Go Run Donkey Hot! - Summerth (2016)

Despite my best intentions it is still taking me forever to get posts written up. Here is a submission I got a couple months ago, and should have been on top of far more promptly. There's just so many distractions lately, but maybe we'll get lucky and I'll write a few of these.

A lovely and calming album from Našice, Croatia. Not sure where they got such a creative name for this band, but its eccentric nature doesn't suggest the restrained post-rock/ambient style of music they make. The songs are long, building affairs that feature a fine variety of instrumentation, including the work of a most excellent horn player. In fact, while there isn't a instrument in these compositions that lacks charm, the horn really steals the show. The songs rise to a high point full of post-rock guitar and  clashes of cymbals, then pops in this alluring brass to guide it all around and back into the ambient bed of that underpins the tracks. Beautiful stuff, really nice.

To be had here:
Go Run Donkey Hot! - Summerth

EP Grab Bag vol. 109

For like the hundredth time I am way overdue at posting these EPs. I can't really keep a regular schedule at all and I won't make any promises are to how often I'll post anything. Keeping it consistent for months on end was a more tolling experience than I care to continue, and I have already slacked heavily as you might've noticed. So here on out, you get what you get when I feel like getting to it. More than likely it'll be bursts of posts that'll try to hype on the twitter feed as I get time.

To be had here:

Domiciles - Domiciles EP (2015)

A Scottish band from the town of Fife. They play well-polished psychedelic garage rock, by which I mean it all sounds remarkably clean with any lo-fi elements be intentionally preserved. Nothing at all wrong with good production, and the songwriting is stellar. I could imagine this band become very popular if they got the right breaks. Hits a happy middle ground between retro and modern psych-rock, not ignoring the Eastern influence from the earlier decades of the genre. Excellent stuff.

The Raw Nerves - Serious Beef (2016)

A new EP from New Zealanders, the Raw Nerves. This is a band that Amazing Larry wrote up, specifically their self-titled album from 2012. I unfortunately didn't spend much time listening to, yet I am glad to have been reminded to by way of these new songs. Short, loud and fast these tracks will be enjoyed by most any garage punk fan. Making me feel like I have been spending too much time listen to obscure 70s albums and not nearly enough brash, noisy rock from the inbox.

nemanja - nemanja (2015)

From Croatia comes dreamy, psychedelic pop sounds. Listening to this EP reminded me of a bunch of great bands from the former Yugoslavia I've posted and enjoyed for the years, however it in particular reminds me of Pridjevi, who're one of my personal favorites. While not identical, it shares the same Eastern-Western combination with ethereal singing and stunning instrumentation. An amazing example of contemporary dream pop that I most dearly cherish.

Chen Firsel - Sugarush EP (2015)

An Israeli musician who makes home recordings of psychedelic folk-pop. The songs are light and spacey overall, but have an sweet impact. I found the very easy to drift off into a pleasant headspace during, all the while enjoying his melodic guitar playing and nicely atmospheric backgrounds. Additionally, his vocals both in the highly effected and less altered states heard are remarkable. Still somewhat lo-fi throughout but really engaging.

VAPORIZED! - VAPORIZED! (2015)

Heavy grunge rock from Sydney, Australia. The album has a lot in the way of howling vocals and power cords, and it is on the edge of metal, yet I would say they do an amazing job at skirting that line without truly crossing it. Rather these are what the radio would call 'hard rock' songs, but I think grunge is just as a fine term for them (it's what they've tagged themselves as after all). Regardless of what genre you'd put them in, the songs are unpolished and quick, possessing many finer qualities of a good lo-fi show.

EP Grab Bag vol. 94

Been a minute since I've gotten around to writing up a Grab Bag. I know I am passing over some EPs I failed to dig out of the pile, but that is life and I'll see what I can do to write them up in the future still. Yet what we got here are a fine mix of lo-fi, electronic, punk and pop. Not a dud among them.

To be had here:

The Gumbo Ya-Ya's - Bad Juju EP (2015)

Heino Retief and his pals are back with new EP of garage rock tunes out of Capetown. The songs bear the fuzzy, jangling sort of lo-fi rocking I've come to expect and cherish from these rather productive South African musicians. Perhaps this EP is a bit more laid back than last year's LP, Superstitious Kisses, as they've taken a more laid back psychedelic and surfy sound. The title track of the EP exemplifies this most wonderfully. Not sure if or when there's to be physical release, but to enjoy soundcloud link for now (unless I wasn't supposed to share it, he didn't give any stipulations though).

Grenades in the Archives - Dressed Up Like Armageddon (2015)

The Boston-based punk rock outfit Grenades in the Archive are back with the second EP to make it into a Grab Bag. In fact, it was just four of these ago I posted Toyko. Nothing wrong with a quick turnaround and certainly not if you'd like a fix on fast, trashy punk rock. The songs are short, loud and intense with a bunch of sounding and very cool guitar playing. My original sentiment from the prior EP is only reinforced upon hearing this latest effort, the perfect thing for a dirty, small venue in which I often have my very best of times at shows. Though it doesn't hurt to hear it alone in my apartment right now either.

