PANTY RAID! MEET MR. JANUARY
Straight off the success of our dear Angela Gossowski’s first post (‘sup HU4L!), New York’s own talent booker/show promoter extraordinaire Rich Hall shot me an IM demanding that he get to write for RiB, too. “No Rich Hall,” I said. (Rich Hall is a full-name person) “You’re a boy. This is a girly blog.” He then pitched me a marvelous idea. “It’s called PANTY RAID! ….GUEST MALE BLOGGERS!” Hmmm…
I conferenced with Julia, and we decided this was a go. Here’s the deal: Every month we will select one duderiffic post to be featured. We’ll accept it from anyone…our friends, another blogger, a random reader, your neighborhood bum….whoever. As long as you have a penis and can write about something metal-related, we will consider it. Once selected, and posted, our dude of the month will be praised in our most coveted WALL OF PAIN until our next stud comes along. This is a very prestige honor. Submit your piece to reigninblonde@gmail.com for next month’s running.
But for now, we figured, it was Rich Hall’s idea….so he automatically wins this time around. Here’s the little diddy Mr. January he wrote on underrated bands. -Elise
I have been glued to my desk as of late, working furiously on shows and trying to curb habits due to a past stint in the hospital. So with this new found time I have been going back down memory lane. I have been thinking about the past. How good music was, the shows, the imagination my friends had when they were playing music. This is a time and a sound I forgot, and it’s coming back slowly in this here underground scene. This is what I am digging on. I sincerely hope you go check these bands out, if you don’t know who they are.
Lickgoldensky - Lickgoldensky: This Philadelphia band now has a member of Gods and Queens in it, and one of the strangest vocalists you’ll ever meet. They played with Soilent Green on one tour and alienated 400 fans by showing the then slight-minded metal community a thing or two. This is definitely a quality release that never got the proper tour, as they broke up after the CD came out. And awesome packaging by Ryan Patterson to boot. Think Rollins Band meets The Talking Heads.
Knut - Bastardiser/Challenger: I’ve always trusted any country overseas for great bands. This is one of them. This band blew my mind along with the whole Snuff Records roster, but these guys stood out. Finally when Bastardiser got re-released by Hydra Head in 1999-2001, I listened to this band non-stop. I wished and wished they would come to the U.S….and they did! I was lucky enough to book them at CBGB in 2001 while they were on tour with Isis. They really killed it. Too bad no one really cared for them.
Gospel - The Moon is a Dead World: Thank god this band is reforming. I always dug this band and what they did live. The split with Kodan Armada was just a precursor to their progression on TMIADW. Their style was really different than what Long Island/Booklyn was producing at the time. The music may trail on into free-form acid jazz at some times, but it makes you follow along. The songs are more structured than you think. They will hopefully have a new release in 2010.
Premonitions of War - Left in Kowloon: Even with a bulldog on the back of their CD. this band was really ahead of their time with their brand of metal. Neurosis meets His Hero is Gone/From Ashes Rise. The singer totally had one of the best metal voices out there along with Mike Fisketti, formerly of Martyr AD. It’s a relentless attack of sonic punishment. I heard they did a reunion show recently.
-Rich Hall
[Attention citizens of BOY LAND! Think you’re worthy of a Panty Raid?? Send your stuff to reigninblonde@gmail.com. You just might be Mr. February!]
