Daily Spin Volume 1

Here at the Sell Out Records offices, I’m fortunate enough to play whatever I want. Even though a lot of it comes through my crummy laptop speakers, I still spend a lot of time listening to music. It helps with ups and downs and different things that I go through on a daily basis. As a freelance writer, I question my motives as to why I gave up working 9 to 5 for this unstable life, but then the music comes on and I realize that it’s for something, the love of freedom. We can debate whether or not I actually have it, or the reasons why I’m often times depressed, tired, and feeling like the world is going to collapse on me, but that’s not for this blog, or time.

Today is Wednesday, December 4, 2013 and I listened to some whole records. This is volume 1 of my journals and playlists. I do have a last.fm page here, but this is for complete daily spins. You can purchase them by clicking on the appropriate links, and of course you can download them there too. Here is what I listened to, and some comments on each record.

Death by Stereo “Black Sheep of the American Dream” (2012) – I didn’t know that Death By Stereo put out a record last year. I was surprised to see it, so I quickly put it on and loved the option that featured a lot more synchronicity on the guitars. I liked it, but it’s far from my favorite of theirs, perhaps more spins are in order. .

Riverdales “Storm The Streets” (1997) – I was 14 years old when I first heard the mighty sound of The Riverdales. This record is solid, fast, to the point and features Ramones style punk rock done dirt cheap. I loved their track on the Angus soundtrack, and this just carries that tradition forward.

The Psychedelic Furs “All of this and Nothing” (1988) – If Echo and The Bunnymen and Jesus and Mary Chain had a lovechild, this may be what they sounded like. Or maybe a mix of those bands, and David Bowie. This record truly is a gem from the late 1980s and I love every song on it. You won’t find another record that encompasses that lo-fi, glam sound that circulated through the new wave era. It’s a mix of the aforementioned bands and so much more, it’s odd.

Deftones “Koi no Yokan” (2012) – The Deftones forged ahead after the loss of their friend and bandmate, and were able to produce another record that sounds eerily familiar. It’s not progress but it’s such in their style that it is just good. Much like Motorhead and other bands, you know what you’re going to get with a Deftones album, and they truly deliver. Chino’s vocals are spot on, the production value is high, and there are some amazing introspective moments here.

Brother Ali “The Undisputed Truth” (2007) – I swear I saw Brother Ali on a bus, riding to Santa Monica. Then again, it may have been someone else. The album features a very elastic rhyme style, with a lot of flavor that is not heard of in a lot of other records. The beats are solid, the lyricism is thoughtful, positive and full of life. I love the way it flows, and you may very well like it too.

Zion I “Shadow Boxing” (2013) – The latest release from Zion I has him flowing through a lot of cuts, breaks, beats, and noise. Unlike his previous effort, this one took me a while to get the feeling for, and some people will agree that it seems a bit disjointed. On the heels of this release, a deluxe edition came out as well as a remix record which is also good. This one has some stand outs though, and I love each track in a different way. It may be my favorite Zion I record, or maybe just a flavor of the day? I don’t know.

As I said earlier, every day I listen to a lot of music. I hustle daily to make ends meet and hopefully one day can make profit from records, music, and affiliate networking. Until then, I’m stuck trying to slave away for change. If you are interested in hearing any of the records here, perhaps you can order or download them with the appropriate links, thank you.