KICK-ASS!!!!!

Not a regular post, just a quick update. There will probably be a new post tomorrow or Thursday. First off, just saw the red band trailer for Kick-Ass last night. While I'm sure many have seen it already, if you're a comic nerd or something along those lines, you've gotta see it! Just follow this link and watch Hit Girl get absolutely midevil on some motherfuckers! On top of that, Zombieland hit DVD today in the US, which is awesome! If you haven't seen it and you like zombies, violence and dumb-ass humor you'll love it! Ignore all the crap on the cover though, it's NOTHING like The Hangover, Shaun Of The Dead or Superbad, it's all it's own thing. Oh, and best of all, LOST IS BACK TONIGHT! So yeah, I'm in full-on geek mode at the moment and will be focusing all my attention on my television for the next three hours in mere minutes. Before that though, a few things...

First off, a lot of people have downloaded Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music here and I hope you've enjoyed it, but Mr. Reed is reissuing it's original quad mix on DVD and Blu-Ray as well as a special stereo mix on vinyl, so I'm removing the download link and asking if you like the album to at least pay a visit to Lou's site and see the formats available. You can see his site here. I bought the vinyl/DVD combo, as I don't believe in Blu-Ray, because it's a force of unholy evil that is attempting to destroy the known universe. Seriously.

Second, The Unheard Music's "sister" site, Imaginary Records, is live, albeit in it's early stages. Please pay a visit. It will be updated once a week. There is a lot less going on over there than here, but it's kind of an experiment, so if you're expecting more of the same please be warned it's a different animal.

Finally, uh, there is nothing else. That's it for now. Another post tomorrow or Thursday. You all have a great night and I'm gonna go geek out on Lost!

PS - Oh yeah, I've been bad about first, second and thirds in this post. Sorry for being sloppy. I PROMISE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN! Pinky-swear!

December 2009 Mixtape

This mix consists mostly of things I've featured here on the site before. I thought it would be nice to do a quick review of the year's posts for anyone who doesn't dig through every single one. There are a few new tracks in here, but they all relate back to things previously featured here.

I've got a lot of stuff planned for January and I've got my interview wish list all set up, so there will be a lot of stuff coming up soon! On top of that, I'm looking into writing a book, albeit a short one. I've got a few projects in mind that could be very big, but that short book would be the starting point. I'll say more when there is more to say :). For now, enjoy the mix and have a Happy New Year!


The Unheard Music - December 2009 Mixtape

01 Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music (excerpt)
My love of this album may be questioned by some, but I swear it's legitimate. For those that would rather not give it a full listen (or download), here is thirty seconds to either whet your appetite or confirm your fears.

02 Queen - Tie Your Mother Down (Trent Reznor Remix)
Shoulda woulda coulda been released, but it was done for Hollywood Records, and we know how creatively open-minded Disney generally is.

03 Juliana Hatfield - Mountains Of Love
In a perfect world, God's Foot would be available at the very least for download via Amazon or iTunes. On top of that, Juliana Hatfield would get the credit she's due.

04 Crustified Dibbs - Every Record Label Sucks Dick
I wouldn't say EVERY record label, but I know what Dibbs aka R.A. The Rugged Man is saying.

05 Miles Davis - Untitled Original 760330a (Unheard Edit)
This is my own little concoction. I didn't do much to the original sources, just a little snip towards the end of one take and the beginning of the other to put them together. They simply felt far too short on their own. Miles plays organ on this one but no horn. By the way, there will be another Miles post in the near future, but it'll focus on a significant point a little earlier in his career.

06 Team Sleep - Natalie Portman
I wish Team Sleep releases weren't nearly as infrequent as they are, but I'm glad to have their self-titled and unreleased Lovers albums. Awesomely mellow track that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the awesome Natalie Portman.

07 John Oswald - dab
This is the original version of dab from the plunderphonic album. This also includes that album's short intro, btls.

08 Soul Coughing - A Murder Of Lawyers
Great leftover from early in the Cough's career. Good for showing off their less-than-friendly side.

