There is a good chance you found us accidentally by using the word “taint” in your search (If you found us on purpose, you deserve our accolades). Of course, we don’t know what you were looking for, but you stumbled on a damn cool project. Look around; let us help send you on a musical journey. Here you will find a number of album reviews from the strange and extreme to the tame and mainstream. Our reviewers are a bunch of obsessive miscreants. Most of us are avid music collectors and have been involved in the music world for decades. A couple of us have been in or are still in bands.
There are no rules on Tickle Your Taint Blog. Our reviewers might make you laugh, or piss you off; both results are legitimate. One reviewer might write a glowing review of an album; another might tear it apart. We may have a new review every week, or we could end up with one every six months. This blog exists as a social experiment to build community among a diverse group of music maniacs – our reviewers and hopefully you.
Contributors include: Alec, Anita Papsmear, AntiChrist-iansen, Billy West, Beert, Cam Starke, Chastity Morgan, Class Warrior, Dale M, Dave, Dismal, El Jefe, Five-Inch Taint, Gory Zaver, Gusty Bellows, Hartman, HinckleyHadAVision, Ian, Infidel Cowboys (Lusk, Wyoming), Jack Rafferty, Jack Stephen, Jimmy “Explosive Diarrhea” B, Jon, Jonnie Dames Rio, Kloghole, Musical Odyssey, Null, PaulySure, Ratones, Scott, So Brick Eh?, SoDak, Spooner D, Taciturn Orator, TheNeonRooster, Travis, Vidal, and Wayne.
Frankly, if I went with my most listened to music of 2022, my top picks would have been Scowl, How Flower’s Grow and Botch’s “122.” However, the Scowl album was release in 2021 (and was included in that best of list), and the Botch was just a single; so they don’t count in the list. That said here we go:
55. Gabor Bolla, On the Move.
54. Santigold, Spirituals.
53. Messa, Close.
52. Orville Peck, Bronco.
51. Dungen, En Ar For Mycket och Tusen Aldrig Nog.
50. Midwife, God Is a Cop.
49. Preoccupations, Arrangements.
48. Dream Unending, Dream Unending.
47. Hot Water Music, Feel the Void.
46. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cool It Down.
45. Goat, Oh Death.
44. Holy Fawn, Dimensional Bleed.
43. Tess Parks, And Those Who Were Seen Dancing.
42. Conan, Evidence of Immortality.
41. End It, Unpleasant Living.
40. Absent in Body, Plague God.
39. Ufomammut, Fenice.
38. Off!, Free LSD.
37. Vein.fm, This World Is Going to Ruin You.
36. Blackbraid, Blackbraid I.
35. City of Caterpillar, Mystic Sisters.
34. Cloakroom, Dissolution Wave.
33. Daphni, Cherry.
32. Zola Jesus, Arkhon.
31. Sharon Van Etten, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong.
30. Jennylee, Heart Tax.
29. Be Well, Hello Sun.
28. Celeste, Assassine(s).
27. Wiegedood, There’s Always Blood at the End of the Road.
26. The Chats, Get Fucked.
25. Built to Spill, When the Wind Forgets Your Name.
The three members of Arc Angles were previously in And We Are Them, which put out a series of excellent digital records in the 2010s. As the Arc Angles, they have continued to refine their post-hardcore sound. In 2022, they released their first physical record, Apocalisp. This Los Angeles band has an impressive breadth, as the eight songs on the album explore different terrain. The record opens with ringing, sustained guitar notes, letting the tension build for around a minute, until the drum quickly fires, as the song explodes into a captivating riff, as guitar, bass, and drums create a pulsating beat. This song, “Apocalisp,” has quiet moments, which wonderfully contrast to the overall relentless drive. The chorus is intriguing, “I can’t feel the earth spin, the unveiling, a faded giant, muted mayhem. This can’t be real, I can’t believe my eyes, a cataclysm just as we designed.”
