ISS - (Endless Pussyfooting) (2017)

 

Innovation in music isn't something ubiquitous. Meaning, not everyone truly succeeds at innovation with their art. Creation in and of itself is not ground breaking. Rather, one must be cognizant of what has come before to recognize the manicured, well-trodden path that lies before them. 

Then, one must avoid the low hanging fruit and go their own way. 

This is what ISS does with their take on punk. It's clearly coming from punk roots but when adding drum machines, samples, and minimal instrumentation, it veers towards late 70's/early80's post-punk but with the tempo and tenacity of hardcore. 

The lyrics also tend to be quite hilarious. ISS aren't a joke band, they're not out for a laugh. But the lyrics for example in the song "I Hate People My Age" are crass and antisocial but in a way that I at least find amusing and relatable... decrying the idiocy of of "$15 dollar donuts" and how their generation has "thoughts on modern topics that are all garbage" ... not to leave out the refrain, "I hate people my age, my heart is pumping rage, and my stomach's turned to bile... I pray my peers all catch West Nile"

A little harsh maybe but keep in mind this is punk rock from North Carolina... a state that has no shortage of enraged punk (see this past post about one of the greatest hardcore bands who also happen to be from NC). 

ISS are beginning to catch on, with this record being the one that grabbed my attention first. Maybe you will enjoy them as much as I do. All their records are worth listening to and purchasing. 

ISS - (Endless Pussyfooting)

Music For Your Weekend

 

Nüshu - Sexe Étranger

Some of my favorite music over the past 10 years has come from the Montreal. It's to the point that, if I'm browsing music websites and I see a band from Montreal, I will drop everything to listen to them. 

I mean literally. My dinner will burn. My dog won't get walked. My son will go hungry. So of course, when I saw Nüshu's Sexe Étranger some through the pipeline, my family ate charred pizza that night. 

This release is wonderfully produced, the songs are unconventional rock in the best way, and I listened to the whole thing from start to finish several times this week. Maybe they will cast a similar spell on you.

Kendra Morris - Nine Lives I'm equally a sucker for modern soul. Kendra Morris is from New York City by way of Florida, but she sounds like she's from 1960's Detroit. 

Soulful, funky jams lay the foundation over Kendra's smooth and sultry vocals. It brings to mind other soul revivalists of recent such as Adrian Younge, Nicole Willis, and Daptone label artists. 

Ms. Morris is not a new-comer by any means, with an impressive list of collaborators including DJ Premier, MF Doom, and Ghostface Killah, she is both a seasoned musician and filmmaker to boot. She does great music videos, check out the awesome animation she did for this MF Doom/Czarface video.

Datach'i - Bones

One of the things I want to accomplish with these "music dumps", as the kids call them, is to explore other genres perhaps less familiar to typical Spacerockmountain fare. 

While rock music is my love, I've flirted heavily with electronic music in my day. Love me some Plaid, Venetian Snares, and Aphex Twin. Those are basically the only electronic groups I know. 

Luckily for me, this release by LA-based electronic artist Datach'i brings all those three references to mind. There's something truly beautiful about this record... melodically it's pretty obvious... but I also enjoyed reading about how it's a tribute of sorts to his recently departed father. Immediately engaging. 

Shitty Life - Limits To Growth

There are certain things that will grab my attention when looking through the vast ocean of music that is Bandcamp. One thing that will always catch my attention is album artwork that's clearly the insert for a cassette tape release. Music therein will be worth my time, nearly 75% of the time. The other is profanity. 

I cannot help it. Arrested development is not just a funny TV show, it's something that happened to me in my youth. Poop jokes never have fallen out of fashion for me, unfortunately for my wife. 

This is just a great Italian punk band that I have no notes for. The music is catchy and hard without the trappings of that pop punk schlock. 10/10.

Music for Your Weekend

 

World Domination Enterprises - Too Bad (I Can't Control Myself)

This is a post-punk band active in the 80s that is currently pushing out unreleased singles on their bandcamp page. 

Here are two versions of this song. The "RnB" version is just my cup of tea. Playing it while driving will increase speeds by at least 20mph. The "Rangalanga box" version is also quite good, much more drum-machine bedroom post-punk which needs to be a genre explored more. 

HUSHPUPPY - Singles Club (Remastered)

Here is a repost of an artist named Zoë Brecher and their incredibly catchy lo-fi pop music. 

Worthy of reposting for several reasons: Brecher has been making waves lately, getting more notoriety and well-deserved spotlights. She sat in as house drummer for Late Night with Seth Meyers recently, and also recorded with none other than the state bird of New Jersey himself, Bruce Springsteen, on his latest 60's soul covers record "Only The Strong Survive". 

Also - when first posted on Spacerockmountain - there was only a digital and cassette tape version of this available. But now there is vinyl! Blue or Yellow. It being Bandcamp Friday, all proceeds go to the artist, so that's cool.

