It's always a cause for celebration when METZ puts out an album. Toronto's masters of pummeling, patent-leather-tough noise rock knock it out of the park with this album, which is mostly outtake and b-side material from their first three albums. Normally, I won't consider re-released material for my Top 10, but the freshness and urgency of this album compelled me to keep listening and listening. As is typical for METZ, they approach each song with the idea of crushing your tiny brain, tender ears and meager sense of self into soft, mushy soup. Each song is brutal, punishing, driving, droning noise rock, backed with the finest of gutteral screaming. You'd be tempted to call this a punk album, but it has more in common with a middle-finger wagging post punk band. It's literate and smart, and at the same time, utterly base and streetsmart.
Saturday, November 21, 2020
Thursday, November 12, 2020
DNTTA Playlist for May 21, 2020 - Quarantine Edition #7
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific (currently Thursdays 7-8 PM due to pandemic quarantine) at www.thex.ca
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Fidgital - Drag and Drop* - Spyglass (Independent)
Jessica Bailiff - Failing Yesterday - Kranky Kompilation (Kranky)
Manhole Vortex - Superhuman Machines - Electro-Cution (Arts Industrial)
Mannequin Lung - Is it Live? - The Art of Travel (Plug Research)
Uffie - Robot Ouef - Ed. Rec Vol. III (Ed Banger)
The Inner Thumb - Citroens and Sitars - Space Baby Blast Off (Emperor Norton)
Translucid - Hang - Unheard Artist Compilation Vol. 2 (Plastiqmusiq)
The New Deal - Gone Gone Gone* - Gone Gone Gone (Sound and Light)
Hello Moth - River* - Infinitely Repeated (Independent)
Devo - Planet Earth - Freedom of Choice (Warner)
Best of 2019 #2: Orville Peck - Pony (Sub Pop)
Orville Peck was one of the most unique artists of 2019. Performing under a fringed leather mask, and overlapping the genres of country, indy rock, shoegaze and electronics, no one could match Peck's odd sound. Pony earned him a lot of play on campus radio as well as more adventurous ends of the country music radio spectrum. His real identity is a mystery; he says he wears the mask because he is a well known name in the music industry in Toronto, and wants to separate his Peck persona from his own identity to carve out his own musical space. Peck is hard to put into a category. Ostensibly, this is a country album, a brooding one that only tangentally addresses country, with banjo and steel guitar floating in and out of the music. But it's not solidly in that camp, with shoegazing indy rock taking most of the rest of his sound. It's a tough album to get, but when you do, you'll get it full on.
Friday, September 18, 2020
Best of 2019 #3: Goon - Heaven is Humming (Partisan)
Young Los Angeles-based band Goon are one of those bands that's not easy to describe with a couple of words. Goon mix garage rock, lo-fi, psychedelic, noise rock and even some electronics into their heady musical style. One song is not like the next song in this album. This is their fist album in their short career (they started in 2016), but they have a lots of EPs to their credit too. The album grabs you by the throat immediately with "P Jam", a noisy garage-rock tune with screamed vocals. By the time you get to the end, you've gone through solid psychedelic folk rock ("Snoqualmie"), grunge ("Datura"), 90s styled indy rock ("Check Engine Light") and more screamy punk ("Critter"). This is an intense and exhausting listen, but well worth your time and effort to dig deeper into the album.
Monday, September 7, 2020
DNTTA Playlist for May 14, 2020 - Quarantine Edition #6
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific (currently Thursdays 7-8 PM due to pandemic quarantine) at www.thex.ca
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Hilt - Get Out of the Grave, Alan* - Call the Ambulance (Nettwerk)
Kraftwerk - Home Computer - Computer Love (Elektra)
Kraftwerk - The Robots - Man Machine (Elektra)
Talking Heads - I Zimbra - Fear of Music (Sire)
The Stranglers - Walk on By - Nouvelle Vague Presents: New Wave (District 6)
Johnny de Courcy - Lady in Red* - Alien Lake (Neptoon)
Heat - Sometimes* - Overnight (The Hand)
Moonshake - Aqualisa - Dirty and Divine (C/Z)
Dusted - Cut Corners* - Blackout Summer (Hand Drawn Dracula)
Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygene 8 - Oxygene (Dreyfuss)
Saturday, August 8, 2020
DNTTA Playlist for May 7, 2020 - Quarantine Edition #5
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific (currently Thursdays 7-8 PM due to pandemic quarantine) at www.thex.ca
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Teenage Head - Somethin’ Else* - Double Header (Attic)
Black Mountain - Queens Will Play* - In the Future (Scratch)
Wolf and Cub - Master - Science and Sorcery (Last Gang)
Comets on Fire - The Swallow’s Eye - Blue Cathedral (Sub Pop
Body/Head - Can’t Help You - Coming Apart (Matador)
Moths and Locusts - Troubled* - Helios Rising (NoiseAgonyMayhem)
Godflesh - Crush My Soul - Selfless (Earache)
Knotted Cord - Daydream in Gravity - Polyphonic Beasts Expand in Parallel (Independent)
Eric’s Trip - Sunlight* - Love Tara (Sub Pop)
Images in Vogue - Calling My Name* - Collection 3.0: Evolution (Last Road)
DNTTA Playlist for April 30 - Quarantine Edition #4
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific (currently Thursdays 7-8 PM due to pandemic quarantine) at www.thex.ca
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Metric - Wet Blanket* - Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (Last Gang)
Men Without Hats - Editions of You* - Greatest Hats (Unidisc)
Men Without Hats - Close to the Sun* - Love in the Age of War (Hear)
The Enigmas - Teenage Barnacle* - Last Call (Zulu)
Go Four 3 - Just Another Day* - Last Call (Zulu)
Oversoul Seven - 1 + 1 is 3* - Last Call (Zulu)
Tona Ohama and Alanna Clarke - Pray for Rain* - Grrrlz Monosynth Tower (Independent)
Spoons - Escape With You* - Static in Transmission (Fontana)
Blue Peter - Shell Shocked* - Radio Silence (Universal)
The Extras - Can’t Sit Still* - Extropolis (Ready)
Martha and the Muffins - Women Around the World at Work* - This is the Ice Age (Dindisc)
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Best of 2019 #4: Snapped Ankles - Stunning Luxury (Leaf)
London's Snapped Ankles is another band I discovered thanks to the KEXP Clash Day celebrations last year. Their live performance was incredible, energetic and wildly oddball. Their music kind of like if Devo met the Gang of Four. It's got the manic energy and driving electronic music lines of classic Devo albums, but the snarky and pointed politics of Gang of Four. And like Devo, they use costumes, dance routines/stage directions and multi media presentations during their live performances. Stunning Luxury is just their second full length album, but they have 4 EPs and a bunch of singles to their credit too.