At times, Arc Angles sound like a very cool mix between Quicksand and Russian Circles. The drums and vocals that open “Subtle Tease” give me goosebumps, as the guitar resides in the background, lingering, until everything moves to the front in a series of musical punches. Just listening to this song, I feel a need to jump around to release the energy that is culminating. There is a contemplative heaviness within this tune. As the songs asks, “Am I running fast enough, barely keeping up, gave my all for what?”
On these eight songs, there are plenty of quirky, tempo changes that sustain attention. My favorite song varies each time that I listen to the record. For instance, this morning, I am obsessing over “Illuminaughty,” especially the tender desperate moment where the vocals plead, “Say what you mean, and mean what you say, say anything.” Yesterday I was smitten with “Summer Assaults.” Tomorrow, I think it will be “Little Seizures.” The instrumental songs, “Czardust” and “Numbchuks,” are excellent, with their hard-driving riffs and expansive moments. The artwork is beautiful—almost as attractive as the old photo of Brian, the drummer of Arc Angles, that accompanies this review.
Pick up Arc Angles’s Apocalisp and their soon to be released Daisy twelve-inch EP from Rabbit Rabbit Records Press.
The following post is part of the fictive obituary series.
By Chastity Morgan
Elon Reeve Musk, the tech gazillionaire who acquired Twitter, an online social media platform, in 2022, died in an intergalactic starship crash on Saturday, May 5, 2818.
Born to onetime emerald mine owner, Errol Musk and Maye Musk, a Canadian-born model and dietitian, Elon Musk died when his SpaceX starship collided with xfjqz-illionaire Jeff Bezos’s super shuttle on Saturday, May 5, 2818. Starship troopers are still investigating the cause of the crash, but it is believed that Musk was following his Google Starmaps and went down a one-way galaxy when his starship collided with the Amazon xfjqz-illionaire’s super shuttle. An investigation has been launched to see if Mark Zuckerberg, owner of Macro, will be held liable if it is found that Google Starmaps failed to update its mapping system causing the crash.
Elon Musk, businessman and investor, best known as the CEO and architect of Tesla, was notorious in the tech world for being a megalomaniac. He sold his first tech company Zip2 for a humble $307 million in 1999. From there, Musk went on to co-found X.com, a banking service, which merged with Cofinity in 2000 to form PayPal. By 2025, Musk managed to acquire all the cryptocurrency on planet Earth.
Musk was the inspiration for Larry Gatlin’s hit single “All the Cryptocurrency in Silicon Valley.”
All the cryptocurrency in Earth
Is in the laptop in the middle of Silicon Valley
In Elon Musk’s name.
So if you’re dreamin’ about planet Earth,
Silicon Valley’s a brand-new game.
Musk hit hard times in 2023 when he assisted with the suicide of Twitter. Although Twitter read like the bathroom stall of a mediocre high school, its millions of users were upset when a memo leaked regarding Musk’s plan to “compassionately kill” the platform. Musk’s drastic moves to cut costs including the killing of the verification checkmarks, and killing of the Twitter staff, were met with other maneuvers to bring back controversial figures under Twitter’s “Freedom of Hate Speech Act.” These actions were transparent, but the public was in uproar when a correspondence between Musk and Zuckerberg was leaked. Musk told Zuckerberg, “I will kill him (Twitter). Then we can merge and create our own speech platform.” In which Zuckerberg replied, “Please kill Twitter compassionately.” Musk then replied, “I will, but he must die.” Social justice groups around the United States called for the canceling of Musk for his use of gendered pronouns in reference to Twitter. In spite of protests, Musk still killed Twitter.
The Twitter scandal was then followed by a gang of Tesla cars going rogue and taking electric stations around the United States hostage. In July 2026, autonomous driving Tesla’s with no drivers started to circle electric stations. It looked like a scene straight out of the 1986 film starring Emilio Estevez Maximum Overdrive. The United States in an attempt to curb the disaster turned off the electricity for all major cities with charging stations. For twenty-four hours, the country was dark, but luckily the hostage situation was short lived as Tesla’s only get 267 miles per charge. Although Musk has not been the CEO of Tesla since 2018 due to fraud charges, his name is still synonymous with the electric car company.
