Alchemist "Hermaphroditis"

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Alchemist
Spiritech
CD
(Thrust, 1997)

Someone on the message boards on Rob Halford's website used to talk these guys up all the time, years ago. One day, I was going through the bargain bin at my favorite local store and spied their latest album, Organasm. I decided to gamble $5 on it, and it paid off. As I soon discovered, Alchemist marry what might seem to be the rather disparate genres of death metal and psychedelia. I like to think of them as the Pink Floyd of death metal, but you may not agree. In which case, you are obviously a false and a poser (sic)!

:-P

Seriously, though, Alchemist are heavy as a swear word for copulation whilst mighty trippy and freaky, at the same time. I debated what song to pick, and decided to go with this one from their out-of-print third album, Spiritech. A few years back, Relapse Records released a nifty double-CD, Embryonics (left) compiling most of the tracks from the album along with material from their first and second albums, 1993's Jar of Kingdom and 1995's Lunasphere, their Eve of the War EP, and some demo tracks and live recordings. This song, however, was one of the few left off.

Lest anyone think the lyrics might be transphobic, I've decided to include them for your perusal. They're certainly not run-of-the-mill death metal verbiage.

Hermaphroditis

Union of opposites become union
of ones self.
The universe above mirrors
the universe within.

You search for identity,
schizophrenic multi being.
Your two have become one,
your libran scales often sway.

Focus your thoughts on balance
meditate on harmony.
Elevate your mind and all that is
shall return.

Your active male, fuels your fire for
Furious dominating.

Your passive female, maternal soul.
Psychic subconcious.

Under the scepter of Zeus,
Your two become one.

Let your will penetrate
Deeply from within.
Your libran scales sway
With eternal unrest.

Two as one.
Unisex, you are she and she is him.

Juliet "My First Hardcore Song"

Juliet
My First Hardcore Song
digital single
(self-released via iTunes, 2012)

UPDATE: Holy crap! This thing has exploded! The video below was posted on January 19, and, as of 9:45 a.m. EST January 22, it's rapidly approaching eleven-and-a-half million views on YouTube. The song is now available as a download from iTunes (please, see button above), and there's a already a website where you can buy t-shirts.

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The original post:

Sorry for the lack of posts! In the meantime, I've watched this video so many times over the past few days, I should probably see a doctor.

Yes, the unasked question has been answered: What if Carcass had been eight-year-old girls?

Kim Salmon and The Surrealists "Je t'aime"

Kim Salmon and The Surrealists Just Because You Can't See It . . . . . . Doesn't Mean It Isn't There LP (Black Eye Records, 1989)

I'm finally starting to hopefully feel a bit better, so onward with the very long "week" of cover tunes. Today's selection was inspired by one of my reader/listeners asking recently at a dinner party if the original version of this song was for real, since it's rather stupid. I think that's the word she used. She knows who she is, so she's most welcome to correct me here. We were discussing French pop music, btw, and the original of this was written by Serge Gainsbourg. I've got three different versions of this tune by Kim Salmon and The Surrealists, and I decided to go with the studio version from their second album. There are also live versions on the St. Valentine's Day Massacre EP, which came as a bonus disc with initial copies of the Australian pressing of their Sin Factory album, and on the Kneel Down at the Altar of Pop reunion show CDR from a few years back.

The Spectre's Revenge "No Moon at Midnight"

The Spectre's Revenge No Moon at Midnight 7" single (Au-go-go Records, 1985)

Back in the 1980's, when the Internet was still operated by hand-crank, and no one could really afford it, mailorder was done via printed-and-mailed catalogues and phone calls. I know; weird, right? A group of friends and myself used to place huge orders with Au-go-go Records on the other side of the planet, in Australia. I'd make the call, when the rates went down at two a.m., and around two months later, our order would show up at my PO box (airmail was prohibitively expensive, at the time). Whenever I'd call in our order, I'd ask if there was anything they recommended. One of those times, I ended up with this snazzy lil' single by The Spectre's Revenge. I wish I knew more about them, but I do not; other than they also released a (live?) cassette which Au-go-go Records never seemed to get back in stock, much to my chagrin.

Nazxul "Distance Begins"

Nazxul Live LP (Decius Productions, 2002)

For the record (HA!), picture discs bite. Sure, they can look pretty, but they are also usually possessed of disgusting levels of surface noise. I buy them only when the music therein is available in no other format, such as the live album, Live (recorded 1999, released 2002), by Aussie black metallers Nazxul. Today's song originally appeared on their first studio album, Totem, way back in 1996. The pic above is actually the b-side of the LP, but the a-side pic is just kinda boring, so I've allowed my megalomaniacal sense of control to go overboard and present the prettier picture. Yeah! Bite me. Oh, yeah, it just came in a clear plastic sleeve; I had to go out and buy a cardboard sleeve for it before filing it in my collection, for its own protection.

Kim Salmon and The Business "Love Me"

Kim Salmon and The Business Saving Me from Me CD single (Half a Cow Records, 1999)

Happy Valentine's Day! What could be better than an anguished song about unrequited love? How about an anguished song about unrequited love written Dudley Moore for the brilliant 1967 film Bedazzled, written by and starring Duds and his pal Peter Cook? How about an anguished song about unrequited love written Dudley Moore for the brilliant 1967 film Bedazzled, written by and starring Duds and his pal Peter Cook, as covered by one of my favorite artists of all time? You're absolutely right! NOTHING! [video of the scene itself after the jump]

Streaky Jake "Stop Killing Your Time"

Streaky Jake What's Wrong? Nothing. CD (Metal Postcard, 2006)

I found this one in a bargain bin and was intrigued by the artist name, release title, and utterly stark front cover; the back has a rough pencil sketch of, I presume, Jake. A note on the back of the booklet, after the song titles, says, ".. that was the story of jake & mary." Is it autobiographical? I have no idea. The instrumentation is simple: acoustic guitar and the occasional tambourine, probably played by Jake with his foot, but that's just a guess. It sounds like it was recorded by Jake in the middle of a HUGE room, thus adding to the sense of loneliness and despair. I love it. For whatever reason, he now releases music under the name Swoop Swoop. He's released a 7" single and two CDs, but I've not heard any of them, yet.

The Scientists "Melodramatic Touch"

Oh, dear! You must not have a compatible version of flash!

Scientists
Rubber Never Sleeps
cassette
(Au-go-go, 1985)

Perth, Australia's The Scientists started out in 1978 as a punkish power pop group. They went through four line-ups, released a few records (a 7" single, a 7" EP, and an LP), did some touring, and split up.

Bit-Part Actor "Crash Course"

Bit-Part Actor
Bit-Part Actor
CD
(Braille Records, 1996)

Sorry, today's selection is not a Budgie cover; that'd be "Crash Course in Brain Surgery." Anyhow . . .

Dappled Cities Fly "Chameleon Girl"

Dappled Cities Fly
Chameleon Girl
CD single
(Wash Records, 2003)

My second favorite local record store has a huge $1 bin. Everytime I go there, I look through it for stuff that looks interesting. Sometime last year, I stumbled across the third album by Dappled Cities, Zounds. The cover art was interesting and the band name certainly odd, so I chanced it. As it turned out, it became one of my favorite albums of 2009. I loved it so much, I went and found as much back-catalog stuff as I was able. This track was released as their second single and never appeared on any of their three albums, so far. In between their first and second albums, A Smile and Granddance, they dropped the "Fly" from the end of their name. No, I don't know why.