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
DNTTA Playlist for April 23, 2020 - Quarantine Edition #3
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Icicle - Catch Me* - Resurgence (Herd)
Thomas Dolby - Flying North - The Golden Age of Wireless (Manhattan)
Cristina - What’s a Girl to Do - Ladytron: Softcore Jukebox (Nettwerk)
Rational Youth - Wir Danen auf der Berliner Mauer* - Dancing on the Berlin Wall EP (Yul)
Anthrax - Be All, End All - Persistence of Time (Island)
Connect_icut - 74 Guitars* - Small Town by the Sea (Independent)
Crystal Castles - Courtship Dating* - Crystal Castles (Last Gang)
Bugskull - Taj Mahal - The Big White Cloud (Scratch)
Liars - Grown Men Don’t Fall in Rivers, Just Like That - They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top (Gern Blansden)
Bis - Girl Star - Social Dancing (V2)
Electrelane - At Sea - No Shouts No Calls (Too Pure)
Pylon - Feast on My Heart - Gyrate (DFA)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Icicle - Catch Me* - Resurgence (Herd)
Thomas Dolby - Flying North - The Golden Age of Wireless (Manhattan)
Cristina - What’s a Girl to Do - Ladytron: Softcore Jukebox (Nettwerk)
Rational Youth - Wir Danen auf der Berliner Mauer* - Dancing on the Berlin Wall EP (Yul)
Anthrax - Be All, End All - Persistence of Time (Island)
Connect_icut - 74 Guitars* - Small Town by the Sea (Independent)
Crystal Castles - Courtship Dating* - Crystal Castles (Last Gang)
Bugskull - Taj Mahal - The Big White Cloud (Scratch)
Liars - Grown Men Don’t Fall in Rivers, Just Like That - They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top (Gern Blansden)
Bis - Girl Star - Social Dancing (V2)
Electrelane - At Sea - No Shouts No Calls (Too Pure)
Pylon - Feast on My Heart - Gyrate (DFA)
DNTTA Playist for April 16, 2020 - Quarantine Edition #2
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Doubting Thomas - Hiding* - The Infidel (Wax Trax!)
Ministry - You Know What You Are - The Land of Rape and Honey (Sire)
Lard - Moths - Pure Chewing Satisfaction (Alternative Tentacles)
Pigface - The Bushmaster - Gub (Invisible)
PlatEAU - White Widow* - Music for Grass Bars (Metropolis)
Industrial Artz - Braineater* - 6 Demon Bang (Squid)
The Sudden - Time* - The Sudden (Independent)
Out Out - Tear Me Down - Voiceprint (Metropolis)
X Marks the Pedwalk - Arbitrary Execution - Abattoir (Cleopatra)
Future Sound of London - We Have Explosive - Dead Cities (Astralwerks)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Doubting Thomas - Hiding* - The Infidel (Wax Trax!)
