The Jacuzzi boys brought their latest release to my attention a few weeks ago and lo and behold by the time I'm able to spin it a few times...it's sold out from the source...and everywhere else...I've really been looking. Oh well...I hope a repress is imminent because this is right in line with the spaced out Vivian Girls and The Jesus and Mary Chain cavernous echo sounds that I've been hearing pop up all over lately. But it's maybe even closer traditionally to that kind of 60's garage/surf sound especially on 'Dream Lion'. It sounds the name, this band thing is really a side project for them....after putting in a long day lounging in the jacuzzi.
'Dream Lion' has this slow finger snap, combined with tamborine, high hat bass beat and some far away 'ahhhh' backup vocals. By the end they're all mutated and half feedbacked looped way in the distance...very spooky. The vocals have the right amount of reverb like some kind of classic oldies Ronettes, kind of harmonic girl band phil spectre group, ...it has that level of crisp production and pining over the mix.... there's nothing muddy or unclear about what their trying to get at. Where the Vivian Girls rely on the tempestuous mix of out of control chorus effects, harmony and echo, combining eras...this is a specific year being reinterpreted from a garage in the early 60's, and it's more song centric.
But what do I know about that 60' garage period of music really? I couldn't give you specific names of bands and maybe comparing it to that is complately off base for some people obsessed in that underground. It's my romanticised view of what I imagine was happening....bands in love with that sound, and stripped down rock and roll were hoping to press a 45 and hear it on the radio.
That's what I think is alive here...on 'Island Ave', complete with fuzzed solo. The vocals might have even more reverb because of this tempo, and I love that during the really rocking tracks they go with handclaps instead of the fingersnaps....The vocals aren't ever buried or become so much an overpowering stylistic choice, it's not a yelled freakout, it's pretty deadpan cool 'this is the situation, man'.
'You Should Know' keeps up the dream-rock (dare I say psyche?) groove with more bass...it's something like Deadbolt without the heavy handed horror, just a dead on impression of a scene. You could hear the engines reving, the hot rods drag racing.
It won't be hard for them to keep up on tour with King Khan, and I could see them as a great compliment to their more blue garage sound. They are actually in the Williamsburg soon.....Nov 29th st ye olde Music Hall of Williamsburg with King Khan. My friend Mike (beach house review) has been raving about KK since the beginning of the summer and I have yet to hear their uber-garage blues/make out mahem.
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