Vangas - Facial Tissue

I've been digging through stuff I downloaded years ago to find some gems I never wrote about here. Vangas seems tailer-made for Spacerockmountain because it's aggressive scuzzy noise rock. 

Coming out of Georgia, this band makes music that's heavy but experimental. Maybe Unwound meets Pissed Jeans gets you close to what you'll find here. 

And with track names like "I Have Three Faces and I Hang With Dogs" (which is an awesome track) and the over 9 minute closer, "Two Men Fucking" you have music that's fun for the whole family, really. 

Required listening.

Burger Shot - Small Town Glory

There is undoubtedly 99% terrible music on bandcamp so when something unique finds the ears, my brain becomes magnetized. I'm not a connoisseur of the Vaporwave genre, and this could not quite qualify as that, but whatever this is... I fucking dig it.

Burger Shot is from Jackson, Wyoming and a project between two individuals, billybob and drey. They tagged the music herein as "Americanawave" which feels accurate. The music is like modern country, slowed way down ala Vaporwave, and chopped minimally like a wedge salad. 

Have you played a record at 45 instead of 33 by mistake, and liked it better that way? This is the opposite experience. 

Invisible Things - Time AS One Axis (2015)

I'm so damn stressed about being back in school. I remember, years ago, when I first went to college ... there was almost always that one much older person in the class. Well, that's me now. And I can't fuck around like I did 15 years ago when I was first a student. People look at me like I know something they don't ... like if they look closely enough at the grey in my hair they'll see fucking algebraic equations etched in the cuticles. The Beliebers in my psychology class can try to sniff answers out of my wrinkles all they want, but they'll be disappointed to find they're only smelling the black licorice deodorant I drunkenly purchased off Etsy last week.

Age rarely means wisdom, as we are only as wise as we fool people into "beliebing" we are.

Mark Shippy must be an exception to this rule. Once a guitarist for the famed deconstructionist rock pioneers, U.S. Maple, he's just released this explosive record along with drummer Jim Sykes from noise rock band, Parts & Labor. Shippy's guitar work brings to mind his atonal mindfuck style from the 90s, where your preeettttyyy sure whatever he's doing to that guitar is highly illegal. But the chaos is reigned in, somewhat. These songs do feel like songs... nothing one could dance to, but there is structure in here, somehow. The end result is a really engaging experimental rock record. For fans of the above mentioned bands, and for anyone who remembers the heyday of Touch And Go and Skin Graft. Maybe Marnie Stern and Deerhoof, also.

8 songs. Also available on vinyl.

Invisible Things - Time AS One Axis

Swet Jafari Meck Mett - Error de continuidad (2015)

Gonna really make an effort to knock out some submitted albums. Finding I am in the mood for the tunes and holy fuck do I ever have a backlog of them. Sorta gonna randomly cherry-pick the submissions as there is more than I have time to handle. I suppose it is time to find some help again....

Here is what I stumbled on for tonight, a Chilean musician now residing in Palma De Mallorca, Spain. Living the dream of moving to a Mediterranean island and making noisy bedroom post-punk, like that is totally something I could only imagine. The music is damn fine as well. Very experimental, taking cues from all sorts of post-punk influences like Half Japanese, Sonic Youth and many others this guy likely knows that I haven't even heard of, it has a 80s vibe with a repetitive beats, guitars freaking out and highly distorted singing. Yet at times he steers more Nico & the Velvet Underground-esque with droney sounds and those elongated vocals Nico excelled at delivering. The album is broken up with gentle instrumental interludes, or "instancia" as he calls them. These make the cacophonous sounds of the rest of Error de continuidad really burst forth more powerfully. Finally, I'd be lying if I didn't say that was some of my favorite album art I've seen in months. Good packaging is always a plus.

To be had here:

Swet Jafari Meck Mett - Error de continuidad

EP Grab Bag vol. 103

Clearing the inbox once again, this time with a very appealing selection of European EPs (save for one from a re-occurring Californian). Tends towards the lo-fi side of music yet it reaches many permutations within that vast field.

To be had here:

Baston - Gesture (2015)

A fresh release from the amazing Parisian label, Howlin Banana Records. Baston is a French band, though they do sing in English as per the usual in the world of rock and roll. Whatever they'd choose to sing in I am confident I'd enjoy it equally, because they're playing is awesome. There is really outstanding garage pop on this EP that's sure to impress most any fan of lo-fi rock. Shimmery and slightly psychedelic, I highly recommend giving it a listen, most especially the Beach Boys-esque song, "Honda."

How Scandinavian - The Kinch Service EP (2015)

The first release from How Scandinavian since the "Drowning In Myself" single. Five new mid-fi songs of wandering slowcore art-rock yet they've gone at added an unusual amount of uptempo indie rock for this outfit into some of the songs. This is most apparent in the tracks "Monday" and "The Flensed." The Kinch Service might be a turn for the louder and quicker but it is still grounded in solid songwriting. A fine listen for anyone wanted some angsty tunes in there life, which I find to be a understandable impulse.

