Man Afraid - Discography

Man Afraid were a Minnesota based hardcore band that existed in the mid-90s. They put out two EPs and a couple songs appearing on compilations around that time. I came across both 7" EPs, Uphill Struggle (1995) and Those Disenchanted (1996), while living in Columbus, OH around 2003 at Used Kids Records store. Really liked what I heard both lyrically and musically, and decided to do a little research into the band. I was a bit taken aback to find that the lead singer, Mike Griffin, had taken his own life in the Autumn of 1996, battling major depression. The band ended its existence at that time, but did release this discography in 2000. The band played the majority of their shows in Minnesota, with a few minor tours/ventures to nearby cities and the east coast.

The music was often straightforward, but distinct to me was the pace of the songs. It's pretty much non-stop, a force driving through each song. This is created by both the typical chord progressions one would expect in this style of music, but also a consistent and solid rhythm from the bass and drums. Most of all it was the lyrics and themes presented within. Mike Griffin brought a biting political edge to the band, and because the target of his words was consistent throughout the majority of songs written, the points made and depth of the argument made that much more of an impression. Griffin drawing from his experience and disenchanted feelings about the U.S. military, promotes a critical stance toward how military force and coercion impact the human being, both within the military and upon those subject to the military force. His impassioned voice discerns this from mere punk rock anti-establishment lip service, and helps to provoke an element of urgency.


Man Afraid - "Dedication"

Beginning with an audio clip of governmental propaganda imploring to give up "personal ambitions" and sacrifice for the country. As the music comes in, we see another distinct element of the band, that being use of supporting vocals and lead vocals in play with each other and layered at times. Sometimes these layers work in unison, adding emphasis to the words, other times they run different parallel lines of lyrics adding complexity where it appears. The music on "Dedication" drives hard through the song, until about a minute and twenty seconds in, where the beat is hardened, a guitar and vocal only part builds with backing vocals added and drums and bass joining in to close out the song. Harkening back to the disenchantment mentioned above, Griffin's lyrics point directly to his realization of the motives behind military action and his questioning of the propaganda on the surface.

I was such an eager little kid, bred on excess raised to win, somehow I never wondered if, I'd rather not die blindly, inspired by the ethos or the myth, of a state that has to win, and there could be no question if, I'd rather not die blindly, I'm getting out from under all the years, that you bought me off with nostalgia, and boy scout badges that never gave me anything back, I gave up everything at 17 that I had to give, to defend property in the name of something else,...

Man Afraid - "Cemetery Ridge"

"Cemetery Ridge" sits as likely Griffin's most personal written song lyrically, and also my favorite Man Afraid song. Interestingly slow at the beginning, leading into a minor build up. The music flows from a faster pace to a slower groove allowing some drum fills and rolls accenting biting lyrics. A strong build up of guitar and drums leads back into the driving part of and conclusion of the song with Griffin voicing the following lyrics:

you said you'd never sell yourself.
were we really young and stupid?
am I really crazy?
how could all those empty victories
amount to so much more?
watching friends go by.
losing another battle deep inside.
some things are better left unsaid.

It was by luck that I had happend upon those two 7" records, and took a chance (I think I had confused them with Man is the Bastard or something, in my search at the record store that day) on them. I'm certainly grateful that I did, as I still find an appreciation of it today. An unfortunately short-lived band, but an important one none the less, and worthy of more exposure. Some more information about the band can be found at this link here and of course the band's website through Half-Mast Records linked above and here.

Asobi Seksu - Hush

The New York based Asobi Seksu have been around in one form or another (originally calling themselves "Sportfuck") since about 2001. The band is composed of two members, Yuki Chikudate (vocals, keyboards) and James Hanna (guitar, vocals). Hush (2009) is the band's third full length since going by the name Asobi Seksu. Some of the instrumental and vocal elements of this release remind me of My Bloody Valentine, though without the heavy distortion and layers, and overall I wouldn't say this is a strong comparison. Yuki Chikudate's vocals are unique and do alot to set the band's sound apart from other similar sounding groups. The instrumental portion of the music provides a soft, full backdrop, with the appropriate mood to match the vocals and allow the vocals to take the lead.


Asobi Seksu - "Familiar Light"

Yuki Chikudate's wonderful high end vocal range is on show in this song. The percussion does a good job of supporting the builds, plateaus, and waves of vocals. The beat is steady and accented by the snare drum hits and rolls. A very clear and crisp sounding recording assists in allowing each of the instruments (including the vocals here) to sound individually through on the song. It gets a bit more lush as the music soars over the vocals (a rarity on the record) momentarily before returning followed by feedback and noise closing out the song.


Asobi Seksu - "Blind Little Rain"

"Blind Little Rain" is the closing track on this album and is relatively short; there is a break of silence before a hidden portion of the song. The duel vocals sung with a tinge of reverb sound good over the slow drumming and freely expand and stretch through the song. The song sits as a bit sad sounding but not difficult, a good song to close the record out. Following the silent break, theres about forty seconds of soft instrumental music.

