White Poppy - White Poppy (2013)

Not Not Fun is one of the best record labels in California putting out psychedelic dance music, improvised jams, and off-kilter tunes. It was a stellar year for the label and more than a few of my favorite records from this year were released under their banner. White Poppy may be the strongest new release, and you have probably seen this release pop up on countless yearend Best Of lists.

White Poppy sounds like countless groups recording in their bedrooms on their IMac but with a sense of polish and perfection that is harder to come by. As this project is the brainchild of Crystal Dorval, it is amazing to see how much traction she gets out of the swirling melodies she laces with ethereal vocal stylings. Distant yet fun, and you know that is always worth a listen.

Get it here:
White Poppy - White Poppy (2013)

EP Grab Bag vol. 48

More goodness from the month of December that are just now getting the respect they deserve.

Soft Cure – Candy (2013)

Instrumental indie-surf tunes by a kid who is making the best of the DIY esthetic and has put together two pleasing songs you can use to dream about when covered in ice and death.

 

 

 

Land Lines (PDX) – Loserly EP (2013)

Fuzzed out garage pop from rainy Portland. I have a slew of 7 inch singles from the 90s that sound just like this. Still good in my estimation.

 

 

 

Beast & Flood – Forever Homes/Name Split EP

Sydney has more than kangaroos and guys who look like just fought a gang of crocs, it also has great post-punk like Beast and Flood. At the start of Forever Homes, I got a distinct Pavement feel that quickly faded behind the graceful and prodding baseline and howling vocals. Highly recommended.

 

 

Misled Navigator – Sense, Déjà vu (2013)

If you are going to experiment, it always helps to have some tunes that even the most jaded hipster could dance to. These Brooklyn kids picked up on this lesson, and put together what could best be described as alternative dance punk used to fuck to.

 

 

 

Bike Weak – Idle (2013)

This is some odd shit. Smooth R&B jams sung by a guy who is either completely high and/or drunk and taking a piss on the style, or so committed to his craft that he doesn’t care if he comes off crazy and psychopathic. Being a psychopath myself, I can usually smell one of my kind. More of this type of insanity please.

 

 

Svarta Stugan – A Mutation and a Madness (2013)

Because I am in a fucked up mood thanks to Bike Weak, I am not sure if I crave blood or love at the moment. Thankfully, this Swedish band gives me both, and delivers a dark set of songs that look bleak even under a cloudy Gothenburg sky.

EP Grab Bag vol. 47

Some great tunes that were sent our way during the month of December. I’ll be short and brief regarding each, but all are worth a listen or download.

Bully Mammoth – EP Two (2013)

Big bad guitars and drums that could push down the Great Wall if used effectively as artillery, this Portland band is back with another larger than life EP that fans of hard hitting psychedelic music with a bit of How Water Music thrown in are sure to enjoy.

 

 

 

Conspiracy A-Go-Go Compilation (2013)

The JFK assignation felt like just yesterday for an old ghoul like me, but for most of you, it is likely just another conspiracy theory that some nefarious agents carried out against a philandering Irish booze-hound. Turn Me on Dead Man Recordings has done something I am unfamiliar with, but a great idea that I will surely steal at some point. They put together a great comp of garage and punk rock bands making songs related to the JFK assassination. There is a lot of great material to comb through here, but my favorite from the first half of the record is Dark Fog’s “God Damn Texas.”

Judy’s Funeral – Down Deep/Lose Yourself (2013)

I love England in 1990. I was kicking it around London listening to lots of what would later be called shoegaze and doing copious amounts of acid. Kids: don’t let anyone tell you that drugs got boring after the 1960s! This group’s EP is a great mix of soaring reverb drenched guitar lines and the sneering bravado of a drunk lad from Glasgow at 6 in the morning coming home pissed from the pub. Highly recommended.

 

Cody Pie – Body (2013)

More bigger than life pop music from Montreal (or are these headphones just bloody awesome?), this short single would have been huge if these kids had been come out in 1993 and toured with Suede. I should add that the vocals are recorded just right for a release of this nature.

