Life at the Label: Adventures of a Metalhead in Jazzland

Recently, I started working at the wonderful world of Wayside Music Distro and Cuneiform Records.  Aside from being much warmer than working outside (my previous job was dog walking and if you don't know, it's 29 degrees in my neighborhood), I get the benefit of listening to a ton of rad music I’d never hear otherwise.  My boss, avid jazz fan and label owner, shares all kinds of recommendations with me.  In return, I teach him about metal. 

In our talks, we’ve realized there are a few similarities between metal and jazz fans.

1. We can be elitists.  Sometimes.  Our taste is better than anyone else’s, obviously.
2.    One could make the argument that certain metal and jazz subgenres are acquired tastes. 
3.    We want innovation and new music, but not too much innovation.  Then it’s not legit.  Too much innovation runs the risk of treading into poseur-dom.  (I’m not sure what the jazz equivalent is.)
4.  Technical skill is highly prized, sometimes over songwriting ability.
5. There are bands that love to grate on critics nerves.  In jazz, Mostly Other People Do the Killing love to push buttons.  Their most recent album, Blue, is a note for note recreation of Molies Davis’ Kind of Blue. Their album covers are spoofs of famous jazz album covers and named after towns in Pennsylvania.   MOPDtK seem to ignite the passions of detractors, who claim Mostly is too flip and not serious enough while simultaneously earning high praise from top music critics.  

Left, classic album by the Ornette Coleman Trio.  On the right, This is Our Moosic by MOTPDtK.  Moosic is a small town in PA. 

Through working at the label and distro, I’ve found some great bands that I think will appeal to fans of metal, jazz, and just good music in general.  I probably lack the creds or music knowledge to attempt to bring jazz to metal and vice versa, but apparently one of the members of The Cardiacs laughed when he heard I’d told my boss they sound like “1,000 British flags waving in unison.”  So there’s that.

My Brother the Wind

The Swedish instrumental trio boasts two improved albums plus a Live at Roadburn recording.  After a surprise tweet from guitarist Nicklas Barker (not to be confused with drummer Nicholas Barker), I decided to give them a whirl.  MBtW produces spacey, psychedelic, progressive rock.  Clearly, these three understand each other and understand how to play music.   The albums flow beautifully together, but it’s not really something you could put on your shuffle.  Lyrics-less, soothing, and seamless, My Brother the Wind is your new mellow background music.

Their Live at Roadburn recording is up for a name your price download on bandcamp.

Hedvig Mollestad Trio

The boss put this on after I was playing Kyuss.  The Norwegian trio, led by the amazing Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen, plays what sounds like the collision of jazz and desert rock. Personally, I find the guitar tone and sort of easy-going nature of the riffs the most similar to bands like Kyuss, Clutch, etc.  Without vocals (but certainly not *lacking*), it’s easy to get lost in the grooves Mollestad creates.  I’d play this on long road trips, while reading, or doing anything else I’d like to get lost in. Check out this awesome video of them playing a full set ON THE BEACH in Norway.

Vomit Fist

Initially, the Paolo Girardi art (the dude who did the Artificial Brain cover, to name one) caught my eye, it was Veteran’s Day and this cover has soldiers in sort of a Lovecraftian battle scene.   I packed about ten of these up for shipping when I finally flipped one over.  “Boss,” I called, “there’s a song on here called Ass Hammer. Can we jam on this?  There’s no way I can’t hear this.”  My boss obliged, although I think he spent a good bit of time laughing at me first.  Vomit Fist calls themselves “blackened grindcore,” and while I can hear elements of black metal and grindcore, I can also hear elements of Nick Didkovsky’s experimental-jazz-meets-metal-meets improv project, Doctor Nerve.  (Nick’s a really interesting guy who plays jazz, did time in John Zorn’s band and has degrees in Computer Music.)   

Out of all the bands listed, Vomit Fist is the only straight metal band.  It’ll appeal to anyone who likes spastic music, catchy riffs, and a touch of innovation.   Don’t let the father-son thing throw you off, this rips.  There’s a song called AssHammer.  That alone is worth the $8 on bandcamp.

All of these albums can also be purchased at www.waysidemusic.com.  (Support small labels, keep me employed!)