Ministry - You Know What You Are - The Land of Rape and Honey (Sire)
Lard - Moths - Pure Chewing Satisfaction (Alternative Tentacles)
Pigface - The Bushmaster - Gub (Invisible)
PlatEAU - White Widow* - Music for Grass Bars (Metropolis)
Industrial Artz - Braineater* - 6 Demon Bang (Squid)
The Sudden - Time* - The Sudden (Independent)
Out Out - Tear Me Down - Voiceprint (Metropolis)
X Marks the Pedwalk - Arbitrary Execution - Abattoir (Cleopatra)
Future Sound of London - We Have Explosive - Dead Cities (Astralwerks)
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
DNTTA Log for April 9, 2020 - Quarantine Edition #1
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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AA Wallace - Success* - In Alpha Zones (Culvert)
Psychic TV - Black Rainbow - Towards Thee Infinite Beat (PIAS)
Throbbing Gristle - Subhuman - Something Came Over Me (Industrial)
Chris and Cosey - Infectus - Trust (PIAS)
Les Handclaps - J’en ai Assez (Poirier remix)* - Cliche (Independent)
Grimes - Delete Forever* - Miss Anthropocene (4AD)
Anemone - Memory Lane* - Beat My Distance (Luminelle)
Dan Deacon - True Thrush - America (Domino)
Clark - Ache of the North - Turning Dragon (Warp)
Blue Hawaii - Belize* - Blooming Summer (Arbutus)
Add N to (X) - Party Bag - Avant Hard (Mute)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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AA Wallace - Success* - In Alpha Zones (Culvert)
Psychic TV - Black Rainbow - Towards Thee Infinite Beat (PIAS)
Throbbing Gristle - Subhuman - Something Came Over Me (Industrial)
Chris and Cosey - Infectus - Trust (PIAS)
Les Handclaps - J’en ai Assez (Poirier remix)* - Cliche (Independent)
Grimes - Delete Forever* - Miss Anthropocene (4AD)
Anemone - Memory Lane* - Beat My Distance (Luminelle)
Dan Deacon - True Thrush - America (Domino)
Clark - Ache of the North - Turning Dragon (Warp)
Blue Hawaii - Belize* - Blooming Summer (Arbutus)
Add N to (X) - Party Bag - Avant Hard (Mute)
DNTTA Playlist for March 13, 2020 - International Women's Day Special
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Controller.Controller - History* - History EP (Paper Bag)
Tacocat - Dana Katherine Scully - Lost Time (Hardly Art)
Sheer Mag - What You Want - I EP (Wilsuns)
Ariel View - How Much Longer - Until My Lungs Are Cleared (Epitaph)
Vivian Girls - When I`m Gone - Everything Goes Wrong (In the Red)
Organ Mood - The End of Roadkill* - Indivisible (Dare to Care)
Lederhosen Lucil - Doing the Ganglion* - Tales from the Pantry (Hypo)
Parallels - Heart of the Wild* - Metropolis (Independent)
Obuxum - Own Your Truth* - Re-Birth (Urbnet)
Riit - Qujana* - Ataataga (Six Shooter)
Tawiah - Recreate - Starts Again (First World)
The Amps - First Revival - Pacer (4AD)
Caveboy - Hide Your Love* - Night in the Park, Kiss in the Dark (Independent)
Kim Gordon - Air BnB - No Home Record (Matador)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Controller.Controller - History* - History EP (Paper Bag)
Tacocat - Dana Katherine Scully - Lost Time (Hardly Art)
Sheer Mag - What You Want - I EP (Wilsuns)
Ariel View - How Much Longer - Until My Lungs Are Cleared (Epitaph)
Vivian Girls - When I`m Gone - Everything Goes Wrong (In the Red)
Organ Mood - The End of Roadkill* - Indivisible (Dare to Care)
Lederhosen Lucil - Doing the Ganglion* - Tales from the Pantry (Hypo)
Parallels - Heart of the Wild* - Metropolis (Independent)
Obuxum - Own Your Truth* - Re-Birth (Urbnet)
Riit - Qujana* - Ataataga (Six Shooter)
Tawiah - Recreate - Starts Again (First World)
The Amps - First Revival - Pacer (4AD)
Caveboy - Hide Your Love* - Night in the Park, Kiss in the Dark (Independent)
Kim Gordon - Air BnB - No Home Record (Matador)
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Best of 2019 #5: Kim Gordon - No Home Record (Matador)
If you had told me in 2011 that the break up of Sonic Youth was going to be a good thing, I may have slapped you in the face while crying. Man, I loved Sonic Youth. But, their break up has given us more music from each individual in the band, and it's been uniformly great! It's also been interesting to see which member was instrumental in each part of the band's sound. Thurston Moore has given us the same moody, skronky guitar noise-rock that Sonic Youth was known for, and constistently ends up on my Top 10 lists. (2011, 2013). Kim Gordon has gone in some wildly extreme directions, first a wall-of-noise style instrumental guitar band with Bill Nace called Body/Head, a foray into visual art, a biography called Girl in a Band (which I desperately need to read still). some acting, an album with experimental band Glitterbust, and finally, in this year, the first proper solo album under her own name. No Home Record is a dense mix of experimental rock, guitar noise, skittering electronics, echoed vocals and ambient atmospheres. Kim Gordon continues to surprise with her range after 40 years in music.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
DNTTA Log for March 6, 2020
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Woodhawk - Clear the Air* - Violent Nature (Independent)
Alder and Ash - No More Storms* - The Crowneater (And an Earth)
Sleepy Gonzales - Sleepwalking* - Mellowtrauma (Independent)
Mogwai - Acid Food - Mr. Beast (Matador)
Friendly Rich - Donkey Day* - We Are All Terrorists (Pumpkin Pie Corp.)