Dustbombers - Public Beta (2015)

From the city of Arnhem in the Netherlands comes a darkly noisy rock EP. Sorta a mix between new wave and Sabbath-esque metal, these four songs are bear full-sounding guitar and vocals that at times reach into the elaborately strange. Very good for getting that heavy post-metal fix and really does show off some amazing guitar work. I should like to see what happens if this is expanded in scope, to make longer and more epic songs.

bm79 - Who Loves Control / Scream (2015)

The fella behind bm97 is from the Moofs, a Greek psychedelic band that I continue to get projects related to on a routine basis (keep them coming). A couple of songs this time from a lo-fi psych-garage outfit. When you begin listen you might notice how familiar the songs seems, and that is purposefully done as the track "Who Loves Control" is a take-off on VU's "Who Loves the Sun." The other is a noisy, psych exploration. A neat introduction, be sure to look at the other tracks on bandcamp as well.

Guruzsmás - Az Élő Csizmaszár \ The Living Bootleg (2015)

The return of the Hungarian experimental progressive folk band, Guruzsmás. Now I know that seems like a bunch of shit to wrap your mind around, but you'll really have to trust me that it isn't something to shake off. Dive in and be surprised by how utterly compelling these three tracks are. The title isn't just clever, the songs were recorded live, something the recording will show and well as the audience being audible in the final song. There's a punch to theses instrumental numbers you might not expect.

Gui Gui Sui Sui - Write Me A Death Letter (2015)

Trying to get discipline back, gonna write stuff up. Or I am just joshing you all and I'll stay lazy and quiet, not sure yet. Did manage to get this done...

Another far flung submission from Hong Kong's Metal Postcard Records (you might recall them from a Grab Bag a whole ago, the band Napolleon). This time we've got an outfit from Beijing known by the assonance-heavy name, Gui Gui Sui Sui. The album does a good job at avoiding any genres for a prolonged time, causing it to sound like an erratic exploration. This is something I totally approve of, by the way. Perhaps the most immediately noticeable quality of Gui Gui Sui Sui is how they sound like a bluesy noise rock outfit from Memphis or Texas rather than hailing from the Chinese capital. These musicians have studied up on their delta blues and 90s garage rock revival for sure. Even neater yet, they've thrown in some 8-bit sounds and bizarre electronic squeals and hums, making everything all the more beautifully muddled and hard to place.

To be had here:
Gui Gui Sui Sui - Write Me A Death Letter

EP Grab Bag vol. 95

A heavy, lo-fi and strange Grab Bag today. Mixture of American and European bands, a few of them previously featured and others are new outfits to keep on eye on. Just the beginning of an absolute deluge of submitted material I came back to after taking even a few days off from writing this blog. Man can't work on labor day after all, not a good socialist like me, nor the couple of days after seemingly.

To be had here:
Cavedweller - Small Wonder EP (2015)

The return of the Texan who records as Cavedwelller. Last I wrote this guy up was when they had a couple of EPs out in 2012, but I am glad he thought to send me this latest effort. The main tone, that of a laid-back psychedelic sound, is consitent with what I was familiar with from him. However, this time I get a much more punchy, indie pop feeling, something like Apples in Stereo with much more garage rock influence. Beautiful EP anyway you wanna describe it.

The Beardy Durfs - Poppy (2015)

First band I've written up from Copenhagen in many years (I should look into rectifying this). The Beardy Duffs are a fine band to break this terrible streak with however. Their songs are eclectic, but all veering toward the unconventional. The first track "Get Back in Line" is a real gem, selling me on the band straightaway. The rest of Poppy does a fair enough job at maintaining the weird noise rock thereafter, especially with the bizarre and charming "Fat Cat." There'll be more to come, as this is purported to be the first of a three EP series.

Monster Surprise - Joie EP (2015)

The freaky French outfit Monster Surprise has a new two track EP, again from the Parisian label/blog, With A Messy Head. Keeps the weird psychedelic tone that's been the theme of this Grab Bag so far as well as what I was prepared for from Monster Surprise. Yet I wasn't expecting to be so enamored with these two short songs. Both of these tracks are out there and in markedly different ways. "Manège"is very brief and jaunty, while "Le Sens Contraire Des Aiguilles Du Monstre" is rather ethereal and experimental. Fine work all the way around.

Salem Wolves - Black Books (2015)

Unadulterated garage rock from Salem, Massachusetts. The album art and lyrics are referential of their town's puritanical/occult history but musically they remind me a great deal of Midwestern garage rock bands. This is no slight, for Midwestern lo-fi rock is by bread and butter music and what I spent much my adolescence and adulthood listening to. The outright catchiest songs are probably "Rumblr" and "There Be Wytches," though my ears always perk when I hear a lyric about a 'Southern Michigan town' in "Black Books."