If I had to find a detraction from this album it would be that it seems to lose steam about halfway through. I took a second to double check the number of songs on this album (12) and concluded that it may have been better to shorten things up a bit as there are a few "filler" songs on the second half. There are a few really good "pop" songs in there, but I find this type of music doesn't necessarily translate to a full albums worth of gripping material. The good songs within are really good though and worth checking out.

Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You

Another killrockstars release, Unwound's Leaves Turn Inside You came out in 2001 and is the band's 10th and final full album. I'm just now digging into the Olympia, Washington band's earlier work and am liking what I've heard so far, though I can see how some of the fans of their earlier material could have trouble accepting the progress and changes made by the time of this final record. I first heard about Unwound through a nice writeup/review at Time Isn't on My Side blog. It grew on me slowly, taking a few listens and attempts, though the second song, "Look a Ghost" is a very infectious, as in it infects your auditory channels and the wonderful tune just stays there promoting an overall sense of well being, well for me anyways.


Unwound - "Look a Ghost"

The way the vocals are delivered in beat with the chord progressions immediately stands out and adds to the "hook" of this song. The instrumental breaks, appearing towards the end of the song, offer variations off the main line of the song, and work to intensify the return back to the main chords. I really like the steady drums that do a good job of staying out of the way and highlighting the chord changes (which also adds to the intensity and "tightness" of the performance).


Unwound - "Demons Sing Love Songs"

"Demons Sing Love Songs" runs a core tune throughout, rising into the chorus parts, and adding a variety of layers (not necessarily on top of each other) to spice things up a bit. Percussion is steady but also changes in regards to use of percussive instrument at times during the song, all the while hammering home another great catchy guitar and rhythm creation. The vocals are softer than those on "Look a Ghost", and I really like the chorus lyrics as they fit into the feeling evoked musically.

when i left my island i was wrong
met a phantom, memorized a song
nothing happens now that i belong

love's a demon, love's a demon, love's a demon, love
love's a demon, love's a demon, love's a demon, lo-o-ove

I'm pressed to include a third song to demonstrate a bit better, the creativity of Unwound on this album. "Terminus" demonstrates as good as any song here what is going on in the deeper levels of the band's songwriting.


Unwound - "Terminus"

The song really breaks down into three parts, the first part, more traditional in its form and sound. A bit harder and direct than the previous two songs reviewed above. Alone this would be a good song, but then about three and a half minutes into the song begins the second part, a build of guitar plucking, and unrelenting percussion. This builds and plateaus, drops, and starts again. The transition into the third part, is eerie and screeching, almost as if its being played to represent a dense fog....then....a beautiful piece closes the song, raising out above the previous two parts.

You can hear the later Sonic Youth influence in Unwound's music, but its as if Unwound took it a few steps further on this album, maybe many steps further. Some of the songs can be quite long (two of them sit around the ten minute mark), but they are never dull. The album can be complex at times, but never overly so, and a great balance is struck with good songwriting along solid musicianship. The vocals remain diverse throughout, and the use of effects during recording help to achieve an overall individualistic result. Highly recommended. As I delve into their earlier releases I'll likely post on them as well.

Lay Low - Farewell Good Night's Sleep

Lay Low (singer/songwriter Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardottir) hails from Reykjaví, Iceland and has made quite a name for herself there, her debut album, Please Don’t Hate Me released in 2006, went platinum. Having an affinity for Icelandic singer/songwriter Bjork as a teenager I was immediately intrigued by her vocals and reported influences. The following quote is taken from her website:

At age 27, Lay Low draws inspiration from artists like Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Kitty Wells, while breathing new life and fresh perspective into the timeless sounds of American folk, blues and country.

Through repeated listening of her recent release Farewell Good Night's Sleep, Lay Low's voice presents with just the right amount of softness and warmth to accompany her Icelandic accent. Admittedly, I found this type of music (secondary to the vocalist) as perfect background music, something to match a relaxing activity (I wouldn't play this while I sharpen my Wuesthof knives).


Lay Low - "Last Time Around"

This seems to be the song getting the most play around the internet, and it is certainly a catchy tune due to a nice guitar interlude that appears following the vocal passages complementing them well. Violin and a steady high-hat pace the song initially, violin is allowed to merge into the guitar picking that follows. Lyrics about a lonely heart seeking another to clear the "gray skies" appear and disappear as the song develops.

The album remains folk throughout, but songwriting is varied enough to avoid redundancy or an over reliance on vocals to diversify each individual track. I have not yet heard her previous album, but am hopeful that this is the case there as well. Found it interesting that between 2007 and 2008 she took the role of music director for the Pulitzer Prize play ‘How I Learned to Drive’, writing and performing the music.



Lay Low - "Days Have Been"

This song sits as one of the softest, simple, yet rewarding songs possibly because something seems to really shine through the lyrics and vocals connecting emotionally with the subject matter of the song. Piano is used to expand the song instrumentally with basic high-hat and guitar providing the base. Short and sweet. "A Second Hand Heart" offers some nice backing vocals and what reminds me of an almost Hawaiian folk sound musically, an example of the diversity mentioned earlier. She could be blowing up rather soon, considering some of the backing she has started to get since this album was released in the UK and America, if the lighter side of things is your thing musically, I'd say to check this album out.

