The Soda Shop Com. Volume 2

Who says you can't get something for nothing? Or nothing in life is free? Not me. Not when it comes to my collection of new stoner rock. I can thank The Soda Shop for that.

The Soda Shop is notorious for feeding free tunes to the masses. I eagerly snatched up their first digital compilation earlier this year and less than 6 months later, Soda Shop Records release The Soda Shop Comp. Volume 2. Jake Ball and Bill Goodman feature 12 promising new rock bands together in another awesome medley that quenches all my thirst for riffs. I sure could get used to this.

Don't know about The Soda Shop? Really?! I find that hard to believe but here's what they say on The Soda Shop website:

"The Soda Shop is an Internet radio station and music blog...we are being run by Jake Ball and Bill Goodman and have never been better. The Soda Shop is geared towards Stoner Rock/Metal and Doom Metal, but will play anything that rocks. The ultimate goal of the station is to focus heavily on independent bands to give them the exposure that they deserve. The Soda Shop was created out of the love for music and the desire to give underrated bands their due..."

Ball and Goodman sure know their rock/metal music and are doing one hell of a job if you ask me. I'm sure you would agree. Just listen to The Soda Shop Comp. Volume 2. Some of my favorite new bands are on this compilation and I even discovered a couple new apples-of-my-eye who I'd never heard before. That's always a bonus.

I've told you how much I love Spiderlord. A stinging new single, "Ungrounded", leads off The Soda Shop Comp. Volume 2. If you liked their self-titled debut ep, you won't be disappointed. And my 2011 front-runners Borracho end the album with the stoner rock monster, "Plunge/Return", off their debut, Splitting Sky. You get over 20 minutes of incredible free music with those 2 songs alone. Sprinkle in more of my top-pick bands of the year and you'll understand why I'm so delighted right now. Valley of the Sun get rowdy with "Deep Light Burns", off Saying of the Seers. Desert Storm crush it on "Cosmic Drips", from their recent release Forked Tongues, and fuzz-masters Naughty Mouse offer a taste of their self-titled ep on "The Eternal Dead of My Soul".

I wasn't too familiar with about half of the rock groups presented on The Soda Shop Comp. Volume 2. I might have heard of the bands or read about them on other sites, but i had never really listened to them. Two made a really strong impression and one of those flat-out amazed me. I boogie down as Switchblade Jesus feeds my addiction for southern-style riffs on "Negative Planet 11", but Odyssey 9 send me into another dimension with their psychedelic song, "Glow". I'll be finding out more about these guys. You betcha.

Bacchus Baracus also have a little impact on me with their groovy effort, "Rock N' Roll Man". And so do Domes of Silence, who punk it out on "Temple of the Wasp". Threefold Law display staggering guitars and an old-school rock/metal feel with their song called "Earth". I got into Elvis Deluxe's version of "Fire" (Loverboy), too.

Wanna know another thing I love about this free digital compilation? The cover. You ever just looked at the artwork and knew the album was gonna be great? 'Nuff said.

You can download The Soda Shop Comp. Volume 2 and it's predecessor at The Soda Shop's Bandcamp page. I've also included a link to Facebook. Like The Soda Shop's page along with me and you'll be updated regularly on the latest new stoner rock/metal releases from the unknown. They also have free download archives on their web page. Check it out. It's priceless.

I'd like to personally thank The Soda Shop. First, for another excellent free compilation. Second, for just being there.

I think it was sometime last year when I typed 'new stoner rock' into the search bar, pressed 'enter', and clicked a link to The Soda Shop. I bookmarked the page that day and I've been going back faithfully ever since - reading about and listening to great new bands, and learning about other sites devoted to my ideal style of music. It's been a vital resource for me and my Ipod.

Again, THANK YOU to Jake Ball and Bill Goodman at The Soda Shop. Thank you so much. You've given me fresh tunes from unique independent rock bands but you've also impacted my life. If it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't be writing about music today. Period.

Heddbuzz


http://thesodashop.bandcamp.com/album/the-soda-shop-comp-volume-2
http://thesodashop.bandcamp.com/
http://thesodashop.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/sodashopradio

Ripple Theater - Black Sabbath - Paranoid Classic Albums DVD

Oh baby! I couldn’t wait to get my greasy mittens on this one. I love these Classic Album DVD’s and will gladly watch one even when it’s a band I’m not crazy about, but when it’s one of my all time favorites – look out! This is Black Sabbath were talking about and one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time, 1970’s Paranoid. 

Longtime Sabbath freaks may find the beginning a bit dull, as it tells the story of how the band came together, how guitarist Tony Iommi lost the tips of his fingers in an accident, how they came up with the band name, etc, etc. We may know all this stuff already, but there are future generations and new converts to consider. Once we get into the main part of the program it’s a rock fan’s delight. You get to hear straight from Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill how they came up with the songs and the inside stories behind the lyrics while recording engineer Tom Allom gives us some technical info. It’s incredible to think that all 4 original members are still with us to tell the tale. It’s been documented that the song “War Pigs” was originally called "Walpurgis" and contained some stronger Satanic themed lyrics, but I bet you didn’t know that after hearing one of Tony’s huge riffs Ozzy said it sounded like an “Iron Bloke.”

