Pig Destroyer - Can't Tell No One (Negative Approach cover)

Book Burner was my one of my favourite albums of 2012, the best thing about it was the bonus disc where they cover seven hardcore classics. It's absolutely outstanding and it doesn't come off as some gimmick like, look at this grindcore band trying to ruin a bunch of monumental punk songs. There's definitely some soul to it!

The Opie & Anthony Show

The Humpers - (I'm) Watching You

Recorded in 1994, badass garage punk band from Long Beach, California. Aren't really known as some of the similar bands around that time and area, which is strange because the songs are catchy as hell and they released a couple records for the big shots over at Epitaph. I hadn't heard of them either until I listened to The Hellacopters cover of this song. That's what's so cool about those Swedish artists like them and The Hives, no matter how much fame they get they always make sure you know by what bands they were influenced, unlike other douchebags who steal like bankers and then tell Rolling Stone magazine they were influenced by the sun, rainbows and Che Guevara. Go fuck yourself.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Danger

Bettie Page scares the living hell out of me! Meat + Bone came out last year and it defines what punk and blues are all about. Chaotic, fun, rootsy, paying homage to the greats and at the same time holding a middle finger to every convention.

Black Lips - Stranger

I've left the house only for about half an hour the last week, and that's because I was out of booze. My anxiety issues may have gone to an extreme level, it's never going to outweigh my alcoholism though! I spend a lot of time watching hockey now that the lockout has ended. It's such a great sport, boxing is number one, but I'm becoming dissatisfied with what it has to offer lately. Marquez finally got the victory against Pacquiao he deserved the previous match(es) too, other than that nothing is happening. So called talents are not living up to the hype, judges are still scoring the fights like they have shit in their eyes, Bernard Hopkins is still fighting... I have the utmost respect for the man, but after that last "my shoulder hurts"-debacle, it's just getting embarrassing. When am I finally getting my sports show? Being a blogger fucking blows.

André Masson

Salome - Master Failure

The documentary Dark Days was brought to my attention by the Opester (Underground Exploring Searching for MOLE PEOPLE). It's about homeless people who literally lived under Manhattan in the Amtrak tunnel. Beautifully shot, they focus on a few residents who all have their own stories and various backgrounds. What you hear is Salome, a doom/sludge metal band with vocalist Katherine Katz who has the one most powerful voices I've heard in my life. The band split up a while ago, but good old Katz is still kicking it with the grindcore masters of Agoraphobic Nosebleed.

Lowlifes in the Basement #49

01. Altered Boys - The Nudge
02. Deformity - No Time
03. Bad Times - Bad Time
04. Jim Florentine - Getting Off (Terrorizing Telemarketers)
05. Carl Perkins - Boppin' the Blues
06. Link Wray - Taildragger
07. Bill Burr - Target
08. New Bomb Turks - Eyes of Satan
09. Andrew Dice Clay - Pizza
10. Dee Dee Ramone - Chinese Bitch
11. Hot Snakes - If Credit's What Matters I'll Take Credit
12. Lost Sounds - Throw Away
13. Richard Pryor - The Goodnight Kiss
14. Roky Erickson and the Aliens - I Think of Demons
15. Slomatics - Outer Space

David M. Spear

Amanahilda with dogs, Mexico 2001

Dancing with Rooster Daxi, China 2006

Juana Paloma, Mexico 1998

Lee with pup, 1992

Mamie brushing hair with Lee, 1988

Mom and Lee, 1988

Sherman Smith, 1990

www.davidmspear.com

Jerry Spider Gang - Life is a Hell

High energy French garage rock from the late '90s.

Necro Hippies - Life in General

School Jerks - Outcast

Deformity - Shards

Gritty NY hardcore that sounds both raw/unpolished and refined. Fight scene from the kung-fu classic Hell'z Windstaff. You can find it amongst a bunch of other obscure gems in some Wu-Tang dvd boxset. And it's not all just ass-kicking. Some movies, yeah, you will literally see no women at all and it's guys grabbing balls, poking eyes out and talk fantasy football the next scene (maybe I made up that last part). But then there are also soft-erotic movies with prostitutes and go go dancers. A wide arrange of kung-fu cinema that will show you that Tarantino did not have one original idea in his head when he made Kill Bill (which is still a great fucking film though).

Retainers - Waste of Time

No-nonsense garage punk stomper from 2009. The b-side of the 7", Die Baby Die, is quite the banger too.

Closet Case - Old Ways

Closet Case made a cassette last year, "It Doesn't Get Better", so hard hitting, knocking your teeth out and raping your mouth so there's nothing left for you to do but swallow. Images from Harmony Korine's underappreciated masterpiece Julien Donkey-Boy.