Fyonha - Lie Down
The Shangs - Just a Little Boy* - Golden Hits of the Shangs (Independent)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Galleon Ship - Ghosteen (AWAL)
Third Coast Percussion - For All It’s Fury – Cradle - Fields (Cedille)
The Basement Paintings - Koan* - Antipodes (Independent)
Shrouded Strangers - Oilheart - Lost Forever (Independent)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Woodhawk - Clear the Air* - Violent Nature (Independent)
Alder and Ash - No More Storms* - The Crowneater (And an Earth)
Sleepy Gonzales - Sleepwalking* - Mellowtrauma (Independent)
Mogwai - Acid Food - Mr. Beast (Matador)
Friendly Rich - Donkey Day* - We Are All Terrorists (Pumpkin Pie Corp.)
Fyonha - Lie Down
The Shangs - Just a Little Boy* - Golden Hits of the Shangs (Independent)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Galleon Ship - Ghosteen (AWAL)
Third Coast Percussion - For All It’s Fury – Cradle - Fields (Cedille)
The Basement Paintings - Koan* - Antipodes (Independent)
Shrouded Strangers - Oilheart - Lost Forever (Independent)
Friday, May 22, 2020
Best of 2019 #6: Fontaines D.C. - Dogrel (Partisan Records)
I was introduced to Dublin, Ireland's Fontaines D.C. through British band Idles (my fave album from last year), because the two were touring together. Cut from some of the same cloth as Idles, Fontaines D.C. distill the edge and vigor of classic punk, the working class grit of Ireland and some brutally angular post-punk vibes together for a sound that's like a more melodic version of The Fall. Lead singer Grian Chatten sings with his Irish accent intact, giving the music a drunken Pogues-like swagger that is maintain through the album. The post-punks come out in tracks like "Hurricane Laughter" and the punishingly in your face "Too Real". Their punk roots are always shining through with each song though, which keeps them from feeling too arty and pretentious. A stunning debut!
Sunday, May 17, 2020
DNTTA Playlist for February 28, 2020 - All Covers Show
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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The Von Zippers - Truck Stop Nun (Da Slyme)* Oh Canaduh! 2 (Lance Rock)
Vicious Cycles - Truck Stop Nun (Da Slyme)* - Motorcyco (Teenage Rampage)
Leslie Spit Treeo - Angel from Montgomery (John Prine)* - Don't Cry Too Hard (True North)
Milos - Sour Times (Portishead) - Sound of Silence (Decca)
The Polyjesters - Is She Really Going Out with Him? (Joe Jackson)* - Cover Art (Independent)
The Delays - Ride it On (Mazzy Star) - Stop Me if You Think You've Heard This One Before (Rough Trade)
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Dear Prudence (The Beatles)
Cornershop - Norwegian Wood (The Beatles) - When I Was Born for the Seventh Time (Astralwerks)
Juliana Hatfield - Can’t Stand Losing You (The Police) - Juliana Hatfield Sings the Police (American Laundromat)
The Bad Plus - Veloria (The Pixies) - Give (Columbia)
William Shatner - Garbageman (The Cramps) - Dr. Demento Covered in Punk (Demented Punk)
Missing Persons - Disco Boy (Frank Zappa) - Dr. Demento Covered in Punk (Demented Punk)
DOA - War (Edwin Starr)* - Live in Chinatown (Sudden Death)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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The Von Zippers - Truck Stop Nun (Da Slyme)* Oh Canaduh! 2 (Lance Rock)
Vicious Cycles - Truck Stop Nun (Da Slyme)* - Motorcyco (Teenage Rampage)
Leslie Spit Treeo - Angel from Montgomery (John Prine)* - Don't Cry Too Hard (True North)
Milos - Sour Times (Portishead) - Sound of Silence (Decca)
The Polyjesters - Is She Really Going Out with Him? (Joe Jackson)* - Cover Art (Independent)
The Delays - Ride it On (Mazzy Star) - Stop Me if You Think You've Heard This One Before (Rough Trade)
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Dear Prudence (The Beatles)
Cornershop - Norwegian Wood (The Beatles) - When I Was Born for the Seventh Time (Astralwerks)
Juliana Hatfield - Can’t Stand Losing You (The Police) - Juliana Hatfield Sings the Police (American Laundromat)
The Bad Plus - Veloria (The Pixies) - Give (Columbia)
William Shatner - Garbageman (The Cramps) - Dr. Demento Covered in Punk (Demented Punk)
Missing Persons - Disco Boy (Frank Zappa) - Dr. Demento Covered in Punk (Demented Punk)
DOA - War (Edwin Starr)* - Live in Chinatown (Sudden Death)
DNTTA Playlist for February 21, 2020
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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The Incredible Melting Man - Share the Pleasure* - Laparotomy (Jet Propulsion)
Elizabeth Joan Kelly - Exclusion Zone Earth - Farewell, Doomed Planet (Independent)
Elephant Skeletons - Exodus* - The Lamp of Exodus (Independent)
William St. Hugh - Five Stations - The Luciferian (Independent)
Drummachinemike - Dissolved* - Forest City Series (A Person Disguised as People)
