Paint it Black's position on being broken? They will not.

So I've been gone a while. Back off. I've been drunk. Also, I almost got fired. That wasn't cool. Maybe I shouldn't be staying up until 4 AM drinking cheap wine and listening to the Bellrays.

I've been thinking about writing a book about punk rock, like the history of the genre from the Sonics to Chinese Telephones. Every book I've read usually winds down around 1980 because all the drugged out scene fucks got tired and moved on to the suburbs or New Wave. The Mr. T Experience deserves as much historical retrospective as the Dictators or the Dead Boys, and if you don't think so your name is Legs McNeil.

Also, I know I owe you a second part to the Husker Du update. That might come, it might not. If you're not down with Husker Du you're probably not in the know about anything I write here, but just in case, go buy Flip Your Wig and finally learn where the '90's came from.

Instead, I write to you today to give you a sneak preview of what is bound to be one of the best records of 2008, Paint it Black's New Lexicon. Dudes are seriously the best hardcore band active right now, and you should definitely be giving them more than a passing listen. My girlfriend describes them as "gnar gnar." (I got my revenge by making her listen to "Shell Game Redux" while we had sex.) What distinguishes Paint it Black from the legion of tough guys and mosh pit breakdowns is that they always throw in a curve ball. The acoustic finish to "Memorial Day" is probably the best example of this, but the noise freakout sound collages that squeeze in between their tightly coiled chugging and melodic flourishes show that they're so far ahead of their peers that they've more or less lapped them.

I've written about them before, so I won't bore you by retreading the same ground of slavish fanboydomism. They're on a rare tour right soon (having a day job sucks, lemme tell you), so if you miss them, it's your loss, Chester.

(I'm going to be updating more regularly again. Sorry for being all Mitch Clem on you guys.)

Gravity Wins - http://www.mediafire.com/?2jdgmj2ymry

Past Tense, Future Perfect - http://www.mediafire.com/?4ayxmpndy99

Shell Game Redux - http://www.mediafire.com/?8ourl9byiwz