Triggerfinger - All This Dancin' Around

Triggerfinger rule. I hadn't heard them before this year's High Voltage festival but I'm glad we decided to check 'em out, they were a highlight of the entire weekend.

They play that Belgian take on classic/stoner rock but they do it better than the majority of their contemporaries. Unfortunately, whilst still energetic and rockin', the record lacks the impact of their live show. So consider this a taster if you will, and if you like it, go see them on tour with Thin Lizzy and Clutch next year, and let them kick your ass with the power of their sexy rock.

Since you didn't stay to watch them live Tony!

Tom Waits - Mule Variations

It's no secret that I'm a huge Tom Waits fan, and this record is both critically and personally to me one of his best. Perhaps it's no coincidence that my favourite track; album opener 'Big in Japan', features none other than Primus as the backing band.

This release is arguably his first to demonstrate the somewhat experimental, alt-rock sound that he has stuck with, and consistently improved upon ever since.

I'm not really sure what else to say about it as the man's material speaks for itself. I can't even think of anything funny to say about it.

So I'll shut up while you listen for yourself.

Country Joe & The Fish - Electric Music For The Mind And Body

I was turned onto Country Joe McDonald and his musical genius by a friend in a local pub around a year ago. I promptly got the entire back catalogue of Country Joe and the Fish and was taken in. At the time I guess it would have been called Acid Rock by people who had never taken acid before. I'm not saying there was no acid consumption, mind you. What we now know as Psychedelic Rock is exactly this record. None of the folkier stuff that goes along with Mr McDonald, just 11 tracks of Psych/Garage goodness. Well maybe SOME folk. Geez.

Close your eyes, pretend you've just been drafted to 'nam, light up something nice for your lungs and hate the government.

Here

Les Claypool - Of Fungi And Foe

To kick things off I'm gonna post Les' second and most recent solo effort. I prefer this album over Of Whales And Woe, the songs are arranged more interestingly, though that's not to say 'Whales...' is dull in the slightest. If you've heard the new Primus effort and how it's style is somewhat darker than their pre-reformation releases, you'll find the seeds of said style sown on this album.

'Bite Out Of Life' is the stand out tune for me, the manic vocal stylings of Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz play off well against Les' more driven approach, whilst musically it's one of the quicker numbers. It makes me like to imagine I'm going mental at some sort of barn dance/people weeing on each other party while they perform the song live and I'm like 3 feet from the stage and Hutz is getting all up on the speakers and shit, maybe weeing on somebody (not me, I'm not there for the wee party).

Also the other songs are good. The tracks Les composed for the Mushroom Men games and Pig Hunt make an appearance too.

Funkus