O’Haara - Tip Toe* - Worst Fears (A Person Disguised as People)
Negativland - Limbo - True False (Seeland)
TR/ST - Cor* - The Destroyer Part 2 (Royal Mountain)
Lights Fluorescent - Hotels - The Oldest Sons of the Oldest Sons (HFN)
Shower - Camphora* - Shower EP (Independent)
Ritualz - Faithless - Satanico Supremo (Artoffact)
Ugly Animal - Navigating - Tunnelling EP (Foolproof)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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The Incredible Melting Man - Share the Pleasure* - Laparotomy (Jet Propulsion)
Elizabeth Joan Kelly - Exclusion Zone Earth - Farewell, Doomed Planet (Independent)
Elephant Skeletons - Exodus* - The Lamp of Exodus (Independent)
William St. Hugh - Five Stations - The Luciferian (Independent)
Drummachinemike - Dissolved* - Forest City Series (A Person Disguised as People)
O’Haara - Tip Toe* - Worst Fears (A Person Disguised as People)
Negativland - Limbo - True False (Seeland)
TR/ST - Cor* - The Destroyer Part 2 (Royal Mountain)
Lights Fluorescent - Hotels - The Oldest Sons of the Oldest Sons (HFN)
Shower - Camphora* - Shower EP (Independent)
Ritualz - Faithless - Satanico Supremo (Artoffact)
Ugly Animal - Navigating - Tunnelling EP (Foolproof)
DNTTA Playlist for February 14, 2020
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Northern Ranger - Quidi Vidi Ditty* - Eastern Stranger (Independent)
Anthony Rinaldi - Cambia Vita* - The Infinite Sky (Independent)
Obuxum - Don’t Blame Them* - Re-Birth (Urbnet)
Ways in Waves - Hold* - Bloodless Arches (Bent River)
Mark Leonard/Nick Skrowaczewski/Stanley Zappa - Along the Breakwater* - Visions (Independent)
Gordon Grdina Quartet - Night Sweats* - Cooper's Park (Songlines)
Matana Roberts - Shoes of Gold - Coin Coin Part 4: Memphis (Constellation)
Miles Davis - Maze - Rubberband (Rhino)
Ted Quinlan - Twilight Sky* - Absolutely Dreaming (Independent)
Yuka - Lyin’* - Dreamscape (Independent)
The Side Eye - The Abridged Cough* = Broken Telephone (Arachnidiscs)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Northern Ranger - Quidi Vidi Ditty* - Eastern Stranger (Independent)
Anthony Rinaldi - Cambia Vita* - The Infinite Sky (Independent)
Obuxum - Don’t Blame Them* - Re-Birth (Urbnet)
Ways in Waves - Hold* - Bloodless Arches (Bent River)
Mark Leonard/Nick Skrowaczewski/Stanley Zappa - Along the Breakwater* - Visions (Independent)
Gordon Grdina Quartet - Night Sweats* - Cooper's Park (Songlines)
Matana Roberts - Shoes of Gold - Coin Coin Part 4: Memphis (Constellation)
Miles Davis - Maze - Rubberband (Rhino)
Ted Quinlan - Twilight Sky* - Absolutely Dreaming (Independent)
Yuka - Lyin’* - Dreamscape (Independent)
The Side Eye - The Abridged Cough* = Broken Telephone (Arachnidiscs)
Thursday, April 16, 2020
DNTTA Playlist for February 7, 2020
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Les George Leningrads - Sleek Answer* - Sangue Puro (Dare to Care)
Sonic Youth - Disappearer - Goo (DGC)
The Clash - Spanish Bombs - London Calling (Warner)
Temples - Holy Horses - Hot Motion (ATO)
Jacob Rehlinger - M87* - Powehi (Arachnidiscs)
Babel - Release of the Spirit III* - Thirteen Exquisite Ghosts (Arachnidiscs)
Tranzmit - Stigma and Crisis* - Concentration (Independent)
Building Castles Out of Matchsticks - Darkness Falls* - Oscillating Forests (Arachnidiscs)
L’Electrique Brulant - Le Ciel D’Hiver 4* - Le Ciel D'Hiver (Arachnidiscs)
A Half with Tinnitus - Irritated Sociopaths with 3 Piece Hazmat Suits* - A Half with Tinnitus (Arachnidiscs)
Gang of Four - To Hell with Poverty - Return the Gift (V2)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Les George Leningrads - Sleek Answer* - Sangue Puro (Dare to Care)
Sonic Youth - Disappearer - Goo (DGC)
The Clash - Spanish Bombs - London Calling (Warner)
Temples - Holy Horses - Hot Motion (ATO)
Jacob Rehlinger - M87* - Powehi (Arachnidiscs)
Babel - Release of the Spirit III* - Thirteen Exquisite Ghosts (Arachnidiscs)
Tranzmit - Stigma and Crisis* - Concentration (Independent)
Building Castles Out of Matchsticks - Darkness Falls* - Oscillating Forests (Arachnidiscs)
L’Electrique Brulant - Le Ciel D’Hiver 4* - Le Ciel D'Hiver (Arachnidiscs)
A Half with Tinnitus - Irritated Sociopaths with 3 Piece Hazmat Suits* - A Half with Tinnitus (Arachnidiscs)
Gang of Four - To Hell with Poverty - Return the Gift (V2)
DNTTA Playlist for January 31, 2020
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Glutenhead - Dryer Lint* - Glutenfrau (Independent)
Depeche Mode - Fly on the Windscreen - Black Celebration (Sire)
Nine Inch Nails - Last - Broken EP (Nothing)
Dives - Waiting - Teenage Years Are Over (Siluh)
Dead Horse One - Falling - The West is the Best (RPUT)
Drug Hunt - The Well - Drug Hunt (Independent)
Dead Soft - Step Out* - Big Blue (Arts and Crafts)