Rather than face more scrutiny, in 2027, Musk left much of his fortune to his eight children. He was cryogenically frozen until the public would forget about his misdoings. Unfortunately, his children carried on his legacy with a series of “choices made in poor taste,” which extended Musk’s frozen state. Finally, his lineage died out, and it was then safe for him to start the unthawing process as he headed back to planet Earth.
Musk fully thawed on May 3, 2818, with the $75 billion he set aside for this moment. By May 4, his pompous ass ill-equipped to fly the new age starship and with no starship license jet off into the unknown. Only two days after his thaw, he crashed into xfjqz-illionaire Bezos’s super shuttle and evaporated suddenly into the galaxy on what would be Karl Marx’s 1,000th birthday.
Check out the trailer for Maximum Overdrive:
Watch the video for Gatlin’s “All the Gold in California”:
Despite a suck pot of a year, I did manage to get to some great live shows. I found the live show experience even more special after the drought of the pandemic. Much like you, music kept me going through the tough times. Nevertheless, there is nothing like the rush of a great song. I still like the old fashion long play, and the art piece of how an entire CD is laid out. But time constraints had me focusing on individual tracks. My list is divided into favorite songs, favorite CDs, and a few random categories. Here’s what I have been listening to this year. As always, everything on this list has made or exceeded 5 smears.
Rating System:
5 Smears = the best, most perfect offering a band/artist can do—it’s downright malignant
4 Smears = almost perfect, pretty sure it’s malignant
3 Smears = middle of the road—not bad, not awesome—it’s a biopsy moment
2 Smears = you best change your diet and exercise right quick
1 Smear = benign—no good
Favorite Songs of 2022:
The Bobby Lees, “Monkey Mind.”
So fucking catchy it will make your inner child scream with delight. Here’s the live version.
Kelley Stoltz, “Your Name Escapes Me.”
Jangle pop at its finest—just a perfect gem of a song!
Ambar Lucid, “Get Lost in the Music.”
2021 OMG! This song! Magic Mushrooms! Do you need to know anything else? Pass the bag and let’s take a trip to the 1960’s and dance!
NoSo, “Honey Understand.”
Biggest earworm. I think I sang it for months.
Yves Tumor, “God Is a Circle.”
Super cool band and a disturbing video to a great song. You can thank me later.
Oliver Sim, “Romance with a Memory.”
A member of The XX on his solo release. Best song—so catchy!
U.S. Girls, “So Typically Now.”
Catchy mover with multiple musical influences going on.
Dope Lemon, aka Angus Stone.
Released fifth studio album, Rose Pink Cadillac. Some warm, 1970s inspired tunes to puff and sip, most notably: “High Rollin’” and “Kids Fallin’ in Love” Groovy, man!
Goat, “Do the Dance.”
Fuck I love this band. Hailing from Sweden, they are a perfect mix of tribal and experimental.
Confidence Man, “What I Like” and “Luvin’ You Is Easy.”
Both cuts from Tilt. A couple easy head boppers that will have you calling your chiropractor.
Boy Harsher, “Autonomy,” “Give Me a Reason,” and “Machina.”
I love me some Boy Harsher. Formed in Georgia, now based in Massachusetts. Tracks brimming with Augustus Muller’s dark synth rhythms and Jae Matthews sultry, effortless vocals. It’s a mesmerizing mix.
Spoon.
Such a consistently great band. Lots of great tracks on Lucifer on the Sofa, but my favorite is their cover of Smog’s “Held.” The lyrics humble me:
For the first time in my life I let myself be held Like a big old baby
I surrender to your charity
I lay back in the tall grass and let the ants cover me
I let the jets fly not wishing for their destruction
Born to black in a perfect blue sky
For the first time in my life I am moving away, moving away, moving away
From within the reach of me and all the wild being held
Like a big old baby.
Krakow Loves Adana, “All My Life.”
From 2021’s Follow the Voice. The subtlety of this song is the thing I find most striking. With every listen, it pulls the ear in further until the melody haunts your head. Formed in Germany in 2006, they have a unique yet familiar sound. Really looking forward to further music from these fine musicians.