09 Takeshi Muto - Ntak
Romulo Del Castillo and the Schematic crew are in the house!

10 Resident Alien - Ooh The Dew Doo Man
Prince Paul is on my interview wish list. I wouldn't say the Resident Alien album is as good as the De La Soul albums of the same era, but it deserves to be heard and is just as essential. Russell Simmons is why it'll probably never get an official release.

11 Beastie Boys - And What You Give Is What You Get
I don't know that I'll get to talk to The Dust Brothers or Matt Dike any time soon, but they're on that wish list too. As much as I want to talk with EZ Mike and King Gizmo, Matt Dike is the least publicly known and that's simply a crime. There will be a post of some of his best available tracks sometime soon.

12 Prince - Batdance (Original Version)
I think this is the third time I've posted this track. On top of that, this is yet another version from a different source. All the same though, I'll never get tired of this one and it's just another example of how brilliant Prince used to be. Yeah, I said used to, what you gonna do about it?

13 Jungle Brothers - Troopin' On The Down Lo
Goddamnit I want this album to get an official release! The full album isn't as crazy as this track, but it's so deserving to be heard. Props to Skiz, Dan LeRoy, Matt Stein (for that single conversation), David Williams (waiting for that response man! please come through!) and everyone else who has helped me in my search for more details about the lost gem that is Crazy Wisdom Masters!

14 The KLF - What Time Is Love? (The Moody Boys vs. The KLF)
I'd love to write a book about The KLF, but I'd be more than happy to simply read one. These guys are so insanely wonderful. If you're unfamiliar, find the ridiculously large posts I did about them for, in my opinion, a pretty good overview of their career, albeit far from complete.

15 Outro (More Metal Machine Music)
'Nuff said.

Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music

I know, I know, how could anyone truly enjoy this? A lot of people are going to say that without ever listening to it, but most of them are correct anyways. To my friends and family though, I am seen as insane for enjoying this blast of utter chaos, and that's the best way to describe Metal Machine Music. That said, I truly do love this album, and that's a capital LOVE in bold lettering! There is simply nothing like Metal Machine Music, painful yet beautiful, I can use it to force myself awake yet it can also lull me to sleep. There aren't any words or melodies, but there are plenty of sounds and things to grasp throughout. I can't help but imagine this is what contact with an alien race might sound like. Lights and sounds not in our spectrum, terrifying yet, if you move past the horror, fascinating if not beautiful.

Metal Machine Music is understandably viewed by many as a joke. There is art there, but the joke part is understandable. Think about it, Lou Reed records a new album that his label is contractually required to release and it's nothing but noise. No vocals, no songs, nothing resembling form, just waves of feedback caused primarily by Lou placing guitars against extremely loud amplifiers and letting the feedback vibrate the strings, essentially allowing the amps to play the guitars. It almost destroyed Lou's career, and if he hadn't released Coney Island Baby as the follow-up it may have succeeded.

I'm posting this because most people haven't heard it and, if you're interested in it, you really shouldn't have to pay up front to possibly be tortured. That said, if you find yourself in love with the chaos, you should really purchase a copy. I love Lou's bizarre liner notes and packaging, which includes a completely fabricated list of equipment used to create the album. As I understand it, the list was meant to be a parody of "serious-musicians" and their want to share every bit of detail possible about the recording process.

Give this a whirl, but keep in mind it's not for everyone. It's not necessarily meant to be listened to in one full sitting. Hell, few people have even bothered to do that. I can attest that I haven't and probably couldn't, but that's not a bad thing, and it isn't that type of album. Things about it will stick in your mind. I went so far as to write a song around the locked groove at the end of Part IV, which is replicated at the end of the 2000 CD reissue which is the source of this upload. Experiment with this and you'll find yourself, at the least, intrigued. You can play the left or right channels alone, giving you, along with the stereo presentation three different ways of listening. You can also play it backwards. Play it soft, play it loud, just play it and make up your own mind. The majority may be right about Metal Machine Music, for the most part at least, but that doesn't mean it's bad, just that it's different. It really IS different!


Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music
UPDATE: Lou has just reissued Metal Machine Music via his website on vinyl, DVD and Blu-Ray. Because of that, I'm removing the album from download. If you enjoy it, please check out his website and the packages available for purchase. I got the vinyl/DVD combo which features the album's original quad mix on the DVD.