.95! Thats 24 brootal issues for a mere 2 bucks a pop! As a bonus Cyber Monday deal you get an extra FREE issue for subscribing! http://store.decibelmagazine.com/

Legendary Hip Hop duo Black Star is offering their single “You Already Knew” for FREE DOWNLOAD! It was produced by Oh No and is off their upcoming Aretha Franklin inspired mixtape, Black Star Aretha. Talib Kweli and Mos Def/Yasiin Bey also released their Madlib-produced single "Fix Up" for free in celebration of "Black Star Friday." Download "You Already Knew" here / Download "Fix Up" here

Fake Four Inc is an experimental Hip Hop label with a diverse roster of artists that include Astronautalis, Sole, Myka 9 and Onry Ozzborn of Grayskul. Today is the last day of their fall sale where you buy one of five 3-pack CDs for only $10! Each of the "Fake Four Fall Survival Kits" is compiled by various themes but my personal favorite is the "Producer" pack which includes a Blue Sky Black Death album and K-The-I's amazing album Synesthesia. http://www.fakefourinc.com/

Troniks/PACrec have been one of the best noise lables/distro for quite some time now and are currently selling five cds for only $20! While again not Cyber Monday related this is still a great deal that saves you more than 50% off their normal prices! Actually this is an ongoing deal for the site but thats no excuse not to take advantage of it today! Get into the spirit of the consumer holiday! http://iheartnoise.com/

The Status & Future of Gilead Media Records

2011-11-22T01:36:00.007-06:00

Oshkosh, WI based Gilead Media Records has had an amazing track record for releases putting out CDs and LPs from some of the best of the extreme metal underground including Krallice, Thou, False and Northless. Their prices are beyond fair and their strong DIY ethic has led to some quality releases, it was obvious that sacrifices were made and no expense was spared and that great care was taken for every single release they put out.

Unfortunately the good karma from their business practices has yet to return to them as they have recently been the victim of some shadiness from their former distributor, which sucks since the label-head Adam is such a nice guy. Read the news from their blog below and click the jump for the full post, and to help curb the loss from this blow Gilead Media is selling their old stock and distro for huge discounted prices. Go to their site now and help out by picking up some sick merch and music:

"2011 has been a year of immense growth for the label. I made the decision in 2010 that I would focus solely on metal releases, and that was a choice I’ve become very happy with. I’ve released a large quantity of records this year, especially for being a one-guy operation with some-time help from friends. I handle almost every aspect of a release, organizing the mixing and mastering of the audio, rendering and laying-out art files for packaging and inserts, screen printing all patches and posters that come with releases, and making all buttons. It’s a huge task for just one release, let alone the batch I’ve done this year. As of November 19, 2011, that total is seven new releases and six represses - all of which were vinyl.

It’s been a crazy year, and it’s been rough. While doing all of this I’ve also been managing a screen-printing shop, Offbeat Press, and working on producing a film I co-wrote and co-directed, Dead Weight. 2011 has been a year of very little rest, a lot of coffee, and a lot of stress. On the opposite side of things, this has been the most productive and fulfilling year of my life.

On the label side of things, I owe that success to all the people that have ordered records and to all the folks that run websites, blogs, magazines etc. that have covered or promoted my releases. I’ve met tons of incredible people and built some great relationships over the course of the year. The level of support I’ve had is overwhelming. It started to feel like the label was unstoppable.

That’s what made things so hard when I found out I won’t be seeing much, if any, of the $5,500 I was owed by my old retail distributor, the Independent Label Collective. It was like running full speed into a brick wall.

Earlier in 2011 there was a situation of inner turmoil at ILC, which involved people I considered friends, many of whom I’d known for quite some time and to whom I had grown close. Having helped found the company from the ashes of the Lumberjack Mordam Music Group, I took everything very personally and was thoroughly irritated with the situation. People say business isn’t personal, whatever, that’s ridiculous. Everything is personal. For me it is. I’m not a business guy, so when I build a relationship with people on a business level, it means a lot to me personally and I take it very seriously.

So, in light of the drama and turmoil at the company, I pulled Gilead Media from their distribution network. Three months later the company imploded, having fired their three key employees that were integral to department management and operations. The owner is now MIA, the company is a mess, there are serious pending issues, there are no assets, and essentially no way for me to get the money I’m owed. Remember that killer month earlier this year when I released the Fell Voices LP, Ash Borer/Fell Voices LP, Northless 2LP, and took over the Thou Peasant stock from Autopsy Kitchen records? Yeah, that was the period I’m owed sales for, first quarter 2011, great timing.

Some of the other ILC labels took over the company’s operations to try and bring in as much money as they could from open invoices to pay off the labels. It’s going to be an uphill battle to collect on invoices and whatever they can mange to collect is going to be spread thinly across the many labels owed money.

There are definitely a lot of labels that are owed much more than Gilead Media, so I’m not trying to throw a pity party for myself and claim that I’m in a dire position all alone, the sole victim. Every ILC label got hit hard and they all need support from their respective groups of fans. What I am telling you is this: Gilead Media is a label that operates with minimal overhead, but also operates with minimal profit and reinvests 100% of the meager profits back into the label to release more records. I do everything I can to ensure that each release is of the highest quality, and that costs money. I press all of my records in the US, and I purposely avoid using the cheap and easy routes. I use manufacturers and printers that I trust, that I know create high quality products. I use manufacturers that will provide the best customer service to me, and therefore ensure the best results for my customers and supporters. I keep prices as low as possible so people can afford the records and ultimately feel as though they are getting the best value for their money. I’ve never taken a paycheck from Gilead Media.

Right now I also owe the pressing plant and printer a fairly large collective sum for the pressing of recent releases. My plant was gracious enough to pump out these represses for me, despite my situation, so that I have more to offer to get money coming in. But right now I can’t send anything else to the plant until I’m settled up with them, until everything is paid off. They’re willing to be patient, and they know I’ll pay them as money is available, but I’d like to ensure that happens sooner rather than later.

So, that being said, $5,500 is a lot for me, especially in a year when I’ve been trying to avoid using my credit card for a single release and I’m paying off bills with cash. I don’t want handouts, and I’m not asking for donations from people. All I want to ask is this: if you were thinking of picking up some records, and haven’t, now is a really good time. I always say that every dollar spent with Gilead Media directly supports future releases. Because of this situation I’m in that is more applicable now than ever before. The flow of records coming out of Gilead Media at this point depends solely on continued support from folks who buy records. Many of you have already done so much this year, and I’m very grateful for that. Anything you can do to spread the word and get some other folks to pick up a record or two is going to help out immensely.

I just printed a large batch of new shirts for Ash Borer, Fell Voices, and Thou that are available in the merch section of my online store, in addition to the addition of odds and ends of random older shirts I had lying around. I’ve also added some new distro titles that have been lying around, and put a ton of older Gilead Media releases and older distro titles on mega-sale. I have to clear out these shelves and pay off some bills, so if you can grab some stuff you normally wouldn’t, please do. If you can talk someone into doing the same, please do.

What this financial issue also means is my release schedule had to take a serious hit. I had to cancel a number of records and delay a couple more. For the records I’m still committed to I’m working on a plan to get those releases out in a timely manner. Gilead Media is not closing, not for the foreseeable future. I love doing this, I can’t stop doing it, and I will continue to. But there is going to be a period of down time while I step back, collect things, get back on track financially, and then attempt forge ahead once everything is stable. Another aspect of support that will help things move in the right direction will come from retail stores. If you work at a store and want to carry Gilead Media releases you can now order from Revolver and Cobraside in the US and from Hammer Heart Records in Europe. Or contact me directly using the email on my website.

The upcoming records I will be working on are: Mutilation Rites I Am Legion 180g 12” and Thou Collection 2CD. Anything else beyond that is going to be contingent on many factors, primarily how much of this debt I can pay off. At the present time I can’t commit to anything more.

If you’ve bought a record I released this year, or any year, published kind words about records I’ve released, seen any of the Gilead Media bands on tour and bought a shirt, or even just told some kid on a message board to check out an album I’ve released, I thank you. Your excitement and love for the projects I’m involved in means everything. Things will be back on track soon."

-Adam Bartlett
Owner, Gilead Media LLC

Online store: http://www.gileadmedia.net/store

Bloody Panda - Summon: Invocation [Remixes]

2011-11-21T12:07:00.010-06:00

Bloody Panda is a New York based experimental doom metal band with members that dress in executioner hoods and a scary female vocalist that came all the way to NY from Japan with the sole purpose of forming "the biggest band in the world." They formed in 2003 but I didn't come across them until their 2006 split with like-minded band Kayo Dot. That split combined with their demo produced substantial hype for their debut full length "Pheromone" which in turn gained much praise upon its release. The group followed the success of their first full length with "Summon" their second full length which was released in 2009. Summon: Invocation contains remixes of their last album made by some amazing artists including Jarboe, G. Stuart Dahlquist and Edgy 59 from Burning Witch, Mick Barr of Krallice, Toby Driver of Kayo Dot, Nadja, Portal, vocalist Jessika Kenney, Matmos, Chicago's own producer extraordinaire Sanford Parker and more. The remix album is free but donations are appreciated (and encouraged) so enjoy and give what you can:

Download Here: Bloody Panda - Summon: Invocation

Thou - Baton Rouge [Slowed to 33 RPM]

2011-11-18T03:41:00.002-06:00

How do you make the already massively heavy sludge of Idol Threat favorite THOU even more brutal? Slow down the vinyl which was recorded at 44 RPM to 33 RPM and record it. FUCK ME SIDEWAYS if this played out trick doesn't get me EVERY TIME! The end result reminded me a bit of the early classic material from another personal favorite so I've altered the album artwork accordingly. Those that get the reference will know how this slowed down version of "Baton Rouge, You Have Much To Answer For" sounds. Not sure who uploaded this but you have Robotic Empire to thank for the link. Enjoy.

Download Here: Baton Rouge [Special Slow Frequency Version/33RPM]

Black Sabbath 11.11.11 UPDATE/REUNION

2011-11-11T11:57:00.011-06:00

Today, 11/11/11 at 11:11 a.m. PST at the Whisky a Go-Go in Los Angeles, Henry Rollins of Black Flag hosted a press conference with Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward . The Whiskey is where Black Sabbath started 41 years ago, opening for Alice Cooper. This was first time the foursome have appeared in public together since Black Sabbath’s 2006 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As expected the press conference was held to announce that the original 4 members of Black Sabbath including Ozzy have reunited. They also announced plans for their first new studio album in 33 years and a worldwide tour to follow their headlining gig at Download Festival on June 10, 2012.

This isn't the first time we've been blessed with a Sabbath reunion, the band got back together with Ozzy to headline Ozzfest in 1997, but Black Sabbath hasn’t toured since 2005 or put out a new record with Osbourne since 1978’s “Never Say Die!" This is huge news and you can expect us to post the tour dates the minute they are revealed. SABBATH!

