Daily Jam - War Pigs

I am so very tired.  Here's a classic as well as an absolute banger from Black Sabbath to wind down this long day to.  Listen to "War Pigs" below, our Daily Jam.

RIP Ozzy Osbourne

This one is kind of hard to process.  I always thought he would just live forever.  RIP to a heavy metal originator.  RIP to an absolutely gargantuan legend.  RIP Prince of Darkness.  RIP Ozzy Osbourne.

Daily Jam - Supernaut

Way back in 2015, my wife and I moved into a new house, an event that comes with its own seemingly endless series of headaches, chores, and surprises. And while I was expecting that, the nature of the beast as they say, packing and unpacking boxes of stuff, old and new alike, you realize just how much shit you have. And so I got rid of some stuff, trips to Goodwill, trips to Ebay, trips to the curb, trips to the garbage. I did well. But then I got to the box with years of old mixtapes in it, and that progress came screeching to a halt. Of course I had to go through and listen to all of them.

The cassettes, predominantly from junior high and high school with a couple of stragglers from 6th grade and college (yes I am that old) thrown in, were a hodgepodge of random pop songs, some great and some embarrassingly awful (a little too much Korn honestly), but they act as a time capsule, like an audio yearbook from my teenage days. Sadly, there were not really any tapes from my grade school years as I tended to reuse the cassettes, recording and re-recording over them again and again, so there were no relics from the Reagan Era to sift through. But the now 30-something year old mixes were still a fun listen.

A few things learned from gleaning through my old mixtapes:

1. I was clearly searching for some kind of identity through the music I listened to.

2. Then, as now, taste is completely subjective.

3. Some sort of groundwork for my continued listening tastes was being set back then.

4. I really, really, really like “Supernaut” by 1000 Homo DJ’s.

The Black Sabbath cover appeared on not one, not two, not three, but four different cassettes. It was on all of my mixtapes. It was on everyone’s mixtape.

1000 Homo DJ’s was a Ministry side project in the late 80’s/early 90’s, one of many that Al Jourgensen lent his scuzzy, screeching talents to. Consisting of a slew of industrial and electronic artists, the band put out two EP’s, the latter of which featured the Sabbath cover, originally recorded with Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor on vocals, though that version would eventually be scrapped due to licensing issues between record labels. Jourgensen would later re-record the vocals for the release. Legend has it, partying with each other led to these various industrial super group recording sessions with whomever was drunkest manning the drums. That’s probably way too awesome and amazing to actually be true, but I’m not one to call foul on music myth building. It should be true. It needs to be true.

I need to put this on a new mixtape.

Listen below, our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - Megalomania

I've copped to the fact that i'm not super versed in the musical stylings of Black Sabbath in the past, outside of the stuff that everyone knows, and a friend of mind humbly suggested i give the band's 1975 album "Sabotage" a spin.  Doing so, i think "Megalomania" may be my favorite from the record.  Check it out below, our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - Snowblind

Full confession...i'm not super versed in Black Sabbath.  Sure, i'm familiar with all the obvious stuff, a few tracks from the first few albums, but i'm hardly a devotee.  That being said, "Black Sabbath Vol. 4" kicks ass.  I'm pretty sure i was drawn to it originally because of "Supernaut," but through the years, i think "Snowblind" may be the best track of the bunch.  So let's listen to it.  Check it out below, our Daily Jam.

What Is This that Stands Before Me?

Today Bandcamp is foregoing their revenue share again, so everything goes to the artists.  While you're buying music on the site today, might i suggest the "What Is This that Stands Before Me?" compilation LP from Sacred Bones.  It's a Black Sabbath tribute album featuring a whole slew of great artists like The Soft Moon, Marissa Nadler, Hilary Woods, Zola Jesus, Thou, and more.  Stream the whole thing below and be sure to get it here.

Brown Sabbath Vol. II

I had no idea that Austin band Brownout, the freaks behind the Latin psych-funk tribute to Black Sabbath known as Brown Sabbath, had released a second volume of Sabbath covers until writing about their recent beer collaboration with Independence Brewing earlier today.  These albums are fun, fun, fun, and Volume II looks to be as much of a blast as Volume I was.  Get it here, and listen to their take on "Supernaut" below.

October Horror Trailer - Black Sabbath

Charles Bradley - Changes

Why it took somebody over 40 years to do a soul cover version of Black Sabbath's "Changes" is beyond me, but thank god somebody finally did because it works so well it makes my heart swell.  67-year old Charles Bradley's latest album on Daptone Records, appropriately titled "Changes" features the moving cover, and it will be the best thing you hear all day.  Watch the video below.

Marissa Nadler covers Black Sabbath

Marissa Nadler is no stranger to haunted, broken-hearted anthems, so she seems a natural fit to take on Black Sabbath's "Solitude," from their 1971 album "Master of Reality."  And her take is absolutely beautiful, a ghostly and stunning marvel.  Listen below.

Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath

I'm not sure how i managed to miss writing about Latin funk band Brownout and their rendition of classic Black Sabbath songs called Brown Sabbath.  Seriously.  These guys are even from Austin.  What was i doing that i missed this.  Bad music blogger!  Bad!

Anyway, the band reworks Sabbath into some kind of psych-funk/soul explosion, and the end result is just amazing.  They manage to keep the integrity of the songs intact while making them fun as hell in the process.  Go grab the album here from Ubiquity Records and listen to "Iron Man" below.

Gonga and Beth Gibbons cover Black Sabbath

UK metal band Gonga just offered up a pretty terrific and faithful cover to Black Sabbath's "Black Sabbath," featuring amazing vocals from Portishead's Beth Gibbons.  The track has been dubbed "Black Sabbeth," and the video below is full of scenes from Mario Bava's 1963 film..."Black Sabbath."  Watch it below.