Curve - Come Clean (1998)

A tuneful mishmash of electronic rock and dance music from the 90s

The Electronic Alternative rock band Curve’s debut album, 1992’s Doppelganger, is undoubtedly one of the most underrated albums of the ‘90s. This British duo pioneered the field of mixing gothic darkness, shoegazing dream pop and tuneful dance music, a field later popularized by likes of Garbage (and imitated by countless others). In fact, Curve could re-release Doppelganger (or their celebrated singles collection Pubic Fruit) and still sound more advanced than most of today’s bands. 

Curve took an extended vacation after 1993’s Cuckoo, but later the duo of Toni Halliday (vocals) and Dean Garcia (bass, guitar, programming) officially came back together again to produce this album. Halliday kept busy during the band’s break by working with various techno acts, while Garcia worked on a few film scores. The duo’s 1998 album, Come Clean, proved that their side projects had helped Halliday and Garcia sharpen their skills. In fact, it was not commercially successful but also critically praised.

Come Clean opens with the brilliant single "Chinese Burn", a song Halliday claims is "me talking to my alter-ego, the bad person inside me." Even after so many years, it’s as intense as anything I’ve heard it then. On the second track, "Coming Up Roses," Halliday and Garcia show a little bit of their R&B side. Garcia uses his electronic arsenal to make "Coming Up Roses" slink and slither behind Halliday’s sultry vocal performance. 

Tracks like this are Curve’s specialty – they were one of few bands that can sound as abrasive as Atari Teenage Riot one minute, and as smooth and graceful as Sarah McLachlan the next. Curve embraced remixes and electronic angst back when grunge was all the rage. Now Kurt is dead, Soundgarden has broken up (well, almost), and Bush is doing remix CDs and working on a new a album for a very long time. Sadly, Curve is also no more but its no exaggeration that Curve were ahead of their time. If you have never heard of Curve, start with this album.

Natural Born Killers (1994) - Original Soundtrack

A Defining Movie Soundtrack from the 90's 

Film maker Oliver Stone couldn't have picked a better soundtrack producer for his 1994 ultra-violent cult movie "Natural Born Killers" starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Rodney Dangerfield, Robert Downey, Jr., Tom Sizemore, and Tommy Lee Jones than Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor. Reznor, the leader of Nine Inch Nails, was hired to sort through the more than 70 songs used in the film to create this a one of a kind soundtrack that would complement the controversial storyline incidentally based on a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino.

The final product is one of the more eclectic soundtrack compilations ever assembled. In addition to the 27 songs which appear on the disc, snippets of dialogue from 27 different characters in the film can be also heard. How many other discs could feature greats like Patsy Cline, Peter Gabriel, Leonard Cohen, and Bob Dylan with the likes of Rage Against the Machine, Marilyn Manson, Jane's Addiction and Dr. Dre? Fans of every type of music will find something they like on this soundtrack. 

The disc opens with Cohen's "The Miracle" and ends with Tha Dogg Pound's "What Would U Do?" In between, it's a ride through the vibrant landscape of music past and present. Nine Inch Nails is featured on three of the disc's tracks. Two of them, "Burn" and "A Warm Place," are great tracks. There is also a remix of "Something I Can Never Have" from the band's debut album. The new mix of this song includes sound bites by some of the characters in the film, and the dialogue adds to the dark mood of the song. Reznor also remixes the Jane's Addiction song "Ted, Just Admit It." The remix, titled "Sex is Violent," features an interesting section of Diamanda Galas' "I Put a Spell On You." Similarly, the Peter Gabriel track "Taboo" is an exotic affair featuring support for Pakistani Sufi Legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

While some soundtracks are nothing but boxed collections of the songs you hear in the film, this one stands apart because it captures the tone of the film itself and the music of those days. Although this album never sold as many copies as the likes of other 90 hit soundtracks, say "Forrest Gump" or "Bodyguard" soundtracks, it is more adventurous and creative than either of those. Even after 20 years, there is yet to release an album of such vivid contradictions and extreme variety blended in one soundtrack. Perhaps, with the "Natural Born Killers" soundtrack, Trent Reznor wanted to set the standard by which other future soundtracks would be judged. A challenge that is still to be bettered!