Black Sabbath Website: http://www.blacksabbath.com/

Big Ghost Chronicles Reviews Drake's "Take Care"

2011-11-10T13:13:00.002-06:00

Now I wasn't going to post this since it was all over the net already (?uestlove even posted a link to it on Twitter) but this is just too funny to pass up and plus I've always thought Drake was highly over-rated. I first ran across this blog when I found his "10 Softest N*ggas in the Game" post months ago and thought it was one of the funniest lists I've read in awhile. I originally thought this was a blog actually ran by Ghostface Killah (a mistake Wiz Khalifa made as well) but it turns out it's just an imposter, and a funny one at that. The link to the full track-by-track review is found below but I'll leave you with highlights from the review from Mr. Cocaine Biceps himself:

"...yalls might know him as The Kitten Whisperer aka The Harvester of Pauses aka The Taio Cruz of Hip Hop aka Young Garnier Fructis the pre-cum baby aka Jennifer Aniston's favorite emcee....n the muthafucka most likely to have a gateway to Narnia in his closet ...Drake.

...Im pretty sure that son gets up in the morning n plays his harp for his cats n then slides down the muthafuckin banister in his satin man nightie n has a full glass of breast milk before he goes to the studio n hammers out some pooned out shit like this b.

...this sounds like the soundtrack to some Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants type shit son. I forget who the broad he got singin the hook on this muthafucka is...but i think its Renee Zellweger or some shit. I feel like Im inside a Barnes & Noble or a Starbucks b... This joint is more light in the ass than the fushigi gravity balls you see in those infomercials at 3 in the mornin son."

Read the Full Review Here: bigghostnahmean.blogspot.com

Heavy D dies at age 44

2011-11-08T17:54:00.004-06:00

Pop Rap icon Heavy D was pronounced dead Tuesday at the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after collapsing outside his Beverly Hills home. The self-proclaimed "overweight lover" made many hits in the 90s and his group Heavy D & the Boys included "Trouble" T. Roy whose death was the subject of one of Hip Hop's greatest tribute songs. Besides his many hits such as "Nuttin' But Love" and "Now That We Found Love" Heavy D was also known for creating the theme song to the comedy tv show In Living Color. RIP.

Black Sabbath 11.11.11?

2011-11-04T10:50:00.008-05:00

So the Black Sabbath Facebook page just posted the above pic about half an hour ago. No explanation followed this cryptic picture so we can only speculate on the meaning of it. Is it too much to expect a reunion with Ozzy, Tony and the rest of the gang? I hope to Dio it isn't. We'll keep you posted on any news.

Gwar Guitarist Cory Smoot (Flattus Maximus) Found Dead

2011-11-03T16:55:00.007-05:00

Cory Smoot, Flattus Maximus/Lead Guitarist for Gwar since 2002, has been found dead this morning as the band was preparing to continue their tour in Canada. Our condolensces goes to the band and Cory's friends & family, here's the press release from the band themselves:

"It is with a sense of profound loss and tragedy that the members of GWAR must announce the passing of their long time guitarist and beloved friend Cory Smoot, also known to thousands of metal fans worldwide as Flattus Maximus. Cory was found deceased this morning as the band prepared for a border crossing. There is no word as to the cause of death and the members of GWAR are completely shocked and devastated that this has occurred. At this point there is no word on arrangements and the disposition of the remainder of GWAR’s current North American tour, nor are there any details regarding long term plans. At this point we are just dealing with the loss of our dear friend and brother, one of the most talented guitar players in metal today. We ask that our fans and the media be respectful of our request for privacy for those that have suffered this terrible loss. A full statement will be coming in the next day or so, in the meantime please give your thoughts and your prayers to Cory, his family, and all the people that love him."

-Dave Brockie-

Analyst - Book III Instrumentals [Free]

2011-11-02T23:49:00.005-05:00

Local producer The Analyst (SoundTravels) has just released the instrumentals to his collaboration album with B.A.Sick. The Analyst has been making beats for over a decade and was just recently brought into the SRNC family which is also home to up and coming Chicago rappers Scheme & Astonish. You can hear traces of the Alchemist, DJ Muggs and Chicago legends Molemen in the Analyst's beats but his production style is all his own and he is fast making a name for himself in a scene full of forgetful producers. Check the free beat tape below and Idol Threat will share the full album complete with B.A.Sick spittin once we get our hands on it. Enjoy:

Download Here: The Analyst Book III Instrumentals

Website: beatsbytheanalyst

Anthrax's Scott Ian Says Take Away Illegal Downloaders' Internet Privileges

2011-11-02T13:05:00.008-05:00

Scott Ian of legendary thrash band Anthrax has just recently given an interview to the browardpalmbeach.com blog. In the interview Scott touched upon many things including the return of Joey Belladonna and writing a tribute song for Ronnie Dio and Dimebag Darrell, but the topic that will most likely garner the most attention is his opinion of what the consquences for illegal downloading should be. Check the excerpt of the interview below:

"...It's the way it works these days. People can get the records for free, whether they're an actual fan or just a casual person who just wants to check something out. It's not a case of going out and checking out music. Now you can steal it, because the Internet makes that possible for people. People have this sense of entitlement now where they think music is free, and that's the way it is, whether or not they even realize they're stealing it.

Before the Internet, the only way to steal music was to walk into a music store and physically walk out with something, and you were stealing, and you knew it. You knew, unless you're a fucking maniac, that there was a consequence. If you got caught, you were going to get in trouble.

On the Internet, there is no consequence for stealing. Nobody gets in trouble for stealing music, nobody gets in trouble for stealing movies. Illegal downloading has no consequence. So until there is a consequence, it's going to happen more and more and more, and people are going to see less and less original and good content from the record industry and movie industry...

[In response to what he believes the consquences of illegal downloading should be]
You lose your Internet. That's it, no more Internet for you. Seriously! Like you drive drunk, you lose the privilege of driving. You download illegally, you lose the privilege of having the Internet. The punishment fits the crime. Why these service providers don't stop the torrent sites and put a consequence on this, I have no idea. Everybody complains about the trillions of dollars being lost, but nobody does anything about it. Believe me, if I could do something about it, I would."

So what do you guys think? He definitely gives a lot of good points but I doubt that he'll get any positive responses from the majority of downloaders, I definitely see no hope of him convincing anyone under the age of 25. Comment, discuss, and check the link below for the full interview. Anthrax's 10th studio album "Worship Music" is out now on Megaforce Records:

Full Scott Ian Interview: Scott Ian Country Grind Interview

Envy - As Serenity Calls Your Name [Japan Disaster Relief]

2011-11-02T11:53:00.003-05:00

With all the disasters that keep happening all around the world its tough to keep track of them all, and with the economy the way it is it's even tougher to help out with donations. Luckily the mighty Envy has provided a brand new track for us to buy and all the proceeds goes to Japan disaster relief. Every little bit helps and at 7 minutes long the Envy track is a bargain of a buy to begin with so please do not hesitate to purchase and to help out further if you can. Here's the press release for the track from Temporary Residence Limited:

"Japan's legendary post-whatever powerhouse ENVY have recorded a brand new song specifically to benefit relief efforts for the devastating earthquake that struck Japan earlier this year. It will take years - likely decades even, - to rebuild the affected areas. This single will be available exclusively on iTunes so that we can minimize overhead costs to insure that 100% of the proceeds from each sale will go towards relief efforts. For only $0.99 you get a badass new 7-minute Envy burner, and Japan receives your support when and where they most need it. You can purchase the single here:"

Please Buy Here: Envy - As Serenity Calls Your Name

El-P "Rush Over BKLN" [For Mr. Dibbs]

2011-10-28T12:49:00.005-05:00

El-P has just released a new track entitled "Rush Over BKLN" which is a blend of his track "Drones Over Bklyn" and Rush's classic "Tom Sawyer". All proceeds of this track goes to Mr. Dibbs who has been suffering from the liver disease Cirrhosis and has been overwhelmed with more than $485,000 in hospital bills. Mr. Dibbs is one of the most respected and innovative turntablist/dj style producers in Hip Hop & a founder of the legendary Scribble Jam festival. We at Idol Threat is hoping for a speedy recovery so please buy the track & donate what you can. Check the links below and click on the jump to find out more info about the track.

Buy/Donate Here: Rush Over BKLN

Find out how to donate more here: PayItForward2MrDibbs

"LEGITMIX ANNOUNCES FIRST OFFICIAL SAMPLE-BASED SINGLE RELEASE BY ACCLAIMED HIP HOP ARTIST EL-P. PROCEEDS TO GO TO MR. DIBBS

RAPPER/PRODUCER USES REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY TO SELL HIS NEW TRACK SAMPLING RUSH’S CLASSIC “TOM SAWYER”

Producers, remixers and DJs who want to sell their sample-based tracks face the often-insurmountable task of clearing the copyrighted music they sample. Legitmix provides an alternative by enabling consumers to recreate on the binary level a sample-based track using their copy of the original music. Since its debut, music industry insiders, copyright professors and musicians alike have been fascinated with the Legitmix concept and have been eager to see it put into practice.

El-P, acclaimed rapper/producer, founder of legendary hip hop group Company Flow and of the revered indie rap label Def Jux Records is the first artist to release a single through Legitmix sampling a platinum selling artist (Rush). While in the studio completing his upcoming Fat Possum album "Cancer for Cure" El-p switched gears to indulge in what many producers love to do – make songs using whatever sample they choose, even if they know their work won’t see the light of day. The result was a fusion of his new single “Drones Over BKLYN” with Rush’s classic “Tom Sawyer” to create “Rush Over Bklyn”.

Normally, “Rush Over Bklyn” would have been leaked on the Internet or left on some dusty hard drive. Now with Legitmix, El-p can sell his creative work and generate new sales for Rush. For this pioneering releasing, El-p has chosen to help out a friend in need and is donating all proceeds from the sale of “Rush Over Bklyn” to a fund established for the legendary DJ/producer Brad Forste aka DJ MR DIBBS who is battling liver disease. As hospital bills rise, El-P and Legitmix hope to relieve the burden of family and friends that a half a million-dollar debt can produce.

"I did this because I think it's an interesting idea and approach to the sample clearance issue. Most importantly I hope this raises awareness and money for my good friend, collaborator and hip hop legend Brad Forste aka DJ MR DIBBS. He is suffering from cirrhosis of the liver and (like so many of us) uninsured. He has racked up almost a half a mil in hospital bills after just one month, and he needs help. All proceeds from this song go to him." -EL-P

...When a consumer purchases “Rush Over Bkyln”, the browser-based Legitmix software searches their computer for the “Tom Sawyer” track. If they don’t have it they can purchase it from Legitmix or any online music store. With a few mouse clicks, the Legitmix software recreates on the binary level “Rush Over Bklyn” on the consumer’s computer using their copy of “Tom Sawyer”. The price of “Rush Over Bklyn is $0.70 plus the retail cost of the “Tom Sawyer” track (if the consumer doesn’t have it)."