 

 

Word War 1 Compilation (2013)

This French label (Retard Records) is definitely going on my list of best new record labels. They put out a slew of great releases this month, but this compilation of French garage rock jams is the icing on the cake. If you do not immediately love Kaviar Special, you might be an ailment ridden idiot. Great cover, great tunes, great label.

Ty Segall – Gemini (2013)

Ty Segall can do very little wrong in our estimation. The guy puts out close to 346 records a year, and just about every track provides enough toe-tapping riffs to keep any garage head happy well into the wee, beer infused hours. His most recent full length, Sleeper, was an acoustic side-step from what I consider his greatest work: the fuzzed out Twins. “Would You Be My Love,” “The Hill,” and “Thank God for Sinners” was the height of his songwriting, and put every one of his detractors in their rightful place beneath his amplifier.

For those of you who could not get enough of this set of tracks, Drag City has copies of Gemeni available. The record is made up of demos and 4-track recordings used in the brainstorming process for Twins. Every kid slamming away riffs in their bedrooms will enjoy getting a look into the master’s creative process, and curse their lack of talent when they get a glimpse at these nuggets of sound.

I know the record is super limited and only sold at select independent record shops, so pick one up before it is too late.

Get it here:Ty Segall – Gemini (2013)

The Wharves/ The Rosy Crucifixion (2013)

I had never heard of Soft Power Records prior to this submission, but if this Scottish label’s output is as strong as this split, they are to be followed. The Wharves kick off their side of the record with “Thick Syrup,” a rocking number that calls forth images of Sarah Records releases from the past, funneling them through a rock tumbler to give it some weight and thickness. The dual female vocals have a Sleater Kinney sensibility with a few extra doses of pop melody thrown in for good measure. 

I always enjoy having a split release with two very different acts sharing wax, and the Rosy Crucifixion and their dirtier version of Blondie stacks blues-rock riffs on top of a sultry vocal delivery. Smoke filled taverns with musical stages covered by chain-link fence are the venues this music should be played in. Hopefully they get things thrown at them while they play. Based on the tone of their music, I am sure they know how to dish it right back.

Get it here:

The Wharves/ The Rosy Crucifixion (2013)

EP Grab Bag vol. 46

This is what I rustled up out of the submissions and have been listen to over the last week. So many damned EPs getting thrown up here lately, it is a real fuck cornucopia of songs. Thank us anytime, folks.

To be had here:

The Sea Life - Transitions (2013)

A new EP by the Washington, D.C. indie pop band the Sea Life. A follow up to the previously featured album In Basements it is a fine continuation of their dreamy sound. While I found the whole EP to be delightful, I am really a fan "NY Models" and it's cheerful keyboard. With luck this is a sign of another full-length on the way.

Volage - MADDIE EP (2013)

High grade psychedelic noise pop from France. This is a 10-inch vinyl record released by Howling Banana that only came out the first of this month. It is incredibly catchy music and more on the light-hearted side of the fuzzy music that I so often post. The EP is streamable but not free to download, yet I liked it enough to share it anyway and maybe they'll give us permission for a download link... (nudge nudge).

Back Pages - Broken In Again (2013)

A brief three song EP of garage rock from Florida. The title track is distorted and fast and reminds me of the recently posted Killer Ghost, the second strips down to an acoustic number that's pretty sweet, and ends with a quick punk tune that's got some neat guitar playing. Good early release and leaves me wanting more.





Darlington Pair - Vacation Tapes: Kitty Hawk 2013 Coda

A shift in tone from the fuzzed out music above. What we've got here is some ambient, atmospheric sort of experimental music. Heavy of the use of sounds they must've recorded outdoors of the ocean and whatnot a lesson in the power of subtlety as they very sparingly add electronic sound, light cords and soft horns. Remarkably soothing to listen to.

