Joe Hannah's Barbarians

Joe Hannah's Barbarians

aka Joe Hanna's Barbarians

This is a piece of 1998 Lehigh Valley PA (Nazareth to be exact) history.

Should have come out on the Lehigh Valley Archives. But didn't.

Hardcore noise released July 4, 1998. 

SS: Vocals
Soles: Guitar
Brad: Drums
Randy: Bass

Enjoy.

Cheers, 
Frank FOE

Slingshot Dakota Paycheck from Break

SLINGSHOT DAKOTA

"Break"

Topshelf Records

Due out: March 11, 2016

Take a listen to the lead off track "Paycheck" from Slingshot Dakota's upcoming LP "Break".



Slingshot Dakota is from Bethlehem PA. Drummer Tom formerly played drums in the Ick way back when and actually had a record out on my label FOE. Carly Comando plays an 88-key digital piano through multiple effects pedals and provides vocals for the band. 

I f#@king love this song and can't wait to hear the LP! Pre-order the LP here http://www.topshelfrecords.com/products/566270

The vinyl 12" will be available in three variations:
Clear with Violet and Pink Splatter (ed. of 100) - already sold out pokey
Black (ed. of 300)
Translucent Violet (ed. of 600)

SLINGSHOT DAKOTA TOUR DATES
03.05.16 - Washington, DC @ Breaking Even Fest (w/ Iron Chic, Timeshares + more)
03.15.16 - 03.20.16 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.21.16 - Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone (w/ Wildhoney, Expert Alterations, Diet Cig)
03.22.16 - Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar (w/ Diet Cig)
03.23.16 - Indianapolis, IN @ HiFi (w/ Diet Cig)

04.01.16 - Brooklyn, NY @ Aviv 
04.02.16 - Philadelphia, PA @ Everybody Hits 
04.03.16 - Long Island, NY @ Amityville Music Hall 
04.05.16 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
04.06.16 - Charlotte, NC @ The Station 
04.07.16 - Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern
04.08.16 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
04.09.16 - Gainesville, FL @ Boca Fiesta
04.10.16 - Orlando, FL @ Olde 64
04.12.16 - Lafayette, LA @ JP's
04.13.16 - Houston, TX @ Walter's Downtown
04.14.16 - Austin, TX @ Monkey Wrench
04.15.16 - Fort Worth, TX @ 1919 Hemphill
04.16.16 - Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves 
04.19.16 - Phoenix AZ @ Rebel Lounge (w/ Laura Stevenson, Crying and Chris Farren)
04.20.16 - San Diego, CA @ Che Cafe
04.21.16 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Hi Hat
04.22.16 - Fresno, CA @ Peeve’s Public House
04.23.16 - Berkeley, CA @ 924 Gilman
04.24.16 - Sacramento, CA @ Cafe Colonial
04.26.16 - Portland, OR @ Family Reunion
04.27.16 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon

05.01.16 - Omaha, NE @ Milk Run
05.02.16 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
05.03.16 - Bloomington, IN @ The Void
05.04.16 - Columbus, OH @ Donato’s
05.05.16 - Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s basement
05.06.16 - Rochester, NY @ The Bug Jar
05.07.16 - Toronto, CANADA @ D-Beatstro
05.08.16 - Montreal, CANADA @ Quai des Brumes
05.10.16 - Winooski, VT @ Monkey House
05.11.16 - Dover, NH @ Crawl Space
05.12.16 - Allston, MA @ O'briens Pub
05.13.16 - Providence, RI @ AS220’s Main Stage
05.14.16 - Bloomfield, CT @ Bloomfield Village Pizza

Cheers,
Frank FOE

Best Pop 2015

BEST POP 2015

Kind of a catch all category for me. Pop, new wave, punk that was too polished for the punk list, indie rock, country, anything I kind of think everyone should dig (pop). I've been buying pop records since 1971. 

These are the ten best pop albums according to Frank FOE as of January 2016. I added the clarifying date as I am sure over the next twenty years, I will discover dozens more pop albums that I missed during the calendar year 2015.

The purpose of this list is to reflect, to possibly introduce these records to someone who possibly missed them in 2015 and to share my love of music.

I rated these by two factors: how many times I actually listened to the record and how creative I found the release.

This is the stuff that helped make 2015 as good as it was.