Hearing the band members talk about the songwriting process is fascinating. They all agree that each member was absolutely essential. Tony would usually kick things off with a riff but then Geezer and Bill might take it in another direction. It was up to Ozzy to try and find holes in the music to find a place for the vocals and come up with a melody line on the spot. While Geezer wrote most of the lyrics, Ozzy had to bring them to life.

As great as it is to get the inside scoop on classics like “Paranoid,” “Hand Of Doom,” and “Fairies Wear Boots” you also get some outside perspective from Henry Rollins, a long time Sabbath fanatic if there ever was one. As mentioned before, engineer Tom Allom offers lots of great information. I had the great pleasure of working with Mr. Allom about 15 years ago and got to hear many of these stories directly from him. He confirms that the entire album was recorded and mixed in less than a week. The band was so tight that hardly any of the songs required more than 3 takes and very few overdubs. Back then that was normal, but is completely unheard of now.

The main program is about 45 minutes and then there’s about the same amount of bonus material. If the main program doesn’t offer you too many insights, then the other footage will. You get to watch Tony demonstrate many of the riffs, as well as get to see Geezer show how he would bend his bass strings to make Tony’s riff sound even bigger. Bill talks about his love of swing era drummers and gives free lessons behind the kit. There’s even an interview with a Warner Brothers Records executive talking about how they would sell boat loads of Sabbath records in America and never get any returns from retailers.

Do yourself a favor – if you have ANY interest in heavy metal or hard rock get this as soon as you can. Get some party supplies and have the Classic Album DVD’s of Machine Head, Ace Of Spades and British Steel handy and have yourself a great night.  -- Woody

Buy here: DVD Classic Albums: Paranoid (Ws Sub Dol)
                Blu-ray: Black Sabbath: Paranoid [Blu-ray]

Phased - A Sort Of Spastic Phlegm Induced By Leaden Fumes Of Pleasure

Here’s another (bong) hit from the Elektrohasch label of Germany. Phased is the band and their new (and fourth) album comes with the unwieldy title of A Sort Of Spastic Phlegm Induced By Leaden Fumes Of Pleasure. They call their brand of noise “psychedelic deathrock” and it’s an accurate catchphrase. Phased play loud space rock but without any hippy cosmic peace n love stuff. When you’re floating in space you’re gonna get sick to your stomach and your eardrums will explode. Save yourself a ton of money and get this album rather than sign up for a trip to Uranus with Lance Bass on the next NASA express.

These 3 bald muthers (2 Swiss, 1 Finn) have spent a lot of time listening to Hawkwind, Black Sabbath, Can, early Pink Floyd, Chrome, Sleep, Electric Wizard and the first Stooges album. They’ve also spent a lot of lonely nights playing at ear splitting volume in their practice space coming up with eternal space boogie riffs that recall all their favorite albums but also bear their own personality. They’ve been together since 1997 so they know what they’re doing.

The 8 songs on this album were recorded and mixed in 9 days, which is pretty impressive given how complex some of the arrangements are. The root sound is basic power trio but with lots of extra noise layered on top to keep things interesting. Chris Sigdell handles guitar and vocals. His guitar playing brings to mind Dave Brock, Helios Creed and Ron Asheton at different times. Vocally, he bleats out the words like a cross between Nik Turner and Jus Osborne of Electric Wizard. Chris Walt has a fat, distorted Geezer Butler meets Lemmy tone that blends well with the guitar. Drummer Marko Lehtinen pounds hard and furious and gets bonus points for having an enormous Elvis Presley collection. DJ Fontana rules! Scott “Dr. Space” Heller guests on about half the album on synthesizer.

“A Surreal Deal” opens the album sounding like something that Sleep would have come up with if they had a chance to write songs with Nik Turner when they toured with him back in 1994. Heavy as hell but with excellent groove and only 3 and a half minutes. Even though the songs aren’t mixed into each other, the entire album flows nicely. Tempos are generally mid-tempo but occasionally speed up like on “The Osteopath” or slow down like on “I Come Toulouse.” Album closer “The Need” is the only super slow dirgey one and is only 2 and a half minutes. Most of the songs are a tidy 4 or 5 minutes but the long ones never get dull. “Maelstrom” is a 9 minute Sabbath-Wind crusher and “Nachspiel Revisited I & II” is the longest at 11 minutes and sounds like Electric Wizard taking on The Stooges’ “Little Doll.

Special mention must be made of the excellent lyrics on this record. Too often space/stoner/doom/whaterver bands take themselves too seriously or write throwaway lyrics and bury the vocals. Phased actually incorporate some humor in their words and they’re up front in the mix so everyone can enjoy them. Who wouldn’t want to sing along with “Tip Of The Sky” – “I smoke barrels of Hash in a starch wooden pipe, Lord I’m filling my lungs just to reach for the height.” They also don’t mind a little tokin n stroking on “Maelstrom” where the protagonist claims he “fell into a lesbian scene dream…a spellbinding hex of lovers of the same sex.” Nastay! Somewhere Elvis is smiling.

 --Woody
http://www.phased.ch/

Phased myspace

http://www.myspace.com/phasedphased