Mind-blowing experimental sludge. Harvey Milk did a great job of throwing down the gauntlet right off-the-bat with "Pinnochio's Example", an almost absurdly difficult album-opener whose obnoxiously minimal, single-note-riding theme accounts for most of its 10-minute runtime, teasing a catharsis that never quite arrives, then quickly dissipating into a pretty, low-key outro as soon as you think it's finally hitting. They spend the rest of the album -- and their discography, for that matter -- relentlessly subverting expectations, and generating some of the most crushingly heavy music in existence.
Track listing:
1. Pinnochio's Example
2. Brown Water
3. Plastic Eggs
4. My Broken Heart Will Never Mend
5. I Feel Miserable
6. The Lord's Prayer
7. Sunshine (No Sun) Into the Sun
8. Go Back to France
9. A Good Thing Gone
10. One of Us Cannot Be Wrong [Leonard Cohen cover]
11. The Boy with Bosoms
I lit a thin green candle to make you jealous of me
But the room just filled up with mosquitoes, they heard that my body was free
Similar listening:
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| Boris - Amplifier Worship (1998) |
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| Prizehog - Re-Unvent the Whool (2014) |
Physically and emotionally crushing in a way that that very few can achieve
ReplyDeleteI have tried repeatedly to get into this band. I've yet to pinpoint what it is that keeps me from though. I like other similar bands. At times I think it's the vocals. Other times I think it's that it never seems to go anywhere. I've never heard anyone say anything bad about them but for some unknown reason they just dont click with me.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I had written a whole thing here but apparently it never posted. The gist was that they're definitely not for everybody, in that their most potentially off-putting attributes -- the vocals, the abstract structuring of their songs, the all-around abrasiveness -- are a big part of their appeal. And I had a coworker who was a huge fan of Boris and Melvins, but couldn't get into Harvey Milk, so you're not alone.
DeleteI envy the listeners who are about to discover this band. Their drummer is from the future. And although they generally disavow LIFE...THE BEST GAME IN TOWN, "Death Goes to the Winner" has my favorite guitar solo ever.
ReplyDeleteI agree with them in that it's probably their least interesting album, but fuck yeah, that whole end section of "Death Goes to the Winner" is unbelievable.
Deletereally late into this discussion - I needed a quick d'load of this so I came to OH/Dear Spirit. Harvey Milk are truly one of the greatest but I struggle to convince a lot of heads I usually respect, listening-wise. Everything is perfect, but I love Creston's vocals above all else - as a singer myself I listen and think: how the fuck did he get to this? It's utterly unique, so special. Only ever saw them once, one of the best shows I've ever been to...
ReplyDeleteHarvey Milk is an exceptional band and is not for the faint of heart. They are one of those litmus tests of left-field taste. File under Scott Walker's later period; Dean Blunt; Throbbing Gristle; Jute Gyte; Caroliner; Butthole Surfers; JPEGmafia. Musical artists that if you're into, your tastes are as far reaching as is possible; where you engage with music as organized sound.
ReplyDelete