Florence and the Machine, “My Love.”
From Dance Fever. Another great track from a goddess.
Sasami, “Call Me Home.”
Gorgeous song from Los Angeles native, Sasami, is consistently impressive. The CD cover art is cool too.
Jockstrap, “Greatest Hits.”
Cool track from London duo who met while in music school. Beautifully executed and great production, it’s dreamy, interesting and captivating.
Oceanator, “The Last Summer.”
A catchy summer anthem—nice!
Gorillaz, “Cracker Island” (w/Thundercat) and “New Gold” (w/Tame Impala).
Two great singles in 2022. Lucky me! It was my second time getting to see this amazing, must see band. So. Fucking. Good. The Gorillaz started as a virtual-only band, created by visual artist Jamie Hewlett and musical god Damon Albarn (Blur). The real band is nothing short of spectacular. The live show is an extravaganza of numerous musical guests, percussionists, back-up singers, instrumentalists, Damon himself and giant screens featuring Jamie Hewlett’s infamous cartoon characters and artwork. A band based on a cartoon, a cartoon based on a band. Genius. Arguably the best band around. Don’t believe me? Check out their recent immersive experience in Times Square—no other band is doing this (well…maybe BTS).
Just Mustard, “Still.”
Shoegazey goodness from latest CD, Heart Under.
Health Disco 4.
Some special guests assisting with these fab tracks: “Dead Flowers” (featuring Poppy) and “Isn’t Everyone” (featuring NIN).
Robert Levon Been, “Adore.”
Robert is from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The track is off The Card Counter soundtrack. Just a beautiful song here. Looking forward to more music from the band as well!
Favorite CDs of 2022:
The Bobby Lees, Bellevue.
From Woodstock, New York, this band is garage rock in all the best ways. Bellevue is a masterpiece of raucous goodness. “Monkey Mind” is my favorite song, but “Dig Your Hips,” “Ma Likes to Drink,” “Hollywood Junkyard,” and “Geta Van Fake” will do just fine.
Nina Hagen, Unity.
The goddess has something to say and she must be heard! “Shadrach” is a monumental beatgasm—so fucking catchy! The anthemic songs, “United Women of the World” to “Venusfliegenfalle” to “Open My Heart,” are multiple musical gems here. She also covers “16 Tons” made most famous by Tennessee Ernie Ford.
Wet Leg, Wet Leg.
Who isn’t in love with this band? They are fresh, honest, and fun. I was supposed to see them in Denver this summer, but the band pulled out of the show the night before. Bummer. There’s not a bad track on this CD. My favorites include: “Ur Mom,” “Oh No,” “Too Late Now,” and, of course, “Chaise Longue.”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cool It Down.
Another great album in a long line of great albums. Songs like “Different Today,” “Fleez,” “Wolf,” and the duet with Perfume Genius on “Spitting Of The Edge Of The World” cement Karen O. and the band as rock royalty.
Cannons, Fever Dream.
Fresh off the success of “Fire for You,” Fever Dream is filled with warm, luscious pop songs that seep in and float you through the day. I knew their latest CD was doing fine when I heard the song “Ruthless” while at the grocery store. They are a great live band too. Michelle Joy is mesmerizing on stage and all will be cast under her spell. The harmony among the band is palpable. Ms. Joy, guitarist Ryan Clapham, and drummer Paul Davis aren’t new to the scene. This band has put in the work since 2013 and are now reaping the rewards of their hard work. They sound like summer. Favorite tracks include: “Come Alive,” “Ruthless,” and “Tunnel Of You.” They also put out a CD of covers in 2021, Covers By Cannons, which has some real gems like a cover of Harry Styles’s “Golden,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancin’ in the Dark,” and, my personal favorite, Kings Of Leon’s “Sex Is on Fire.” This band should be all over your playlist!
Bevin Luna, Madison & Angelus.