Killer Ghost - Demo, Lo​-​Fi High Five & Not Punk Enough (2013)

Look here, three EPs by one artist dating only as far back as the summer. He must really be trying to win us over, eh? Well, I am sold on it, Killer Ghost is a member of a band I heavily praised in previous posts, Fun Guns. Naturally I was very excited to hear his new project and it did not disappoint, though the Demo really is that, a very rough recording and the songs that he decided to re-record on the latter EPs are really significantly improved. Musically it can easily be told that this guy is from the Fun Guns, as the music is really of the same style, which is to say bluesy, lo-fi garage rock with surf rock thrown in here and there. However, it is great to hear more from him as I can't get enough of the three EPs I've heard by Fun Guns and was already hankering for more tunes of that sort. Be sure to at least check out the super righteous EPs Lo​-​Fi High Five and Not Punk Enough. Between the two you've basically got a short album on your hands, and a damned fine one at that.

To be had here:




Demo

Lo​-​Fi High Five

Not Punk Enough

Ubu Roi – Nice Dude EP (2013)

I just returned from Seattle, and those chowder eaters are doing something right. The record stores were full of folks and the shows I attended had a mix of music types present. I am fine with just a few days of sunlight a year, but I guess that would be detrimental to the living.

Anyone who has listened to my band’s music (and we just put out a new record by the way), knows that I have a thing for fast, punchy rock songs. Especially when the lyrics are about drinking booze. Ubo Roi do both of these things in spades. They also happen to be far more competent players than we are, even though I assume they are also soaked in booze while the tape is rolling. Just check out the first track’s lyrics:

“I don’t wanna eat no cheeseburgers, French fries
I wanna drink some alcohol
I don’t wanna eat no pizza pie
I wanna drink some alcohol”

Buy the 7 inch, so these kids can have some beer money.

Get it here:Ubu Roi – Nice Dude EP (2013)

The Amphibious Man – Spit Globs (2013)

At least once a month, I find myself crawling through the woods, drunk off my ass and covered in someone else’s blood. That’s the kind of experience most of the living world never goes through, but it seems to be a consistent occurrence in my existence. I often don’t have a music device when I am doing so (or pants for that matter), but last night I heard the new Amphibious Man songs in my head as I scrambled to figure out if I were the hunter or the hunted.

See, I feel a kindred bond with this Brooklyn band (update: who happen to really be from Connecticut). Clearly, they are made up of like-minded psychopaths that have too much time and audio tape on their hands. I played the 7 inch backwards, and a message about disposing of corpses was exposed. Twisted? You bet. But just the kind of music you need to scare your parents when they no longer fear rappers.

Get it here:
The Amphibious Man – Spit Globs (2013)

Biosexual – The Window Wants the Bedroom (2013)

When I go vinyl digging, I find many copies of Van Halen, and very few experimental releases. Perhaps it is the ultra-limited nature of this genre, or the overly collectable mindset of those who partake in it, but these types of releases exist for a short period of time online and at select shops and then seem to fade into obscurity.

This Sacramento based band will assuredly enter that aforementioned place in the history of rock music, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this excellent release. Put out on vinyl by Debacle Records, it finds itself comfortably dancing between scratching eclecticism and reverb heavy pop hooks. If you didn’t already know, that is where you want to find your experimental record (take a note kids). I loved Sleigher, but I will allow you to pick your own favorite track.

Get it here:

Biosexual – The Window Wants the Bedroom (2013)

EP Grab Bag vol. 45

The passing of Loud Reed has surely been a loss for the living. By all means, he was one of the greatest rock musicians and songwriters of all time. He influenced every musician featured on this website, whether they know it or not. I look forward to hearing his albums down here in Hell, but you’ll just have to wait till you’re dead to hear them. In fact, I see him jamming with George Harrison as I write this.

Here are some bands that have stolen from Lou Reed.

Sleepcomesdown – Cured by the Blur (2013)

Milwaukee’s best beer is a bit shit, but these kids ain’t. Quick, gloomy pop songs that the angry and depressed can play when looking for something to dance to in their studio apartments. Polished and competent with just the right vocals to run beside the guitar licks.

