Flush It Friday: Ceci n’est pas une critique de concert
Ou est-ce le cas?
Clot – Dehiscence
Independent | October 18, 2024
Atlanta’s Clot opened a sweet show Tuesday night with a rousing cover of Mclusky’s “To Hell with Good Intentions.” The irreverence ended there, though, as Clot then dragged us, teeth gnashed and eyes bloodshot, through our fermented wound of a world we currently inhabit. What if Converge played at the speed of Thou? Or if Thou sometimes played Converge riffs? That’s close. You also need the distemper of a blackened Full of Hell mixed in. The mathy oddness of early aughts metalcore is fighting a claustrophobic battle against a sludge-damaged outlook, and we’re all the better for it. Great set!
Null – First Sign Ahead
Impossible Wallpaper | November 22, 2024
A lot of Alabama in my life this last week. I spent the weekend in and around Auburn—Arnold fumbled that football so stop whining—and then Birmingham’s Null played the second slot on Tuesday. Featuring members of Coliseum, Plate Six, and others, Null play a heavier kind of doomgaze that most immediately reminds me of my beloved True Widow. Like True Widow, Null has a drowsy swagger and a knack for earworm riffs. Every song on First Sign Ahead swings and sways hypnotically. They take you out of yourself and allow you to cede control for a little while.
Plate Six – Operation: Chair Sit
Bent Rail Foundation | August 31, 2002
How crazy. I hadn’t thought about Plate Six in years until looking up Null’s members. I don’t know how I found Operation: Chair Sit over 20 years ago, though I’m partial to the idea that I got it from Dead Tank Distro at a show. (In lieu of memories, send stories.) Sounding something like a mellower Malady or Yaphet Kotto mixed with Twelve Hour Turn, Plate Six is a beautiful time capsule. What’s more? Null ended their set with a PJ Harvey cover, and there’s a PJ Harvey cover on this record. I wish I could write poetry so poignant.
Thou – Baton Rouge, You Have Much to Answer For…
Robotic Empire | April 13, 2010
Thou didn’t play anything from this EP during their set Tuesday, but I always seem to bring it up. The final track of Baton Rouge… is really listed as “Aberdeen, Washington” to match the title of the third track, but Robotic Empire cheated and told you it’s a cover of Nirvana’s “Sifting.” This is, I think, the first time the band committed a Nirvana cover to wax. A setlist balanced between songs old and new, Those Internet Motherfuckers also played a pitch-perfect rendition of Soundgarden’s “Mailman.” I KNOW I’M HEADED FOR THE BOTTOM… BUT I’M RIDING YOU ALL THE WAYYYYYYYYYY.
Arbor Labor Union – Yonder
Sophomore Lounge Records | January 13, 2023
Imagine if Arbor Labor Union closed this show! Two of those transcendental twangers were there, though, and I wouldn’t’ve had a quarter of the fun I had if it weren’t for kickin’ it with Perdy Slow all night long. You might recall when I got down and dirty on ALU’s 2020 New Petal Instants. Yonder was the band’s 2023 follow-up with a new lineup, and it saw the band testing the limits of just how much Grateful Dead they could infuse into their sound. I can’t wait for the mini tour later this year. What a true work of heart.
YEAH, I’M FLUSHIN’ YOU ALL THE WAY.
TMP and TTT WWW are part of a well-rounded content diet. Stick with the assist, too! [Yes, much love to the Stickboi, tybb ~Roldy]
3.5 Flaming Toilets for the new Conjurer from Falxifer.
Toilet Radio 586 features Joe n Jordan reviewing Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell for this edition of the October Spooktacular.
A big 4 Flaming Toilets for grunge revivalists Rocket from Falxifer. I also heard the lead single on YouTube.
Aaron must’ve been feelin’ morbid to spend this much time on an Illud Divinum Insanus retrospective!
Ooo wee these look scrumptious! Mini reviews courtesy of Stick and Sean Ghoulson.
Reliquary Tower is fresh to death in this latest trove of Tag Diving treats.
Always make sure to tell me how cool I am for my itty bitty reviews and read all the week’s posts before dropping those GBUs in the comments. Does that French even make sense? Smooches!
