Slanted - Forever (2015)

Now that "the 90s sound" has been making a comeback. I've spent some time trying to figure out exactly what the fuck that means. Whatever one's opinion is, most would agree that the sound in question refers to indie rock. It's not "gangster rap", "ska punk", "rap metal" or any other genre that helped define the American popular music of the 1990s. No, it refers to the genre that percolated just beneath the topsoil, dimly lit by it's proximity to the spotlight shining on those who were thrust into the mainstream.

Underground bands made it big in the 90s... bands like Soundgarden or Pavement, or at least made it bigger. I don't think Kim Thayil or Steve Malkmus are, now, wiping their asses with one hundred dollar bills, but for a moment there, they probably could have and it wouldn't have broken their banks. But even those musicians didn't really play the kind of music that is now making a comeback. The 90s rehash sound is more pop oriented.

Nashville band Slanted have this sound. They could've easily existed along other indie-pop bands of the mid-90s: Syrup USA, Verbena, Elf Power... American bands that built upon the sound birthed out of the UK and New Zealand in the 80s. Slanted's music takes me right back to my high school days, before the internet, where I tried to find cool music by listening to Princeton College radio, recording 120 minutes to VHS, and buying records I'd never heard just because they were in the Parasol catalog (that's right: catalogs of records! Made out of real paper!)

I'm a sucker for this sound, and a sucker for this band.

11 songs.

Slanted - Forever

EP Grab Bag vol. 69

Ahhh, sixty-ninth Grab Bag, very nice...

To be had here:

Club de Surf - Sonic Death EP (2014)

A very fast, very loud and very punk EP to begin the Grab Bag with this week. Club de Surf is a garage punk outfit from Santiago, Chile. It is beautifully noisy and intense, with lyrics that are beyond even guessing at. I mean, just look at these cats in their shades, you know it's fucking rock and roll and you know you're down. The sort of thunderous percussion and fuzzed out guitar that makes me feel like I'm not doomed to wandering around confused at khakis shorts and graphic tees with Disney shit on it.


The Lost Day - The Lost Day EP (2014)

Now to Greece for more high volume guitar playing, this time instrumental psychedelic rock from two other fellas. Has a ever so tiny touch of pop sentimentality in between the heavy freak out sections to make an invigorating blend of fast and loose fucking around with thought out composition. Even gets a bit droney at times, which is always a welcome development. The final track is something to look forward to too with the Dick Dale style reverb layered on early then some crazy Asian spoken word on it.



Saint Julien -  Space​-​Age Politics Single (2014)

Three tracks from Nashville act Saint Julien of a bizarre variety. Hard to place, certainly experimental but that term doesn't mean much, I'd call it lo-fi electro-whatnot. It is very brief, feels like it is over just as it begins and leaves you stranded in a strange feeling, yet one that makes you want to click the button to replay it over and over. A full-length of this would be pretty fucking epic, I'd bet. We can only hope that is something the future has in store for us all.


Prude Boys - Demos from Lost Boys Days (2013)

There are four tracks from a Hamtramck band, and for those you not of the Detroit area Hamtramck is a city fully enclosed within Detroit know for its low rent, Polish food, small bars and rock shows. Anyhow, these are some cool garage rock songs that have nice fuzzy guitars and fine singing, though I would scale the vocals back but I always say that it seems. Exceptional fine for demos and very promising for the new material they're putting out. Seems they've got a six-part project of two track demo releases coming out, so keep an eye on these guys.

Grushemka - Enredo interesante (2014)

Back overseas with the Spanish band, Grushemka of Barcelona. The lyrics are in Spanish (or maybe Catalan, but I can't understand it regardless) but the music is some very tight dream pop. The first track is a very dancey sort of beat-driven pop song and the second is a lo-fi acoustic guitar number that is very sweetly done. Hope they're singing something sweet and not something gross to trick me, but if they did do that: good fucking work. Anyhow, just found them at random and thought it was worth sharing.

Fela Soul - Amerigo Gazaway (2011)

A little late to the game with this one. Apparently it was an internet sensation? I use the internet extensively everyday and I'd never heard of this until now (and no, not exclusively for porn, you cheeky shits). I do almost all of my blogging for Spacerockmountain from work. I'm at work right now, in fact.

God, I can't wait till I have a job I give a shit about.

ANYWAY, if it wasn't already clear from the title, this is a mash-up record of Fela Kuti and De La Soul material. The DJ is a fellow from Nashville named Amerigo Gazaway, and since this record "blew up" he's gone on to make other mash-up records to similar of not more acclaim (check out his Mos Def and Marvin Gaye mash-ups). That one is actually more my jam, but since Fela Kuti has been a recent point of discussion on the podcast, and since De La is one of the greatest hip hop acts to ever exist, it seemed to me it would be a good post.

Besides we need some feel good, hot weather weekend jams. Especially out here in PDX, where today marks the beginning of a 5 day heat wave. Time to hit the river and dodge human poops.

9 tracks, name your price.

Fela Soul - Amerigo Gazaway

Ttotals – Spectrums of Light (2013)

Nashville’s country music scene is world renowned, and takes up most of the ink used when discussing the city’s soundscape. Yet, this southern jewel has had a simmering southern psychedelic scene bubbling just underneath the city’s denim and leather exterior. If you happen to take the wrong right on your way to the Grand Ole Opry, you may just end up in a dank basement bar with a pummeling wall of acid drenched riffs ripping out any Carter Family lyrics attached to your tongue.

Ttotals play to this subversive mold. You hear a love for classic Southern Rock in this band’s work, but they won’t be playing any state fairs with this sound. This two piece puts together a solid resonance for a two piece that isn’t worried to slip into destructive hallucinations when the time requires. They happen to be on tour, and can be found playing a slew of shows in the south during April, including the always awesome Austin Psych Fest.

Get the stuff here:
Ttotals – Spectrums of Light (2013)