Immortal Technique - The Martyr [Free]

2011-10-27T22:29:00.005-05:00

Besides being a beast of a battle rapper, Immortal Technique is also an intelligent and outspoken activist, and that passion for music & politics has made him one of the most electrifying performers in Hip Hop today. His releases are few and far between and therefore highly anticipated so when this mixtape was announced we here at Idol Threat definitely got real hype for it. "The Martyr" is a collection of previously unreleased & never before heard music and hopefully it can tide us over until his long awaited album The Middle Passage finally comes out. Immortal Technique was also recently the subject of "The (R)evolution Of Immortal Technique", a documentary by director Cary Stuart, and has just announced an upcoming US tour. Download below and peep the tour dates & tracklist after the jump:

Download Here: Immortal Technique - The Martyr

Tracklist:
1. Burn This
2. The Martyr (Prod. Southpaw)
3. Angels & Demons f. Dead Prez (Prod DJ Green Lantern)
4. Rich Man’s World (1%) (Prod. Shuko)
5. Toast to the Dead (Prod. J.Dilla)
6. Eyes in the Sky f. Mojo of Dujeous (Prod. Southpaw)
7. Goonies f. Diabolic, Swave Sevah & Gomez (Prod. Southpaw)
8. Natural Beauty f. Mela Machinko (Prod. Slimfass)
9. Running Nowhere (Interlude) (Prod. Southpaw)
11. Mark of The Beast f. Akir & Beast 1333 (Prod. The Molemen)
12. Black Vikings f. Styles P, Vinnie Paz & Poison Pen (Prod. Southpaw)
13. Conquerors (with Dr. John Henrik Clarke) (Prod. Engineer)
14. Young Lords f. Joell Ortiz, Pumpkinhead, CF & Panama Alba (Prod. Southpaw)
15. Ultimas Palabras (Prod. Immortal Technique and Southpaw)
16. Sign of the Times f. Cetan Wanbli, Lockjaw Nakai & Cornel West (Prod. Southpaw)

Tour Dates:
10/28 - SYRACUSE, NY @ SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
10/29 - PHILADELPHIA, PA @ TROCADERO
10/30 - BALTIMORE, MD @ RAMS HEAD LIVE
11/01 - CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA @ JEFFERSON THEATER
11/02 - WASHINGTON, DC @ 930 CLUB
11/03 - WILMINGTON, NC @ SOAPBOX
11/04 - GREENSBORO, NC @ GREENE STREET
11/05 - CARRBORO, NC @ CATS CRADLE
11/06 - ATLANTA, GA @ MASQUERADE
11/07 - JACKSONVILLE, FL @ FREEBIRD LIVE
11/08 - MIAMI, FL @ GRAND CENTRAL
11/10 - NEW ORLEANS, LA @ HOUSE OF BLUES
11/12 - HOUSTON, TX @ FITZGERALDS
11/13 - DALLAS, TX @ TREES
11/14 - AUSTIN, TXvMOHAWK
11/16 - EL PASO, TX @ CLUB 101
11/17 - ALBUQUERQUE, NM @ SUNSHINE THEATRE
11/19 - SAN DIEGO, CA @ PORTERS PUB
11/20 - POMONA, CA @ GLASS HOUSE
11/21 - LOS ANGELES, CA @ THE MUSIC BOX
11/23 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ THE FILLMORE
11/25 - SANTA CLARA, CA @ AVALON
11/26 - SACRAMENTO, CA @ COLONIAL THEATRE
11/27 - ARCATA, CA @ ARCATA THEATER
11/29 - EUGENE, OR @ WOW HALL
11/30 - SEATTLE, WA @ NEUMOS
12/01 - PORTLAND, OR @ WONDER BALLROOM

Thou tours with Black Tusk & MonstrO, plays 2 Chicago Shows on 11/13/11

2011-10-27T17:10:00.007-05:00

The best Sludge band out right now have just graced us with not one but TWO more Chicago shows this year! After a couple of years of not touring through Chicago this is a welcome change - in addition to the previously announced 9pm Show at Ultra Lounge on 11/13 with Black Tusk & MonstrO, Thou has just added a 4pm headlining matinee show at DIY venue Albion House with locals Hate & Bongripper. That's a double dose of Thou for under $20, or its a chance to see Thou for those such as myself who bought Premonition 13 show tix for the same night months ago. If you're free this day and don't go to either shows you're probably a douchebag, check the rest of Thou's tour dates with MonstrO after the jump (and special thanks to OurCityIsBurning for the heads up):

Thou/Hate/Bongripper
11/13 4pm $5 All Ages
1719 W. Albion
Chicago,IL

11/02 - Charlotte, NC @The Casbah at Tremont Music Hall
11/03 - Richmond, VA @Kingdom
11/05 - Reading, PA @Reverb
11/06 - Boston, MA @Great Scott
11/07 - Poughkeepsie, NY @The Loft
11/09 - Baltimore, MD @Sonar
11/11 - Rochester, NY @Montage Music Hall
11/12 - Cleveland, OH @Now That's Class
11/13 - Chicago, IL @Ultra Lounge, 2169 N Milwaukee Ave
11/14 - St Louis, MO @Fubar
11/15 - Memphis, TN @Hi Tone
11/16 - Little Rock, AR @Downtown Music
11/17 - Nashville, TN @The End

Duck Sauce "Big Bad Wolf" Video

2011-10-24T22:36:00.006-05:00

There's been alot of huffin and puffin about this video since it came out (see what I did there?) and I can see why. This is the hilarious video for the song "Big Bad Wolf" by new electronic duo Duck Sauce. Duck Sauce is made up of house music legend Armand Van Helden and world champion turntablist/dance producer A-Trak. But enough from me, I'll let the video do the talking. Via Rollingstone.com

Zombi - Slow Oscillations [Remix EP]

2011-10-21T12:31:00.003-05:00

Metal's favorite synth prog band have just released a free EP via Amazon.com. Zombi is a duo of mult-instrumentalists who produce music akin to cheesy 70s/80s horror films, so they would make the perfect soundtrack for Halloween this year. This EP consists of 5 remixes of the track Slow Oscillations which is off of their newest album "Escape Velocity." Check out the press release for their latest album:

"Escape Velocity sees ZOMBI return to their roots, using synth, and drums to create stirring melodies and moving cadences. Whereas earlier efforts found the band entrenched in Italian horror scores, Escape Velocity finds Zombi continuing their exploration of famed Italian record producer Giorgio Moroder and legendary Kraut Rock icons Neu and Harmonia. The sweeping synth sequences and pulsing rhythms are sometimes dancey, sometimes reflective, but always hypnotic under the watchful eye of this distinguished duo. Escape Velocity?s five ethereal tracks are simply put, celestial music for other worlds"

Download Here: Slow Oscillations - Remix

ShowYouSuck "Clam Chowder Soup" Video

2011-10-20T11:18:00.006-05:00

Here is the latest video from Idol Threat fav ShowYouSuck. The video is directed by Andrew Zeiter, also shot by Tony Shane and is for the song "Clam Chowder Soup" which is off of ShowYouSuck's One Man Pizza Party EP. Enjoy bitches.

Deathwish Presents: New Lows "Live on WERS" [Free Download]

2011-10-19T17:41:00.002-05:00

Work is dragging and I feel like breaking stuff so I thought I'd share this free album from the New Lows. New Lows' music is the perfect backdrop for matters of mayhem, work-related or otherwise, but you would expect nothing less from a band on legendary hardcore/metal label Deathwish Records. Here's a free download of one of their live shows courtesy of the Deathwish live series plus an excerpt on what they had to say about it:

"The Deathwish Live Series is a series of FREE live recordings of Deathwish affiliated artists. These recordings are from a variety of sources: Radio shows, official and non-official live recordings, bootlegs, and more...

This is an early recording of Boston's New Lows from the "Radio Beat" radio show on WERS. This recording showcases New Lows' no frills hardcore approach in a raw embryonic state. After this session, the band went through a number of lineup changes while creating their infamous "Harvest of the Carcass" album. Now reinvigorated and refocused, New Lows continue to wreak havoc on the hardcore community everywhere."

Download Here: New Lows "Live on WERS"

Buy Stuff Here: http://deathwishinc.com/

Method Man Says GZA & RZA Wrote Most of Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Return To The 36 Chambers"

2011-10-19T17:15:00.005-05:00

Here's an interesting revelation, Method Man revealed in a recent interview with Complex.com that most of the rhymes on the late Ol' Dirty Bastard's debut was written by GZA & RZA. That just goes to show you never know when it comes to ghostwriting (or ghostborrowing for that matter.) Meth also reveals a few other tidbits, here's an excerpt from the HipHopDX article:

“The majority of the verses on that album are old RZA rhymes and GZA rhymes,” he said. “’Approach the school, 9:30, you’re late,’ that’s RZA’s shit. I heard that shit when I was 14 years old. That whole, ‘Easy on my balls, they’re fragile as eggs,’ niggas said that in a rap battle in fucking 1989.

“Dirty took all their shit and made it his own and GZA ain’t say shit,” he continued. “Most of [Dirty’s verses] was GZA’s shit. I remember GZA and ODB got in an argument one night and GZA was like, ‘Nigga most of that shit you say on your fucking album is mines anyway!”

Read the full article with more links here: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/

Immolation - Providence [Free EP]

2011-10-18T21:26:00.010-05:00

Damn I hate to say it but Scion is on a fucking ROLL with their Free EP releases! They blew me away last time with the free Wormrot EP and they have scored yet another win with these five brutal tracks of technical NYDM. Immolation is a legendary Death Metal band and have been together for almost a quarter of a century. This latest offering is entitled Providence and continues where they left off with last year's full-length "Majesty and Decay." Although this EP is barely under 20 minutes its more than enough to satisfy fans of Immolation or Death Metal in general and if you're lucky you'll be able to score a free physical cd copy [once again courtesy of Scion] of this EP at one of their remaining tour dates. Check the dates below after the download link. Enjoy.

Download Here: Immolation - Providence EP

10/19 Denver, CO, Larimer Lounge
10/20 Salt Lake City, UT, The Complex
10/21 Las Vegas, NV, Cheyenne Saloon
10/22 Anaheim, CA, Chain Reaction
10/23 Tempe, AZ, The Clubhouse
10/25 San Antonio, TX, Backstage Live
10/26 Houston, TX, Scout Bar

Eminem & the Shady 2.0 Camp Explain Their 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher

2011-10-12T11:33:00.020-05:00

Last night the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards aired which included their popular "Cypher" video series. With a little help from DJ Premier and the classic "Tried by 12" beat; Yelawolf, Slaughterhouse and EMINEM put out one of the best (if not THE best) entries into the BET cypher series to date. All other cyphers in this year's BET Hip Hop Awards didn't even come close to this one, in fact the only verse I've liked so far other than the Shady camp's is Busta Rhymes. I truly hope that Shady Records' signing of Slaughterhouse & Yelawolf brings lyricism back to the forefront of Hip Hop. I'm talking TRUE lyricism, not what's been passing for "lyrics" lately by the so-called "greatest rappers" of today. Stop sounding like you're falling asleep or you're not trying, FUCK swag. This is how it's done boys and girls. "Hi Rihanna!"

