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AmRep releasing Hostile Ambient Besides

Details: Written by brian; Created: 26 August 2020

AmRep has recently announced they are releasing for the first time on one slab of wax the compiled b-sides from the Hostile Ambient Takeover 7"s that Ipecac released back in 2003. The release gets a fancy HAZEXXL update on the original Halloween mask artwork. There will be limited variant art editions, as well as a factory version picture disc and of course a cheapie CD, available as always from SHOXOP. Bifocal Media has also put together both a hoodie and a couple t-shirts featuring Haze's artwork.

Flashback to 2002, when Ipecac Recordings released a Melvins studio album called Hostile Ambient Takeover. The following year, they issued a series of 7" singles with the A-side from that record, but the B-side was an exclusive track of the Melvins take on various cover songs. Since then, people have wondered, "Yo Goober, is there gonna be a follow up LP with the B-'s?" It only took 17 years to answer that question, but yes, yes there is & it's called Hostile Ambient Besides.
The cover is designed by our very own HAZE XXL keeping up with the cheapo plastic mask theme of the singles with his take on the whole Nutty Mad/Weird-Ohs genre.

Melvins Hostile Ambient Besides via Amphetamine Reptile Records, artwork by HAZE XXL

Hostile Ambient Besides tracks:

Side A
Jerkin Krokus (Mott the Hoople)
Promise Me (The Gun Club)
Arny (Warlock Pinchers)
Fast Foaming

Side B
Return of the Spiders (Alice Cooper)
White Punks on Dope (The Tubes)
Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World (Ramones)

Diabolique Magazine has an interesting article about the making of the Bar-X the Rocking M music video by Gregory Dark.

Buzz recently interviewed Rob Halford of Judas Priest for Revolver Magazine. Buzz is a big Judas Priest fan, they discussed Rob's new book Confess.

King Buzzo - Gift Of Sacrifice

Details: Written by brian; Created: 14 August 2020

Today is the official release date of Gift Of Sacrifice, the new solo album from King Buzzo w/ Trevor Dunn via Ipecac Records! The album is available on vinyl, CD, and digitally from Bandcamp. The limited edition pink vinyl is already sold out. Buzz had this to say about the album via distortion-magazine.com: "“Gift Of Sacrifice” is a lot more produced. We spent a lot more time on making synthesizer sounds, modular-synth stuff and noise-stuff. We didn’t do it on the first one. So we spent a lot of time on that. A lot more then people might think. And just see the addition of the bass. Stand up bass changed the dynamics of the album in a way I couldn’t even dream of. But in a way, I’m extremely happy about. Trevor Dunn is a fantastic player. I had the songs! Most of them were recorded already. And he just added bass to after the fact. So the only thing I told him to do is “to overplay”. As much as he can on these. With the idea that he’s probably not going to overplay. But he’s gonna feel that he’s free to do whatever he wants. And that’s kind of how I wanted it do go."

Spin has an article about the new album: “What we do as artists is try to provide the people of the world with something they don’t get in their normal lives,” Osborne says. “That’s my whole entire existence. That’s what I do. And I charge into that with way more enthusiasm and way more gusto than I would for a 40-hour-a-week job.” - Buzz

Revolver's Age of Quarantine posted a video interview with Buzz recently. The interview was conducted by Chris Enriquez of recent Melvins tourmates Spotlights.

Buzz was recently a guest on Spectrum Culture's podcast Enjoy Your Life, they talked about golf, dogs, and guitars amongst other things.

Episode 195 of Conan Neutron's Protonic Reversal features both Buzz and Trevor, they of course discuss their new collaboration Gift Of Sacrifice in detail.

Buzz continued to make the podcast rounds with an appearance on Consequence of Sound's podcast. "Buzz Osborne gives Kyle Meredith a call about Gift of Sacrifice, his new King Buzzo album with oft-collaborator Trevor Dunn. The Melvins frontman talks about working with an acoustic bass, a modular synth, and his ever-growing alternate tunings. Osborne also discusses the ever-looming influence of Miles Davis on his writing, how The Melvins continue to be underestimated, dealing with bad criticism. Towards the end, he dives deep into his philosophies on science, evolution, and religion."

AmRep announces Melvins/Mudhoney collaboration EP White Lazy Boy

Details: Written by brian; Created: 02 June 2020

Amphetamine Reptile Records has announced White Lazy Boy, a new four song Melvins / Mudhoney collaboration EP. They'll be releasing this on both limited edition and a larger factor printed run of vinyl as well as CD. Head on over to shoxop.com, CD's on sale June 8, limited vinyl July 5th. The EP features Buzz, Dale, and Steven along with Mark Arm and Steve Turner of Mudhoney. The collaboration was hinted at back in back in March, the EP includes two originals plus covers of Black Flag's "My War" and Neil Young/Crazy Horse's "Drive Back". Brooklyn Vegan has a blog post detailing the new release along with streaming options. You can also get the t-shirt with HAZE XXL's artwork from Bifocal Media.

From Amrep: "Well, well. It looks like we've got some new material here that we're pretty excited about. (The) Melvins have a new 4-track album & what's this, Mudhoney is joining them too? Artwork by HAZE XXL with none other than Mr. Hughes in the prime of his life. No doubt living the life in the Desert Inn, trying to think of a movie better than Ice Station Zebra. Bet you're now trying to think of one too. Guess what buster, you can't! That thing is a @*%&#-ing masterpiece! And say what you will about Howard, but he was saving his urine in jars WAY before it was cool."