1. Beach Slang "The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us"





2. Grimes "Art Angels"






3. Devo "Hardcore Live"





4. New Order "Music Complete"





5. Modest Mouse "Strangers to Ourselves"





6. Biters "Electric Blood"





7. Various "Sons of Anarchy volumes 2 & 3 - Seasons 5-6"





8. Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard "Django and Jimmie"






9. The Joykiller "Music For Break Ups"






10. Made Violent "EP"




Cheers, 
Frank FOE

Best Hardcore 2015 http://frankfoe.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-hardcore-2015.html

Best Punk 2015 http://frankfoe.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-punk-2015.html
  
Best Noise 2015 http://frankfoe.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-noise-2015.html

Best Metal 2015 http://frankfoe.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-metal-of-2015.html

Best Hardcore 2015

Best Hardcore 2015

There are a lot of genres within what I call hardcore. Being nearly 50, I love the old but appreciate the new and get confused where the hardcore and metal line is drawn. Or where the noise line is drawn. This is a mashup of anything I consider hardcore. Forget the definitions if you like and just treat this as great albums to put on when you are in a mood.

These are the ten best hardcore albums according to Frank FOE as of January 2016. I added the clarifying date as I am sure over the next twenty years, I will discover dozens more hardcore albums that I missed during the calendar year 2015.

The purpose of this list is to reflect, to possibly introduce these records to someone who possibly missed them in 2015 and to share my love of music.

I rated these by two factors: how many times I actually listened to the record and how creative I found the release.

This is the stuff that helped make 2015 as good as it was.

1. Violent Reaction "Marching On"



2. Battalion of Saints "Battalion of Saints"



3. Agnostic Front "The American Dream Died"



4. Lifeless "Dream"




5. Chain Rank "Up Against the Wall"




6. The Flag of Democracy 3-pack of split 7"s

F.O.D./Ex Friends

F.O.D./Dead Milkmen

F.O.D./Merda

7. Poison Idea "Confuse and Conquer"

8. Discourse "Sanity Decays"

9. Die Choking "III"



10. Wisdom in Chains "The God Rhythm"




Cheers,
Frank FOE


Best Punk of 2015 here: http://frankfoe.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-punk-2015.html

Best Noise of 2015 here: http://frankfoe.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-noise-2015.html

Best Metal of 2015 here: http://frankfoe.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-metal-of-2015.html

Best Noise 2015

Best Noise 2015

There are a lot of genres within what I call noise, for lack of a better term. These artists pushed the sonic boundaries. This is a mashup of anything I lovingly consider noise. 

These are the ten best noise albums according to Frank FOE as of January 2016. I added the clarifying date as I am sure over the next twenty years, I will discover dozens more noise albums that I missed during the calendar year 2015. Check my list of the Top 100 of 2015 to see how these fit in with the less noisy records.

The purpose of this list is to reflect, to possibly introduce these records to someone who possibly missed them in 2015 and to share my love of music.

I rated these by two factors: how many times I actually listened to the record and how creative I found the release.

This is the stuff that helped make 2015 as good as it was.

1. Brothers of the Sonic Cloth "Brothers of the Sonic Cloth"




2. Carved Up "Matador"




3. Pigs "Wronger"




4. Cherubs "2 Ynfynyty"




5. Primitive Man "Home Is Where The Hatred Is"




6. Cowards "Rise To Infamy"




7. Torche "Restarter"




8. Lightning Bolt "Fantasy Empire"




9. Coneheads "LP1 - 14 Year Old High School P.C. Fascist Hype Lords Rip Off Devo For the Sake of Extorting Cash From Helpless Impressionable Midwestern Internet Peoplepunks"




10. Corrections House "Know How To Carry A Whip"




Cheers,
Frank FOE

Best Punk 2015 List here: http://frankfoe.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-punk-2015.html

Best Metal 2015 List here: http://frankfoe.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-metal-of-2015.html

Best Punk 2015

Best Punk 2015

There are a lot of genres within punk. This is a mashup of anything I consider punk (yes hardcore is a different list). Additionally, I had some thinking to do as there were a lot of older releases reissued in 2015 (reported on a different list) and also material that was issued in 2014 digitally but on vinyl (preferred format) in 2015. Also so many collections issued. So, you know, just check these out and don't go all punk rock elitist on me. 