Lolita - Doll House EP (2014)

This EP is something I stumbled on when I was doing the Scene of a City: Zagreb post. As they're not from Zagreb but rather the town of Koprivnica in the northeast of Croatia, I decided to save it for a Grab Bag. A short set of songs all in English and display a profoundly excellent understanding of indie and power pop. These are some lovely tunes. The sort of songs that I heard as a teenager and was immediately drawn to without really understanding what they were singing about at all. I'm thinking particularly about Beulah and generally of many others. Of course these songs only got better once I understood them better.

The Penguin Conspiracy - Gazing at the Sky (2015)

A pretty EP by a band from Newton, Massachusetts. Like the prior EP of this Grab Bag it is a fine show of indie/power pop sound, though more washed out and loose sound (whatever the fuck that means, but I think you'll hear it). The singer sorta mumbles through the songs but it is rather endearing and the instrumentation is more complex than a being of the tracks would indicate if you give them the chance to develop. I haven't got any more details on this outfit, but I can say I'm really open to hearing more from them.

Misled Navigator - Cycles of Then (2015)

An EP by the epic electronic and drone musician from Brooklyn, Misled Navigator. Now if I am getting what's happening here correctly (huge chance that I'm not), this dude runs Outward Records, which just released Cold Clouds. But the guy from Cold Clouds runs Revolving Door Records, which this album from Misled Navigator is on. This incestuous loop aside, what we've got here are some phenomenal spacey electronic tunes. They've been tagged as "snythscapes" and "snythwave," which by itself should merit a listen. I know I'm not giving much info on what it sounds like, so you're really gonna have to trust me that this guy's music is always worth hearing.

Lizards Exist - Lizards Exist (2014)

I've mentioned before, though it was appropriately been a while since, that my musical listening goes through cyclical phases. I'll be real into garage rock for example, maybe for weeks, then suddenly it'll lose its appeal and I'll be all about folk or post-rock or whatever I stumble into next. All this to eventually find my way back to listening to a bunch of garage rock. This helps and hurts writing up albums, for if the submitted material aligns with my listening preferences at the moment it is a blissful experience for all. However, if it isn't what I'm jazzed about at the time I sometimes have to sit on the album until I know I can give a fair shake. So here's an well overdue but hopefully better for it write up on the Croatian outfit, Lizard's Exist.

Lizards Exist have an identifiable era they've associated themselves with, namely the period of psychedelia that began at the very end of the 60s and blossomed in the 70s that displayed the characteristics that would create progressive rock. To explain better, I mean they're long, instrumental songs that have either improvisation or what is to appear as such done within a psychedelic style. Therefore the sound of this album is purposefully vintage, and they've executed this fantastically, particularly with the keyboard and snyth playing. Also, despite my fears that this was going to be prog rock that I found distasteful such as Yes, my enjoyment of the spacey psychedelic theme won out. I genuinely found myself riveted to my computer chair, wanting to hear where they went with these elongated tracks next. Finally, the space music aspects of Lizards Exist make me want to compare it to Cosmique and Travancore, though all three of these bands have very different approaches.

To be had here:
Lizards Exist - Lizards Exist

P.S. They're looking for a label for a vinyl LP.

EP Grab Bag vol. 65

This a damned epic EP Grab Bag. Not that I don't like what I've put of others, I wouldn't bother to write it up if I disliked it, but these songs all hit my ears at the right time, with me throughly yearning for some garage punk and psychedelic that makes up so much of my musical diet. So like a boozehound with a bottle of jack, I gulped all these EPs right up and this is what I can recall from the fantastic experience.

To be had here:

Divided Minds - Strangers EP (2014)

Another lo-fi punk rock release from Zagreb's Doomtown Records. You may recall the Modern Delusions album I wrote up a few weeks ago, and if you liked that this is most certainly a must listen for you. Four short, fast and relatively roughly hewn tracks that excellently convey anexity without getting whiney. Sounds very much like old school punk of the 70s, guitar heavy and very quick and clamorous drums. There'll be more to come from Doomtown's awesome catalog soon enough as well.

Qúetzal Snåkes - Lovely Sort of Death EP (2014)

Here is a most fucking amazing EP from French garage rockers with a very metal looking name. However, the music isn't metal at all, rather it is psychedelic garage rock that mixes dreamy, hypnotic rhythms in with fuzzy guitar playing. After having taken a spill off my bicycle last night and being rather battered and sore, this music is exactly what I wanna hear in lieu of any actual drugs to take my mind stinging in my hands. It seems rather likely that you can enjoy it without getting hurt as well. A damned fine EP for sure. Stream on BC but you can buy it on vinyl from Howlin' Banana for ten Euros.

