Live @ WFMU

Dale Merrill, Smashin Transistors…
Seriously! This is THE GREATEST live album since “Metallic K.O.”!!! The sun may have only started to set a few minutes prior the band invading Dave The Spazz’s program on the best radio station in the galaxy but they are already half in the bag. A drunken “Whooaaahhh” then clang bangin’ all outta key, sounding like the challenges of trying to glue back together one of mom’s prized china platters before she gets home after an impromptu rasslin’ match broke out in the family room while dosing off on some high school yard scored microdots. Everything is strewn about battered, ragged and torn, full of rock-n-roll retardation. Somewhere along the trail of plugging a show later that evening by encouraging listeners that they “don’t have to show up,” dedicating songs to those who came along to gawk at the spectacle along with more grunts and string bashing it begins to fall together. The Black Lips never fail to confuse, disgust or rile up complete hatred in the nerdy purist/traditional contingent of the “gayrage scene” and that’s the beauty of it all. They don’t stand in one place. They don’t/won’t/can’t stick to some stupid formula. Songs range from 3 chord bangers to fucked up brain damaged noise (sometimes combining the two at once then doubling up on it again too make sure). They choose to run around like chickens with their heads cut off. They hurt themselves for it…they bleed, puke & give each other concussions for it. It’s not an act. It’s like “Let’s live for this shit.” They ain’t claiming to be geniuses but it’s a ton more brilliant than whatever the majority of the message board dorks are raving about.

Artemi, Savage Magazine…
The Black Lips gig at Thomas Savage’s birthday party last summer truly changed my life. Or at least my attitude towards music. Never ever had I seen a band that had so much fun on stage, who where as into what they were doing as the crazy foursome from Atlanta were. They just blew me (and a couple of others) AWAY. I guess the reaction has been the same all around the world. They’ve left devastation, mental problems, pregnant teenagers and broken hearts behind with their live shows that for me came as close to a religious experience I ever can. Both their albums are fantastic, full of great songs and enough youthful energy to keep a small city warm. But the LIVE-situation is where Black Lips are at their best. And you wanna know what? This live-album recorded at the excellent Dave The Spazz-program on WFMU comes pretty darn close to the real thing. You can almost smell the farts, the sweat and the piss. See the psychotic eyes of these horny young guys playing their guts out. Stoned and drunk as fuck. All the best tracks are here and if you would think that they’re not, you can fuck off ‘cause it’s the wholeness that counts. And this album is a whole LIVE-show, right in your face. In your own living room. Do I really have to spell it out??? If you’re not a total fucking wanker (and even more so if you are), you’ll get this beast. They might be sold-out already though… well, I don’t give a shit actually. I got mine.

Todd Kellner, Terminal Boredom…
Hey, I can be wrong. I underestimated this band’s greatness for a good while. Their Germs-into-BFTG “thing” is actually as neato-fly-whoah-nellie as most of you assholes were barfing on about over the last few years. Each record’s improved on the past one, making LP #3 one of the most looked forward ta’ releases of 2005. Another case in point (regarding wrongness) – I felt that live releases were pointless, as I figured that their in-the-flesh thing (noise and visual chaos) wouldn’t translate without peepers, but this is a radio show with good sound and (probably) far less jumping about while piss-puking. Probably. It sounds good, though it ain’t as great as “We Did Not Know The Forest Spirit Made The Flowers Grow.” So buy that, then this. First release on Dusty Mistreater’s Dusty Medical Records, and there’s nowhere to go from here but sideways.