Demo: Mark Lanegan - "Whiskey For The Holy Ghost" Acoustic Demos

So I swear I don't consciously post this much Mark Lanegan material - it always just kind of "happens" since there's so much cool stuff like this out there and I'm always digging for it. (Plus, well, its just so damn good.) These are some acoustic demos from the "Whiskey For The Holy Ghost" album which kind of speak for themselves but if you're a Lanegan fan you will obviously enjoy these, and it's interesting to hear different/acoustic versions of these songs. (And hey, remember that story about how Mark Lanegan wanted to throw the masters from this album in a pond?).

1. Sunrise
2. Following The Rain
3. Judas Touch I
4. Shooting Gallery (instrumental)
5. Carnival
6. Wheels
7. Day and Night
8. Beggar's Blues
9. Riding the Nightingale
10 Judas Touch II

DL: "Whiskey Acoustic Demos"

Album: Eleven - Self-Titled

by popular demand...

this was the album that got me turned onto the band

essential jams:
"towers" (which smells like teen spirit)
"hieronymus"
"heavy"

in my opinion...for the time they existed...there really wasn't another band out there quite like them...and they more than likely went over the heads of those that weren't already familiar with them...they were/are kind of like a hidden gem that once you find it...you're automatically taken in by something you're not quite able to put your finger on...well...that's how it was for me

so...if you folks out there dig this album...there are others that i can post as well

DL: eleven

Demo: Diamond Lie - 1987 Demo

look at that picture up there

take a long hard look at it

now...you wouldn't think a band that looks like that would write such songs as "man in the box" or "hate to feel" or "god am"...would you?

but they did

in case you hadn't already put it together...that's alice in chains

before they became the sludge factory they were known as...they were a glam/funk metal band known as diamond lie...then alice 'n chains

i don't know exactly happened to the band in the 3 years between this and the FACELIFT album (i'm thinking someone switched their cocaine with heroin)...but i'm glad it did because i prefer my alice in chains with less funk and less cowbell and less synth

and am i the only one that hears early motley crue all over this?

DL: 1987 demo

A Word on the New Alice in Chains + Madison Square Garden Review

I confess that I have been guilty of talking a lot of shit about the new Alice in Chains.

Rave reviews from stonerrock.com? Ignored. Rave reviews from friends? Ignored. When I saw they were playing Madison Square Garden on the 24th I went back and forth about buying a ticket for weeks thinking that it would be a beyond mediocre show. Still, I ended up buying a ticket a couple hours before it started since I never actually gave them a fair chance and just needed to know.

Now... I am the most cynical of cynics when it comes to this type of thing, but as soon as they started playing "Them Bones" I was grinning. When they got to their second track "Dam That River" I was standing (and still grinning like an idiot). We all know there are issues when replacing a vocalist in a band, but when Duvall was harmonizing with Cantrell it sounded great. (Obviously not the same, but great). The angsty and awkward 15 year old in me that used to hole up in my room listening to "Dirt" was pleased, too - this band was my soundtrack and their songs are still really important to me. As for their new material, I think I was ignoring the fact that Jerry Cantrell still has a part in writing these songs and am now planning on picking up "Black Gives Way to the Blue" finally.

In saying all this, I really can't decide if it's tragic or a fitting tribute that they're taking songs Layne Staley wrote about his heroin addiction before dying of an overdose and filling stadiums by playing them, but I'm leaning towards the latter since, after all, they have to move on at some point and Jerry Cantrell is (arguably) a more important part of the group, anyways. I have to give them longevity points, too. I mean, here is a band that moved from being one of the most important bands of the 90's to having their lead singer die (and didn't Mike Inez get arrested as some point, too?), and now they're making a huge comeback which is cool. Seeing all the different age groups that came out to this show was also cool.

Seriously... I really wanted to hate on this but now I can hate no more. So call me a reformed cynic, and give this a fair shot and see them if you get a chance.

Now... when is Nirvana getting a new vocalist? (...Kidding.)

***picture stolen from Brooklyn Vegan***

Album: Supercontinent - "Vaalbara"

Do you sometimes find yourself wondering what would have happened if Isis just kept re-writing The Red Sea and Celestial? Do you wish Pelican riffed harder and didn't get so boring? Do you get tired of finding bands with long build-ups that are good in theory, but don't actually go anywhere?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, give this a listen. It's certainly nothing groundbreaking, but theres just so much energy and it's so well done that I can't help but enjoy this record. Basically every song has a plethora of huge riffs to get lost in while still retaining a good atmosphere. The production is satisfyingly thick, vocals are sparse but well-placed, and the song-writing is very smooth and well-done. At this point, I can't really ask for much more from a band like this. Definitely for fans of older Isis and Cult of Luna. Give it a shot, there's nothing to lose.

1. Nebula
2. Earthrise
3. Lakes of Iron
4. Cataclysms
5. Rain Gives Rise
6. In Rust
7. The Monolith
8. Impact Winter
9. Epoch

DL: Vaalbara

Demo: 600 School - 1981 Demo

this was one of the bands ben shepherd was in before soundgarden (though he does vocals here)

future nirvana drummer chad channing was also in the band

music-wise...it's your run of the mill thrashy punk rock

and you know you want some run of the mill thrashy punk rock

DL: 1981 demo

Album: Eleven - Thunk

some of you out there may be unfamiliar with this band...and that's a little sad

i had randomly picked up their 1993 SELF-TITLED album after reading a small review in some magazine...i had never heard of them before that...but after buying the album...i hunted down everything i possibly could from the band (which turned out to be only one other album...and i had to special order that from the local music store...this isn't something you'd usually just see on the shelves...which is also sad)

the band is from los angeles...but had their fingers in that whole grunge thing (but really...who didn't back then?)...drummer jack irons left the red hot chili peppers (and i'm not calling them grunge) back in 1988 because of guitarist hillel slovak's heroin overdose...and then joined eleven in 1990...who then quit the band to play in pearl jam in 1995 (he laid down some drum tracks on this album before leaving...soundgarden's matt cameron fills in on 4 songs)...and then somewhere down the line members alain johannes (vocals/guitar) and natasha shneider (vocals/bass/keyboards) backed up chris cornell on his first solo album EUPHORIA MORNING (but if you ask me...his first solo album was DOWN ON THE UPSIDE...that's right...i said it)

alain johannes and natasha shneider later went on to become members of queens of the stone age (though mostly for touring...alain appears on their SONGS FOR THE DEAF/LULLABIES TO PARALYZE/ERA VULGARIS albums...natasha only appears on SONGS FOR THE DEAF)...they also pop up on some DESERT SESSIONS material

but...all of this came to an end on july 2nd,2008 after natasha shneider passed away from cancer...at the eerie time of 11:11am (true story)

that's a good story,grampa

do yourself an awesome favor by downloading this...you won't regret it (and if you do...i'm sure there's plenty of crap for you to listen to on the radio)...and seeing as how i'm a giver...i've also thrown in some b-sides from this album

so...if after listening to this...you become more interested in the band...perhaps i'll post some other albums

DL: thunk