We Listen 2 Records

       In an attempt to cover the entire Fugazi discography we listen to the next three records, Steady Diet of Nothing, In On The Kill Taker and Red Medicine with our friend Mike who continues to teach his master class in their evolving sound. We talk about their changing sound and the surrounding politics track by track. Recorded one long afternoon in Brooklyn this is the second part of a three part series. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       In our attempt to cover the entire Fugazi discography we listen to their first two records, 13 Songs (which Matt will point out is not a real album) and Repeater with our friend Mike who has loved Fugazi since picking these up on cassette. We talk about the early years of the band, their politics and band practices and how we each discovered them while listening through each song on both records. Recorded in a marathon session one long afternoon in Brooklyn this is the beginning of a three part series. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to Remain from Them Are Us Too on Dias Records. Their first and only proper album with Cash Askew and Kennedy Ashlyn who met at Kennedys goth birthday party where they bonded over Cash's playlist. A typical art school band story, playing music instead of critiquing oil painted meme's they managed to create haunting shoegaze while in their early 20's just before Cash tragically passed in the Ghost Ship fire in 2016. It's never going to be easy to think about where they might have gone and all the talented people who died at an alternative space show way before their time. Try to make music like this before you're gone. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to the album Pain Is Beauty by Chelsea Wolf. Matt saw her perform in Boston a while back and we first talked about her collaboration with Russian Circles. We have some trouble describing her particular style of theatrical-folk-goth and all the issues with those useless categories. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to the track "Daylight" from Matt and Kim off the album Grand. Jason and Matt caught them at Sirenfest in Coney Island a while ago and there's a lot of other personal connections to why they love this track. This is also a case of one of those bands that's so good live they make it impossible to capture that energy in a studio. This track is as close as anyone is going to get. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to Black Flag's My War with friend of the show and music writer, Sean Caldwell from letters-from-a-tapehead. Sean is an authority on Flag and dives into a lot of the context surrounding the record along with the making of the album. They are one of those bands that everyone seems to know and come to in very different ways, but undeniably essential and this B-side was decades ahead of everything. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to Negative Capability from Urinals? The Urinals? Before we even had musical taste, these guys bashed away in film school with hits like "Sex" and "Male Masturbation". If you have ever recorded your band in the pool house/garage/basement then you know what this sounds like. It's young and dumb rock that's not thinking about the past or future, just rocking the 4th floor dorms on Halloween. You get it or you don't. It's the best documentation of that impossible moment of a great party when everything is new. Don't think too much - we are old enough to really appreciate this for being first and oblivious of everything else. Nice Job. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       Miniepisode. We listen to the song, Kill Your Television from Neds Atomic Dustbin. Truly embarrassing, this hit hasn't aged well. Not sure how we or anyone liked this track but the 90's was truly a unique time. In the very dawn of the internet an English grunge(?) band was turning Seattle back on the US and demanding you to Kill Your Television. The only way this works is if they are actually trolling everyone, or this was a Ween side project. Matt remembers his 16 year old self raging against the machine. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to Dancer Equired from the shitgaze pioneers, Times New Viking. Their last full length release on Merge Records takes all the hiss and blown out peaking guitar, drum and vocals and squeezes it into their dense pop style. Matt actually got to hang out with them once before a show in Boston and Jason has a hand colored split single from these guys. We try to figure out what makes this sound so great and what happened to the other gazers of shit from the early 00's. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to Chastity Belt's 2017 release, I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone. Some would say this is their "mature" release coming from a band who released songs "Cool Slut" and "Giant (Vagina)". We would say that they got more confident in their songwriting and made a timeless, dark record. They grew up and the same party-time things they used to get off on got old. All of this is in direct contrast to the Kmart photo session promo pics and the Grunge or Totally 90's videos they put out to get everyone excited. They are a contradiction and smart as hell. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to one of the greatest records of all time and barely scratch the surface of what was happening in and around the recording of this album. It's honestly hard to do this justice of any kind except tell you about some of our interpretations of the record and personal memories to hearing it for the first time. That's what this show is all about after all. We still learn new things about some own these picks and each other. It's a very special episode if you know what I mean. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to the track When You Were Mine from the one man song machine, Prince. This one is off his second record, "Dirty Mind" and Prince played everything on the album which supposedly was recorded in one night. This is the evidence for the raw talent this 22 year old already had. Case closed. Jason heard it on WFMU wake and Bake and it's all he can think about. Matt thought this was Iggy Pop. We're working on Daydream Nation and only had time for one song this week. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to the landmark album from Slint, Spiderland. What band wasn't influenced by this record and band? More importantly how does this sound now and what exactly made it so groundbreaking? How many bands sprung out of the members of Slint and have you seen the documentary "Breadcrumb Trail?". Lots of mind-blowing questions to answer and check out friend of the show Sean's review of the box set that came out a while back - http://www.noripcord.com/features/slints-spiderland-box-set Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to Is This It from The Strokes. Note that this is not a question but more like a sigh of indifference for a title. Were the early 2000's a bunch of bands self aware that they already were 'selling out' as opposed to the supposed underground of the 90's? Can we separate this undisputed work of brilliance from the prep school creeps who created a song titled 'barley legal'? Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to Deerhoof's Apple O' from 2003. Deefhoof carved out their own distinct niche somewhere in the middle of Lightning Bolt, Blonde Redhead and The Boredoms - just as challenging but able to wring out crunchy guitar riffs that always seem to end too soon. It's precise but willing to fail at the same time, quiet and calming or blasting kick drum thumps. They thrive on this contradiction and keeping everyone guessing from one track to the next. We appreciate the hell out of this and disagree with Steve Albini's premise that the only people left in music are good because there's no money in it. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       We listen to Husker Du's, Warehouse: Songs and Stories which Matt decided is their most underrated album. We get into their Black Flag connection, the midwest, SST records and the highly recommend Andrew Earles book. Bob Mould and Grant Hart weren't talking, they were on Warners records and barely toured with this material but this could be the bands best record for 40's Matt and Jason. What would Husker Du? Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       Jason and Matt listen to the audio book version of the tour diary of Henry Rollins when he was in Black Flag in the mid 80's. It's all the shittiness of touring without the physical pain and suffering of actually being in a band. We don't know too much about the great Black Flag and are torn about Mr. Rollins but he's been an important symbol in hardcore that deserves respect and Get in the Van is the proof. He's been through the shit and no one will ever understand. From scooping ice cream with Ian Mackaye to fronting Black fucking Flag. Wow. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       Jason and Matt listen to the track Institutionalized from Suicidal Tendencies. It's summer and we only have time for one song. Matt pulls this one out of the hardcore west coast scene and we know literally nothing about them. Looking back they actually seemed like they were trying to actually address some serious issues and the video was great. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       Jason and Matt listen to Cruise Your Illusion from Milk Music. Psychedelic guitar rock, political lyrics and unique song structures create an interesting listening experience. The second track is called Illegal and Free, but if it's legal in your state then you'll love this album. Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899 

       Jason and Matt listen to the song "Head On," a song by The Jesus and Mary Chain that The Pixies covered on their last album. Both versions are great, so enjoy this summer minisode as we enjoy our vacations in the sun! Please write a review or send feedback - you're the best: Email - records@harveylovesharvey.com Twitter - @welisten21 Instagram - welisten2records Leave a message on the Welisten hotline - 978-707-9899