The Unblinking Ear Podcast 12/12/13

The Unblinking Ear Podcast is back for the first time in over a month! Did you miss me? No, you were more than satisfied by each of the three WFMU fill-ins (available to stream here, here and here), you say? I suppose that's fair.

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 11/7/13

The days are getting shorter. The night are getting longer. Here's a new Unblinking Ear Podcast to keep you warm.

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 10/17/13

Another CMJ week. Another year where I don't get a badge despite spending pretty much my entire adult life on the periphery of the music "biz."

Though my lack of badge something of badge of honor at this point. I can always say that one's ability to secure a CMJ pass is inversely proportioned to his or her taste in music (which is only slightly inaccurate). Also, most the "must-see" CMJ events are awful experiences, overstuffed with the desperate to impress and the generally clueless, who will suck the fun out of the room and make you second guess how much you really liked the musical act you are witnessing in the first place.

I can pretty guarantee that the below podcast will be a more rewarding experience than nearly every NYC area show the week of CMJ.

There are, however, exceptions.

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 10/3/13

Here's the first Unblinking Ear Podcast in just under a month. Unfortunately, we had to skip our semi-annual "punkquinox" edition of the punkcast that was due around two weeks ago. In hindsight, in probably would have made a good soundtrack for one to be enraged by the failures of capitalist democracy. However, this latest edition is still pretty good and a better alternative to shooting someone.

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 9/5/13

Caveat emptor. I have to confess, dear listener, that this edition of the podcast is not up to par. Oh sure, the songs are all excellent but the sequence and "flow" is severely lacking. I have failed as curator when I can't even order songs in a manner of more significance than an iPod shuffle.

Perhaps I'll do better on my WFMU fill-in this Saturday at 3pm EST. Or maybe I'll just waste my time playing Simpsons Tapped Out on my iPhone instead of preparing like I did for this podcast. (My handle is "djpbruno" if you should want to add me as a friend.)

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 8/22/13

Here tis, another edition of the Unblinking Ear Podcast, packed with the energy and chaos of an inefficiently run, foul-smelling "punk house."

Don't agree? Just let me know about it in the comments.

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 8/8/13

As I was getting ready to post this podcast someone sent me an excellent article on some of the more annoying habits of people on social media. As a lark, I decided to see how many the very human but very irritating motivations outlined in the article one could apply to this podcast.

Image Crafting. I have great knowledge of and good taste in a certain silver of a subgenre of rock music.

Narcissism. My my knowledge is so deep and taste so impeccable, it would a crime not so share them with the world.

Attention Craving. Please recognize my awesome knowledge and taste!

Jealousy Inducing. Yes, I own that rare record which I just played. Don't you want it/wish you were me?

Loneliness. I have nothing better to do with my life than assemble these.

Wow. 5 for 5. I'm pretty insufferable. Hopefully you find this podcast interesting/informative/entertaining enough to justify my abhorrent behavior.

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 7/26/13

Do you enjoy this podcast but wish it consisted of more of my blathering and less music? You say you wouldn't wish that on your worst enemy? Well if you change your mind and want your enemy to truly suffer than click on over to this week's Jaded Punk Hatecast where I appear as their first and perhaps only guest who has never heard Lagwagon but has heard Henry Cow. We discuss the finer points of what qualifies one for meaningless genre label and other subjects of even less relevance.

Of course, you could simply listen to the podcast below for less talk and more rock. In fact, one person even claims that it is the BEST punk podcast. And if you can't trust some stranger on the internet, who can you trust?

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 7/11/13

Here we are once again with another edition of the Unblinking Ear Podcast. I hope you don't mind the week delay but I wanted to enjoy my 4th of July weekend. Mine was highlighted by a run in with a hot-headed, foul-mouthed, power-abusing crybaby of an elected official but that's what America is all about, right?

My only regret is that Pat Kiernan doesn't know who I am.

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 6/20/13

After six unbearable weeks (for you, I assume), the Unblinking Ear Podcast is back! On this edition, we bring you lots of new music, some old music newly reissued and my mealy mouthed explanations of both. In other words, business as usual! On with the sublunary!

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 5/10/13

Folks, this edition of the Unblinking Ear Podcast marks its 5th anniversary. Five years is a long time. I hope that in that time, we've remained as punk as Sarah Jessica Parker's mohawk or a $600 Exploited t-shirt. And if we've failed, well... failure is pretty punk, right?

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 4/19/13

If anyone would like to purchase the above product for me (a mere $68 retail!), I would gladly accept. I have a beard and it needs to be tamed. Yet even with this mammalian hindrance, I somehow manage to fill a biweekly podcast with new music. It's not an impossible task, though admittedly, it is slightly more demanding than complaining.

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 4/4/13

THe Unblinking Ear Podcast is back!. Not that we went anywhere. Actually, where were you? We tried texting and calling but never got a response. I guess you've just been busy. Well, here's a whole podcast of new music if you've got the time to give it a listen. Or don't. We're not here to lay a trip on you or tell you how to spend your time.

We're still friends, right?

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 3/22/13: Vernal Punkquinox 2013

The Unblinking Ear once again indulges in our semi-annual tradition: The Punkquinox. The first day of every spring and autumn (or close to it), we play nothing but songs that will be instantly familiar to anyone who owns several dozen volumes of Killed By Death or Bloodstains. That is, vintage late 70s/early 80s punk rock. So have at it, poseur.

