Luca Cimarusti, Reader music listings coordinator
Metallica, . . . And Justice for Jason When bassist Jason Newsted joined Metallica, legend has it that his bandmates hazed the shit out of him—among other things, they’re supposed to have deliberately buried all his bass parts inaudibly low in the mix of 1988’s . . . And Justice for All. However it happened, it resulted in one of the most complex and engaging records in metal history sounding notoriously limp. Thank goodness for the Internet, where you can find a remixed version of the album with Newsted turned up. Recommended listening, especially if you’re in a band—you’ll never take the guy on the dumb strings for granted again.
Aaron Dexter, talent buyer at the Owl
Melkbelly My favorite local band right now. Melkbelly reminds me of female-fronted mid-90s alt-rock, but with way sharper teeth and very current Chicago grit. Miranda Stokes’s vocals switch from sweet, soulful crooning to sugar-crash temper tantrum in the blink of an eye, while brothers Bart and Liam Winters scrape and crunch spider strings atop James Wetzel’s frantic drumming—their songs are all clever arrangements and sudden mood shifts. Word is they’re recording their debut LP with Cooper Crain as you read this. I can’t wait.
Coloured Balls, Ball Power I found a copy of Coloured Balls’ 1973 album Ball Power at Bric-a-Brac Records, and not a day has gone by in the last few weeks that I haven’t listened to it. It exists in a weird no-genre land—not quite punk, classic rock, or heavy metal. It’s the essense of rock ‘n’ roll condensed into one little ball, like one of those detergent packs people throw in their dishwashers. Its repetitive riffage reminds me of learning to play guitar by sitting around listening to AC/DC. Fans of AC/DC or shit that doesn’t suck should check this out immediately. Google “Lobby Loyde.”