Vespa Woman - Never Louder Than Lovely (2015)

Speaking of Midwestern garage rock, here is some of the genuine product. Wisconsin-based Vespa Woman makes some righteous guitar-driven rock ('alternative' as some may say, but that term means nothing to me). As it leans toward the punk end of the garage spectrum as far my ears go, and does a good job a laying everything on delightfully heavy. A compelling debut EP, and I hope I get to hear more of them as they hone their sound further.

Brother Low Elephant Grass - Alien Anarchy (2015)

I've been thinking about places lately. Places I'd like to live, places my friends tell me they're planning to move to, places I'll only get to see via photography. As I'm pondering all these locations there's a large oversight. I'm only looking at Earth, and if it is all fantasy in the end why not throw in outer space to the pondering? At least, this is what Brother Low Elephant Grass inserted into my mind as I heard their very weird music.

Alien Anarchy isn't simply a creative title. Rather it particularly describes the sound of the album. It truly contains an incredibly far out avant-garde sound, full of prog-like guitar, an massive amount of effects and a very competent composition of all these multifaceted parts into enjoyable songs. The experimental nature of this album is what prodded my brain out of considering various exotic locales and straight into the limits of what science fiction has to offer. In a quite brief time period at that. What I'm trying to say is, this album is transportive. It'll take you to some legit cosmonaut nightmares if you want. That said, the tracks "Monk" and "Reality Clashes With The Content Of My Mind" are some spectacular lo-fi tunes that I'm ever so eager for everyone to hear.

To be had here:

Brother Low Elephant Grass - Alien Anarchy

EP Grab Bag vol. 91

There's a neat thing I've noticed over my time writing this blog. If you write up a few bands from one city, other bands from that same city will send you in albums and EPs shortly thereafter. Well, Elvis has been on a San Diego jam lately and Larry wrote up some of Montreal scene recently. Little wonder that I found EPs from both these places in the submissions for this Grab Bag. However, I did find some other nice things in there as well.

To be had here:

Girl Arm - Trading Cities (2014)

From Montreal comes the noisy rock band, Girl Arm. Fans of math rock will certainly hear the ever appealing angular guitar playing in Trading Cities. Yet there's more going on than that, chaotically more, for this band is very much into making noise. The title track is a stunning example of the ordered chaos good noise and math share. Reminds me of something between The Mae Shi and Chavez. I hope these references make sense to someone, they're starting to make me feel outdated...

White Owl - To Me You All Looked The Same EP (2015)

The fourth EP by Bristol's White Owl to make its way into a Grab Bag. It maintains the washed out psychedelic force that made all prior efforts so admirable, as if they're slowly building their way an LP of their time-released tunes. Come as it may, EPs or full-lengths I will always be down for listening to anything these guys are up to. Not a second of these lo-fi songs isn't captivating. I hope you've gotten a chance to hear the prior EPs, if not loop back around for sure. Also, the photo that serves as album art looks like it is straight out of the Dig! documentary Elvis had as watch and White Owl does sound a bit like Brain Jonestown Massacre to boot.

The Bellends - Corndoggin' (2014)

A punk rock band from lovely Bloomington, Indiana. The Bellends have struck a very good position between making thrashing, fast and fuzzy punk songs and a healthy amount of irreverence. There is a cowboy riding a corndog on the cover after all. But what I mean is that they're not making dark hardcore tunes, rather throwing in some pop hooks, a few "na -na-nas" and lyrics that make jokes of life and death. Honestly reminds me of the Mummies as I continued to listen to them, but more informed by 90s punk. An accessible and catchy EP for sure.

The Conquerors - I'm Alright​/​Get Real! (2014)

Two tracks from a Kansas City, MO outfit that's aiming for a heavily retro vibe. With a name like the Conquerors I was surprised not to find an actual 60s band with that name in all the compilations of psych and garage rock in my library. I still imagine they has to be one out there. Anyhow, these guys have done an remarkable job at approximating the sound of late 60s psych-garage without just cribbing straight from any particular band. If you liked the recently posted Italian psychedelic band the Vickers I would highly recommend checking out the Conquerors as well.

SHEEP OR SLAVE - Wanting To Be Someone Else & Everlasting Vibrations (2015)

Here we have the San Diegans of SHEEP OR SLAVE released two EPs this February. So while I haven't been able to spend a ton of time listening to these EPs they've tagged as 'doom pop,' however I have already figured out that they are best heard loudly blasting through speakers or headphones. This way you'll get the most out of the contrast between the surreal, lyrically-driven pop parts the abruptly jump into intense, churning guitar and hollering (a prime example is "Piggly Wiggly" on Wanting to be Someone Else). Not just the guitar manages to get intense, as the lyrics are a bit halting at times. There's something there about raping souls. Even metaphorically that's a weird thing to think about. The entirety of both of these EPs are weird in fact. Jaunting between rhythms at irregular oscillations, disturbing words, undeniably sweet guitars and drums playing throughout. In short, they're damned interesting to hear. Some of my favorite tracks were "Match.com," "Mr. Horse" and "Call Flake."