Mikkel Meyer - Bacon

Mikkel Meyer's latest album Bacon, which was released late this past November (i.e. a few weeks ago) is available for live streaming (yes the whole album!) over at Statler & Waldorf records' website, and I recommend checking it out further to get a greater taste of what this excellent electronic album has to offer. I first heard of Meyer, a Danish musician, over at Its a Trap! , where I read an early review of Bacon, and listed to the track available below entitled "Tunge (feat. Non)".


Mikkel Meyer - "Tunge"

Non appears from the Chicago based Shadowhuntaz, and as was stated over at Its a Trap!, Non's voice fits well with the music created by Meyer. This forms what feels like a heavy vocal layer dragged over ebbs of electronic waves and a steady percussive beat. The pace of the electronics varies, falls out at times before returning (along with vocals) providing specific points separating the main parts of the song. The end of the song really breaks down as the ebbs slow, scatter, and finally stop.

The majority of the album is instrumental and the first track on the album, "Tatar" is a good example of what can be found within, with the caveat that the beat and rhythm on this song is probably at its most pronounced and being the first track, immediately draws the listener in.


Mikkel Meyer - "Tatar"

Rolling percussion leads into pause, entering the electronic sounds, then both combine and carry the song forward providing the core that is returned to multiple times throughout the 4:18 minute song. Breaks and changes are present to keep things varied just enough to not be monotonous, and like all of the songs on this album, song length is just right (no song reaches the five minute mark, keeping it short and sweet!). The rest of the album contains two other songs where a guest vocalist is present, which makes three total out of the nine tracks. The instumental tracks that close out the album provide both moodiness ("Ostetaerte"), sound layering ("Flodebudding"), and the final track, "Jordbaerkage" being simply a solid composition, right up there with the first track "Tatar" in quality and closes the album nicely.

Admittedly, of all of the genres I'll likely cover here on the blog, I'm rather green when it comes to electronic/experimental/noise (with some mild exposure to noise here and there a few years ago), but I'm really hooked on this album right now and recommend checking it out in full over at the record label site as noted above.

Born Against: Nine Patriotic Hymns For Children & Battle Hymns of the Race War

These were seperately released records, but can now be found together on cd format through killrockstars. Born Against was a hardcore punk band that existed between 1989-1993 in New York. The bulk of their compositions can be found here on these two albums and on the The Rebel Sound of Shit and Failure a collection of obscure 7", 8" and comp. tracks, that I also recommend. The thing that stands out about Born Against is a knack for creative songwriting in a genre that can sometimes reduce itself to bland "hero worship" and a reluctance to variety. Not unlike, guitar work you'd hear from Greg Ginn's Black Flag days, Adam Nathanson's guitar is both heavy and rhythmic, and given the freedom to roam within song structures, branching out at times, only to return crashing back into the driving rhythm maintained by the bass and drums. Born Against was strongly political, and singer Sam McPheeter's ire is turned on classism, sexism, racism, and well you get the picture. I"ve always found McPheeter's lyrics thought provoking at the least and when taken with the music, can be downright haunting.

Opening track, "Mount the Pavement" storms through with steady, yet vicious drumming, and some of the heavier guitar work on the album. The song remains fairly simple in form and because of this, remains formal and concise, but is a driving force in its own right. A few tracks later we come to "Nine Years Later".

Nine years into the future and we're still counting the dead and the dying
Still totaling the countless hidden victims of heightened state terror still
believing of a peace and prosperity of a peace with a hundred thousand
executed by disease of a prosperity with millions living on the streets

Born Against - "Nine Years Later"

Lyrics tend to be biting and direct to the point, often pointing a finger at the bystander, calling for action. Here we are starting to hear a pattern emerging amongst Nathonson's guitarwork in Born Against. As harsh an caustic as the sound the band produces can be, there are sometimes wonderfully catchy (in a good way) and captivating chord progressions and hooks created that individualize each song and create memorable moments within the anger expressed. "Nine Years Later", in its 2:22 minutes, builds slowly, explodes into one of the more emotionally enlightening riffs, and matches perfectly with the harsh vocals. "Mary and Child" takes on abortion, religion, and sexism all at once, taking a pragmatic stance about the life lost to improper medical procedures done under circumstances that hinder the access to safer and legitimate ones. "Well Fed Fuck" is mid-paced track, ending up being one of the longer songs on the album at 4:48 minutes. Short lyrics are repeated over and over and the guitar, drums, and bass follow suit creating what can be a tedious or pummeling experience (depending on your particular persuasion).


Born Against - "This Trash Should Have Been Free"

My favorite song on this cd is "This Thrash Should Have Been Free". The melodic guitar, once again appearing underneath the caustic exterior, catches me every time and rolls right into a strong song in its own right "Poland", which features McPheeter's wailing over build-ups and breaks in the music. The tail end of the disc suffers from some unecessary tracks ("Born Against are Fucking Dead", "Prank"), that derail the impression being left by majority of the album.


These albums have stood the test of time for me, and thinking about it, I believe it's because the songwriting creates distinct song structures and with enough variance within each song to remain interesting upon multiple listening.