ＳＯＤＯＭ - SODOM

so, on this album, zazie and the gang decide to go all out gay dance club disco pop. i feel like wrapping a pink feather boa around my shoulders and dancing down the street in a pair of white nylon zip-up boots (yeah, i've thought quite a bit about this, obviously). it's very hard to take ＳＯＤＯＭ serious at this point, yet the band seems to be entirely serious. which is what is so fantastic about this, i suppose; they're not being ironic. like, not even a little bit. they most certainly want you to get into the groove, and feel the acid. which is wonderful, i guess. i mean, good for them that they want to have fun.

it's good for us, too, because this is a really fantastic album. if you enjoyed their album KING OV HOUSE (which is my favorite LP from them, though my favorite EP shall always be the dramatically different BEYOND) then you will like this. this is very much like their EP MATERIAL FLOWER, as well. though, here they have completely cut all of their ties to post-punk. and really, they shouldn't be remembered as a post-punk band (and certainly not a hardcore band, as they only had two hardcore LPs), as most of their output was this silly/sincere dance music. and i love them for it.

my favorite track on this album is probably the second track, "Slave To The Body". zazie's vocal delivery on this album is so delightful. he's completely given up his weird growling/moaning vocals here, which is fine, because he's a completely competent singer.

a second favorite would have to be the second to last track, "Dream..., Illusion...". the synth line (mimicking a flute of some sort) on this track is absolutely delightful. and, once again, zazie's voice sends shivers down my spine. so, maybe his voice isn't traditionally beautiful, but something about it really does make my hair stand on end. honestly, i think i'm rather glad that i don't know what he's singing about, because that could very well spoil it.

anyways, check this out if you want a really slow paced but completely catchy and still very strange pop album. i think ＳＯＤＯＭ may have finally become my favorite band. i can't get enough.



1. Skin Deep
2. Slave To The Body
3. It's Paradise
4. Morning Light
5. Dancing In The Moon
6. Orange Sunshine
7. Dream..., Illusion...
8. Double Side, Double Meaning


ENJOY

MENSU - MENSTRUATION

MENSTRUATION is a 1993 noisy post-punk/no wave album by the mysterious (me being lazy: i don't know anything about the band) band MENSU. it is my assumption that the band is probably all female. maybe i'm wrong, but with this sound it just seems likely. anyways, the vocalist bark and breaths and moans sexually. basically she's either trying to seduce the listener or mimic a macaw the entire album; it's really incredible. some of my favorite vocals that i've encountered in a while. really crazy stuff here. another thing is that the vocals seem to be barked over a megaphone or something, because they're muted and they have a mechanical distortion sound to them.

it also has a light no wave influence. once or twice on the album you can hear jazzy guitar or piano. the whole thing kinda reminds me of Non Band if Non Band wasn't so painfully kawaii.

most certainly grab this if you like really angry/sexy girly punk.


1. MY FUNNY CHRISTMAS
2. LUNA
3. MENSES
4. UTERNAGY
5. MARBLE
6. LOFTY
7. GARACHIA
8. LIFE
9. PILLET


ENJOY

Durazis - PRAYER REHEARSAL

Prayer Rehearsal is a very murky black metal album by Durazis. this album is a celebration of destruction and satanic ritual. rough grumbling black noise straight from the darkest pits of blackest hell. this album could curdle any christian blood.

hail satan.


1. Our Father
2. Durazis Prayer
3. Tongue of Alagarda
4. Across The Neptune Horizon


ENJOY

ＡＬＬＥＲＧＹ - EL DORADO

El Dorado was, as far as i know, ＡＬＬＥＲＧＹ's only studio album. it's brilliant. i still prefer their live album that was recorded at the Shinjuku Loft, but that's simply because of the energy. that album remains my favorite live album ever recorded. this is just really great source material, i suppose. and it's awesome to hear how they sound here, and then compare it to the live album; they perform better live. i always wonder how that comes to be; does the producer force them into a different sound (like with the very well known case of Joy Division, where their producer wanted them to have a much more mellow and less punk sound for their album). regardless, i don't care too much in the long run, as this is still a perfect album. any fans of the live album should enjoy this, without a doubt.


1. Poker Face City
2. 追放者
3. Burning Angel
4. El Dorado
5. Joker
6. Our Time
7. Tokyo Frustration
8. Double Think
9. J.B.の夢
10. Plastic Toy


ENJOY

丸尾丸子 - カメ子の空

i don't even know where to start with this album by 丸尾丸子. it's a lovely, sad little piece of pop music, with accordions, toy pianos, flutes, and harps creating a childlike yet ethereal sound. this is somehow a combination of the lovely pop-folk and jazz sounds of ゑでぃまぁこん combined with the surreal cell-phone music of Sasaki San.

this album is a lovely/surreal journey into another world. download this now.



1. いのちの鳥
2. しばやまの夢（トイピアノ）
3. 亀
4. ピカピカ
5. ぐるぐるⅡ
6. 青
7. まわるせんたっき


ENJOY

ＲＥＡＬ - REAL

ＲＥＡＬ were a self-published (starting after this EP) post-punk band. they put out quite a few EPs, beginning with 1981's REAL, but they didn't put out a full length until 1991. i haven't heard it, so i can't judge it's worth, but all of their EPs up to that point were sublime. this first one is no exception. it's a banging and growling monster with harsh feedback, rolling piano, and grunted vocals. it's also absolutely stunning to listen to.

most certainly check this out if you liked ＡＬＬＥＲＧＹ.


1. 前夜
2. A級戦犯
3. 1981（シークレット・パージ）
4. MAI


ENJOY