No Babies - S/T (2011)

Life throws curve balls, there's no doubt about that. There's no sense in trying to brace yourself for this beforehand, however, just be on the look out and take things as they come. Without getting into specifics (because you come here to find out about music and not be burdened with someone else's dirty laundry) let's just say the irony of studying a chapter on muscle contractions the same week a good friend has an unexpected grand mal seizure in your living room... that's an irony of life you can not only keep but you can shove it far up your ass.

Seizures aren't even train-wreck-level of interesting to watch, just plain fucking scary. Though, as it turns out, relatively harmless (refrain from putting something in between their teeth! See a doctor!)

Read more about seizures here.

So, in these times, I turn to chaotic music to give my inner chaos a sounding board by which it may have a partner to dance with. 

Thank you, Oakland's No Babies. 

Noisy, disarticulated skronk. A perfect soundtrack for the moments when you get cut off in traffic by some shitmonger driving a hummer with a license plate that reads "Free Tibet". When the universe throws shit into the fan you innocently used to cool yourself from the heat of the daily grind. The bee in your beer. The ice in your underwear. You get what I'm saying? Ugh, I need to sleep. If there are bedbugs in your sheets, No Babies are the perfect lullaby.

10 songs, name your price.

No Babies - S/T

Scenes of a City, Vol. 9: Montréal, QC

Since relocating to the Pacific Northwest over 10 years ago, I've gotten soft about winter. The shortest days of the year are mild here, albeit a bit soggy. During the rare snowfall, even if it only amounts to an inch, I join fellow Portlanders as we collectively throw our hands up in the air and shout, "Fuck it ...can't drive!" And the city immediately shuts down (except for bars, of course).

That said, if I were mysteriously handed an opportunity to live anywhere tomorrow, I would likely choose cold and snowy Montreal. This is for a number of reasons. First off, I love maple syrup. I put that shit on eggs and pizza. Hell, I love eating food in general, and Montreal has the highest number of restaurants per capita in all of Canada, and is second only to New York City in all of North America. I've always said, if I were mysteriously handed an opportunity to be buried by a food, I'd want that food to be poutine.

Aside from going out to eat, I love going to shows, and Montreal seems to have no shortage of great rock bands at the moment. Some Montreal bands, recently covered here on Spacerockmountain, have ended up being my favorite things to listen to. These include Each Other, Jesuslesfilles, Small Teeth, and even though they're from Ottawa I'll throw in Grime Kings. It's an impressive roster and proves to me that Montreal is currently undergoing some indie-garage-psych rock renaissance... so let's dive in and see who else is in the mix.

Dories - Stripped
The breed of guitar-based indie rock that Dories master is not uncommon to other Canadian bands, I've found, particularly in Montreal and, perhaps, Calgary. Listeners might notice two, almost
meandering, guitar lines picking single notes over bass lines. The effect is almost wind chime-esque. And while overall songs are consonant, they are peppered with bits of disharmony. Dories play sophisticated and humble indie rock songs that eschew easy classification but do bring to my mind guitar-strong indie bands of the 90's like Polvo. "Small Circles" and "Caspar" are highlights.


Telstar Drugs - Weather Underground
Telstar Drugs are another band who employ the two guitar plucking single note aesthetic. Originally from Calgary, they seem to carry with them thicker, emotive sound akin to on of the best bands of the past decade, Women, who were also from Calgary. Telstar Drugs entire catalogue is fantastic and worthy of download, and I believe it's all free. This, their most recent release, is two of their strongest songs. Probably the one band from this whole lot that I will keep the keenest of eyes upon.


Future States - EP
A 5 piece with members from both Montreal and Ottawa, Future States harken more to the past states of indie rock, with songs reminiscent of other eastern Canadian bands from that recently bygone era, like Broken Social Scene and The Unicorns. 10 years ago, that's what I loved to listen to, so I immediately felt a kinship with this 5 song offering. Very melodic stuff, with excellent vocal harmonies to boot. While it's representative of that icy and beautiful Canadian indie pop, there are also sips of a sunny and effervescent Californian daydream; a brief departure from your winter.

Un Blonde - Habit Anything
Un Blonde is the solo work of Jean-Sebastien Audet. His music is lo-fi, experimental pop. These songs were actually recorded during breaks from recording his more proper full length called "Tenet". He writes in the notes for this EP that they are "frames of immediate expression", which I like, having been a songwriter in a previous life and remembering how some of the most interesting things happen when you relax expectations, relinquish control, and piss against the wind. Not that this is free jazz... free pop, maybe. From what I can tell he's well respected in the community, and getting some good gigs. Always nice to hear an artist playing music.