[*update - the video was taken down by VIACOM so instead I posted this "behind the scenes" video, click the link below to watch the original cypher video and tune in to BET this Friday 8pm Central Time to see the encore of the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards]

BET Hip Hop Awards 2011 - Shady 2.0 Cypher

Rob Swift on the Rise of Software Use with DJs

2011-10-11T15:53:00.006-05:00

Rob Swift of the legendary dj crew X-Ecutioners recently made a post on his website that has become somewhat viral on Facebook (at least among deejays) and for good reason. The post not only makes a good point on the over reliance of software among deejays, but it also makes a good commentary on humanity's dependence on technology as well. I just acquired Serato myself last month and I understand that djs as well as most other artists has to adapt to the changing times but I thought it was pretty wack that DMC now allows the use of midi controllers in their competitions. Serato I can understand, but midi? Here's an excerpt from his excellent rant:

"...We, the human race, have become too dependent on machines. Our life stops if our home Internet service is disrupted. I bet YOU, the person reading my words right now, only memorized 2 to 3 of the phone number stored in your cell phone. I remember a time, not too long ago, when life was lived outdoors amongst family and friends and not on your Facebook page. I remember a time, not too long ago, when you’d memorize the majority of the phone numbers in your address book. I remember a time, not too long ago, when YOU, as a DJ, relied on your sense of rhythm, timing and coordination to figure out a way of altering sounds or words off a turntable.

Young DJs, please do not rely on software or midi controllers to help you achieve “perfection” because in doing so, you’re actually using the machine as a crutch. Thus, in your pursuit of the “perfect” set, you’re failing to exercising your brains, becoming a slave to your midi controller or lap top. Please guys, let’s keep the button pressing to a minimum and focus our attention on the God given ability we all have to use our hands and minds to create the unthinkable. Perfection is unattainable. Even machines encounter glitches. GREATNESS is what you should strive for."

You can read the full post here: http://www.djrobswift.com/

Slayer - Reign In Blood 25th Anniversary!!!

2011-10-08T02:21:00.001-05:00

FUCKING SLAYER!

Felonious Munk Presents: Stop It B! OBAMA PAY YOUR &*%$#% BILLS

2011-10-04T21:17:00.006-05:00

Now THIS is how you rant! Check out the link for more of his videos. "Ya'll ain't pay the fucking light bill on Earth!"

Felonious Munk Youtube Channel: FmunkMOC

Wormrot - Noise EP [Free Scion Download]

2011-10-03T13:12:00.005-05:00

Here's yet another free release from grindcore band Wormrot, this time it's brought to you by recent metal groupie corporation Scion. These guys have yet to dissapoint and I doubt that they have made even close to the amount of money they deserve despite their non-stop touring schedule, yet they still give out their music free of charge to their fans. A band this dedicated to their music deserves to be supported so buy their vinyl or shirts and go to the shows when you can. Here's an excerpt from the Scion hypebeast:

"...Scion A/V Presents: Wormrot - Noise. Contrary to its title, this EP does more than just raise a racket. These five hyperspeed bursts come arranged in complex tangles of riffs, gurgles and blastbeats. It's the sonic equivalent of a modernist sculpture made entirely out of shrapnel. But make no mistake, Wormrot are also a wholly destructive unit in the grand grind tradition."

Download Here: Wormrot - Noise

Wormrot Facebook Page: Wormrot on Facebook

Yelawolf Speaks on White Rappers Using the N-Word

2011-10-03T12:48:00.004-05:00

Word to V-Nasty

New Photos from Marvel's Avengers Movie

2011-09-29T12:46:00.012-05:00

Superman’s new costume may look like crap (no I won’t link it) but thankfully Captain America's costume from The Avengers’ movie doesn’t. You can’t go wrong with Joss at the helm. I just hope they keep Thor’s helmet on more this time, and if Cap is running around with his mask off half the time I’m gonna be pissed. More pics after the jump.

Marvel's "The Avengers" is scheduled for a May 4, 2012 release.

TRAILER: The Incredible Hulk #1 (2011)

2011-09-25T21:45:00.004-05:00

THE INCREDIBLE HULK #1 Trailer from Ron Richards on Vimeo.

So I stopped picking up the Hulk-related titles pretty much around when they split the book into "Hulk" and "The Incredible Hulks." Nothing against the writing, author Greg Pak has been responsible for some of the best Hulk stories ever written, but the various artists change was too inconsistent for me and that's one of the biggest reasons I stop picking up a comic. I like a title to have one artist the whole way through, even if it's an artist I barely like I'll still pick it up if I like the writing (*see the last Annihilators series.)

Apparently they make trailers for comics now and The Incredible Hulk title is dropping the "s" and starting over again at #1 with writer Jason Aaron and artist Marc Silvestri so I may just be picking up this title again. I haven't been a huge fan of Silvestri since his Image days (of which I was only a moderate fan to begin with) but Jason Aaron, writer of the incredible series Scalped, has written one of the best Wolverine arcs in recent memory so he may do wonders for Hulk. I guess the Hulk and Dr. Banner have been separated again, lets see how this works out.

Melt Banana 2011 North American Tour

2011-09-22T15:25:00.005-05:00

Legendary Japanese noise punks Melt-Banana will once again tour the US & Canada starting in October and ending right before Thanksgiving. I missed their last tour in 2009 so I've already bought tix to their Chicago show at Sub-T (and I'm seriously considering going to at least 1 of the 2 Wisconsin shows they have booked before it.) Their last release a was a live album which also came out in 2009 so we're fortunate that they took they time to book a North American tour even without a release to promote. You don't want to miss out on this one. Tour dates after the jump:

10/1 Eugene, OR – WOW Hall
10/2 Portland, OR – Star Theater
10/10 Seattle, WA – Chop Suey
10/4 Missoula, MT – Badlander
10/6 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
10/8 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
10/9 Kansas City, MO – The Record Bar
10/10 Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room
10/11 Iowa City, IA -The Mill
10/12 Sioux Falls, SD – Boonies Bar
10/13 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club
10/14 Madison, WI -High Noon Saloon
10/15 Milwaukee, WI – The Cactus Club
10/16 Chicago, IL – Subterranean
10/17 St. Louis, MO – Cicero’s
10/18 Bloomington, IN – The Bishop
10/19 Newport, KY – The Historic Southgate House
10/20 Lansing, MI – Mac’s Bar
10/22 Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
10/23 Ithaca, NY – The Haunt
10/25 Toronto, ON – Wrongbar
10/26 Montreal, QC – Il Motore
10/27 Cambridge, MA – TT The Bears
10/28 Hamden, CT – The Space
10/29 New York City, NY – Santos Party House
10/31 Philadelphia, PA- First Unitarian Church
11/1 Washington, DC – The Red Palace
11/2 Baltimore, MD – The Ottobar
11/4 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
11/5 Atlanta, GA – The Earl
11/15 Birmingham, AL – Bottletree Cafe
11/16 Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box
11/17 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s
11/18 Dallas, TX – The Prophet Bar
11/19 Austin, TX – Mohawk
11/20 San Antonio, TX – Jack’s
11/22 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
11/23 Mesa, AZ – Hollywood Alley

Ray J Talks about his fight with Fabolous

2011-09-19T16:09:00.022-05:00

Hahaha "talk" may be an understatement for the title, "rant" may have been more accurate! This interview is HILARIOUS! The R&B singer/Kardashian-fucker apparently had an altercation with NY rapper Fabolous at the Mayweather-Ortiz fight in Vegas over some words on Twitter (Twitter always seems to be fucking shit up for everyone!) Ray J called Los Angeles' Power 101.5 to clarify his side of the story. Fabolous may be a dope rapper but I had a crush on Ray J's sis Brandy when I was young so I'ma have to take his side on this one. He's soooo mad! ""All I'm saying is if you got Fab's number, tell that n*gga to send you a picture of his face right now!"

*update: Fabolous called Rap Radar for an Interview/response with DJ Clue. He basically says that Ray J didn't hit him and they didn't even fight, Fab says there was words and mussed up clothes but that was it. "This shit is more a war on drugs than it is war between Ray J and me. This nigga is high and coked up or on pills....he can do concerts in n*gga living room all he want..." Fab ends by saying he's gonna continue clownin on Twitter so follow him there if you want more:

Check it here: http://rapradar.com/

10 Deathwish CDS for only $10!

2011-09-15T12:44:00.003-05:00

Deathwish Inc., the label run by Jacob Bannon of Converge is having a HUGE sale that goes from today till Friday only! You can now get 10 CDS (of their choosing) from the Deathwish/Malfunction/Perfect Victim catalog for only $10!!!! You can't beat a deal like that! Also people who order this package will be offered special discounts on apparel as well! Jump on this quick and get your mosh on!

Order Here: http://www.deathwishinc.com/

Maryland Deathfest 2012 Flyer (*Updated)

2011-09-15T10:21:00.007-05:00

This is bittersweet for me since I'm not going but the official lineup for the 2012 Maryland Deathfest is finalized and here's the temporary flyer. This is the 10th annual Deathfest and it's shaping up to be one of the best yet, I'm glad that the fest has evolved to include more Doom acts even though I won't be reaping those benefits next year. Maybe I'll luck out and Godlfesh, Electric Wizard, Church of Misery & Winter will tour the US together next year? Yeah... and maybe Glen Benton and Kirk Franklin will do an album together. (Click the flyer to enlarge)

More Info Here: http://www.marylanddeathfest.com/

*Update - The List of Bands for each day is up: Running Order

The Nike Air Mag 2011 (Back to the Future 2/Marty McFly Shoes) Limited Release

2011-09-09T10:22:00.018-05:00

Wow, so these ugly ass shoes are officially seeing a release now. These Nike's made their debut in the 1989 classic sequel to the Back to the Future movie. That movie introduced a future that had these self-lacing shoes, an air-hovering skateboard and flying cars that ran on garbage, but unfortunately that shoe is the only thing that actually made it into fruition. Nostalgia, shoe culture and charity combine to give us this limited 150 piece release that is auction-only. Looking on eBay now I see that all the current pairs up for auction are around $5,000-$11,000 a pair. FUCK that, NO thank you. At least it's for a good cause. This does get major geek points though, but I still say the Reebok Alien Shoes is waaaaaay doper than this. Check the info from thisismynext.com:

"Nike set nerd hearts aflutter everywhere last night with a teaser video for the Air Mag sneakers featured in Back to the Future, Part II, and today it’s revealed details. The shoes are packed with a glowing LED panel and an electroluminescent Nike logo and are said to have five hours of battery life per shoe. But sadly, we’re left disappointed — Nike’s first rechargeable sneakers don’t actually lace themselves as they did in the film.