Basement Revolver - Wax and Digital* - Wax and Digital EP (Sonic Unyon)
Cat Casual and the Final Word - Black Sun - The Secret Sun (Independent)
Amyl and the Sniffers - Starfire 500 - Amyl and the Sniffers (ATO)
Crimson Witch - Ride with the Flames* - Satanic Panic (Independent)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Glutenhead - Dryer Lint* - Glutenfrau (Independent)
Depeche Mode - Fly on the Windscreen - Black Celebration (Sire)
Nine Inch Nails - Last - Broken EP (Nothing)
Dives - Waiting - Teenage Years Are Over (Siluh)
Dead Horse One - Falling - The West is the Best (RPUT)
Drug Hunt - The Well - Drug Hunt (Independent)
Dead Soft - Step Out* - Big Blue (Arts and Crafts)
Basement Revolver - Wax and Digital* - Wax and Digital EP (Sonic Unyon)
Cat Casual and the Final Word - Black Sun - The Secret Sun (Independent)
Amyl and the Sniffers - Starfire 500 - Amyl and the Sniffers (ATO)
Crimson Witch - Ride with the Flames* - Satanic Panic (Independent)
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Best of 2019 #7: Necking - Cut Your Teeth (Mint Records)
Vancouver remains ground zero for many exciting underground bands and Mint Records keeps finding them and signing them to record contracts. For this, we can be eternally grateful. Necking are a no-frills, nothing-fancy style grrl punk band. Well maybe a bit of post punk and garage and Motown girl-pop in there too, but still... This is, um, balls-out angular punk, much like what Sleater-Kinney were making in their youth, before they became all introspective and corporate and shit. Listen to this band, buy their album, keep 'em around to keep kicking in our teeth.
Friday, April 10, 2020
Best of 2019 #8: Girl Band - The Talkies (Rough Trade)
Girl Band, Ireland's answer to the Jesus Lizard, took their time putting out a follow up to their 2015 debut, Holding Hands with Jamie, and it shows. This album is a finely crafted mashup of punk, demented noise rock, electronic drones and offkey screaming. Their first album was a paean to noise rock and one of my favourite albums of 2015. This album shows the band branching out into new territories, like electronics, while remaining true to their weird noise-rock core.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
DNTTA Playlist for January 24, 2020 - Best of 2019 Part 2
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
--
The Evaporators - Do the Eggbeater* - Ripple Rock (Mint)
Porteau - Scatter* - Water's Gate (Independent)
Teenage Violets - Hollywood Babylon* - Victoria's Secret 2019 (Baffled Octopi)
Waax - Same Same - Weak and Wild EP (Independent)
The Electric Cows - Frenzy!* - Wheatfield Fuzz (Dub Ditch Picnic)
D.O.A. - Liar for Hire* - 1978 (Sudden Death)
Bob Bell - Necropolis II* - Necropolis (Telephone Explosion)
Phil Western - No Help* - The Escapist (Map)
Mental as Anything - Looking for Bird - Cats and Dogs (Regular)
Big Black - Bad Houses - Atomizer (Touch and Go)
Deadbeat and Camara - To Love is to Bury* - Trinity Thirty (Constellation)
Mercvrial - Otherworld - Otherworld EP (Independent)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
--
The Evaporators - Do the Eggbeater* - Ripple Rock (Mint)
Porteau - Scatter* - Water's Gate (Independent)
Teenage Violets - Hollywood Babylon* - Victoria's Secret 2019 (Baffled Octopi)
Waax - Same Same - Weak and Wild EP (Independent)
The Electric Cows - Frenzy!* - Wheatfield Fuzz (Dub Ditch Picnic)
D.O.A. - Liar for Hire* - 1978 (Sudden Death)
Bob Bell - Necropolis II* - Necropolis (Telephone Explosion)
Phil Western - No Help* - The Escapist (Map)
Mental as Anything - Looking for Bird - Cats and Dogs (Regular)
Big Black - Bad Houses - Atomizer (Touch and Go)
Deadbeat and Camara - To Love is to Bury* - Trinity Thirty (Constellation)
Mercvrial - Otherworld - Otherworld EP (Independent)
DNTTA Playlist for January 17, 2020 - Best of 2019 Part 1
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
--
Anemone - Memory Lane* - Beat My Distance (Luminelle)
Ride - Future Love - This is Not a Safe Place (Wichita)
Girl Band - Couch Combover - The Talkies (Rough Trade)
Necking - Drag Me Out* - Cut My Teeth (Mint)
Fontaines DC - Hurricane Laughter - Dogrel (Partisan)
Kim Gordon - Murdered Out - No Home Record (Matador)
Snapped Ankles - Tail Pipe - Stunning Luxury (Leaf)
Goon - Cammie at Night - Heaven is Humming Partisan)
Orville Peck - Turn to Hate* - Pony (Royal Mountain)
Orville Peck - Buffalo Run* - Pony (Royal Mountain)
METZ - Can’t Underground* - Automat (Sub Pop)
METZ - Pure Auto* - Automat (Sub Pop)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
--
Anemone - Memory Lane* - Beat My Distance (Luminelle)
Ride - Future Love - This is Not a Safe Place (Wichita)
Girl Band - Couch Combover - The Talkies (Rough Trade)
Necking - Drag Me Out* - Cut My Teeth (Mint)
Fontaines DC - Hurricane Laughter - Dogrel (Partisan)