EDIT: I didn't do my homework! Turns out that Dories, Telstar Drugs, and Un Blonde are all connected and on the same label, called Egg Paper Factory.

Gazer - Fake Bulbs/Phone Commercial (2014)

Gazer are from Cincinnati, Ohio. A city that stands out in my mind for two reasons. Firstly, I went to see the Tallest Man on Earth in Newport, Kentucky in a venue that's built in house of the inventor of the Tommy Gun. Upon drunkenly crossing the pedestrian bridge over the Ohio River from Cincinnati to Newport to find out cigarettes were like $3 was rather epic. Secondly, when crossing the same river in a car as a kid I witness a crashed minivan all wrecked to fuck on the vehicular bridge going south to Nashville and on the way back a week later.  Different minivans, what are the odds? Now I get to add Gazer to these stark experiences.

When done well I can really get into post-hardcore. Gazer does it very well in my book. They're loud, lo-fi and brash sounding. As it should be, no? At least for this variety of intense punk rock, absolutely. The tracks are  mostly short, markedly fast and full of screeching, pounding and hollering vocals drenched in DIY recording fuzz. It is the kind of music to stomp around to, maybe getting a black eye or jammed thumb in the sweaty mosh pit. I'll be standing aside though, as I am already too old for that shit. Yet I'll smell that angst and intensity, enjoying it entirely. Fake Bulbs/Phone Commercial is a double release with each side of the 12" vinyl bearing one of these two EPs. They're on separate pages on bandcamp, but I trust you'll navigate that just fine. 

To be had here:
Fake Bulbs & Phone Commercial

Wolf Mountains - Birthday Songs For Paul (2014)

A garage punk album has been overdue on the posts lately. It is always overdue in my day-to-day. I cannot ever get enough if it, though as you can very well see from what I've been posting recently I often stray for considerable periods of time nonetheless. Yet that time has come that I've hit a wall, and without seeing any garage floating around in the submissions (perhaps I didn't dig enough, but I am fundamentally lazy the inbox), I looked for something on my own. It took very little time to find Wold Mountain, who aren't to be confused with any of the other panalopy of bands that have "wolf" in this name, nor written off for the same reason.

Wolf Mountain are from Stuttgart, Germany and play a very lo-fidelity garage punk. The songs do get quite heavy and sleazy sounding, and overall the band does fall towards the trashy punk style. However, they don't just jump into it (not that there's anything wrong with that in punk rock). What I'm trying to say is they make a real show of it. It isn't all howling and fuzz though these have a prominent place. The songs are pretty complex and artsy as far as garage punk goes. Moreover, while there are likely many more contemporary comparisons to make I am gonna go grandiose and say they remind me of Television. This is about the highest praise I can give a band. Birthday Songs For Paul does many of the things I cherish in Television's albums, they're real and deep, songful compositions. In the sort period one gets to dwell within them they do more than satisfy the desire for noise done up with an overlay of melody. These Germans are musicians.

To be had here:
Wolf Mountains - Birthday Songs For Paul 

EP Grab Bag vol. 86

What we have here is a little exercise in Scandinavian-American relations. I have taken to calling this "Scando-Amero Amigos" in my mind. Hope that particular coinage makes it into the zeitgeist. Three EPs from the United States plus one each from Sweden and Finland. A transatlantic mixing of artistic, chaotic, acoustic and psychedelic sounds.

To be had here:

This Heel - e.p. (2015)

All the way from Malmö, Sweden we've got some sweet noise pop. Three tracks that are full of exciting fuzz and some excellent bass rumbling beneath, then an acoustic number that's all the remarkably sweet after experiencing the energetic songs before it. This nine minute EP shows they've got the chops for both noise pop or folk. If you a fan of lo-fi rock you gotta at least treat yourself to "A Man In The Mirror." I can't get it out of my head. Also, This Heel is a side project of Dog, Paper, Submarine and will be put out by Small Bear Records.

Sun Cinema - Symmetry (2014)

I stumbled upon this Philadelphia band looking for I forget what... Doesn't matter what I was looking because I found Sun Cinema. They've got all sorts of tags on this that seem like nonsense to me, for they're not funk or garage, rather they seem like an artsy indie rock outfit. And they're fucking good at that, so it's nothing to hide under a bushel basket. The songs are fantastically well composed. They seem like the exact sort of thing that could attract a lot of attention and playtime by more than just a no-name blogger like myself.

YoloSuicide - i listened to your answering machine, got nervous and hung up (2014)

YoloSuicide is a woman from Postdam, New York that is expressing herself the best she can with a few short songs concerning this damnably confusing concepts of love and sadness. Seem sappy? Sure it is a bit, but also beautiful and simple. These are as much poems recited aloud with a guitar strumming as they are songs. It certainly helps that she is a good poet, at least according to my sensibilities. Only a coldhearted fool couldn't help but be charmed by them at least a little bit.