 

 

 

Holographic Sands – Water Bodies (2013)

Country surf? Not as new a concept as you may think, but this lo-fi recording of twangy songs to play on your board are entertaining and agreeable. Since they guys are form Minneapolis, you can fight them when they try and take the best waves at your local beach. Just buy a CD from the kids later.

 

 

 

Wasteland – So Weird (2013)

If Lou Reed taught us anything, it was that bigger than life records with lots of noodling do not a good record make. Reed predates the home recording era, but those early Velvet Underground tracks demonstrate his love for the real and the simple when it comes to making music. Wasteland from Australia is slurry and snotty, but it carries Reed’s message about honesty and truth, and so it is worth a free download.

 

Stag Baron - Bad Blood (2013)

Not sure how to describe this, but it’s catchy pop-rock from Virginia. There is nothing offensive about it, which is unfortunate. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

 

 

 

 

 

C.M Slenko – The Space Between the Stars

Reed never went entirely down the experimental rabbit hole, but his recordings pushed boundaries and showed a generation of musicians that playing with sounds and simple chords could be as effective as well considered and performed guitar solos. The first track from this Lancaster band almost sounds like a Velvet Underground track in fact. Mood and tone are key to this release, and they have put together a fine soundtrack to my drinking and Lou Reed ruminations.

 

BlackBoxRed – Stripper (2013)

This is a fine band to end on. This act from the Netherlands, fronted by one of the best female vocalists I have heard this year, blasts through this rockin’ garage rock single like they just finished off a case of Rolling Rock and don’t give a shit if their neighbors hear. Loud Reed may be dead, but he will live on in acts like this that continue to create music that the common man can both enjoy and be challenged by.

Graham Repulski - Over the Shit Rainbow (2013)

Here is a little secret for all you followers of Steve Jobs: nothing can replace audio tape when it comes to recording music. I have made tunes with countless programs and tools over the years, but nothing can touch the warmth reel-to-reel or cassettes capture. It has gotten to be a bit trendy with the trendy types to decry audio tape as nothing more than nostalgia. Those same critics have likely not attempted to recorded a psychedelic pop extravaganza to 4 track either.

I can't think of a more fucked up state than New Jersey, and thus I find myself with their very own Graham Repulski. It has some fucked-up Casio beat with down-tuned bass and guitar lines that capture the wonder of a recording session fueled by booze and inspiration. The tape (going for only 4 bucks) provides just enough surreal lyricism to match the rhythmic baselines, and should sit on your cassette shelf before hipsters turn on the format and leave it to the Black Metal legions again.

Get it here:
Graham Repulski - Over the Shit Rainbow (2013)

EP Grab Bag vol. 44

Been too long since I posted up a Grab Bag. Found work here in Connecticut hence the lack of consistent posting, but be assured by the fact I'll likely be bitching about my new jobs here when I get to it so same old same old. Moreover, I was really bummed out to hear Lou Reed died so I have been listening to his music and all the submissions I can fit in lately to make up for my un discilpined music attention as of late. Here is what I have culled out of the submissions and sorry for being such a fucking deadbeat about this blog.

To be had here:

Yosa Buson - Black Sessions 1 & Black Sessions 2 (2013)

Here is a short collection of psychedelic tracks done by a group of experimental California-based musicians, including our very own Elvis Dracula. Nepotism, sure, but also it is really some damned righteous music. Besides by now you all should know to trust anything and everything that Elvis touches. It gets out there, best listened to with a beer and nothing on the mind but the music if you want my opinion. Lose yourself, what else have you got going for you if not fine, free tunes? These are sessions one and two and there should be a third coming to make for a group of EPs that'll become a cassette that you should keep an eye out for.

Shaky Shrines - Shaky Shrines (2013)

A debut EP by Pittsburgh's Shaky Shrines. Five droning psychedelic songs that feature some rather amazing guitar, dreamy singing and solid percussion. Basically, I am saying I like the way these guys play and I must've listened to this EP a half dozen times the day I downloaded it. Hopefully there is more to come from this band.