Kim Gordon - Murdered Out - No Home Record (Matador)
Snapped Ankles - Tail Pipe - Stunning Luxury (Leaf)
Goon - Cammie at Night - Heaven is Humming Partisan)
Orville Peck - Turn to Hate* - Pony (Royal Mountain)
Orville Peck - Buffalo Run* - Pony (Royal Mountain)
METZ - Can’t Underground* - Automat (Sub Pop)
METZ - Pure Auto* - Automat (Sub Pop)
Thursday, March 26, 2020
DNTTA Playlist for January 10, 2020
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
--
cEvin Key - Herbalist Rule* - Music for Cats (Metropolis)
Kytami - Renegade* - Renegade (East Van Digital)
Andy Clockwork - New Jam Old Jelly* - Scronk (East Van Digital)
Knautic - Nameless Rasta* - Asaka (East Van Digital)
Elizabeth Millar - Mechanical Forest Sound 2* - No Instrument, Machine, Air (Mystery and Wonder)
Sound of the Mountain - Amplified Clarinet and Trumpet, Guitar, NIMB* - Amplified Clarinet and Trumpet, Guitar, NIMB (Mystery and Wonder)
BLVD Noir - Mes Amis* - Mes Amis (Independent)
Organ Mood - Indivisible* - Indivisible (Dare to Care)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
--
cEvin Key - Herbalist Rule* - Music for Cats (Metropolis)
Kytami - Renegade* - Renegade (East Van Digital)
Andy Clockwork - New Jam Old Jelly* - Scronk (East Van Digital)
Knautic - Nameless Rasta* - Asaka (East Van Digital)
Elizabeth Millar - Mechanical Forest Sound 2* - No Instrument, Machine, Air (Mystery and Wonder)
Sound of the Mountain - Amplified Clarinet and Trumpet, Guitar, NIMB* - Amplified Clarinet and Trumpet, Guitar, NIMB (Mystery and Wonder)
BLVD Noir - Mes Amis* - Mes Amis (Independent)
Organ Mood - Indivisible* - Indivisible (Dare to Care)
DNTTA Playlist for January 3, 2020
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
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Plumes - Golden Gourmande* - Oh Orwell (Independent)
David Byrne - It’s Not Dark Up Here - American Utopia (Reprise)
Electric Youth - Real Ones* - Memory Edition (Last Gang)
Bedchamber - Swells - Perennial (Kolibiri)
Longboat - Steamboat Bill - The Century Limited (Independent)
Pallas Athene - Saturn’s Return* - Pallas Athene (Tiny Dreamland)
Corridor - Grand Cheval* - Junior (Sub Pop)
Dogs Die in Hot Cars - Lounger - Please Describe Yourself (V2)
Whoop-Szo - Homemade Candles* - Warrior Down (Royal Mountain)
Riit - Ullagit* - Ataataga (Six Shooter)
Little Scream - Disco Ball* - Speed Queen (Dine Alone)
The Pxrtals - Collider* - One Night (Permanent Touch)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
--
Plumes - Golden Gourmande* - Oh Orwell (Independent)
David Byrne - It’s Not Dark Up Here - American Utopia (Reprise)
Electric Youth - Real Ones* - Memory Edition (Last Gang)
Bedchamber - Swells - Perennial (Kolibiri)
Longboat - Steamboat Bill - The Century Limited (Independent)
Pallas Athene - Saturn’s Return* - Pallas Athene (Tiny Dreamland)
Corridor - Grand Cheval* - Junior (Sub Pop)
Dogs Die in Hot Cars - Lounger - Please Describe Yourself (V2)
Whoop-Szo - Homemade Candles* - Warrior Down (Royal Mountain)
Riit - Ullagit* - Ataataga (Six Shooter)
Little Scream - Disco Ball* - Speed Queen (Dine Alone)
The Pxrtals - Collider* - One Night (Permanent Touch)
Monday, March 23, 2020
Best of 2019 #9: Ride - This is Not a Safe Place (Wichita Records)
I'm a skeptic when it comes to classic bands with classic sounds attempting to make a comeback in modern times. It almost always results in a trite, nostalgia-laden schmatlz-fest, mostly centred on the band's past work with only a cursory look forward. It's rare to find a band that looks forward and attempts to find a new way to make music. Ride are part of a shoegaze mini-revival, along with Slowdive (reunited in 2014, along with awesome post-punk/shoegaze side project Minor Victories, my #1 in 2016.) Ride returned in 2017 with a great full-length, Weather Diaries, and their 2019 follow up, This is Not a Safe Place, pushed them even further into a modern sound. The classic shoegazing is there ("Shadows Behind the Sun", "Killswitch"), but more modern indy rock and psychedelic sounds are here too. "Repetition" almost sounds like an outtake by The National. Ride are a band with a great pedigree, but are clearly looking to the future as well as looking backwards.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Best of 2019 #10: Anemone - Beat My Distance (Luminelle Records)
Beat My Distance is the debut full length album from Montreal-based psychedelic pop/electronic band Anemone. Luminelle Records picked these guys up in 2018, and released a fine EP called Baby Only You and I, which is where I first heard them. This album is a great combo of female fronted electro pop with spacy psychedelic elements. I always like bands that mix different genres, and this album is tight and solid merging styles. This is an album to take a drive through the country with.