Nike’s teamed up with the Michael J. Fox Foundation and eBay to auction off 150 pairs every day for the next 10 days, for a total of 1,500 pairs. Prior to this release, a $50 million match grant was given to the foundation by Google co-founder Sergey Brin and his girlfriend, 23andme co-founder Anne Wojcicki, potentially doubling the contributions from the auctions. You can head over to nikemag.ebay.com starting tonight at 11:30PM ET and try to win yourself a pair — just don’t expect these to go cheaply."

10th Anniversary of Converge's Jane Doe

2011-09-06T12:43:00.009-05:00

Terrorizer named it album of the year in 2001. Decibel and Sputnikmusic.com named it album of the decade. Hard to argue with them. Happy anniversary, run on girl, run on.

Confirmed: Lil' Wayne wore Women's Leopard-print Jeggings to MTV VMAs

2011-09-01T11:35:00.012-05:00

Yup, Lil' Wayne wore women's leopard-print jeggings for his performance at this year's MTV "Video Music Awards" (is that title really accurate anymore?) It was confirmed by Tripp, the clothing company that sells them (and is now carried by Karmaloop. That was quick.) This man made a big mistake dissing Jay-Z and comin out in these, didn't someone make fun of Hov for wearing sandals? I still say the Jack White X ICP collabo is worse, but this is definitely worse than when Kanye West wore a woman's shirt:

That actually looks alot like a Filipino Barong. I can't lie, I would rock that if it was hot and I was on a beach or a boat. There's no way I'm showing that much chest if I'm not near a body of water.

Thou Live Set from Pg. 99 Reunion Show

2011-08-31T14:59:00.003-05:00

That last post made me so angry and I thought what better way to relieve some stress and break some stuff than to listen to some Thou? Luckily NPR has been on a fucking winning streak lately when it comes to metal, and they posted Thou's live set from the Pg. 99 reunion show on August 27 at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. The recorded set includes the songs "Millstone," "Smoke Pigs," and "Aneurysm" (a Nirvana cover) but unfortunately doesn't include the first two songs from their set which was "Skinwalker" and "Get Me Out." Go to NPR's site right now to listen to the best Sludge band out right now:

Get Some: Thou set on NPR.com

Jack White collaborates with Insane Clown Posse to cover Mozart piece "Lick My Ass"

2011-08-31T14:33:00.009-05:00

Yeah no this is real. You are not suffering hallucinations from a mild stroke, but you may after reading this news. Jack White formerly of the White Stripes is collaborating with the Insane fucking Clown Posse. If that isn't scary enough they're sampling MOZART, who apparently made an underground piece of music entitled 'Leck Mich Im Arsch’ which translates into English as "lick my ass!" Whaaat Mozart wrote something called 'lick my ass?' - you say? NO THAT IS NOT THE FUCKING SHOCKER, JACK WHITE X INSANE CLOWN POSSE!!! Here I thought the mass animal deaths, natural disasters and blood lake were signs for the apocalypse. Fucking magnets, how do they work?

Download here: NO. LINK. EVER.

Krallice releases free tribute EP Orphan Of Sickness

2011-08-31T01:00:00.005-05:00

Earlier this year Brendan Majewski of Brooklyn’s Orphan sadly committed suicide. He was a close friend to experimental black metal band Krallice and as tribute they released this free EP of Orphan covers. Krallice's Avant-Garde approach to black metal has made them a favorite of fans and critics alike, yet this set of 3 covers sounds more traditional in comparison to their normal songs. The result sounds really, really good and is a testament to the songs that were the source material. RIP.

Download Here: Orphan of Sickness

The Superman: Man of Steel Movie Costume SUCKS

2011-08-31T00:09:00.007-05:00

Wow, and I thought the color scheme was the main problem when I first saw a sneak peak at this new costume. More pictures leaked from the filming of the upcoming Zack Snyder-directed Superman movie entitled "Man of Steel" and fans' suspicions that they fucked up the costume design have now been confirmed. The only thing they got right was taking away the underwear outside of the costume, but what's with the spiny stuff on the sides? Are those alien spanks? Is that crown molding on his side abs? His suit looks like it has an import car aftermarket body kit on it, complete with carbon fiber bracelets. I'm getting sick of everyone stealing the Spider-Man "texture" for costumes too (it almost pisses me off as much as them re-starting the Spider-Man movie franchise.) Before some of you have a kryptonite-induced heart attack don't worry, there's still a cape. Check the link below for more horrible pics.

Get more pissed here: http://www.superherohype.com/

Thor, Walt Simonson Omnibus for $62.50

2011-08-27T23:20:00.007-05:00

I'll make this quick since time is running out, you can get this incredible book for half off (plus a measly $3 for shipping) at new geek discount site Thwipster.com. This omnibus collects the entire Thor run by legendary writer/artist Walt Simonson and is quite possibly the best Thor stories ever collected. You better hurry because this is a daily deal site and you only have 23 Hours & 18 Minutes left to buy this humongous (1,192 pages!) book. Here's an excerpt from a recent Newsarama article for those worried about the legitimacy of Thwipster:

"Daily deal websites like Groupon and Living Social have exploded in popularity in the last two years, so it was only a matter of time before someone came along and applied that business model to the world of comic books and related genre entertainment...

...Though new to selling comics, [Thwipster co-founder] Lance Sells isn't a total stranger to the industry. He's the director of Motherland, an animation studio who has worked on cinemas for DC Universe Online and Marvel's Spider-Woman motion comic.

In its early days, Thwipster has attracted publicity from blogs including Topless Robot, Comics Alliance and The Beat, with the easy hook of "Groupon for geeks." Though Sells won't disclose the actual numbers of books being moved, thus far nearly every daily deal has sold out, usually within a few hours of being posted."

Get it Quick: Cheap Thor Omnibus

Newsarama Article: Newsarama.com

Tee Pee Records 2011 Sampler

2011-08-27T15:15:00.000-05:00

Here's another awesome label sampler, this time it comes from Tee Pee Records in NYC. Tee Pee is home to some great Psychedelic and Stoner Rock, and you'll find songs from bands like Ancestors, The Fucking Wrath, Black Math Horseman, Karma to Burn and more. Go check out their Facebook page and "Like" them and you can stream or download individual tracks from the sampler.

Here: https://www.facebook.com/teepeerecords

Exile – Intro To The Outro Mixtape

2011-08-25T22:04:00.007-05:00

Exile, the producer who made the critically acclaimed album "Below the Heavens" with talented West Coast rapper Blu, has partnered with clothing company Lifted Research Group (LRG) to release this free mixtape entitled "Intro To The Outro." The mixtape features many guest appearances including MF Doom, Talib Kweli, Guilty Simpson, Sean Price and Chicago's own MC ADaD who is now an Idol Threat favorite after his blazing performance opening for Rubberoom at their reunion show. Exile's first self-produced rap album entitled “4TRK MIND” will be released October 4th via Soul Spazm Records x Dirty Science.

Download Here: Intro To The Outro Mixtape

Locrian - Flingco Sound 7 Inch

2011-08-25T21:24:00.003-05:00

Another quick post, this time it's from Chicago experimental metal band Locrian. This now-trio has been a favorite among critics and fans for their unique blend of black metal-tinged, droning noise. I've only gave it a quick listen but their latest 7 inch may possibly be my favorite release of theirs and its now available for free download. Quick Tip: download each of the two tracks individually, the "Download All" button only seems to download 1 song.

Download Here: http://epitonic.com/artists/locrian/

Locrian Blog: http://lndofdecay.blogspot.com/

Cospe-Dente - Traz O Demônio No Corpo

2011-08-25T20:25:00.004-05:00

I realize I've been neglecting you guys lately so I thought I would make it up to you with a couple of quick posts. The key word is "quick" so I'll make this brief, this is a very interesting album that combines Hip Hop, Noise and electronic music. That doesn't seem like it should work but it blends well, kind of like a more commercial version of power electronics. There's even some auto-tune thrown in, but really it works. No crab-walking here I promise. Enjoy.

Download Here: http://cospedente.bandcamp.com/

Rob Halford of Judas Priest turns 60

2011-08-25T15:45:00.002-05:00

Happy birthday to the Metal God!

Sony Announces PlayStation 3 Price Cut

2011-08-16T16:34:00.003-05:00

HUGE news for those who have yet to buy a PS3. The price is now VERY competitive in comparison to stand-alone Blu-ray players. From http://arstechnica.com/

"Sony has officially cut the price on the PlayStation 3 in all major markets, the company announced in Germany on Tuesday. The 160GB system will now be $250 in the United States, 250 euros in the European territories, and 24,980 yen in Japan. The price drop is effective immediately in all territories except Japan, where the price drop will begin on August 18.

The PlayStation 3 model with more storage is also seeing its price cut, with the 320GB system now being sold for $300 in the US, 300 euros in European territories, and 29,980 yen. "In addition, a limited edition inFAMOUS 2 bundle is now available at participating retailers across North America. The bundle retails for $299 and includes a 320 GB PlayStation 3, a copy of inFAMOUS 2 and a 30-day membership to PlayStation Plus," SCEA's CEO Jack Tretton wrote on the official blog.

Sony also used this opportunity to show off the success of the system. "Since its release in 2006, PS3 has gained tremendous support from fans around the world and its cumulative worldwide sales reached a milestone of 50 million units as of March 29, 2011," Sony said in the statement. "Equipped with future proof cutting-edge technologies including the sophisticated processors, Cell Broadband Engine and RSX, as well as the Blu-ray disc (BD) player and HDMI terminal, PS3 has continuously enhanced its value to consumers through system software updates to support new features and services including stereoscopic 3D content playback and support for the PlayStation Move motion controller."

Your move, Microsoft."

Black Sabbath Reunion News is False Says Tony Iommi

2011-08-16T16:13:00.004-05:00

The death of Dio was a huge loss for Heavy Metal and it robbed the world of any future chances for another Heaven & Hell/Black Sabbath album. A reunion of the original lineup of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward would now seem to be the only way we will ever hear Sabbath again. It seems that an overzealous reporter exaggerated the news of a reunion and the speculation was sadly put to rest today by Tony Iommi himself. It's hard to blame the journalist, if he's as desperate as we all are for a reunion then it's understandable that his enthusiasm got the best of him. Let's just hope a reunion happens soon.