Lazy Aftershow - The Gutter Tapes (2014)

Here is a fresh release from a recently written-up Greek psychedelic band from Thessaloniki. Or perhaps you heard a track of theirs on a recent episode of the podcast. Naturally, should you have enjoyed those this will surely tickle your fancy. Moreover, this is a sweet peaking of my use of music as drugs, with the very krautrock yet folksy psychedelic guitar noodling and steadily beating percussion. A damned fine follow up to the album they put out last year that excellent met my desire to hear more from these fellas. "Sunshine Over Grass Fields" is a winner for sure.

Local Onlys - Mt. Wister EP (2014)

Local Onlys are from a city I've had my eye on for some time as a city perhaps a bit less shitty than mine but not too nice so as to weird me out, Philadelphia. They're trio of garage punks who've put together a remarkably catchy EP of short rock numbers. And yes, they've got the angst, but seem to be dealing with it in an keenly humorous lyrical content and some of the fucking most cheerful guitar I've heard it some time from a punk outfit. Amazingly fine, especially for only a second EP from some college students.

baby dog - hinterlude (2014)

Gotta come down from that rocking high at some point, but why not ease yourself down with some emo rock from a band with the somewhat upsetting name of baby dog? I did it and I liked it as a throw back to what I recall the late 90s as, but like most things from the late 90s, this is a bit better than I remember shit being back then. I guess I got to hear this with my ass in a seat with a beer though instead of standing in a hot room with stupid kids like me. Plus this has got Garrett Linck whose music I've happy reviewed before, so trust him if not me.

Modern Delusion - Wasteland CS (2014)

A most righteous garage rock album from Zagreb put out by Doomtown Records. This label operated by a longstanding member of the lo-fi music blogging community who also does one of my favorite blogs, the long-running Teenage Lobotomy. As an avid fan of garage rock, post-punk and all varieties of lo-fi he's found a most excellent band to include on his label. I feel a bit bead having to hear this album with a doozy of a head cold, but duty calls and this shouldn't be put off another unnecessary day. Modern Delusion is three-piece with a remarkably full sound of distorted guitar, bass, and if my ears are working through the cold, keys backed by some of the better drumming I've heard in a garage band in a while. One thing that stands out is that they seem to sing in vague British accents, so I kept recalling English garage rockers like Thee Milkshakes but they've got a list of your own influences on the bandcamp page I am sure they'd prefer I make for more musical sophisticated reasons. All I know, and all I likely need to know, is I really fucking dig this album. Loud, fast and aggressively punk without losing an inch of snazziness, it's a show I liked so much I listened twice, then like four more times.

To be had here:
Modern Delusion - Wasteland CS

Pridjevi - Pridjevi (2014)

Pridjevi is from Croatia of three songwriters including one of which from a band I posted 3 years ago, East-Ra. Like East-Ra's albums this release is psychedelic and slightly avant-garde, however Pridjevi is seems to belong more to the sister genre dream pop. The songs are composed with incredible talent that is immediately heard in the first track, using a fine mixture of Eastern and Western elements befitting Croatia's position in the transitional area of Europe, which is only enhanced by the siren singing in Croatian (I assume). Likewise brilliantly uses electronic effects to subtly create a soundscape that summons to mind any manner of Eastern European fantasies. Perhaps, I've been overly historical in my references, a thing I can do easily; but if I have it is disingenuous superbly modern and engaging. Just look at that fucking album art, surrealist to an extreme. I found this album quite literally intoxicating and cannot recommend it enough.

To be had here:
Pridjevi - Pridjevi

East-Ra - Cold Summer (2008), Sutra (2009), & Substitute 3 (2011)

These guys dropped a psychedelic bomb on me last week. Three albums of lo-fi psych-rock for writing up at once is a doozey, and normally might've taken longer for me to post it up if it wasn't that I enjoyed the albums so much I've had no problem listening to them repeatedly. East-Ra are from Croatia, but if you heard their first album, Cold Summer, you could easy be made to believe they're a British psychedelic act that rose and fell in the late 60s. Even reminds me of Detroit's late 60s psych band, The Index. Absolutely mesmerizing and a wonderful representation of what psychedelia can produce. The second, Sutra, has a large difference insomuch that it's sung in their local dialect, which they told me is unique to their town. Also has some recognizable krautrock influences. Finally, there is Substitute 3 sounding more experimental. The exotic instruments and echoing chants caused me to think of the Finnish avant-garde music I love so much. Got hooked with the first track, "Amanita," and though the rest isn't as avant-garde it kept my interest steadfastly. All their albums are free on their label's blog, OSA Media, and I've linked to the albums directly below.

To be had here:




Cold Summer













Sutra











Substitute 3