Coyotes In the Room - Preach (2013)

More music from the ultra-prolific Coyotes In the Room. They seem to be putting out something all the time, not that I am complaining as I have been a fan of each release. If you've liked the prior albums at all this'll be a good treat, as it keeps the fuzzy, folk/psychedelic rock mood. Subtle yet addictively done, if I may add. Additionally, the final track is a premium cover of Ace of Base's "I Saw the Sun." How much could one hope for?

Glaze of Cathexis – Prophecies of the All Seeing Sage (2013)

I feel a bit bad for all those folks who flock to Roswell hoping to study mankind’s possible first contact with Alien life. Little do they know that aliens have been visiting our planet for some time. No, they didn’t build the pyramids and start the evolutionary process. Don’t be ridiculous! They did come to fuck hot broads, drink, and make out-of-this world tunes. Danton, Franklin, Sun-Ra, and a short little extraterrestrial living in Japan called Glaze of Cathexis. I saw him at the recent Conference for Alien Existence in Las Vegas. Nice event by the way, but the drinks were far too expensive.

Glaze of Cathexis comes from a long tradition of alien life creating and fucking with human musical stylings to make something truly otherworldly. This is the kind of stuff kids in the 1960s were really into while smoking a shit load of pot and taking acid. Nothing tongue and cheek about this band’s delivery; they are believers. I was told not to take acid at work, but this record just can’t help a little trip. I may even play “Silver Ganges and Mecca” as I wait for my own trip to Norgel 5.

Get it here:

Glaze of Cathexis – Prophecies of the All Seeing Sage (2013)

Piano Piano – When I was not in myself, no one alarmed me (2013)

I once had to dispose of a body. It was far more difficult than they make it look on television. Other than the weight of the body, the amount of stuff that flows out of a corpse really makes a clean desecration a difficult task. As the crime I was committing was intended to remain secret, I definitely was not rocking any tunes while getting rid of this little problem either. Now that I think of it, this was 1896, so no portable, recorded music existed to begin with. Damn.

But if I did have a soundtrack, Seattle’s Piano Piano would have made a fine one. Highly technical, intricate math rock that builds to those beautiful crescendos that best reflect the moment your ax bludgeons another stoolie individual. This 4 track EP has some strong tracks, but the last track titled “Harmonics” is a standout for all potential cult leaders and serial murders… and I guess you could enjoy it if you did not fall into either of those categories.

Get it here:

Piano Piano – When I was not in myself, no one alarmed me (2013)

So Stressed – Attracted to Open Mouths (2013)

A recent conversation between myself and my boss at the call center I have been working at night.

Boss: What the fuck is that noise Elvis?!

Me: That’s the newest record from Sacramento’s So Stressed. Do you like it?

Boss: Are you kidding me? Fuck no! It sounds like a bunch of goddamn noise!

Me: Well, it is noise punk sir. Maybe you started off hearing the wrong track. Let me play “A Fisherman’s Feast” for you. It is rather melodic and enjoyable. But yea, you do have to enjoy stuff that squeals and yells at ya.

Boss: Look Elvis, your neighbors have been complaining about the sounds coming out of this cubicle. How can they sell fake novelty vomit if they have aggressive sounds around them at all hours of the night?

Me: Ok, how about “Little TV?” This is what emocore used to be before a bunch of fashion-focused assholes ruined that shit.

Boss: No, I hate that too. This is your last warning Elvis. Turn off the music, or you’re fired.

Me: If you fire me, I will come back and burn down this entire office while I sodomize you with a replica of Voltaire’s cock.  Trust me, I have been alive a long time now, I have one. This record is great, and if you make me turn it off, your ass will burn like the French Royal family when I am done with you.

Boss:….carry on Elvis.