Junksista - Life Is Unfair (And Love Is A Bitch)

Addictive ElectroPop Teaser from the Enticing German Duo 

The Electro Rock German Duo Junksista are truly hard to classify but I'll try. Imagine the groovy freshness of Cardigans with the industrial rock appeal of Garbage, the undeniable danceability of Royksopp and the musical allure of Bjork all rolled into a pleasant, synthetic rock and pop mishmash. Combine this with sultry sexy vocals and explosive, extremely provocative porn laced lyrics and then, you'll have the musical genius of Junksista.

While rigid reviewers may find their lyrics a little vacuous or even obscene for the many references to sex, no one can deny that the music they create at least is truly inventive and original. Singer Diana and guitarist Boog produce a unique funky sound that oozes with sexiness, is perfect on the ear and will definitely make you hit that rewind button often!

Present here is their official video of their hit track "Life Is Unfair (And Love Is A Bitch)", a melodic song with a great tune about love in its many forms. Even more goodness can be found on their latest EP of the same name that features fantastic remixes and also on their trending album "Bad Case of Fabulous". Know more on their website or check out the facebook page now! 

Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000)

Hilariously bizarre 4th sequel to the 80s Cult Hit  

Nobody makes disgusting, lowbrow, depraved films devoid of any form of redeeming value better than Lloyd Kaufman and the folks at Troma Entertainment and that's what makes them so fun. Kaufman's fourth installment in the adventures of the Toxic Avenger, the cult campy classic from the 1980s is an unashamed, downward spiral into a cesspool of severed limbs and toilet humor with myriad political, cultural and societal references thrown in for added pleasure.

The difference between this low budget gem of a flick and other gross-out fare (including from the B-movie specialists at Troma) is that Citizen Toxie has a take-no-prisoners attitude with enough social commentary. There is something to offend everybody in this edition and I do mean everybody. 

This time around, our beloved Toxie finds himself replacing his evil counterpart - the Noxious Offender aka Noxie in an alternate time warped universe - Amortville (Troma in reverse), where corrupt politicians, crooked cops and evil drug dealers reign supreme - sort of like the present day United States on steroids. 

I want say more but Citizen Toxie is the best Toxic Avenger film since the ground-breaking cult original that was released in 1985 (it's also one of Troma's best). Watch out for Ron Jeremy, B-movie queen Debbie Rochon and fun cameos by Corey Feldman, Hugh Hefner, Al Goldstein, Eli Roth,  Julie Strain, the director himself - Lloyd Kaufman and others. A bizarre superhero movie of the cult kind to end 2012! 

Free Video Link - Streaming and Download - VeeHD

Best Halloween Songs of All Time

15 Superb Halloween Inspired Tracks (or Something like that)!!

With Halloween practically over by now, I know this post is at least a full one week late but that should not stop mortal souls like you from downloading this grand, splendid, impressive (well, I cant think of more superlatives) selection of superb Halloween inspired tracks featuring assorted genres.

Included in this truly ‘one of its kind’ (one more superlative) compilation are cool cover renditions of Halloween classics by Blue Oyster Cult, Alice Cooper, Iron Maiden, Eurythmics, Ray Parker Jr, Screamin' Jay Hawkins and the inimitable Michael Jackson. Watch out for BeatFreakz remix of Rockwell’s super hit “Somebody's Watching Me”, Matt Pond PA’s tuneful “Halloween” and Massive Attack’s eerie “Inertia Creeps”.

Time to relive the Halloween magic!!