Track Listing:

My War
Walking Crazy
Ten Minute Visitation
Drive Back

Melvins have new facemasks for sale on their online merch shop as well as a really cool Skateboard bundle.

Dale put out Piso Mojado, a really cool lathe cut recorded on Joyful Noise recordings, it sold out in a very short period of time to their V.I.P. members, but they put up a trailer detailing the release. "The custom lathe-cut design features four distinct spindle-holes, and five corresponding songs. Each record is hand-made, and extremely limited."

Buzz did a video chat with Chris Enriquez of Spotlights for Revolver Mag and Saint Vitus Bar. It's worth a watch, he mentions that along with the new Mudhoney collab, they also have a collaboration with Helms Alee in the works, and a new Melvins 1983 release. He also said that AmRep will be releasing a vinyl of all the B-sides from the Hostile Ambient Takeover 7"s sometime soon.

Lydia Lunch has a podcast called The Lydian Spin and she recently chatted with Buzz.

Bass Magazine has a lockdown check-in article with Steven

American Songwriter talked to Buzz about his new solo album Gift of Sacrifice as well as the new collaboration with Mudhoney

AmRep announces Electroretard reissue

Details: Written by brian; Created: 05 May 2020

Amphetamine Reptile Records has announced that they'll be reissuing Electroretard on 3 different limited edition vinyl variants as well as CD. This album was originally released on Frank Kozik's Man's Ruin Records back in 2001. The reissue gets updated artwork by HAZE XXL. Head over to shoxop.com for the goods, the plan is a May 17th on-sale date. Bifocal Media is also going to be selling a limited edition t-shirt featuring Haze's new artwork. Tom Hazelmeyer was also recently interviewed on The Vinyl Guide podcast, he gives a lot of details on the limited run Melvins vinyl that he designs the art for and releases on his Amphetamine Reptile.

From AmRep: "When Electroretard came out on Man's Ruin in 2001 on CD, the original intent was a vinyl LP later on, but the label folded that year before it could happen. Flash forward nearly 2 decades & it became clear that this would be a perfect project for AmRep to reissue in that limited edition, fancy schmantz way of how we likes to do (not to mention, getting that shitty 2012 boot taste out of everyone's mouth.) The cover is designed by our very own HAZE XXL with really no connection to the original artwork. You could even say, he went bananas with it. Get it? Cause of the monkey. Ah, screw you, that joke is pure freakin' gold."

Dale created a playlist on Apple Music: Dale Crover's Vaccination For The Pandemic Blues - "Take a deep breath and don't freak out! All you have to do is stay home and keep your hands clean. Doctor's orders! But what to do for the isolation, the boredom? Dr. Crover is here with the cure! Listen to my playlist and call me in the morning" - Dale Crover

Buzz also created his own playlist on Apple Music: King Buzzo's Apocalypse No

Dale guested on Dreamy, a catchy new tune by Kidbug. Check out the music video!

Metal Insider has a new interview with Dale, he has this advice for all those in COVID-19 isolation: “I’d say now is a good time to listen to every Melvins record ever. By the time you’re done this should be all over.”

For all those missing live MELVINS, Alabama Public Television's posted the full set from their October 2019 performance at Saturn in Birmingham, AL; watch it below.

King Buzzo debuts new video for "I'm Glad I Could Help Out"

Details: Written by brian; Created: 18 April 2020

Consequence of Sound debuted the new music video for King Buzzo's "I'm Glad I could Help Out" from the forthcoming solo album Gift Of Sacrifice.

The video, which was created/directed by Jesse Nieminen, arrives as news comes of the album's rescheduled release date of August 14.

From Ipecac Recordings co-founder: “It’s no secret that these are strange times The music industry has been wounded as have most everyone else. The combination of the closure of our beloved indie record stores, delays and shutdowns of manufacturing plants and the lack of disposable income for many has given us no reasonable choice but to delay the release of this wonderful record. Fear not, music as you knew it, will eventually be back.”

Buzz said this about the track: "‘I’m Glad I Could Help Out’ is the only song on the album that was done in a single take. Trevor and I recorded this in one live session and I couldn’t have been happier with what the result was."

Rolling Stone recently posted a feature on Buzz: Social Distancing With Melvins’ Buzz Osborne: Stockpiling Merch, Listening to Tom Waits

Buzz was a guest on a recent episode of the Fidelity High podcast where he discusses the Mutiny/The Bad Seed EP's by The Birthday Party.

Buzz was Guest #1 on the new podcast Hot Blooded by longtime music writer Cat Jones

Setlist.FM posted a Tour Update quarantine version episode with Buzz

AmRep reissuing Alive At The Fucker Club

Details: Written by brian; Created: 07 April 2020

Amphetamine Reptile Records has announced that they're reissuing the long out of print live album Alive At The Fucker Club on vinyl for the first time ever and with fancy updated cover art by HAZE XXL. Originally released by AmRep back in 1998 on CD only, Alive At The Fucker Club is a live album that was recorded on August 23, 1997, at the Corner Hotel in Richmond, Melbourne, Australia. This recording features, Buzz, Dale and Mark D on bass. There are 3 limited edition vinyl variants, a CD with a 4th factory printed vinyl version scheduled for release at a later date. For sale at SHOXOP.COM as usual, make sure you're following AmRep on facebook to stay up to date with their release schedule. Bifocal Media also has a limited edition t-shirt featuring the new artwork, get your shirt here.