 

Get it here:

So Stressed – Attracted to Open Mouths (2013)

The Gentle Stunts - Beg The Question (2013)

The Gentle Stunts return here with a second full-length after last year's Life-Sized Deadbeats. The style is familiar psychedelic pop with a shimmery, soft delivery but executed with more what sounds to be a better production value. The increased crispness is apparent and allows tracks like "Censorship Dilemma" and "Eclipse Have Won the Race" to really stand out. A very solid follow up that gives exactly what I have hoped for from a new album by these guys, the style I liked about the first album but even more impressive songwriting. Seems like they might be playing shows in Connecticut if you're in that area, and who knows, if I find some money I might makes it to New Haven myself.

To be had here:
The Gentle Stunts - Beg The Question

Space Wolves - Space Wolves IV (2013)

Here's another group I have posted multiple times that is back with a new full-length. Taking that prolonged break is like coming back to a treasure trove of music, and not least among them is this fourth album the Space Wolves. It is cheerfully done retro-pop that does a wonderful job at delivering wittily written lyrics in an energetic style. It is a short but addictive to listen to. It is easily put on looping repeat and before you know it you'll have heard the son of bitch a half dozen times. Consistently excellent like the previous albums. My roommate suggests it is similar Guided by Voices, and I am inclined to agree with him so that's your bag you best snatch it for the undeniably fine price of nothing.

To be had here:
Space Wolves - Space Wolves IV

Thee Dang Dangs - For the People (2013)

It rained like hell yesterday and I have not been to the beach in weeks, so you could say I have not been in a surfing mood lately. That doesn't matter however, as this band is from Denver and they are as far from the beach as you can get. That may explain this band's excellent and tripped-out take on Surf Rock. I bet these ladies and lads have more Thee Oh Sees records in their collection than they do Beach Boy discs, and the cold Colorado winters are prone to produce meditative freak sessions caused by long bouts of seclusion. Throw those elements in a pot, and you get the Thee Dang Dangs.

The minute I heard "Lips Around Your Spine, " I knew the track would be on heavy rotation here at the Bat Pitt. Igor described this record as "someone being raised in Hell on acid trying to imitate a poorly transmitted 60s AM radio station." That just about captures it. It's not a free download, but worth a few bucks for the physical media. The spinning disc may be all that keeps the wolves at bay during this coming winter.

Get it here:
Thee Dang Dangs - For the People (2013)

EP Grab Bag vol. 43

The Sexies – Start Fights! (2006)

I play in some bands with some of these kidos (and I should mention that I am playing a role in putting out this cassette), but this EP really is a standout garage rock set that perfectly captures the mid-2000s out in the deserts of the Imperial Valley. This is a band well studied in the Nuggets box sets, and is unashamed to wear those influences out front. Wacky, ridiculous lyrics that don’t feel out of place for a moment. You were probably drunk when you first heard them anyway. 

Recorded right to cassette using an old boombox, this EP is surprisingly well polished considering the tools used. While they have long been deceased, I dare you to not listen to “Oh My God! The Whips!” and not pump your fist along with the infectious, fuzzy riff of goodness. The cassette has dozens of other tracks from the band’s lifespan, so get them before they are all gone. 

Un.Real – EPICO (2013)

I don’t know what the rock scene is like in Puerto Rica, but if this band is any meaningful measurement, British shoegaze music has found inroads far from London. This excellent free EP comes from a group that has been at it for some time and has polished this sound over the last decade. This record comes just as the shoegaze esthetic has gained popularity yet again and will likely find its way onto some websites “best of” list. 

White Lodge – Holy Void (2013)

This Australian band was on a recent grab bag, but their new EP is just as awesome as the last and deserves the free download you will surely provide. You know the drill: snarling, pissed, and fun psychedelic garage rock that builds on the groups already well crafted sound.

Markus Mehr – Off (2013)

Made up of one long, epic ambient experiment, this is my favorite Mehr record to date. Not music for everybody, but the soundscape created here through loops is pretty impressive stuff. A lot of people make something like this these days, but this is truly exceptional stuff. Thankfully, Hidden Shoal Records has put out a physical release so you may even find it at your local non-existent record store.