Nu-metal appreciation week 4 - Orange 9mm and Jimmie's Chicken Shack

It's Saturday...the steady stream of nu-metal will dry up soon enough, don't worry.

I posted Orange 9mm's 'Tragic' album a looonnnng time ago as part of my Kutout Bin Klassics series, but the link has long been gone. Not much else I can say about this'un....let's see...

They started as a late-era hardcore band (like Quicksand, Failure, etc) but morphed into a rap-metal act in the late 90's...posers?? No. I read someone describe the production here as similar to AmRep stuff, and I won't deny it. It's very hard edged...lots of vocal distortion and buzzsaw guitar tones. There's also a LOT of catchiness...a lot lot lot lot of great songs. The lyrics are more apathetic than most nu-metal and it's got a lot more of an 'indie rock' influence, which might be why they never broke through to the mainstream. Whatever the case, 'Failure' is the SINGLE best rap-metal song of all time. Plus, 'Kiss it Goodbye' is the ONLY acoustic rap-metal song I've ever heard.

Orange 9mm - 'Tragic'

Tracklist:

1. Fire in the Hole
2. Tragic
3. 7
4. Gun to Your Head
5. Stick Shift
6. Dead in the Water
7. Method
8. Crowd Control
9. Muted
10. Take You Away
11. Failure
12. Feel It
13. Kiss it Goodbye

DOWNLOAD

The other album I'm posting is another one that, to me, transcends music genres. Jimmie's Chicken Shack might have a stupid name, dreadlock white dudes and a black bassist, but they are NOT your average nu-metal band. Vocalist/guitarist Jimi Haha was a pro-surfer who decided to start a band in the early 90's. He has a VERY unusual guitar style that I would compare to Les Claypool's bass style, but more riff-oriented. It's like he's telling you a joke with his guitar...the riffs are just so goofy. Try listening to 'Spiderweb' and not immediately picking up a guitar and trying to play it. He also has good lyrics. Sometimes they lean a little too much into 311-overwhelmingly-pukingly-positive fodder, but usually he translates his 'stoner dude who hates everything but still has hope that not all people are stupid as fuck' attitude perfectly into lyrics. 'When You Die, You're Dead' might be the best 'message' song of the nu-metal era...unfortunately, none of their other stuff is really all that great. 2nd LP sounded more like Sugar Ray, then they kinda got lost in the major label shuffle. I gave their 'comeback' album a listen and it was okay...the coolest thing being a cover of Fugazi's 'Waiting Room.'

Jimmie's Chicken Shack - 'Pushing the Salmanilla Envelope'

Tracklist:

1. Dropping Anchor
2. Outhouse
3. High
4. Spiderweb
5. Blood
6. This is Not Hell
7. Milk
8. Hole
9. School Bus
10. Another Day
11. Sitting with the Dog
12. When You Die You're Dead

DOWNLOAD