With the last lion of the weekend safely tamed, Capitalist Lion Tamer, in conjunction with Fancy Plans Productions and RC Cola, brings you Heavy Rotation Volume 8. Please set your ears to maximum and prepare to have your eyes blown by the inclusion of some low-quality YouTube videos.
Previous installments available. Ask your pharmaceutical representative.
Midnight Juggernauts – Into the Galaxy
Australian self-described “prog disco” outfit, whom are really much better than that pairing of words would suggest. Danceable beats, Andrew Eldritch-esque vocals and some nice synth work all combine to make Into the Galaxy a thundering dancefloor apocalypse, sort of like a friendlier Killing Joke.
Can’t beat the “G-L-O-R-I-A” shoutout either, hearkening back to early rocknroll burner Gloria by Them. Worth checking out further, as some of their other tracks bear a distinct resemblance to Nitzer Ebb meeting faux-British-accent-era Ministry on goth night.
Floating to the edge of the world
Floating to the edge of the sea
Floating off the edge of the ocean
Out into the galaxyAn apparition
Of twilight visions
A final mission
A superstition
Reactivated
Now automated
Appropriated
Investigated
Global tectonics
Psycho robotic
Plasma bionic
Bred supersonic
A new translation
For integration
Your invitation
G.L.O.R.I.A.Floating to the edge of the world
Floating to the edge of the sea
Floating off the edge of the ocean
Out into the galaxyHyper-creation
Or reinvention
Love and affection
Gaining attention
United nations
Inter-relations
A declaration
Of hypertension
Emerging summits
Pre-emptive plummet
We drop atomic
To shooting comets
The controversial
Ultra-commercial
Now universal
G.L.O.R.I.A.Floating to the edge of the world
Floating to the edge of the sea
Floating off the edge of the ocean
Out into the galaxy
Pigface – Chickasaw
Off their Notes from Thee Underground album, which saw their usual band of collaborators swell even further, leading to mental images of some sort of industrial music high school reunion. This particular album featured some heavy influence from Genesis P. Orridge (of Psychic TV and Throbbing Gristle). This track sounds unlike anything on the album or in Pigface’s back catalogue: dual female vocals, a quasi-dub backbeat and a gorgeous drop around 2/3 of the way through.
If you love this track, brace for disappointment. Most of Pigface’s other work greatly resembles the grinding and repetitive throb of its “heroin rock” contributors. Some may consider this a plus (I know I do).
Poni Hoax – Budapest
Some great filtered-and-fucked-with vocals combine with some of the best percussive noises in the business to build this ass-kicker of a track. I’m not entirely sure what to file this under, as it bears a slight resemblance to “rock” and even “roll” but nothing that defines itself easily. Sort of like an Add (N) to X and adult. supergroup, if that makes any sense to you. (If not, well… we can always do another Heavy Rotation with these two suspects further on down the road.)
Secret Machines – Nowhere Again
Actual prog-rock this time, coming out of Dallas, TX, for some bizarre reason. (Or not. After all, the Flaming Lips and the Chainsaw Kittens all erupted just north, in Oklahoma.) Just all around good stuff here. An opening build, nice hooks, great lyrics. Tends toward the spacier side of the prog rock spectrum, which is why it ends up in my part of the woods.
Cellophane flowers never happened for me
Been sleeping the day off
Watching the night fall
Covering nowhere
Filling my time shareThere’s a woman in the mirror in a fiery state
As she motions to me, I start turning away
She’s lifting her dress up
Trying to keep upOh, you’d be surprised how we race
While our lives erasedAnother alone on an everyday night
I think in the morning I think I’ll be alright
Watching the blood flow
With poison, I dont know whyMaybe the rain will stop following me
Dripping the colors
Running in daylight
Over the cloud burst
Hoping they don’t burstRight before my eyes, erased
Our lives erasedWe know we’re lost, we’re lost, we’re nowhere now
We know we’re lost, we’re lost, we’re nowhere now
Now we know we’re lost and nowhere nowMaybe the rain will stop following me
With millions of colors reflected in daylight
Right on the kickdrum
Turning the sound upAnother alone on an everyday night
I think in the morning I think I’ll be alright
Watching the blood flow
No wonder I don’t know whyTheres a woman in the mirror in a fiery state
She motions to me I start pulling away
She’s lifting her dress up
All the way upOh, don’t look surprised, erased
Our lives erased
Our lives erased
Sparks – Beat the Clock
From their 1979 comeback album No. 1 in Heaven, a collaboration with Giorgio Moroder that features some of my favorite tracks from their huge back catalogue. Moroder’s disco footprint are all over this song, dealing with divorce, life, death and racing time. Two other tracks from this same album will most likely make an appearance in the Heavy Rotation (No. 1 Song in Heaven; Tryouts for the Human Race) because they are just so fucking good.
I was born a little premature
Mom just couldn’t take no more
Had no time to learn to cry
Goodbye, Mama, got to fly
Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, byeEntered school when I was two
PhD’d that afternoon
Never entered any sports
Didn’t look too good in shorts
Got divorced when I was fourCHORUS:
I’ve seen everything there is
I’ve done everything there is
I’ve met everyone but Liz
Now I’ve even met ol’ Liz
No time for relationship
Skip the foreplay, let ‘er rip
You gotta beat the clock, beat the clock,
Beat the clock, beat the clockI did lots of travelling
Parts of me unraveling
The Army then rejected me
Said I had two flat feet
Wore them out when I was threeToo bad there ain’t ten of you
Then I’d show you what I’d do
I could cheat on five of you
And be faithful to you too
But there’s only one of you
All mp3’s in one easy-to-use zip. Click to open in new window:
Heavy Rotation Vol. 8
-CLT