From http://tonyiommi.com/:

"Tony Iommi Comments on Today's Posts:

I’m saddened that a Birmingham journalist whom I trusted has chosen this point in time to take a conversation we had back in June and make it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Sabbath reunion.

Thanks to the internet it’s now gone round the world as some sort of “official” statement on my part, absolute nonsense. I hope he’s enjoyed his moment of glory, he won’t have another

to my old pals, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill, sorry about this, I should have known better.

All the best, Tony"

Don't Tase Me Bro

2011-08-15T14:11:00.003-05:00

The Tesla nerd in me just had a sciencegasm.

Lupe Fiasco To Feed 100 People Daily In Chicago For Month Of August

2011-08-15T11:02:00.005-05:00

I'll be honest and admit that I haven't really enjoyed much of Lupe Fiasco's work (Food & Liquor is STILL the shit though) but you gotta respect the fuck out of anyone who helps out the community like this. Lupe Fiasco and his Lupe Fiasco Foundation will be feeding 100 people daily for the remainder of the month as part of their Block By Block initiative and in honor of Ramadan. Lupe and Rhymefest did a similar feeding in Chicago last year. Fuck Nino Brown, Chicago rappers are the shit! The feedings will take place Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays at the West Englewood Methodist Church on 2000 W. 68th Street and Tuesdays and Thursdays at The New Birth Christian Center on 5335 West Le Moyne Street. In addition to this event, the Lupe Fiasco Foundation hosts an annual coat drive and benefit concert, along with music education, scholarship and service programs throughout the year.

Black Dynamite animated series Pilot

2011-08-11T00:25:00.002-05:00

In honor of the Chicago Wizard Convention tomorrow I give you the full un-aired pilot for Adult Swim's Black Dynamite series based on the cult favorite movie of the same name. There's no official date for the series quite yet but if it's anything like this pilot (or the movie) they need to hurry the fuck up and air it already! Enjoy.

Power of the Riff 2011 Mixtape

2011-08-05T22:02:00.004-05:00

Here's another great free sampler from experimental metal label Southern Lord Records, this time it's for the Power of the Riff festival which spans 5 dates across California and Washington next week. I'm super pissed because once again it'll be too far for me to watch Winter live. Let's hope something or someone manages to get those guys to the midwest soon (whatever happened to Kuma's Doom Fest?) You'll find free tracks from bands who will be playing this fest including Pentagram, Eyehategod, Black Breath, Early Graves, Trap Them, All Pigs Must Die, Masakari and more. Download now and those in the West Coast should definitely take advantage of this spectacular lineup.

Download Here: Power of the Riff Mixtape

Buy Tix Here: http://www.thepoweroftheriff.com/

METZ - 7 Inches [Free Downloads]

2011-08-05T12:51:00.004-05:00

So these guys have been making some huge noise lately (both literally and figuratively) and many are calling METZ the next big thing. Hailing from Toronto, Canada this trio of noise punks opened up for Death From Above 1979 at the Metro in Chicago last night and blew me away (figuratively and almost literally.) They have a huge, fuzzed-out and fast-paced sound and an amazing live show that makes it easy to see why so many people are singing their praises. They reminded me a little of a noisier Young Widows with Bear Vs Shark-esque vocals, some critics have even compared them to Bleach-era Nirvana. As hard as pinpointing their sound is it’s even harder to try and explain their live show and do it any kind of justice. In fact after downloading all their free stuff immediately after the show I was actually rather disappointed.

Don’t get me wrong, the songs are good, REALLY good. If I heard their stuff before seeing their show it’d be a different story, but I can’t help but be let down after hearing them live. As amazing as the songs are they just don’t quite capture the immediacy and high energy of their performances. Hopefully they figure things out before their full length gets released, or maybe they can take a cue from the aforementioned Young Widows and splice together an album from studio time and pieces of their live performances. Or maybe this kind of raw passion was only meant for the stage, a kind of magic that mere mics and analog tapes can never grasp.

Whatever the case may be it’s just one of many reasons to see them live. If you’re in Chicago on Sunday and want to wind down after Lolla or if you’re looking for a more intimate alternative to the 'fest then you should catch the METZ playing at the Empty Bottle with Idol Threat favorites Anatomy of Habit. Something tells me that they won’t be playing the smaller venues for that much longer. Stream the demo for their new song “Wet Blanket” below and head on over to their bandcamp to buy their singles or download them for free:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://metz.bandcamp.com/track/wet-blanket-demo"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Wet Blanket demo by METZ&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Download For free or name your price: http://metz.bandcamp.com/

MusicfestNW 2011 Portland

2011-07-25T17:08:00.009-05:00

Apparently Portland, Oregan has a music fest and I never knew about it. It boasts an insanely eclectic lineup that spans 5 days and several venues, similar to SXSW down in Texas. MusicfestNW is scheduled from September 7th-11th this year and has such varied acts as Explosions in the Sky, Pig Destroyer, Sebadoh, Thee Oh Sees, Neurosis, Ted Leo, OFF!, Grails, The Hood Internet, Akimbo, The Gaslamp Killer, Lifesavas, YOB, Eluvium, Rabbits, Band of Horses and a shit ton more!

I'm tempted to go so I can finally see Pig Destroyer and Rabbits, seeing Neurosis and Akimbo again would be fucking rad too. Besides several djs it seems very curious that the only Hip Hop act I see scheduled is Lifesavas. Oh well, if the Megabus doesn't stop in Oregon then this is a moot point for my broke ass anyways since there's no way in any hell I'll ever take the Greyhound again.

See the Lineup Here: http://musicfestnw.com/lineup/

Buy Tix Here: http://musicfestnw.com/tickets/

Message Board Poster Hall of Fame #5

2011-07-25T12:12:00.011-05:00

"I know why bay area rap sucks so much nowadays

Drugs. People from the bay love drugs. They love using them

remember this is the same place where people thought it a good idea to step outside of their cars while theyre still moving"

-Kushington, Allhiphop Ill Community board

Wow, I almost completely forgot about this segment! This was posted in a thread about the recent V-Nasty controversy in reference to V-Nasty being a Bay area resident. A couple of posters were commenting that the Bay Area is looking like clowns for not checking V-Nasty and her crew. I can't co-sign any of this since I have some peeps in the Bay but I still think the quote was funny as hell.

And from the same thread in reference to V-Nasty's use of the "N-word"

"I dont care if the bitch got a stomach full of negro semen and 20 half breed babies, she dont need to use that...."

- bigrizz

Haterazzi talks about V-Nasty Controversy

2011-07-24T21:20:00.008-05:00

WOW. When I Google Haterazzi the first description I get is "pop culture assassins" and that my friends is a motherfuckin UNDERSTATEMENT if this video is any indication. Haterazzi is the "realest radio show on the internet" and the subject of this particular show is female rapper V-Nasty. V-Nasty has been a controversial subject of late for her liberal use of the "n-word" despite being white. She is part of the "White Girl Mob," a collective led by current Youtube sensation Kreayshawn.

V-Nasty and her supporters argue that her upbringing in the hood of Oakland and recent incarceration more than validates her "realness" and excuses her use of the word "nigga," also stating that the word no longer holds the same meaning or stigma it once did. Regardless of how you feel about the subject this video is the most articulate commentary about it to surface yet. This just goes to show that nothing is more "real" than knowledge, we need to celebrate intelligence for a change. All I know is if the Hip Hop community almost disowned EMINEM for using the word ONCE there's no way this girl should get a fucking pass.

*Update: Just found this video interview of Kreayshawn catchin heat for V-Nasty's antics. Awwwwwkkwwarrrrdd...

Miles Davis Quintet: Live In Europe 1967 - The Bootleg Series Vol.1

2011-07-22T15:38:00.005-05:00

I know I rarely (or ever) post about Jazz on here but it's not for lack of love; John Coltrane's A Love Supreme for example is my favorite album of all time of any genre. The main reason for its absence is due to the fact that there just isn't that much (or any) free Jazz albums being released (and I'm talking the money-free kind, not the Cecil Taylor-free kind.) This is why I put the free Jazz song of the day widget in the lower right hand section of my blog.

Besides the odd new release here and there my main passion for Jazz existed for the rare and unreleased material from old legends such as Trane, Mingus, Gordon, Ornette etc. Whenever something was found from the archives or newly remastered to glorious new sound I rabidly ate them up faster than you can scat the opening line to My Favorite Things. Out of all the genres out there Jazz is probably the only one whose live releases I actually enjoy. Since no two Jazz performances are ever the same hearing the different variations done live are a refreshing revelation and theres often legendary and inspiring performances that get magically captured this way (see Paul Gonsalves' performance on the legendary "Ellington At Newport 1956" album.) But sadly its getting harder and harder to pull out unreleased material from thin air as most of the old gems have been mined to death, and so the material getting released of late has been few and far between.

Segue to this new live bootleg series being released from the Miles Davis Quintet. Miles Davis is easily the most popular Jazz musician of all time and you would think everything that's ever been touched by this man has seen the light of day. Fortunately for all of us there's still some pretty good bootleg live recordings out there to be found as evidenced by this upcoming boxset. This release documents the 1967 European tour of Miles Davis' Quintet (who were responsible for many amazing albums such as E.S.P., Miles Smiles, Sorcerer and Nefertiti.) This was his second Quintet and included Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, and Herbie Hancock.

This 3 CD/DVD set contains 5 concerts that were recorded by European state-owned radio and television outlets. The majority of the material here have never been released commercially and most of it is seeing its first full and/or authorized release. The other great thing about Jazz is that most of their albums contain exhaustive and informative liner notes and even the release notes for this set is too much to print here, check out the links below to get the full details of the release and to pre-order it now with free shipping!

Pre-Order Here: Live In Europe 1967 - The Bootleg Series Vol.1

More Info Here: http://www.milesdavis.com/

The 30 Leagues of Extraordinary Rock Gentlemen

2011-07-22T15:28:00.007-05:00

Here's an awesome pic that was brought to my attention by Disney storyboard artist Ian Wasseluk: It's a mash-up painting of the 30 Rock TV Stars as Alan Moore's comic creations The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen! If you're unfamiliar with the comics then trust me when I say they are EONS better than the horrid movie that was based on them. I don't really watch 30 Rock but I hear it's funny, this painting was created by Illinois' favorite comic artist Alex Ross. Happy Friday ya'll!