15 tracks in playlist, average track length: 4:41

Playlist length: 1 hour 10 minutes 22 seconds

1. Apollo 440 - Don't Fear The Reaper (Blue Oyster Cult Cover) (5:28)

2. Aqua - Halloween (3:51)

3. Crystal Therapy - Welcome to My Nightmare (Alice Cooper Cover) (3:03)

4. Diesel - I Put A Spell On You (Screamin' Jay Hawkins Cover) (4:09)

5. Hoobastank - Ghostbusters (Ray Parker Jr Cover) (3:02)

6. Ian Brown (The Stone Roses) - Thriller (Michael Jackson Cover) (3:28)

7. Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams (Eurythmics Cover) (4:53)

8. Massive Attack - Inertia Creeps (5:54)

9. Matt Pond PA - Halloween (5:02)

10. Michael Jackson - Is It Scary (5:35)

11. Rockwell Featuring Michael Jackson + BeatFreakz - Somebody's Watching Me (3:22)

12. Shadowland - Scared of the Dark (6:07)

13. Trans-Sylvanian Orchestra - Tubular Bells (Mike Oldfield Exorcist Theme Mix) (5:15)

14. Washington - Halloween (3:50)

15. Yahel - Fear Of The Dark (Iron Maiden Cover - DNA Remix) (7:23)

Free Mp3 Download - 94.06 MB Single Zipped Folder – Link EXPIRED

THIS IS A NON-COMMERCIAL FAN MIXTAPE. IF YOU LIKE THESE ARTISTS, PLEASE BUY THEIR ORIGINAL MUSIC. You can buy original CDS/DVDs & Mp3s at Emusic, Amazon, Itunes, other online stores or your nearest music retailer.

Abel Ferrara’s Driller Killer (1979)

The Original Ultra Violent 70's Slasher

The late 70’s especially 1979 saw an explosion in insanely violent movies, judging from the release of the classic “Dawn of the Dead” and the utterly deranged “Cannibal Holocaust” that year. Another entry in this category was “Driller Killer”, Abel Ferrara’s (Bad Lieutenant, Ms. .45) first major film effort and another in a long procession of late 70s horror and exploitation films to argue that everyone at Manhattan was losing their mind. In fact, Driller Killer was banned in the UK for the unadulterated scale of violence in it and was officially re-released only in 1999.

The premise is fairly straight forward though. A seedy artist (played with aplomb by Ferrara himself), who’s gone several weeks without a shower, has holed up in a Manhattan apartment with two equally seedy, dope addicted lesbian lovers. He’s trying to complete a large masterpiece painting of a buffalo and sell it to an art gallery so that he can pay the rent. He discovers the wonders of the "Porto Pak," a strange device selling for $19.95 that allows you to run any AC-powered appliance no matter where you are. This is handy. Since the horrors of Manhattan’s seamy side have led him to start hallucinating and flying into psychotic fits of rage, he decides to pick up a Porto Pak and start killing derelicts with a power drill. Hence, the name Driller Killer.

This one made me feel out of sorts for the rest of the day. Any fool can make a movie that’s just frankly obscene, but it takes an edge of intellect to make a film that crosses the line into the unspeakably repulsive. “Driller Killer” is such a film, and Abel Ferrara is just the man to make it.

I feel like I have got a pretty good stomach for these sorts of things, but two scenes made me flinch - a street person throwing up on himself and a highly nasty bit of business involving a skinned rabbit. There are also long sequences, recording the rehearsal of a talentless no wave band called "The Roosters," which are almost as hard to take. The vomit, the dead rabbit and the garage band are all real, by the way - used in favor of more edible pea green soup, latex and actual musical talent in a convenient intersection of budget economy and cinéma_vérité.

And yet the movie has got just enough intelligence to get you through the unwatchable parts: there’s a overt menace in the apparently purposeless, atmospheric shots of the painter drinking in Manhattan’s horrid squalor, there’s a fascinating bit after his psychotic break in which he appears to split into two people simultaneously, and the ending is quite nice, eerie and stylized.

If there's a point to be taken from this perplexing but not totally insipid film, it concerns a sort of artistic Judgment Day. The painter decries the Roosters’ ability to forge a group of followers despite their appalling and plagiaristic music. Frantic for money, the painter later agrees to do a portrait for the Roosters that will end up on the cover of their next album and this is when he splits in two - the lead singer is prancing around his apartment playing abysmal guitar and the painter is trying to work on the portrait despite the lead singer’s constant, pretentious entreaties that he "communicate" - "what part of me are you putting there?" he demands, pointing at the canvas.