Lasten Hautausmaa - Lasten Hautausmaa (2014)

I can't say the name of this band, nor can I understand the Finnish that they sing in. No surprises there, but also unshockingly I fucking love this EP. Finding it was no accident is related to an envisioned series of posts I have been pondering, but for now we need to focus on Lasten Hautausmaa. It has got it all, melodic and entrancing vocals in an language you can't even pretend to get over a mixture of folk, rock and world elements into something unbelievably righteous. If the first tune, "Kiputyttö," doesn't hook you then you may be dead inside.

SPANYURD - OOW EP (2014)

It has been some time since I have post any noise rock this harsh. I mean this shit is Lightning Bolt, Le Shok or Lake of Dracula harsh. It is near utter chaos that only lets up so the singer can give you the whillies with how he gets all creepy. So yeah, it is pretty damned cool. Came to be by way of Evan Lacksmer who plays in this and a few other Chicago outfits and is buddies with math rock duo, Imelda Marcos. After hearing this your might question who would be friends with such a fella, but don't worry he won't come to your house as you enjoy the noise. I don't think he will at least.

бичкрафт - маскот (2014)

Lord knows I don't know what the name of this band is, but they make some pretty awesome noise rock. As the Ukraine splits apart, they could probably learn a lesson from this band. As the disjointed drums and fuzz pull the listener in varying directions, a solid, formidable bass line holds each element in check. The noise is given center stage, but not allowed to overall its brethren in rhythm. Checks and balances, if you will. It's what all noise should engage in.

Someone get these kids on a next plane to San Francisco. Something tells me they put on a transcendent show.

Get it here:
бичкрафт - маскот (2014)

The Basement Demons - Baby Teeth (2014)

The Basement Demons are the sort of band that grabs your interest for what it is as much as what they sound like. What we've got here something akin to The Shaggs. If you're unfamiliar with the Shaggs I'd suggest you get to reading up on it, it is one of those wonderful underground phenomenons of rock music history. However, the basic concept was a father that had his four reluctant and untrained daughters form a band, envisioning them to become a famous act like he was living in a real-world Partirage Family. It didn't work out for him, but the band had some undeniable appeal with their poorly timed playing and bizarre singing.

While in what I hope and imagine is a less coercive fashion than the Shaggs, another family band was formed for a recording session. The impromptu Calgary band was made by a fella called Seth, a member of the SRM featured Soft Cure, who was joined by his younger sister and two female cousins. At the time they were 18, 7, 10 and 13 years old respectively. He said the girls had no experience using the instruments before and they recorded in a just a couple of days. The results are an extremely lo-fi set of tracks, so low is the production it easily crosses into the realm of no wave. Noisy, sludgy and filled with the screams and howls of young ladies the albums doesn't even attempt the pop sound at which the Shaggs faltered so infamously. Rather what we have are unadulterated noise rock experiments from the unpretentious and curious minds and unrefined handiwork of a mostly untrained musicians. It most assuredly has the outsider art appeal that many a young indie music fan explores for as they've grown sick of radio pop hits. Be warned there is no shortage of girl screams in the "songs," so keep your finger need the volume nob if you're gonna blast the album.

To be had here:
The Basement Demons - Baby Teeth

EP Grab Bag vol. 70

Here's what's coming in through the email submissions. A diverse group of EPs that range from post-hardcore to nu disco, so I hope you're feeling as erratic as I am.

To be had here:

Sex Snobs - Ugly (2014)

Punk rock from Oklahoma City. Sex Snobs play on the more hardcore side of things, and talk a good deal about God being dead in a nihilistic fashion. The three short songs are this EP are high energy and got me off my fucking ass this morning and ready to write up this and a slew more of amazing albums. That's a good sign for punk rock, instigating action. Nothing like good, heavy punk guitar and thundering drums to get me into a mood for doing shit, good for me or not.


Phooey! - Upright Animals and Their Ridiculous Tricks (2014)

Our Ukrainian friends in Phooey! have made another EP to follow on the heels on Hello, Doubt early this year. Like that release, this one is made up of brief, strange tracks of bedroom pop, art rock and 'baroque punk' blending together. Full of falsetto and remarkably amusing guitar riffs the EP just blazes by and requires repeated listening. Seems like they're been little rest on the musical front for Phooey! as theirs a long covers album that came out in May as well to check out.

Tape Eater - Bleeders (2014)

Hope you're in the mood for something even more hardcore. Tape Eater is on the far edge of hardcore, with the hollered lyrical delivery and intense power cords in the guitar work. This New Bedford, Mass band really know now to bring it, yet they can ease up when necessary to craft a good tune and slip into trippy, math rock moments to do so. It has been sometime since I've sat down and listened to post-hardcore but these guys make me question why I haven't, also maybe sitting down isn't the best way to take it in...