These are the ten best punk records of 2015 according to Frank FOE as of January 2016. I added the clarifying date as I am sure over the next twenty years, I will discover dozens more punk albums that I missed during the calendar year 2015. Check my list of the Top 100 of 2015 as there are about two dozen punk releases that made that list. 

The purpose of this list is to reflect, to possibly introduce these records to someone who possibly missed them in 2015 and to share my love of music.

I rated these by two factors: how many times I actually listened to the record and how creative I found the release.

This is the stuff that helped make 2015 as good as it was. 

1. Sonny Vincent and Rocket From The Crypt "Vintage Piss"




2. Zex "Fight For Yourself"




3. Teenage Bottlerocket "Tales From Wyoming"



4. The Flag of Democracy 3-pack of split 7"s

F.O.D./Ex Friends

F.O.D./Dead Milkmen

F.O.D./Merda

5. The Brainstems "No Place Else"




6. Night Birds "Mutiny at Muscle Beach"




7.  Cosmic Psychos "Cum the Raw Prawn"




8. Various Artists " PUNK AID 4 -  AUTISM: BREAKING THE SILENCE"





9. Timmy's Organism "Heartless Heathen"



10. Droogettes / External Menace Split 7"



Cheers,
Frank FOE

Check the list of Best Metal 2015 here: http://frankfoe.blogspot.com/2016/01/best-metal-of-2015.html

Best Metal of 2015

Best Metal of 2015

There are a lot of genres within metal. This is a mashup of anything I consider metal. 

These are the ten best metal albums according to Frank FOE as of January 2016. I added the clarifying date as I am sure over the next twenty years, I will discover dozens more metal albums that I missed during the calendar year 2015. Check my list of the Top 100 of 2015 as there are about 25 metal releases that made that list. 

The purpose of this list is to reflect, to possibly introduce these records to someone who possibly missed them in 2015 and to share my love of music.

I rated these by two factors: how many times I actually listened to the record and how creative I found the release.

This is the stuff that helped make 2015 as good as it was. 

1. Slayer "Relentless"




2. Motorhead "Bad Magic"




3. Black Dahlia Murder "Abysmal"




4. High On  Fire "Luminiferous"




5. All Out War "Dying Gods"




6. Napalm Death "Apex Predator - Easy Meat"




7. Six Feet Under "Crypt of the Devil"




8. Various Artists "Morbid Tales: A Tribute to Celtic Frost"




9. Christian Mistress "To Your Death"




10. Stone Sour "Straight Outta Burbank"



Cheers,
Frank FOE

Agoraphobic Nosebleed Arc

AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED

Arc

Relapse

Released: January 22, 2016

Sick cover art by Eric Lacombe

I've always associated Agoraphobic Nosebleed with the classic spazz/powerviolent/grind-hard-core split records they did with the likes of Enemy Soil, Despise You, Apartment 213, TFD... 

With "Arc" they join the top echelon of sludge. I put this favorably right next to the aural anarchy and doom of EyeHateGod. It is that good. 

Three songs. Nearly 30 minutes of pain. Without a lyric sheet, I have no idea what the songs "Not A Daughter", "Deathbed" and "Gnaw" are about. But from the sounds of things, they must be describing horrible, horrible situations. Give a listen to "Not A Daughter". I can make out "Stop Hurting Me". Not sure if I'm ready to know about the rest of they lyrics. The riffing, the pounding doom, the painful expulsion of the vocals is completely unrelenting. A half hour of witnessed torture.

For some insight, check a great article here: https://meatmeadmetal.wordpress.com/2016/01/19/agoraphobic-nosebleeds-first-ep-in-a-series-concentrates-on-role-of-ones-family-and-death/

From the MeatMeadMetal article by Brian Krasman :
The role of one’s family members in a person’s life is a center point of the new EP from Agoraphobic Nosebleed “Arc,” the first of a series of four releases from the band centering on the members of the band and their influences. This one of Kat Katz’s release, and on these three songs, she reveals much about her struggle with her mother’s schizophrenia and her role of taking care of her during her final days of life.

There are three more EPs on the way. Consider the palette whet. 