The film’s culminating moment comes when the gallery owner mocks and rejects the painter’s magnum opus, proclaiming it "worthless" and calling it proof that "the worst thing that could happen to a painter has happened to you; you’ve become merely a technician." Economic and class anxiety saturates the film - the painter loathes the homeless but is only a step away from homelessness himself but aesthetic anxiety, a perceived death of art, culture and music, is what really makes this movie tick.

Free Streaming/Download Avi Link : StageVu or VeeHD (Uncut Version)

An Apocalyptic Wedding Invite

Thanks to Ellen Forney for the inspiration, designed this wedding card for a friend of mine. What better way to celebrate our mutual love for Zombies and Graphic Novels!!

Gothic Rock Greatest Hits - A Websnacker Exclusive!

The Very Best of Gothic Rock Hits - Goth Rock, Dark Wave & Gothic Metal Mp3s

I had planned this Gothic Hits compilation to coincide with Halloween (Oct 31) but thanks to my terrible time management skills, it has taken me 3 weeks to finally bring it to fruition. In fact, this is my first music post in the last 45 days so I will make it special.

For many “Gothic Rock” is an acquired taste with a bad reputation! At heart, "Goth Rock" refers to the musical style invented by second-generation British Punk bands like the hugely popular The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees and the post-punk Joy Division (the predecessors of New Order) – gloomy, melancholic music that embraced darkness and excessively gloomy imagery but the Gothic style is actually quite broad and has serious cultural antecedents in the work of writers like Mary Shelley and Horace Walpole. The pop "Gothic" style has deeply influenced our culture and is today represented in the music of a wide variety of bands, from Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry’s Dead Can Dance to the more popular Marilyn Manson. At its worst, Gothic music is pathetically hackneyed, a collection of clichéd lines about lost vampires, blood and arcane creatures of the night. At its best, Gothic rock and its subgenres can be frighteningly morbid, darkly romantic and melodiously tuneful all at the same time.

And here’s your chance to sample this great often neglected genre. Featuring some of the very best Gothic tunes – from plain vanilla gothic rock and gothic metal to dark wave, electronica tinged gothic synth pop plus a little symphonic dark metal too, you’ll hear them all. And I have intentionally kept it as accessible as possible!

Included are some of my personal favorites too - “Cry Little Sister” by the talented English singer-songwriter - Gerard McMann (from the “Lost Boys” Soundtrack), “Kaiser Star” by the Danish indie dark rock act - Ruined By Martin (or RbM) and “Heaven’s A Lie” by Lacuna Coil, the famed Milanese Italian gothic metal band of Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia.

Other acts featured here include Mono Inc and Wolfsheim, both from Hamburg; Within Temptation, the Dutch metal/alternative rock band; Switchblade Symphony, the San Francisco ensemble; Sisters of Mercy, the English gothic rock band and Sirenia, the well-liked symphonic gothic metal band from Norway. I have a penchant for Finnish music so have added 3 acts – HIM, the Helsinki rock band of Ville Valo; Amorphis, a Nordic melodic metal band and Nightwish, the symphonic dark metal band famous for “Nemo” from the soundtrack of the underground horror thriller “Cave” and perhaps Finland’s most successful band export.

14 tracks in playlist, average track length: 4:50
Playlist length: 1 hour 7 minutes 53 seconds

1. Amorphis - Silent Waters (4:50)
2. Gerard McMann - Cry Little Sister (Lost Boys Soundtrack) (4:47)
3. Him - Join Me In Death (3:36)
4. Hungry Lucy - Bound In Blood (5:19)
5. Lacuna Coil - Heaven's A Lie (4:46)
6. Mono Inc. - This Is The Day (5:18)
7. Nightwish - Nemo (Cave Soundtrack) (4:19)
8. Noctorum - My Museum (4:59)
9. Ruined By Martin (RbM) - Kaiser Star (4:07)
10. Sirenia - Save Me From Myself (4:14)
11. Sisters Of Mercy - Temple Of Love (8:07)
12. Switchblade Symphony - Dissolve (remix) (5:44)
13. Within Temptation - Jillian (4:48)
14. Wolfsheim - I Won't Believe (2:59)

Free Mp3 Download - 85.66 MB Single Zipped Folder – Megaupload link

THIS IS A NON-COMMERCIAL FAN MIXTAPE. IF YOU LIKE THESE ARTISTS, PLEASE BUY THEIR ORIGINAL MUSIC & PROMOTE THEM. You can buy original CDS/DVDs & Mp3s of the above artists at www.emusic.com, www.amazon.com, www.itunes.com, other online stores or your nearest music and movie retailer.