Handmade Birds: Label Sampler

2011-07-22T12:28:00.012-05:00

Handmade Birds is a Texas based label run by Pyramids/Sailors with Wax Wings member R. Loren. The label's roster is a reflection of the diverse sounds and influences of Loren's music and releases music that ranges from the atmospheric black metal of Blut Aus Nord & Celestial, the harsh noise wall of The Rita, to the dark ambient drone of William Fowler Collins. Invisible Oranges recently featured an interview with the label head and also put up a nice label sampler for download, check the sampler below then head over to the site and buy some quality music. There's also details on how to win a nice vinyl box set from the label that can be found after the tracklist:

Download Here: Handmade Birds Label Sampler
1. Servile Sect -Tremendous Stillness
2. Der Blutharsch – Untitled
3. Evan Caminiti – Heavy Whisper
4. Celestiial – Haunting Cries Beneath the Lake
5. Gates – They Hide in the Shadows II
6. Key – Through the Silver Skin
7. Hostage Pageant – Resemble Human Form
. . .
Handmade Birds Website: Site Store
. . .
Handmade Birds: Vinyl Giveaway: We are giving away a package of beautiful Handmade Birds vinyl: the Key 3×10″ box set, Celestial’s Desolate North LP, and Servile Sect’s hot ticket Trvth LP.

To enter, simply list in the comments below one artist that Handmade Birds should sign. You must include one (and only one) link to a page with streaming audio, e.g., Bandcamp, Soundcloud, or MySpace. Entries listing multiple artists or lacking links to streaming audio will be disqualified. Whoever submits the most promising artist to R. Loren’s ears will win the vinyl package. International entrants are welcome. The deadline for entry is midnight PST a week from today, Thursday, July 28, 2011.

The Amazing Spider-Man Trailer

2011-07-20T21:50:00.003-05:00

Man this is the week for comic movie trailers apparently, guess everyone is trying to take full advantage of the Comic Con coming up. Still don't think they should've rebooted the franchise so soon even if they couldn't get Toby or Raimi back on board. It looks like they updated the costume too, different texture, logo and new gloves that may possibly be a homage to the Ben Reilly clone suit. No matter what I'll go see it and it looks like the end of the world is going to have an awesome summer of comic movies to help it go out with a bang.

Batman The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

2011-07-19T23:48:00.006-05:00

Here comes another teaser trailer but this time it's DC and this time it's official, no smartphone bootleg here! The final movie in Christopher Nolan's Batman The Dark Knight trilogy comes to us in Summer of next year but you can view the trailer right now. Still no full shot of Bane who appears to be the main villain (and he promised me a full body pic the last time we talked too!) Check it.

Ash Borer live in NY July 16, 2011

2011-07-19T19:29:00.006-05:00

Ash Borer | NYC @ The Acheron | 16 Jul 2011 from (((unartig))) on Vimeo.

It's been awhile since I've seen any video of a show whose audio has made it worth watching, let alone one of an entire set. This video of Ash Borer's recent set from NY has great sound which is a rarity in this age of Youtube and smartphones. Ash Borer is a black metal band from Arcata, California and they are among the vanguard of new US black metal bands to rise of late. They are fucking killer but don't just take my word for it, check the 33 minute video above then head on over to their blog for more info on them.

Ash Borer Blog: ash-borer.blogspot.com

The Avengers Movie [Full] Trailer Leak

2011-07-18T21:08:00.010-05:00

The Avengers movie is one of the most anticipated comic book-related movies ever and so when the trailer started popping up in theaters it took no time at all for it to leak online. It took even LESS time to have it taken down by Paramount and company, luckily for all of you I found a literal bootleg of the trailer at Gizmodo.com. Peep it before it gets taken down as well, then wait impatiently for May 2012. [This is a full trailer unlike the TEASER Trailer we featured before.]

-WARNING: Trailer technically has a Captain America spoiler, and it's shit quality-

Watch the trailer here: Gizmodo.com

DJ Nu-Mark: Take Me With You [Free Mix] & Toy Set [Video/Live Routine]

2011-07-17T00:44:00.010-05:00

If you're a fan of Hip Hop djs and the full extent of your experience is dudes pressing play on their laptops and screaming over tracks then you need to get some knowledge and edutain yourself. Deejaying and turntablism is an art and only true artists can demonstrate that but unfortunately the majority of so-called deejays out there took the art out of artform and just do paint by numbers plug and play, most don't know how to blend two records or even scratch or juggle worth shit. True djs need to be noticed and celebrated, they're a dying breed.

One such being is the mighty DJ Nu-Mark, formerly one half of the deejays for the acclaimed group Jurassic 5 (yeah that's right, they had TWO fucking djs) and known for his flawless mixes and innovative routines such as the famous MPC routine "Pushing Buttons" which he made with fellow legends DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist. If you've never seen the routine Google it. Why wouldn't you google it? I just told you to Google it! I can write for days but actions speak louder than words and the video above shows just how insanely creative this man is. Watch him rock an entire set where he integrates musical toys he's collected and modified with audio outs. This is too insane to describe - check the cymbal-banging monkey and sax man! Nu-Mark manages to breath new life into these toys and the art of deejaying itself. Seeing him live is an experience you'll never forget. Utter genius.

And just cuz I love you guys so much here's a free mix by Nu-Mark as well. This mix is a funky sampling of what he can do & was intended for listeners to take with them on their travels. Nu-Mark says that "The goal of this mix is to show the rhythmic similarities between Samba, Cumbia, Calypso, Rhumba, Afro-Beat and Balkan Beats in well blended mix." Enjoy.

Download : Take Me With You [Right Click to Save]

DJ Nu-Mark Website: www.unclenu.com

Read Planetary #1 Online for Free / Planetary Digital Omnibus only $24.99

2011-07-17T00:20:00.009-05:00

In the pantheon of comic writers there are few in the last 20 years that rise above the rest and even fewer of their works make it to classic status. Warren Ellis is one such writer who managed to achieve the former while disproving the latter. He could have left the industry as a legend just after completing Transmetropolitan alone (a series centered around a futuristic Hunter S. Thompson -esque character named "Spider Jerusalem") but he didn't stop there. The man who invigorated The Authority and Hellblazer decided to go one further and give us the modern day comic classic Planetary. The series is too sublime to summarize but you can always see for yourself since DC/Wildstorm has seen it fit to give us free access to the first issue online. The series also contains, in my humble opinion, some of the best artwork of John Cassady's career. You can read issue #1 and then read and own the entire digitized 27 issue run for a mere $24.99. If you're not up on digital comic readers you should research, they're cheap and they save trees and shit. So you should read those formats to help save to world. But mostly you should do it because they're cheap, which is a boon in this day of fucking $4 comic books (and you can take them with you on your smart phones too!) Seriously read this issue, buy the series, be blown away.

Read Online for Free Here: Planetary #1

Download the Entire Series Here: Planetary Digital Omnibus

Scion Metal Zine Vol. 3

2011-07-13T12:02:00.004-05:00

Apparently I missed the first two volumes of this metal "zine" that car company Scion has published cuz volume 3 is now out. I'm still not sure how I feel about this and many more qualified people have already weighed in on the subject but you can't deny the fact that these are legit bands and its fuckin free. Besides no matter how many free shows or what metal/punk aesthetics this company apes theres no way in hell I'm ever buying a Scion so no fuck given.

They seemed to have had some semblance of success when they were using Hip Hop to endear their company to the youth and for some reason they seem to think they'll succeed with underground metal as well. Who cares as long as we get to see bands like Nails, Neurosis or Thou for free? (just bring the next metal fest to Chicago willya?) This volume of the zine has interviews and articles about death metal legends Morbid Angel & Obituary, doom demi-god Wino and his current acoustic co-hort Scott Kelly of the aforementioned Neurosis, the previous Idol Threat post feature The Body and more. It's free so fuck it, what's the worst that can happen?...

Read & Download Here: Scion Metal Zine Vol. 3

The Body with Assembly Of Light Choir In Concert at Le Poisson Rouge 6/25/11

2011-07-12T22:12:00.001-05:00

The Body w/Assembly of Light Women's Choir | NYC @ (Le) Poisson Rouge | 25 Jun 2011.

(Thanks to the boys over at the Our City is Burning blog for the heads up.) The Body created one of the best sludge metal albums of last year with "All the Waters of the Earth Shall Turn to Blood." That album started with a haunting choir buildup in the first track "A Body" which flowed nicely into the smoldering second track "A Curse." At a recent concert performance at Le Poisson Rouge in New York (seen in the video above) the doom duo performed an extended rendition of those two tracks with the Assembly Of Light Choir. Audio comes to us courtesy of NPR (who is KILLING it with their metal coverage lately.) The vocals aren't as torturous as they are on the album but that may just be a result of the live recording, you can find the download link after the NPR summary below (From npr.org):

"Led by Chrissy Wolpert, the Assembly of Light Choir walked through a mostly seated audience, cloaked in robes, singing a cappella at Le Poisson Rouge. The 24 members of the choir come from various musical backgrounds and operate under an empowering philosophy: "I am a singer. I am a good singer. I am confident. My voice is powerful and unique. And I am tasteful." It's an ethic rooted in punk rock, which is surely what attracted the sludgy doom-metal duo The Body to work with the group on one of my favorite albums of 2010, All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood. Conceived as a collaborative performance on a whirlwind 10-date tour, the Providence, R.I.-based groups convened in New York City as part of the Blackened Music Series on June 25."

Download Here: The Body With Assembly Of Light Choir

Portishead US Tour Dates 2011

2011-07-12T12:16:00.007-05:00

No word yet on any supporting acts (although Company Flow as an opening act for the tour would have been nice) but this is great news nonetheless! After their All Tomorrow's Party shows at the end of July legendary electronic/trip hop act Portishead will tour the US in October. This will be Portishead's first US tour in 3 years and their first time back to Chicago in over a decade! Come fight me at the Aragon on October 12th (or approach me with disdain and melancholy as this is a Portishead show.)

Tickets can be found here: http://portisheadtickets.sandbag.uk.com

PORTISHEAD TOUR DATES:
October 1 & 2 IBYM, Asbury Park, NJ
October 4 Hammerstein Ballroom NY
October 5 Hammerstein Ballroom, NY
October 7 Jacques Cartier Pier, Montreal
October 9 Sound Academy, Toronto
October 10 Sound Academy, Toronto
October 12 Aragon, Chicago
October 15 Mexico, Corona Festival
October 18 Shrine LA
October 21 Greek, Berkeley, SF
October 23 WaMu, Seattle
October 24 PNE Forum, Vancouver
October 27 1st Bank Center, Denver

True Dat

2011-07-12T00:32:00.001-05:00

Spike Lee to direct "Oldboy" Remake

2011-07-11T15:28:00.006-05:00

Hmm, this is interesting news. Mandate Pictures have issued a press release confirming that Spike Lee will indeed helm the American remake of the Chan-Wook Park Korean cult classic "Oldboy" (which is itself based on the Manga of the same name.) American remakes of Asian cinema is usually a mixed bag (at least Departed was good) but I'm hoping they don't fuck this one up. As long as they keep it more serious they should do ok, good luck trying to top that hammer scene though:

"Los Angeles (July 11, 2011) – Mandate Pictures announced today that Spike Lee (Inside Man) will direct OLDBOY, a remake of the highly-acclaimed South Korean film. Mark Protosevich has adapted the screenplay and will co-produce. Roy Lee and Doug Davison (The Departed, The Grudge) will produce. The film is a Vertigo Entertainment/40 Acres & A Mule Production. Mandate President Nathan Kahane will executive produce.