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 3/8/13

It's another Unblinking Ear Podcast. A day late but who cares about my hack-y garbage? People who actually know what they're doing need your help.

WFMU is having their annual fund raising marathon until March 17th. As you probably know, WFMU does not accept advertising or government grants and relies almost solely on the donations to remain in existence. So please, click the banner below and give. (Oh, and below that is the latest podcast. Listen to that when you get around to it.)

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 2/21/13

(Above: a somewhat nicer view than my apartment)

Despite the fact that I'm on vacation right now in lovely Savannah, GA, I still found the time to post a new Unblinking Ear Podcast. Call it devotion to you, dear listener. Or call it chronic, crippling OCD, which is probably more accurate.

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 2/7/13

This podcast was atypically assembled in the morning. Usually I put together the podcast in the evening to have it ready for the following day. However last night I passed out almost immediately upon returning home from work, which happens to working people sometimes (especially when they were out drinking heavily for no apparent reason the night before).

So please enjoy or at least tolerate my morning voice and disposition, the same one that's caused my co-workers to conclude they should not try to interact with me until 3pm at the earliest.

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast 1/24/13

Here tis. The first Unblinking Ear podcast of 2013. And the first in over a month! I do apologize for the delay and the lack of a best of the year podcast (which was kind of a dumb move as they're usually my most listened-to podcast of the year). However, I do hope any of the three WFMU fill-ins I did in the intervening time (including a best of show) kept you satiated. If not, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe I'm just not the rock music guru/obsessive/nerd/creep for you.

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2012: The Best, Subjectively Speaking

Let's begin with a couple of things you don't necessarily need or want to know but I'm going to tell you anyway:

Unlike prior years, I'm not writing any accompanying text for any of these wonderful recordings. They are certainly worthy of any verbiage me or anyone else should choose to drop. However (and here's the stuff you don't need to know), I find myself with much less free time this year than I have in the past and since I didn't want to post this list when we were were already well into 2013, a simple list will have to suffice.

The good news is I've posted links for each entry where one can stream and/or purchase these releases, which is ultimately a more effective marketing tool than my overwrought prose.

Disclaimer: It's entirely probable that I've forgotten any number of fine examples of musical correctness issued in 2012. I will resist the urge to revise. Feel free to call out the idiocy of my omissions in the comments.

So then, alphabetically...

The Top Ten

Apache Dropout Bubblegum Graveyard (Trouble in Mind) [Spotify]


Bare Wires Idle Dreams (Southpaw) [Midheaven]

Grass Widow Internal Logic (HLR) [Spotify]



Ladyhawk No Can Do (Triple Crown) [Bandcamp]



Literature Arab Spring (Square of Opposition) [Bandcamp]



Protomartyr No Passion, All Technique (Urinal Cake) [Midheaven]



Rayon Beach This Looks Serious (HoZac) [Spotify]



Super Vacations Heater Pt II (Funny/Not Funny) [Soundcloud]

White Lung Sorry (Deranged) [Bandcamp]



The Young Dub Egg (Matador) [Spotify]
Honorable Mentions
Chris Brokaw Gambler's Ecstasy (12XU) [Spotify]
Call of the Wild Leave Your Leather On (Kemado) [Spotify]
Ex-Cult Ex-Cult (Goner)) [Spotify]
G. Green Crap Culture (Mt St Mtn) [Bandcamp]
Golden Boys Dirty Fingernails (12XU) [Big Cartel]

Hank Wood and the Hammerheads Go Home (Toxic State) [Big Cartel]

The Karl Hendricks Trio The Adult Section (Comedy Minus One) [Spotify]
Metz Metz (Sub Pop) [Spotify]
Nazi Gold A Message of Love (Super Secret) [Bandcamp]
The People's Temple More For The Masses (HoZac) [Spotify]
Radar Eyes Radar Eyes (HoZac) [Spotify]
Ty Segall Slaugtherhouse (In The Red) [Spotify] and Twins (Drag City) [Spotify]
Tyvek On Triple Beams (In The Red) [Spotify]
Woollen Kits Four Girls (Trouble in Mind) [Spotify]
XYX Teatro Negro (Monofonus Press) [Spotify]

Singles, EPs, etc
Child Actors "Summer Lawns" b/w "McKinley" (download only) [Bandcamp]
Coffin Pricks "Group Home Haircut" +2 7" (Stationary Heart) [Soundcloud]

Gotobeds Fucking in the Future 5-song cassette (self-released) [Bandcamp]
Lame Drivers Summer 2012 Tour Tape (split w/ The Woolen Men) (Eggy) [Free Music Archive]
Mouthbreathers "Die Alone" b/w "Validation" 7" (Replay) [Bandcamp]
Per Purpose "Warburton" b/w "Business" 7" (Bedroom Suck) [Bandcamp]
Savages "Flying To Berlin" b/w "Husbands" (Pop Noire) [Spotify]
Unholy Two "Cut The Music (I'm The Nightstalker)" b/w "Razor" 7" (12XU) [Bandcamp]
Wax Idols "Schadenfreude" b/w "The Last Drop" 7" (Suicide Squeeze) [Bandcamp]
What Next? "The Trip" b/w "Don't Believe" 7" (Whim) [Bandcamp]