A Frames / AFCGT Mega Post

Recently, I was looking back through the albums I've uploaded to various file sharing services. I was surprised to find that of all the submissions A Frames's 'Black Forest' has had the most downloads by far. Strange. Not that I feel they're undeserving in any way. I just never would have guessed.

So, in an effort to give the fans what they want, I am posting the first two A Frames albums plus the new AFCGT. I thought briefly about including all the Intelligence albums (drummer Lars Finberg's other band). However, they have somewhere around 7 full lengths. I'll get to those later.

Here you go:

Self Titled -

Released in 2002 on SS Records and the bands own Dragnet Records. There really aren't any significant differences between any of the A Frames albums. They all pretty much rule. Nothing but the best of modern dancy lo-fi post punk with a small twist of industrial. If you like one album, you'll like them all.

Dig.

2 -

Ever so slightly better production quality than the first record. Maybe a little bit more experimental. Same great song quality. Released in 2003 on SS Records.

Get it.

AFCGT -

Colaboration album between A Frames and Climax Golden Twins. These two bands have been rocking together a various times for a few years now. Everything they have released so far is self titled. The easiest record to find is their recent Sup Pop album. There are a few other CDRs and LPs floating around from small indie labels or self release. As far as I know, this is everything that exists from them.

The project allows the A Frames to stretch out and experiment with a wide variety of different styles/sounds. Long spaced out jams, abrasive discordant noise rock, psychedelic surf punk, heavy post punk. Sometimes all within the same song! Really lo-fi with a heavy Japrock influence. Especially Boredoms and Les Rallizes Denudes. The more I listen to them, the more I prefer it to the normal A Frames albums. Hear for yourself and turn it up:

Aquarious Records CDR(vinyl re-release on Uzu Audio)

Dirty Knob 10"

Live Recording (Self released)

Square Microphone Tapes (Self released)

Sub Pop LP

This Heat - Out Of Cold Storage

If only this band had kept going they could have been the greatest Post Punk band of all time. Unfortunately, after only a few years and two albums they broke up and have since joined the ranks of the criminally underrated and obscure. Out of Cold Storage is a collection of This Heat's two albums, Deceit and Health & Efficiency, as well as some assorted studio oddities. The collection's name is a reference to the abandoned meat locker dubbed "Cold Storage" where the band did all their writing and recording. This Heat can be compared to the great Post Punk bands such as Television, Pere Ubu, Cardiacs and Magazine. However, more so than any of their peers, This Heat took a more direct influence from Krautrock groups such as Can, Faust and Neu!. Swirling tape loops, chord repetition, and chanted vocals were often the defining feature of their songs.

Be sure to give this a few listens before passing any judgment. These songs can be a lot to digest all at once.

-PolarBear

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Shellac - The Futurist

the "friends only" Shellac release, only 779 of these were ever pressed.

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