Apache Dropout on Trouble in Mind Records

Here comes another release in Trouble in Minds hectic catalog schedule, this one from a newcomer to me, Apache Dropout, a trio out of Indiana. They put out a full length on Family Vineyard not too long ago and are working with those classic psyche, layered haze sounds that fit right into a Fresh and Onlys or Jacuzzi Boys laid back pop-burnout aesthetic. The full lengths I find myself putting on when I can't be bothered to keep flipping the record. Did I just say that?

The A-Side, "Shot Down" explodes with a dense phaser jam, the melody twisting around in the middle of that swirl to emerge with Sonny's almost bowie-esque vibrato vocals. There's a lot of texture you would expect in reworking the '60s garage, lots of room reverb, huge sound on the crash cymbal, or gong?..it trails off forever. This meaty see-saw riff is a combination of bass and inseparable low end distortion, all buried in the low end and being made for vinyl, allowing for that huge separation between the mud and the shimmery treble. It breaks for a moment with heavy reverb twinkling melody, and a hit shaker, to transition back into the heavy haze, the whole time being surprisingly catchy, up there with Tim Cohen's repeatability.
B-Side's, "Sister Burnout", has the dirtiest distorto guitar open the floodgates of a tambourine, tom-tom caveman rhythm. The vocals have a subtle crunch of hiss, Sonny goes from this cool detached delivery to belting out alternating verses with wolf howl. The melody shifts from straight ahead left, right stomping to jangly muted double time fills...it's a damn quick one, but that's alright for the 7inches.

Go check out some of the tracks from that full length at their bandcamp page.

This one is available on mixed tan marble vinyl from TIM and if you don't find a bunch of things to put together an order (new wax museums, night beats, novak...the pizzas!) then you just aren't looking...I also got a patch which went immediately on my bag with hot glue...who needs sewing...thanks guys!

This Bloomington, IN trio took just about everybody by surprise with their LP released earlier this year on Family Vineyard; a full-tilt, f'ed-up, psyched-out boogie-fied garage stomper filtered through the musical ghosts of bands both past & present, & we here at TiM HQ are pleased as punch to be releasing this two-song rager hot on the heels of that debut thrill-ride! "Shot Down" is a mutant Troggs stomp soaked in the sweat of John Lee Hooker & bops along like the bastard child of the Ohio Express & Sun Ra. The flipside - "Sister Burnout" is a barn-burning head-banger that ratchets up the intensity & sounds like an amphetamine-fueled sword fight between The Shadows Of Knight & The Deviants, with singer/guitarist Sonny Alexander testifying like a tweaked out Richard Hell. This is full-on sanctified-psych - drop the needle on the wax & become a believer! The first press of this 7-inch is on mixed vinyl, is housed in the Trouble In Mind factory sleeve & includes a download code!

Executioner on Patac Records

This one from Executioner came in from Patac records, out of Boston, I randomly pulled this reissue gem from the pile post-Irene and this convertible driving through the lava apocalypse seemed appropriate, if weirdly nostalgic, that demented '50s in hell look. Turns out it's from Winston Smith, who designed all those great Dead Kennedys covers, and he's even got prints of this one for sale over there, along with lots of other collage work that is most definitely NOT funded by the NEA. Thanks to the liner notes, I realized this was recorded in 1982, and that definitely changed things. Sometimes the date is the most important part of work like this, you really have to imagine the music scene back then in the bay area in CA, the lack of support for anything outside the box in the early '80s, let alone this kind of metal punk. It's also crazy to put this alongside the sing sing releases or Last Laugh's reissues from the same time period...it feels like a different world. I guess that goes to show the effects of geographic isolation on a sound that was happening all over the country.

"Fix Me" is surprisingly slow tempo and melodic, but Dave Burks vocals let you know this is going scummy punk eventually, sounding like he's puking and screaming at the same time. Not surprising, he's talking about shooting up in a style made for this irrational, cold-war, world ending, Regan times.
These guys bring the speed eventually, running right into the next track "Hellbound"...and with insane solos(?) they can most definitely deliver more than just power chord changes. I think that was the hardcore work ethic at work here. They have to be taken seriously because of the musicianship, not that they really needed anyone's approval, but it's anything but the stereotype lazy or apathetic playing that can be punk sometimes.
The B-Side, "Flatlands", is another stab at a real melody, with Dave's rough delivery that you have to appreciate that you can still understand what he's talking about....unlike a lot of those Germs tracks. I get that it's even more punk to not even be able to understand what you're even singing about, but at this point we haven't gotten to that useless competition phase yet. Plus he's talking about bombing a museum...I think you could start with a lot of other institutions first, but they shouldn't exactly be exempt either.
"Marked to Die" starts with a distanced, lo-fi distortion riff, it that slow, deliberate almost metal rhythm, something like Group Sex, which must have been an influence.
These aren't the typical power tempo, showoff speed punk tracks. They aren't all the same sounding one minute songs, it's right up there with probably some of the best legendary punk from that year...there are going to be a lot of people happy about this finally hitting vinyl almost 30 years later.

