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Hi all, I'm Kev McManus and I play drums in Dead Moon Lizard Kings and local punk rock royalty (an accolade they gained well before I joined them!), The Amazing Spacefrogs. I also run McGuire Guitars, fixing the guitar woes of many people on Teesside, look after part of Sidecar Studios at Base Camp and I'm the in house sound engineer there too. I've been in and out of the music scene on Teesside since the mid 90's (being a teenager and gigging in Boro then was an interesting experience!) and I've seen a load of changes in the scene and the area in general, mostly for the better!
Nirvana – In Utero
Track For Playlist: Milk It
In the 90's I was your typical alternative/grunge kid and this album is still my favourite from that time and it still sounds as good as the first time I heard it now. Their previous album, Nevermind, got me hooked and this album, in my opinion, is the height of Kurt Cobain's writing talent. Veering as far away as they could from the polished, well produced sound of Nevermind, the band turned to legendary noise producer Steve Albini to make this offering as abrasive as they could. So abrasive that the label ended up hiring another producer, Scott Litt of R.E.M. Fame, to tame the mix of the singles from the album.
The song I've chosen, Milk It, is definitely one of the harsher songs on the album. With lyrics that are open to interpretation, either mumbled or screamed, drums that sound like they're recorded in a cave and a buzzsaw guitar and bass sound, this is definitely a high point of the album and couldn't be further away sonically from Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Madvillain – Madvillany
Track For Playlist: All Caps
What can be said that hasn't already been said about this album? If you know who MF Doom and Mad Lib are, you know what I mean and if you don't know who they are, you need to know. This is one of the finest, if not the finest, Hip Hop albums of all time.
Peppered with obscure samples lending heavily from the world of jazz and finished off with the “buttery flow" that could only be MF Doom, this album is a lesson in Hip Hop perfection and this track is one of the highlights on an album with no filler.Unfortunately, MF Doom passed last year on Halloween, so now is a perfect time to delve into his back catalogue.
Aphex Twin – Richard D. James Album
Track For Playlist: Girl/Boy Song
Most people who’ve heard the name Aphex Twin will know him for his biggest singles “Come to Daddy” and “Windowlicker". This album however, shows a different side to Aphex Twin, aka Richard D. James. Although its still full of his trademark fast cuts and crazy beats, this shows his more melodic side. The album is full of beautiful, soaring melodies and thus track is no exception.The penultimate track on the album, it feels as if everything you’ve been listening is building to this beautiful, choppy, climax.
Portishead – Roseland NYC Live
Track For Playlist: All Mine
This is one of my favourite live albums ever. Recorded in New York with a full orchestra, these versions of their work sound even more sinister and beautiful than the studio versions. This track in particular is stunning and, in my opinion, the pinnacle of Adrian Utley’s work with the band. The pauses before the choruses with Beth Gibbons voice alone, before the full band and orchestra come in together sound incredibly powerful in a way that only a real orchestra can. I highly recommend listening to this album on vinyl if you can, its sounds even better.
Mr. Bungle - Mr. Bungle
Track For Playlist: The Girls of Porn
This is the album that got me into the stranger, more avant-gardeside of music. Opening with Quote Unquote, a track named after John Travolta's autobiography and about him, things start odd and get odder from there. Produced by legendary experimental composer, John Zorn, the album jumps from genre to genre whilst also being full of samples and melodies that sound like they’ve been recorded in a fair ground where somethings gone horribly wrong. As for the track I’ve picked, I’m not even going to attempt to unpack what’s going on here, best you just have a listen....