Cheers,
Frank FOE

https://www.facebook.com/AgoraphobicNosebleed

http://www.relapse.com

http://www.relapserecords.bandcamp.com

http://www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords

https://agoraphobicnosebleed.bandcamp.com/

Ty Segall Emotional Mugger LP

TY SEGALL

"Emotional Mugger"

Drag City Records

Released: January 22, 2016

Some jerk decided it would be a fun idea to put a 28 pointed starburst sticker on the shrink wrap of the latest LP from the prolific and worship worthy Ty Segall.

The album jacket opening is also not where I would have expected it. If you hold the album like it is displayed in the above photo, the album opening is on the top, not the industry standard right side. 

Back to the 28 pointed starburst sticker. I am the jerk who cautiously peels any stickers off the shrink wrap and then re-sticks the sticker to the actual album cover. Reason? Somewhere along the line someone told me you have to take the shrink wrap off cuz it will damage the cover over time. I bought into that theory and then stick the album into an industry standard 3mil thick polyethylene sleeve. Someone else I know leaves the price stickers on used LPs so they remember how much they paid. I rip that off immediately in the car on the way home from the record store.

Do you know how difficult it is to peel a 28 pointed star off a thin piece of plastic without ripping one of the points off completely?

I know most record nerds don't do this sticker peeling thing, and that some of them have actually reeled backwards and made the "just ate something sour face" that I would stick a sticker on an album jacket that wasn't originally on there, stating that would bring the value of the record down. Listen, if I bought records as if they were stock investments I would have bought all of the copies of "Love Buzz" at Play It Again Records in Bethlehem PA instead of the one copy I bought for the price of two quarts of Miller back in the day. 

Successfully peeled sticker, restuck.

The liner notes state, "Thank you to all of the Spud Boys". 

"Emotional Mugger" is indeed a tribute to Harcore Devo era Devo. If there was such a thing as Hardcore Beatles, I would site that as an influence as well. But it isn't.

2016 is off to a great start. I love this record. Give it a listen to over at NPR http://www.npr.org/2016/01/13/462671881/first-listen-ty-segall-emotional-mugger#playlist and then buy the damn LP and re-stick the sticker on the album jacket.





Then after you digest Ty Segall's version of "Diversion" check out the original done by the Equals (written by Eddy Grant). I am enlightened everyday.

Cheers,
Frank FOE

PostScript #1 - I file Ty Segall under "T" not "S".
PostScript #2 - "Emotional Mugger" inspired me 4 times in day one to stop what I was doing (listening to "Emotional Mugger") and go play the drums and guitar.

Drag City: http://www.dragcity.com/products/emotional-mugger
Ty Segall: http://emotionalmugger.com/
Drag City: https://www.facebook.com/dragcityrecords/?fref=ts

BAD AMERICAN "Scuzz" LP

Bad American

Scuzz LP

Scheduled Release Date: March 2016

Enjoy "Leach" from the upcoming LP "SCUZZ" on the Lehigh Valley band's bandcamp site: 

http://badamerican.bandcamp.com/track/leach

Vinyl is reported to be a 300 first press (100 clear, 200 black).

Cheers,
Frank FOE

Timmy's Organism Heartless Heathen

TIMMY's ORGANISM

"Heartless Heathen"

Third Man Records

Released: October 30, 2015

Timmy Vulgar (Epileptix and Clone Defects) latest effort with Timmy's Organism is a delectable garage fueled romp that travels from the New York Dolls to the last few years of garage psych punk excellence (Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segal, Goner catalog etc..) to their confluence of hometown Detroit music and life influences.

Take a listen to "Get Up, Get Out".
https://soundcloud.com/thirdmanrecords/get-up-get-out/s-uCIA3



The ten tracks are varied and avoid getting stuck in a rut. Timmy's Organism does this without being artificial. They break things up and add and subtract influences because it is obviously natural to them. And it is all done with a commanding level of snarl and guts. There is no doubt Timmy's Organism is the real deal, a bit f'd up and are in it for the pure love of making this racket.

Available in cassette/cd/vinyl editions.

"Heartless Heathen" Tracklist:

1. Get Up, Get Out
2. Heartless Heathen
3. Please Don't Be Going
4. Mental Boy
5. Wicked Man
6. Back In The Dungeon
7. Weather Woman
8. My Angel Above
9. Hey Eddie

10. Wounded White Dove

Third Man: http://thirdmanstore.com/timmys-organism-get-up-get-out

Timmy's Organism fb: https://www.facebook.com/timmys.organism/?fref=ts

Cheers,
Frank FOE