On Black vinyl with an old xerox flier from a show, lyrics printed on the reverse sleeve and black and white photos from the old days.

Get it from Patac Records...who also have an Anal Cunt shirt I can pick up now that I don't live with my mom.

Executioner - Hellbound EP San Jose Punk

It's not often that one stumbles across an unknown, undiscovered gem from the golden age of California hardcore, but that's the case with this debut release from a band that went their separate ways over 25 years ago. Formed in San Jose in 1982, Executioner's music was hard, fast, tight and loud. It contained "taboo" extended guitar solos and stop-on-a-dime tempo changes. They sounded like nobody else. A mix of hardcore West Coast punk rock, speed metal (before there WAS such a thing) and the larynx-shredding assault of singer Dave Burk's vocal missives, their music commanded attention. And they got it. A bootleg cassette of their song "Fix Me/Hellbound" became the number one requested cut on the legendary underground station KFJC for the entire year 1983. It was the number two most requested song on San Francisco's mainstream station KQAK (The Quake) the following year. All with absolutely no promotion, just word of mouth. But by that time they had called it quits, victims of their own teenage attention spans, the then-current ethos of slackerdom, and perhaps a few too many encounters with illicit substances. Their recordings sat unreleased for over two and a half decades, kept alive only by the 4th and 5th generation cassette dubs that kept on making the rounds in the following years as their legend grew. Until now... Patac Records is proud to release Executioner's long awaited debut "Hellbound." Members of Executioner went on to work with such diverse artists as Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), Guns n' Roses, 22 Jacks, Black Francis (Pixies), Throbbing Gristle, The Offs, Pete Yorn, and many others. Catch them here in their formative years, and prepare to be blown away. Cover art by WINSTON SMITH.

George Glass "Sunshine" on Frozentone International Recordings

George Glass is the latest project from this 3 piece out of LA, sprung from the ashes of Death to Anders a couple years back. Singer/Guitarist Nicholas Ceglio wanted to keep things going and GG was born.

The A-Side, "Sunshine" starts out with an understated back and forth slightly reverb'd riff with a distanced drum loop, like an AM radio sample. The vocals are mic'd through a jacked up tiny speaker, all treble with Nicholas half singing delivery a sort of stream of consciousness lyrics...a hint of the hazy chorus works it way in, but it's all to get your guard down before the live, slick sound comes crashing in for the rest of the track. Massive effected guitar sounds and cymbal crashes, the song suddenly is coming from another place. The tempo drops down and that old radio sounding instrumentation is back, lazier and they get you again thinking it was ok to turn up the stereo again...big mistake, they come back even stronger, more layers of delay, and huge echo. Sunshine is exactly what they are delivering, the kind of blistering, skin peeling sunshine that is way more than expected.
B-Side features a Love cover of "Gazing", which stays overall true to the original with George Glass adding an even bigger, dense sound to the classic track. Vocally they keep that angelic layered sound from "Sunshine". Just subtly upping the ante on every piece...the drums hit a little harder, the pauses a little quieter...faithful, while putting their own modern stamp on the track.
Finally they finish the single with "Lil Wiz", which has a bouncy, guitar riff in a sort of '90s English, britpop way, which devolves into feedback noise and the harmony vocal layers turn into tortured yelling in a cave for a moment, and this catchy rhythm is back. There's some elements of the overseas '90s sound here, The Happy Mondays or Verve, that poppy post-shoegaze sound, that keeps throwing curve balls just when you start to pin them down.

Get this single direct from their bandcamp page, take your pick of color vinyl and a download card.

IS/IS "Vowel Movements" on Guilt Ridden Pop Records

Got another single in from Guilt Ridden Pop Records, this one from the band Is/Is, (not the metal band note the slash - not the guitarist either) from Minneapolis, a three piece creating some completely blown out, peaking, drone haze. I wouldn't even put this in the shoegaze category because of this underlying sense of dread at work on both of these tracks. I also appreciate the wordplay of the title track, it's very fitting to the mass of volume they manage to squeeze into the grooves of this long 33 1/3 single.