Named for a colorful intersection in her Memphis neighborhood, this 5 song EP is a rock delight. There’s an amazing cover of Madson Jones’s “A Little Arson Never Hurt Anyone” and “Bob & “Masquerade” are great rockers. Of note, “Mary Lou” (Young Jessie cover) is super catchy and the anthem of the season is Bevin’s sweet ditty “Summer” that brings it all to a close. Super lucky to have seen Bevin perform the EP live a couple times over 2022. My only complaint would be that 5 songs are just not enough. Love that artwork too by the incomparable @randyhand
Viagra Boys, Cave World.
I have to admit, I resisted liking them for a while. I mean, and I am being judgmental here, but, Viagra Boys? Really? The songs just pulled me in. These aren’t just some silly white boy sex slave wannabees. They have serious musical and songwriting chops. Look no further for the proof than on songs like, “The Cognitive Trade-Off Hypothesis,” “Troglodyte,” “Punk Rock Loser,” and 2018’s uber-catchy “Sports.”
The Black Angels, Wilderness of Mirrors.
This band always makes my list. There’s something about them that really resonates with me. My favorites on this new CD are “Empires Falling” (amazing lyrics), “A Walk on the Outside,” “Without a Trace,” and “El Jardin.”
Beth Orton, Weather Alive.
I finally got a chance to see Beth Orton perform this year. To see her live is like spotting a rare animal. She doesn’t appear often or release a ton of material, but when she does, it is special. Her live show was gentle, peaceful, and enchanting. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Her new release, Weather Alive, is akin to a warm, winter chill. It has a little of everything all at once. Catch the vibe on songs like “Lonely,” “Arms around a Memory,” and the title track. “Fractals” is catchy and moves in all the right ways.
Blood Red Shoes, Ghosts on Tape.
Saw this band live this year after being in love with them for so long. This mighty duo ripped it up! “Morbid Fascination” is my favorite cut. From the NIN inspired “Comply” to the sonic “Dig A Hole” to the pop of “Murder Me,” this band proves that they can do it all.
Father John Misty, Chloe & The Next 21st Century.
Misty is one of the finest songwriters of our time. I love the turn he takes on “Chloe.” So many inspirations here: 1920s melodies, samba, even a little muzak—woven together so well. Still, the material is true to what we have come to love about Father John Misty and his methodical musical stories.
Warpaint, Radiate Like This.
With songs like, “Champion,” “Stevie,” and “Hard To Tell You,” you can’t miss with this band. They’re like a favorite shirt. By far their most accessible release yet.
Unloved, The Pink Album.
This band never disappoints. Some great songwriting and catchy melodies on “Mother’s Been A Bad Girl,” “Turn of the Screw,” and “Number in My Phone.”
Dry Cleaning, Stumpwork.
Gross CD cover, but the gems contained inside are post-punk at its finest. Hailing from South London, this band has been together since 2017. At times sparse, the mostly spoken vocals pair nicely with the songwriting. Super cool CD, super cool band.
Bob Moses, The Silence In Between.
Solid indie-pop release with a nice mix of dance tracks and more pensive creepers. “Rush” and the Tears for Fears’s inspired “Broken Belief” stand out.
2022 Live Shows That Anita Enjoyed:
Dhakabraka.
This band is from the Ukraine and are equivalent to a Ukrainian Dead Can Dance. Seek out the live show. Dressed in traditional Ukrainian garments, their voices are the instruments. Folklore, cool visuals, and some anti-Russian sentiment (mostly from the crowd)—just an amazing night.
Pack A.D.
I have said it before and I am going to say it again, The Pack A.D. is one of the best bands around. I finally had the pleasure of seeing this duo at a small club in Denver this summer. Just mind blowing. Becky Black’s vocals can change effortlessly from track to track, allowing them to be multiple bands in one. It’s so cool. I have a girl crush on drummer Maya Miller. She is not only a talented drummer but her banter after most every song was funny, welcoming, and refreshing. Buy the ticket, get the CDs and don the t-shirt. Then, get ready to be the coolest kid on the block.
Itchy-O.
