A dank mood led to a spree of music downloading yesterday -- didn't make me feel any better, I guess, but I was sufficiently energized by what I uncovered.

Who remembers Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers? Absolutely unhinged Italian hardcore, frantic, furious noise that shatters before your ears, I was thrilled to uncover a bunch of tracks from a CCM demo tape here. Sounds so fast, so blitheringly spiteful and contemptuous of musical niceties that they're downright abstract.

Another fine find was Stack Waddy, a beautifully gnarly biker-garage-metal outfit from the UK circa 1971 that sounds like Motorhead on heroin instead of speed fronted by Captain Beefheart. Yes, it's that good! John Peel signed them to his Dandelion label back in the day (because no one else would) and they were well known for audience abuse, chucking bottles at the crowd when they didn't respond the right way. Construction workers by day, their two LPs are pretty much all covers, cool stuff by Pretty Things, Beefheart, Zappa, Bo Diddley, Kinks, Lazy Lester, all recorded in one take. Glorious. Absolutely glorious.

Let it also be known that The End Times will make what was private public on March 10th at 9:00pm, an appearance at a house party in the Montlake neighborhood. Contact me if you wanna make it.