Monday, March 2, 2020
DNTTA Playlist for December 20, 2019
Artist - Song - Album (Label) * indicates Canadian Content
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
--
Kanada Day - The Business Plan* - The Quiet War (Independent)
Black Mastiff - Star Base 77* - Loser Delucions (Grand Hand)
Chron Goblin - War* - Here Before (Grand Hand)
The Dial Ups - From Above* - The Dial Ups EP (Independent)
Friendly Fires - Photobooth - Friendly Fires (XL)
Dream Creeps - Egg on My Face* - Astral Vampires (Independent)
Mimico - New Haze* - Hi-Action (Hand Drawn Dracula)
Miriam Clancy - Colored Lights - Astronomy (Fat Possum)
X Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescents - Let's Submerge: The Collection (Castle Music)
Nothing - Vertigo Flowers - Tired of Tomorrow (Relapse)
Woolworm - Live for You* - Awe (Mint)
Red Arms - Better Than Nothin’* - Critical State (Yeah Right!)
Jingle Cats - Angels We Have Heard on High - Meowy Christmas (Independent)
Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca
--
Kanada Day - The Business Plan* - The Quiet War (Independent)
Black Mastiff - Star Base 77* - Loser Delucions (Grand Hand)
Chron Goblin - War* - Here Before (Grand Hand)
The Dial Ups - From Above* - The Dial Ups EP (Independent)
Friendly Fires - Photobooth - Friendly Fires (XL)
Dream Creeps - Egg on My Face* - Astral Vampires (Independent)
Mimico - New Haze* - Hi-Action (Hand Drawn Dracula)
Miriam Clancy - Colored Lights - Astronomy (Fat Possum)
X Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescents - Let's Submerge: The Collection (Castle Music)
Nothing - Vertigo Flowers - Tired of Tomorrow (Relapse)
Woolworm - Live for You* - Awe (Mint)
Red Arms - Better Than Nothin’* - Critical State (Yeah Right!)
Jingle Cats - Angels We Have Heard on High - Meowy Christmas (Independent)
Saturday, January 4, 2020
Who We Lost in 2019
Every year, I try to highlight some of the musicians that have passed away in the past twelve month. This isn't a complete list, but I do try to focus on the Canadian musicians (marked with an asterisk) that have passed away.
Randy Nauert (The Bel-Airs)
Fred Foster
Doug Sandorn (The Who)
Hal Blaine (The Wrecking Crew)
David Zafer*
Dave Samuels (Spyro Gyra)
JR Cobb (Atlanta Rhythm Section)
Doris Day
Mike Wilhelm (Flamin' Groovies)
Dennis Famon*
Ralph Murphy*
Dr. John
Bushwick Bill (Geto Boys)
Adam Litovitz*
Jerry Carrigan
Dave Bartholomew
Ian Gibbons (The Kinks)
Katreese Barnes (Juicy)
Lizzie Grey (London)
Mitch Podolak*
Rita Steblin*
Jimmy Johson (Muscle Shoals)
Eddie Money
Robert Hunter (Grateful Dead)
Larry Junstrom (38 Special)
Doug Lubahn (Clear Light)
Martin Armiger (The Sports)
Jerry Naylor (The Crickets)
Leon Cole*
Juice WRLD
Robert Creech*
Top 10 Albums for 2019
1) METZ - Automat (Sub Pop)
2) Orville Peck - Pony (Royal Mountain)
3) Goon - Heaven is Humming (Partisan)
4) Snapped Ankles - Stunning Luxury (Leaf)
5) Kim Gordon - No Home Record (Matador)
6) Fontaines DC - Dogrel (Partisan)
7) Necking - Cut Your Teeth (Mint)
8) Girl Band - The Talkies (Rough Trade)
9) Ride - This is Not a Safe Place (Wichita)
10) Anemone - Beat My Distance (Luminelle)
Honourable Mentions: Dumb - Club Nites (Mint), Black Midi - Schlagenheim (Rough Trade), Beck - Hyperspace (Capitol), Black Mountain - Destroyer (Dine Alone), Lungbutter - Honey (Constellation)
2) Orville Peck - Pony (Royal Mountain)
3) Goon - Heaven is Humming (Partisan)
4) Snapped Ankles - Stunning Luxury (Leaf)
5) Kim Gordon - No Home Record (Matador)
6) Fontaines DC - Dogrel (Partisan)
7) Necking - Cut Your Teeth (Mint)
8) Girl Band - The Talkies (Rough Trade)
9) Ride - This is Not a Safe Place (Wichita)
10) Anemone - Beat My Distance (Luminelle)
Honourable Mentions: Dumb - Club Nites (Mint), Black Midi - Schlagenheim (Rough Trade), Beck - Hyperspace (Capitol), Black Mountain - Destroyer (Dine Alone), Lungbutter - Honey (Constellation)
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