And this isn’t just a bunch of old tracks thrown together. Many of these tracks were worked on specifically for this album. Tracks are  really culled from all over the place.  There are a few unfinished tracks lying around that were completed. There are a couple updated versions of album and 7″ songs. The touch-ups help give the album more cohesion since the songs were written throughout the past ten years. There’s also a brand new song End Truth right in the center of everything.

For me, the album’s highlights are the two covers near the end. Pink Floyd’s Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun is probably their most circulated rarity. I think it’s originally from a Pink Floyd tribute. It’s nice to see that it’s finally getting a proper release. The other is Buzzov*en’s Drained. I’m not sure if this was ever released before, but it’s a great.

My only complaint is that the album kind of just drops off at the end finishing  with a drum jam (creatively titled Drum Jam). Between that and the two covers, it feels like they didn’t know how to fit them all in with the other songs so they just got dumped at the end. Apart form that it’s a good comp. They’re all solid songs.

The first disc is comprised of demos. Most of them aren’t all that different from the album versions. A little rougher but pretty good sound quality. Some have low or no vocals at all. The final track is the 17 minute Grey Divide. I’m not sure where it’s from but the liner notes say recorded in 2001 so maybe it’s from the Oceanic sessions or extended jam somewhere. Either way, ideas from it were used on Oceanic.

The second disc has some really cool gems on it. First off are the Godflesh and Black Sabbath covers from the ultra-rare Sawblade EP from 1999. They are also the only pre-Oceanic tracks in the set. There are also a couple remixes and a short new song (the title track). To me the album’s highlights are Way Through Woven Branches and Pliable Foe, the two tracks from their split EP with the Melvins, both Wavering Radiant outtakes.

The third disc is a DVD of their official videos. Not really my thing, but they look cool if you’re into videos. Again, this collection is not essential, but really cool for the longtime fans.

http://nickymagnum.chipin.com/nick-honachefsky-fund

“These are trying times for a lot of my closest friends and family members as well as my brothers and sisters in the NJ fishing community. If we all pitch in a little bit it can go a long way towards a complete recovery and some sense of normalcy to an area which is so sacred to so many of us.”

-Mickey

And what really matters is that the music was great. They played for about two and a half hours combined, and really pulled out some cool rarely (if ever) played tunes. I’ve been seeing Primus for many years now. And recently it’s kind of been mostly favorites from their first two albums. For me at least. I know they change up their sets from night to night.

The highlight for me was hearing them open up the second set with The Return of Sathington Willoughby which is something I never would have thought they would ever play live. Hamburger Train was also very cool. I haven’t been able to see them since the release of Green Naugahyde, so all the new songs were also treats. There was also a lot of Punchbowl, and Les played Big Rock Candy Mountain solo.

The night was closed out with HOINFODAMAN and Tommy the Cat. Both were accompanied with particularly killer guitar solos.

1st Set
American Life
Prelude to a Crawl
Last Salmon Man
Frizzle Fry
Over the Falls
Lee Van Cleef
Eyes of the Squirrel
Hamburger Train
Del Davis Tree Farm
Those Damn Blue Collar Tweekers

2nd Set
Return of Sathington Willoughby
Moron TV
Southbound Pachyderm
Eternal Consumption Engine
Glass Sandwich
Jilly’s on Smack
Big Rock Candy Mountain
Hats Off
Over the Electric Grapevine
Hello Skinny (Residents)
Jerry Was a Race Car Driver

Encore
HOINFODAMAN
Tommy the Cat -> The Awakening -> Tommy the Cat

With songs roughly around two minutes, there isn’t room for any padding.  Songs are lean and don’t meander. There’s a pretty weird intro song, then six heavy rockers.

And I may call the band weird, but it’s weird in a not-weird kind of way. What I mean is that there are some pretty different sound effects and the vocals are pretty unique, but the song structure is pretty standard.

Overall, it’s a short but very solid EP. It’s being released by Volcom Entertainment on October 9th, and you can currently see Tweak Bird opening for the Melvins on most their record-breaking tour. Note: Tweak Bird will not be breaking any records.

They have recently signed with London-based label Smoky Carrot Records,having toured the east and west coast of the USA,and also the mid-west.

This is a REAL reborn 1960s hippy band,whose female vocalist Celeste wears red onstage and boasts Native American Indian history.She and the band are classy and laid-back onstage.There are eleven tracks on the album,all upbeat and positive songs,guaranteed to make your endorphins sing.

I liked this album.Its nicely-balanced songs chime well on my ear.I’m very excited about their sound,which is alive and well in the 21st Century.

Recommended listening.

By Juliet Robertson

Anyway, Dutch band Nihill has a new record which was recently sent to me. It’s got some pretty crazy and evil stuff on it. A lot of it is comprised of faster thrash influenced tracks although there are some slower moments. The most unique song on the album is Gnosis Pt IV, a continuation from songs songs on their first album. It’s quiet and ambient and vocals are entirely whispered.

Although black metal’s not really my thing I find this album to be pretty dynamic and enjoyable.

‘Foam’, bears out the more down-tempo tendencies and, the distorted vocal leanings of this South London quintet. Twining beats help this ambient skirting effort find a meditative drive. It’s a welcome distraction, especially after the 80s gazing, electro-pop vocals suffer from the cheap chewing gum effect and lose flavour after about ninety seconds. This AA sided release is a plausible advert for the range, groove inducing ability and rhythm building on display in Breton’s debut album, ‘Other People’s Problems’.

That said, some eerie nourish ambience and the rugged bass-lines of founder member Joe Lussa, gives ‘Evil’, a different slant. It allows

for the vocals of Stevens to take on a soulful ache, before regaining a rock edge for the provocative chorus. More mood-switching and reflection kicks in, as the number builds, allowing the Whitesnake spirited rocking out to have more impact. It represents a switch to a more reflective power ballad direction, ‘Back And Forth’. Neatly paving the way for the jangling guitar led and bristling bass featured, ‘You Gotta Believe’ that features Stevens’ most polished and soulfully demonstrative vocal performance.

There are flashes of variety on display, as The Audition begins to tread the perilous track of independence, in order to make a go of self-releasing their material. They need a little more than this, especially as they never really built up too firm a fan base in their Victory Records days.