SOUND BITES

There's always been something whimsical about Primus, whose unique brand of prog rock was often bolstered by silly stories involving silly characters. That's why it wasn't that much of a stretch when Primus recorded a tribute to the soundtrack for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2014, and that's also why it isn't so far fetched that their first album of original material in six years would be based off a children's book about goblins who gluttonously consume colour. Still, after 2011's Green Naughahyde showed some serious signs of maturity and suggested a more mature future for Primus, their transformation into glorified children's entertainers is a little disappointing for those who wanted to see where that other, more topical Primus could go (for a consolation, I suppose last year's album by The Claypool/Lennon Delirium might suffice). Of course, feel free to draw comparisons between the goblins of this story and the monsters in position...

A couple of weeks back, I mentioned ten awesome and/or important albums that have the distinct privilege of being released during the months of July and August, a virtual musical dead zone where labels keep the good stuff locked in their cupboards for the fall shopping season and have stopped adequately promoting the marquee releases that came out in spring. We covered a good chunk of the 90's during Part 1. Today, let's have a look at 1997-2012, and ten more albums that beat the odds and captured that elusive Summer Greatness.

If the celebration of Tool's Undertow taught us anything a couple weeks back, it's that the early 90's saw some unexpected smash hits. Perhaps none were more unexpected than that of Pork Soda , Primus' third and (in a landslide) most popular album. Take a moment and attempt to process the fact that Pork Soda was certified platinum. It sold a million copies. Really, though, think about it. How did this happen? How did their frenetic, impossible basslines and gonzo subject matter become so acceptable that a million people bought this record? Make no mistake, Pork Soda is a great album (otherwise I wouldn't be writing about it); it just still kind of baffles me that it caught on with so many listeners, even in a time when listeners were seemingly desperate to colour their musical palettes outside the lines of mainstream acceptance. When you listen to it twenty years later, nothing screams "hit song", not even Mr. Krinkle with its immediately recogniz...

PRIMUS Jilly's On Smack From: Green Naugahyde Released: September 13 For years, Primus had been teasing us; after reuniting in 2003 and touring sporadically, eight excruciating years passed before a full album's worth of new material surfaced.  With only five new songs released as an EP alongside 2003's DVD collection Animals Should Not Try To Act Like People , longtime Primus fans were ravenous by the time Green Naugahyde finally saw the light of day in September.  Of course, the first question that begged asking in this situation was "is it worth the wait?"  Upon first reflection, the answer is "not quite"; it's not a very Primus-like album, despite that definitely being their name on the cover.  Frankly, it lacks much of the silliness that endeared the band to so many in their heyday.  Anyone looking for a sequel to Wynona's Big Brown Beaver is shit out of luck with Green Naugahyde .  It's a serious album, with serious subject ma...