Depeche Mode’s Greatest Hits - A Websnacker Compilation

Grrreat Music from the Godfathers of Synthpop!

From Depeche Mode - the World’s most successful synthpop, electronic new wave rock band, comes this MP3 selection of some of their greatest hits and personal favorites that will make you realize why they have sold over 100 million albums, singles and remixes worldwide.

Formed in 1980 at Essex, England; the 5 time Grammy nominated Depeche Mode was originally a 4 piece electronic band featuring Dave Gahan, Andrew Fletcher, Vince Clarke and Martin Gore. In 1981, they released their successful debut album “Speak & Spell” which entered the UK Top 10 but soon Clarke departed and was replaced by Alan Wilder. 1n 1995, Wilder quit and since then, Depeche Mode have continued as a threesome producing numerous No.1 hit albums, Billboard hit singles and remix releases.

Rated as the world’s only electronic band to have achieved super-spectacular success across the world to being called as “the most popular electronic band the world has ever known”, Depeche Mode has been a pioneer across the electronic-laden new wave synthpop music space, providing inspiration to scores of musicians including big names like Linkin Park, Shakira, Pet Shop Boys and many more. In fact, their signature hit song “Enjoy the Silence” has been recorded as a cover version by over 100 international bands and artists till date.

Now, go ahead and download this extra-special Mp3 compilation featuring all-time hits like “Try Walking In My Shoes”, “Personal Jesus”, “Dream On” to personal favorites like “Precious”, “Useless”, “Its No Good” and “The Things You Said”. I have also added the Kruder & Dorfmeister Remix of “Useless”, the German Industrial Metal band -Rammstein’s awesome cover of “Stripped” and 21 of their most memorable hitsongs. Enjoy.

30 tracks in playlist, average track length: 4:52
Playlist length: 2 hours 26 minutes 2 seconds

1. Depeche Mode - Black Celebration (4:53)
2. Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumors (6:22)
3. Depeche Mode - Breathe (5:17)
4. Depeche Mode - But Not Tonight (5:12)
5. Depeche Mode - Dangerous (7:11)
6. Depeche Mode - Dream On (4:20)
7. Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence (Single Mix) (4:06)
8. Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence (6:12)
9. Depeche Mode - Everything Counts (3:57)
10. Depeche Mode - Freelove (Maximal Chorus Mix) (5:42)
11. Depeche Mode - Get The Balance Right (3:12)
12. Depeche Mode - I Feel Loved (Danny Tenaglia Mix) (6:55)
13. Depeche mode - I Feel Loved (4:20)
14. Depeche Mode - I Feel You (4:36)
15. Depeche Mode - I Promise You I will (3:40)
16. Depeche mode - It s No Good (5:58)
17. Depeche Mode - It's No Good (Ross Fortune Edit) (6:41)
18. Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough (3:44)
19. Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again (4:48)
20. Depeche Mode - New Life (3:28)
21. Depeche Mode - Policy of Truth (4:55)
22. Depeche Mode - Precious (4:10)
23. Depeche Mode - Shine (5:32)
24. Depeche Mode - Stripped (Rammstein Heavy Metal Mix) (5:15)
25. Depeche Mode - Tainted Love (2:42)
26. Depeche Mode - The Things You Said (4:02)
27. Depeche Mode - Try Walking In My Shoes (2:30)
28. Depeche Mode - Useless (Kruder & Dorfmeister Remix) (6:15)
29. Depeche Mode - Useless (5:12)
30. Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus (4:55)

Free Mp3 Download - 2 Zipped Folders – Megaupload links - Disc 1, Disc 2

IF YOU LIKE EM, BUY EM!!

You can buy Depeche Mode Music at the Depeche Mode store on Amazon or at the official DM Store. Depeche Mode also available on itunes.