Freak Flag- Experiments in Evolution (2003)

This band is from my town, and this is probably one of the best albums.  Now I know, "ohh those guys are from your town and you probably know them so you think their so cool.", well ya I know them, but seriously this is a fantastic album.  I have been trying to think of what album I have, from a local band, that I want to review first; so I decided to go with my favorite one. 

Freak Flag is really one of the most well rounded and bad ass Experimental/Post-Punk/Space Rock bands around.  This album truly has everything in it: fast punk rhythms mixed with aggression, yet clean and experimental enough to make you listen and realize what all is really going on; as well as cool dark rhythm based melodies that gives you the spaced out atmospheric drones that'll lead you into submission until a lead comes back in get set off your hyperactivity.  I have seen these songs played live, and the album pretty much as their live set, and I have always been very happy with it.  Freak Flag is one of those bands that can pull off their studio sound, live; which is amazing once you listen to it and hear everything that is going on, in the forefront and the background.  The 15 tracks from this album flow better than a loose skank's heavy flow; but honestly, the album flows perfectly and you don't get bored, not even once, during the album.  (which is a huge thing when trying to listen to an album if you have a decent sized collection; at least for me.)

Experiments in Evolution was released on an awesome local label, and Freak Flag can be reached through their Myspace page. With this band not being as big as it should be, you need to contact them to get a copy.  And when you do contact them and get a copy, or listen to the tracks on their page, you won't regret it.  I personally would get the album, locals bands should always be supported, and this album sounds great through a home system. (lots of great pan work and production.)  Despite all that; if I was to stumble across these guys online or see them live, and didn't know them personally, they would still be one of my top all together favorites. I am gonna be overly critical when I give it an official score, because of the fact that I know them, people might think I'm not taking the review all that seriously.  But man, this album is freakin' good and seriously kicks the shit out that fuckin' Arcade Fire album that you are probably listening to.


Official score- 4.75/5

Einsturzende Neubauten- Grundstuck (2005)

Einsturzende Neubauten is in my top 5 favorite all time bands, ever.  Mr. Chelmets introduced them to me, years ago, and I have loved them ever since.  Gene Cesspool & I once drove 10 hours to see them live, then directly after the show, turned around and drove the same 10 hours back.  (On a side note, that was the first, and only, time that I fell asleep driving; which is a really weird/scary feeling.  The trip was tons of fun, and the venue was awesome; even though it was horribly hot in Austin Texas that time of year.)

Grundstuck is an amazing album; and honestly it's hard to find an EN album that is not amazing. 10 tracks of the most amazing post-industrial/melodic/experimental/etc. releases.  If you are not familiar with E.N., you absolutely have to get familiar with them.  This is one of those bands that are historic, I personally have most of their albums, copies of some of the albums on vinyl, a few dvds, I pretty much get everything that I can that is E.N. related.  These guys are from Germany, and are so liked, they get to record in water towers, under the Autobahn, travel the world, and for the last few years have released their albums on their own.  (They have such a huge following that you can become a "member" and get the cd or dvd and the money goes to the completion of the album, the manufacturing, printing, etc.)  Grundstuck is just 1 of many examples of the possibility within music when played and composed by highly skilled highly intuitive musicians.

This album has quite a few changes, from song to song, so it doesn't grow old, even after the un-teenth listen.  Post-Industrial meets studio effects meets vocals that are working along home-made instruments that are all corralled in a symposium of sweet auditory bliss.  I wish that I could write a small periodical on what E.N. has done with music, with the amount of influence they have had on other musicians and the music scene as a whole.  Whenever I get into a conversation regarding music, I usually get asked who are my favorite bands; and when I say E.N., I always get this crazy weird look from whomever I am conversing with. 

This review might not be the most thorough of reviews, regarding the album itself; and I apologize.  But E.N. is one of those bands that will always be pioneers, and will always be revered as one of the all time bests by true music enthusiasts. 

Official score- 4.75/5
(If I ever do another E.N. review, it will always be 4.75/5.  It should be 5/5, but with a lot of people being music ignorant, I toned down the Official Score.)