Go to their Black Mass and get indoctrinated to one of the coolest, most memorable live shows of our time. Then, call me and let’s talk because you may need to process this with an experienced veteran.
Chameleons.
So very lucky to get to see Mark Burgess/Chameleons this summer in a friend’s backyard. Less than 100 people there—such a cool night. Mark and his guitarist were fantastic.
Marc Maron.
He’s on my list, as he is a stand-up comic and musician (“Boomer lives!)” also, if you haven’t caught his stand-up—you are missing one of the finest humorists and storytellers of our generation.
Also saw Jesus & Mary Chain, Flaming Lips, Tribute to The Clash (featuring fantastic Colorado bands), Night Club, Bevin Luna, and Actors.
Late to the Party/Late Discoveries:
New Candys, Vyvyd (2021).
I love this band and am late discovering them. It happens. They have that dark, brooding sound with sexual tensons underneath—all my favorite sounds. Ten great songs of varying shades of delicious and shimmering darkness. Of note: “Evil Evil,” “Vyvyan Rising,” “The Clockmaker,” and “Twin Mime.”
Dua Lipa, “Levitating” (2020).
I had to give in to the power of the Lipa!
Bob Lee, “Wanted for Questioning.”
Super fun song from 1957.
Hard to Finds Found (thanks to DJ Mike who found these for me):
Gregory’s Funhouse, Obey (1988).
I have looked for this CD for over twenty-five years. This is a one-of-a-kind band that only released a couple full length records. There are many great songs on this CD, but “From the Front” is by far the stand out, full of naughty sentiments. Frontman, Gregory Ambrose Pittman, has a most unique voice and delivery. This band should have been big.
Torch Song, “Can’t Find My Way Home” (William Orbit Mix).
Many Happy Returns (So happy to hear from these bands again):
Midnight Oil, Resist.
A strong release all around. Lyrically poignant and important. Thanks to Null for getting this to me! Add this release to your collection #imwithmidnightoil.
Tears for Fears, The Tipping Point.
The masters return.
The Godfathers, Alpha Beta Gamma Delta.
I had the pleasure of seeing this band perform live in the mid 1980s. They were fantastic. Fast forward to 2022, there is an entirely new backing band. Founding member and vocalist, Peter Coyne, is the only original member, and he’s back with his infamous growl, proving he can still deliver on the rock and or roll! Check out: “OCD,” “I Hate the 21st Century,” “You Gotta Wait,” and “Bring on the Sunshine.”
William Orbit, The Painter.
Nothing here but quality aural pleasure. Would you expect anything less from Mr. Orbit? There are a couple tracks with Beth Orton as well as other vocal guests. If you like chillout, this CD is for you.
Future Is Bright:
Jenny Lee, Heart Tax.
Some super cool tunes here. Her voice has a smooth, subtle, sultry finish. “Tickles” is my favorite. She teams up with Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan on “Stop Speaking.”
Lunar Twin, Aurora.
Uber excited for any new music from this duo. The two sneak peek tracks that have been release so far are luscious, thick, and lovely, as per usual. It the too short, “Beyond the Sun,” and the lyrically relevant “Android Dreams,” are any indication, I am reserving Aurora a place on my Best of 2023 list.
Donna Blue, Dark Roses.
Netherlands duo with a moody, Lynchian CD that transports you into a 1960s spy film. Fabulous with a very dirty martini or two. Check out “Solitaire,” “Rouge,” and “The Idea.”
Check them out on their YouTube channel. They typically do remakes in their own otherworldly style that would be happiest living in a Tim Burton movie. Check out their redo of “Bad Moon Rising,” “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” “Sally’s Song.” and more. There’s even a doll-making tutorial for your viewing pleasure.
Hatis Noit, Aura.
Chilling vocal work; tribal, meditative, cool.
Songs for Ukraine:
There have been many songs written in support of the Ukraine. Of note are these three songs:
Clan of Xymox, “Save Our Souls.”
Gogobordello, “Take Only What You Can Carry” and “Shot Of Solidaritine.”
Pink Floyd with Andriy Khlyvnyuk “Hey Hey Rise Up.”