“It’s a great honor to put this special project into the hands of such a gifted writer and iconic director,” said Kahane.

OLDBOY tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned on his daughter’s birthday. For fifteen years, he is held captive, and, upon his release, must begin his journey to find the reason for his imprisonment. He soon finds out that his kidnapper has plans for him more tortuous than his solitary confinement. The original film, released in 2003, directed by Chan-wook Park won the Grand Prize Jury Award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Spike Lee and Mark Protosevich are represented by CAA. Dan Freedman, SVP of business affairs, negotiated the deals for Mandate."

From www.comicbookmovie.com

Grassa Dato - La Caida [Free Download]

2011-07-09T04:39:00.013-05:00

I just realized that it's been awhile since I've posted some free noise, luckily Bandcamp is an excellent source for good free noise or music of any genre. You would think that I'm sponsored by Bandcamp or something the way I ride their nuts all the time but no such luck, I just truly believe that the website is an absolute must have for any artists trying to promote and/or sell their music. Just search for any buzzword or click on any tag and browse to your hearts content and you're on your way to discovering tons of great new music.

This short but excellent bit of noise comes to us from Grassa Dato who hails all the way from Madrid, Spain. The almost 14 minute track starts off subtle and doesn't just bludgeon you from the get go, it has some nice delays & buildup and has plenty of replay value as well. I really like the album art and the design of his site too, his overall aesthetic is refreshing compared to the normal noise artwork being used. If you're hungry for more you can stream or buy his other releases and download a free 30 minute tape on his bandcamp as well. For noise lovers only.

Download and stream here: http://grassadato.bandcamp.com/

Show You Suck "All Chill Everything" Video

2011-07-09T04:09:00.004-05:00

ShowYouSuck "All Chill Everything" from Ruby Hornet on Vimeo.

This video recently got some shine by the Mishka blog so not wanting to be outdone Idol Threat decided to jump on the bandwagon and post it as well. The video is for the song "All Chill Everything" by ShowYouSuck and is from his latest free EP One Man Pizza Party . I would have preferred a video for "Car Keys" or "Acid Trip" as they are my favorite tracks off the EP but then I guess we wouldn't have gotten the blunt smoking girl or the cute pitbull. I dare you to watch this video and not have the hook stuck in your head all day. Video and EP brought to you by Ruby Hornet.

DJ Nevermind speedcore Promo Mix 2011

2011-07-05T23:42:00.005-05:00

Jay Randall's Grindcore Karaoke Bandcamp label continues to be a wellspring of great music. This time he offers up some speedcore mixed by DJ Nevermind. For the uninformed speedcore is an extreme version of techno where the speeds reach levels of around 300bpm which is fucking insane. It makes sense for Jay to be into this music considering the drum machine blast beats on his Agoraphobic Nosebleed stuff reaches insane speeds as well. I'm not usually a fan of speedcore or most techno but I'm actually kind of digging this promo mix, I like the second "track" entitled The Brutality Continues. Enjoy this free mix and check out the rest of the Grindcore Karaoke roster.

Download Here: http://www.grindcorekaraoke.com/

Common Feat. NaS "Ghetto Dreams" [Free Download]

2011-07-03T22:14:00.008-05:00

The updates have been slow because I've been in the process of moving and have been without internet but hey who complains about a free lunch anyways? I'll do a couple of quick single song posts to whet your appetite starting with this solid song by Common featuring the one and only NaS. The song, produced by Chicago legend No I.D., is called "Ghetto Dreams" and is off of Common's upcoming album "The Dreamer, The Believer" on Warner Bros. Records. The song was leaked by NaS himself after he expressed his impatience of it's release on Twitter. This new album will be Common's 9th full length and his first album after leaving Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label.

Download the track here: Common - Ghetto Dreams feat NAS

Gene Colan 1926-2011

2011-06-24T01:18:00.005-05:00

The world has lost a tremendous artist today. Gene Colan died at about 11 pm on June 23, he spent this last week in a quasi-coma state after a broken hip and complications from liver disease. Besides his amazing work on legendary titles such as Daredevil and The Tomb of Dracula Gene Colan was credited with co-creating the Falcon, the first African-American superhero in mainstream comics. Colan was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2005. He was 84 when he passed. RIP to a legendary talent.

diSEMBOWELMENT is now d.usk

2011-06-24T00:05:00.018-05:00

I don't know how I missed this but diSEMBOWELMENT is now back together under the moniker "d.usk." diSEMBOWELMENT was an influential death/doom band from Australia who broke up in the early 90s after releasing 1 amazing full length album. They were one of the pioneers of the funeral doom subgenre and haven't been together in over 16 years, the band reformed in 2010 with original members Matt Skarajew and Paul Mazziotta. It doesn't get much better than diSEMBOWELMENT when it comes to doom, death/doom, funeral doom or whatever the fuck genre you want to consider.

They recently just performed in the beginning of the month at the fourth annual Evil Invaders festival in Sydney, Australia and I don't think they've played here in the states yet. Hopefully Maryland Deathfest will ask these guys to play for their 10th anniversary. Fuck I don't care who brings them over here as long as they do it. I may just bust out my diSEMBOWELMENT hoodie and have it repaired in celebration of this news (I know it's supposed to be summer but if you were in Chicago right now you'd understand.) Check the press release and stream a new track below:

"......d.USK is the now the final embodiment to the life of diSEMBOWELMENT. Conceived in early 2010, the d.USK entity was the chance to finally realize the sonic palette that was diSEMBOWELMENT, and allow us to present the music to the underground in a truly live context. As a result, this project encapsulates the classic, brooding,sombre brutality of diSEMBOWELMENT, and brings with it the antecedents of classic Trial of The Bow ambience and atmosphere. In context we have added a healthy dose of our old-school roots ... this can be sampled in our most recently recorded Demo. The d.USK live show is a study in dynamic control, intense mood-swings and sonic devastation. We hope that those present will be taken on a journey - to be actively engaged in a deep sensory procession ..... This is our gift to those of the underground that care to receive..... .. Melbourne, Australia's dark devotees of devastating doom DISEMBOWELMENT delivered the ultimate in transcendental doom. Not for trendy ears!!"

Find more d.usk songs at Myspace Music

The Sludge Swamp Closes its doors...

2011-06-23T23:34:00.008-05:00

Bummer, I knew this was happening but I didn't notice that the site officially closed down till today. Before I discovered this blog I was stuck finding my doom and dirge the old fashioned way; these guys have turned me onto so many bands & amazing albums throughout the years. Here's more info from thesodashop.wordpress.com:

"Well after four years, The Sludge Swamp is closed. Friday was the last day for anything new on the Swamp. It also happened to be the Swamp’s 4th anniversary. The Sludge Swamp was a free download blog that was known all throughout the world by many and started up by one cool cat, “Cheeto.” Cheeto and his team of posters would post up albums by many bands over the years. I myself have discovered far to many to name from visiting the Swamp. Many of the bands posted would have never had the opportunity to be heard by so many people if it wasn’t for the Swamp...

...The Sludge Swamp isn’t closing down completely, there will be another site opening up soon but the blog as it’s known, is done. Cheeto has been pretty tight lipped about what is in store for the future but he’s not disappearing completely and we’ll be sure to be seeing him real soon. The following was posted on the Swamp’s Facebook page yesterday:

"Our beloved Sludge Swamp Blog will be closing down tomorrow on it’s 4th. Birthday. I will be posting the last posts. Some special posts I have saved to close us out with. Stay tuned to the Facebook page for our dot.com address to be announced. The Facebook page will not close down."

Will it be another download blog? Will it be a news site? Only the cat knows and Cheeto isn’t talking just yet. Whatever it turns into, it’s going to be soon and you can bet that it’ll be good."

RIP and thanks for the ride guys.

Company Flow: N2N Burners [Lost Mix]

2011-06-23T12:32:00.009-05:00

In anticipation of the upcoming Co Flow show at Santos Party House in NY El-P released this little hidden gem of an alternate mix to End to End Burners. Quick tip: If you're looking for an image for the track don't try to Google it with the "N2N" spelling, spell it out completely. You'll thank me later. There's a download link below and if you're looking for info about the show check the Idol Threat post from a couple of days ago. Here's what Mr. Producto had to say about the track:

"A lost mix of the N2N Burners remix that me and Mr Len produced. A version of this was on Mr Lens “Class-X” tribute to co flow some years back. Enjoy."

Download/stream here: N2N Burners Lost Mix

No I.D. - Cocaine 80's: The Pursuit [EP]

2011-06-22T12:49:00.007-05:00

Twitter seems to be the marketing king right now whether it's a good thing or not but it seems that our over-saturated society can't digest anything under 140 characters at a time. Reviews are a joke, nobody takes the time to read them when they can just download or stream the music for themselves, maybe that means I'll shorten my own posts?

Found out about this via Fakeshoredrive's Twitter, this seems to be a project from legendary Chicago Hip Hop producer No I.D. Mr. Dion has recruited many artists to contribute to this project (entitled Cocaine 80's) including Steve Wyreman, Rob Kinelski, Kevin Randolph, James Fauntleroy, Makeba and many more. He even snags a few verses for a track from his longtime collaborator Common (or Common Sense to the old schoolers.) The EP is soulful, eclectic and funky and the tracks are as diverse as his many contributors. No more info has been released about the project as yet but you can download it for free as long as you click the automated link to "Tweet" about it and spread the news. I've seen this re-tweeted numerous times already so what's the point of this post anyways? Eeeehhh fuck it:

Download Here (click the "Pay with a Tweet" button.): cocaine80s.blogspot.com

No Anchor: Real Pain Supernova

2011-06-22T00:59:00.009-05:00

Here's some more free radness from J. Randall's Grindcore Karaoke bandcamp label, except this time he brings it in the form of some crushing doom from Australian band No Anchor. Their album "Real Pain Supernova" (probably a nod to the Oasis song entitled Champagne Supernova) contains some excellent mid-paced sludge filled with cavernous, throat shredding vocals and has a real nice organic sound to the production. All in all this is a great addition to Grindcore Karaoke's growing roster of quality bands. It seems that they're still sticking with the free digital release format which is great for the fans and great promotion for the bands but must be hell on Randall's pockets. I don't know how he does it but you'll hear no complaints on my end. Just make sure to do your best to spread the word and support the bands when you can. I'm not sure how much shipping is or if it's already included in the price but you can order the 2LP vinyl edition of this album from the band directly. There's only 125 copies available worldwide and it includes a vinyl-only bonus track. Enjoy.

Get it free here: http://www.grindcorekaraoke.com/

Buy it here: http://noanchor.bandcamp.com/