Lucian - Rekla EP (2014)

Lucian is a New York musician that does many righteous electronic remixes. These are five tracks he's put together to show off what he's up to, which is makes some very exciting tunes that covers a lot of territory of electronicia. Knowledge of the ins and outs of electronic subgenres is beyond me, but he's tagging the stuff Nu Disco and Tropical House amongst other things. All seems fucking awesome to me, as I don't need to know what to call it to like it.



The Go Rounds - Purple Mountain Travesty (2014)

This group is from Kalamazoo and put out by the Double Phelix label/studio run by the guys behind Lasso. Like Lasso this is incorporation a Western sound, though more subtle in the Go Rounds. Instead the music is more vocally bend, with a clearly talented singer taking the lead on for the majority of the tracks. Not to downplay the musical prowess of this group at all, mind you, as they make some very beautiful and nearly symphonic sounding tunes.

Graham Repulski - Portable Grindhouse (2014)

I penned a few words about this New Jersey band some time ago, and they have been nice enough to keep me up to date on their releases (I always appreciate a cassette in the mail). Between my last review, they have put out a slew of releases on both tape and CD, further exploring the messy noise pop they are now known for. Cuts and snippets of audio tape is crammed together around fuzzed out, melodic hooks, and covered in a healthy dose of distortion and tape hiss. This is not music for everyone, but what is? "I Shot an Arrow in the Air" was my favorite track of this release, but "Chainsaw Lollipop" was a close second.

Get it here:
Graham Repulski - Portable Grindhouse (2014)

EP Grab Bag vol. 57

Alright, this one is a lo-fi rock heavy Grab Bag, but then again this is a lo-fi rock heavy blog, so you should be prepared. A mix of fresh submissions and a couple I pulled out of from the stack the built up during my time in the wilderness.

To be had here:

Skull Practitioners - st1 (2014)

It is nice to start a grab bag with rock and roll, especially if it is heavy garage punk. Skull Practitioners are a New York City band that plays loud, screeching punk rock filled with noisy thrashing and buzzing guitar. I'd say it is heavier than even the rash of garage rock bands including Yelephants, Geyser and White Owl. It is like the crazy tracks by Parts & Labor, Eat Skull or Numbers but with more of the bluesy rock vibe retained. A wild and exciting EP that I enjoyed thoroughly.

qualchan. - all my friends are going visceral. (2014)

Now here is something unlike most everything else posted lately. This release is tagged as "chopped and screwed" and I won't be able to conjure a better descriptor than that. It is seconds of songs placed into an order than must only make sense to the fella that made it. Jumps all over the place in a very eccentric fashion, making use of R&B, rock, pop standards, folk, soundtracks and even spoken word clips. Let yourself go and have your brain rattled up by this sound collage, what is the worst that could happen?

Black Pages - Acoustic (2014)

Black Pages is the moniker for an Orlando-dwelling garage rocker I believe as submitted a few times and I simply cannot recall if I ever posted. However, I am confident I've written on this set of acoustic tracks he's recently put out. They're short, clamorous songs but they are exceedingly catchy. He's got some chops, this guy. Also in the quite likely case that I just think I wrote him up before but I really just listened to it and forgot to, I am gonna recommend his whole discography.

Silkies - Never Tell a Lie EP (2013)

Can't have too much lo-fi in your diet, so here's some garage pop from Austin. Silkies sound they tunes are infused with all sorts of wonderful influences of surf, garage and 60s girl groups and bubblegum pop. Just for very brief tracks here yet it is still enough for me to be impressed. The singing is perhaps the highlight and for the same reasons I like Summer Twins and Best Coast, and I could stand for many more female lead garage bands. However, this isn't a one trick band, the song writing shows even in the short songs that they're know exactly what they're doing. Listen to this a get ready for summer.

Car Seat Headrest - Starving While Living (2013)

If you've been reading lately you'll find this artist familiar, for it just days ago that I posted an overdue write-up of his latest full-length, Nervous Young Man. Thing is, I love this guy's music and I didn't wanna miss a second chance to stress this why not sharing his wonderful EP that also was released even before that LP. Fantastic lo-fi psychedelic songwriting with themes of anxiety, self-loathing and a nice dose of existentialism. At the same time I've never felt like any of the tracks are downers, just frank lyrically and amazing musically.

Grey Czar - The Men Who Harvest the Sea (2014)

A little rock and roll from Salzburg, Austria to wrap up this Grab Bag. This EP sounds like progressive rock to my ear, but I am not sure what they'd call it. Jazzy guitar riffs and poetic lyrics seem pretty prog though. The tracks are solid, and when they cut loose with their playing it really is captivating. If you experience like me it'll take a minute or two for the singing to grow on you, but it likely will should you give it enough time to establish a tone. Wish they had listed some influences because I'd be curious to hear them.