A-Side's "Vowel Movements" wastes no time getting right to an overwhelming riff, like Broken Water they are working somewhere in the middle of heavy hitting rock with that in the red sound of a long lost, buried underwater recording. The sound is huge at any volume, the kick drum is thumping from a few rooms away, it's a perfect wall of sound that takes real mixing and engineering skill to put together. It's the kind of haze that plays tricks on exactly what you're hearing, is that distortion or surface noise? They're playing in a cathedral, the waves bouncing back off the marble walls when it gets to what must be a chorus, there's still a change in . Vocally, Sarah on bass or Sarah on guitar, (I've been trying to hear if there's a back and forth going on) is creating another what might as well be an instrument, huge reverb on lyrics barely caught, delayed and delivered slow...that's where you get that vowel movement probably. This mammoth winds down with a heavy echo oooo ooooo, angels descending after the world was torn apart. I love this sound. There's nothing like being so completely overwhelmed live like this...there's no vocals, no guitar, no bass anymore....just an environment to bring earplugs and dig in.

The B-Side track, "Blackest Beat", it's no wonder I'm getting a dark vibe coming off the is/is haze, the distorted imagery, this dense sound of dissonanance...this title. It could almost pass into metal territory, the way Locrian straddles that unholy line. This track has just a hint of a bass groove, giving this side some lightness, but I swear there has to be some keyboards somewhere in this mix (there aren't - ed) or that's the sound of the very limits of human hearing reproduced on vinyl, all of those bouncing waves get into sync for a moment. They subtly change tempo in percussion only for the verse which features more of that mysterious fuzzy ethereal vocal. I really love this sound that you can simultaneously really work for in trying to pick it apart, or just let it be that overwhelming single sound...but they're working with more than volume, and based on these two tracks and the fact that I've almost worn out my broken water full length, I'm glad there's more of this approach out there.

Pure white vinyl with creepy double exposed black and white sleeve, digital download included and track info on the reverse. This one is from Guilt Ridden Pop Records, buy it over at stickfigure distro or contact the band directly at isisisaband at gmail.

Joe Jack Talcum + Samuel Locke Ward "Just Add Tears" split 12" on Grotto Records

Samuel mentioned this amazing 12" split he was doing with Jo Jack Talcum from the Dead Milkmen when I saw both of them perform at the cakeshop a while back and when it showed up on my doorstep I was psyched to hear more of Sam with the Boo Hoos live gritty power punk sound, and of course Joe Jacks latest.
The first track, "This Edison Nightmare", has Samuel's distorted tin can screamy vocals over a muted distorted guitar jittery strum just to blow it out at the end of every verse, cymbals crashing and power chords in quick succession. The chorus is an epic anthem from all bandmates joining in the punk sea chanty.
Next up is "Dogs", has the Boo Hoos working on a punchy chaos rhythm with off key synth and Samuel singing like a low end monster, just to throw off expectations for the catchy power chorus.
"Dull and Boring" lays into some punk speed with the Boo Hoos trading off vocals back and forth with Sam, repeating the title, keeping it utterly anti dull and boring. It's why music is created in the first place. How many songs exist about boredom...which makes no sense relating that sentiment the most unboring way possible. But I guess it's the plague of present generations, never-enough mentality. I'm bored didn't exist in your parents vocabulary! They were trying to walk to school barefoot.
There's a lot of those post-hardcore sounds of Fugazi, especially in "Do the Pinewood Box", working a weird time signature of stutter chords into a chunky unexpected melody.
They have a great live show and it completely translates on this record, concise power punk, sweaty and loud that left me wondering why I'm just getting into these guys.
Saving the best for last, "Fine was the Night" rounds out Samuel and the Boo Hoos side with a culmination of all this energy, epic backup vocal ahhhh melodies under "We are going to break you!"

Joe Jack Talcum's side is classic, that up front loud great nasal vocal, along with his completely unique lyric view that is the pull of every track, which find him returning to his familiar themes of cars and original sin.
"Yesterday I was talking to my sister", which I'm sure is based on an actual situation, is the all to real conversation about her interviewing to be a teacher, "show the people you need to show their kids where they're going". Those chemically dependent kids need guidance. That's what made all the Milkmen tracks so incredible to me growing up. These everyday minutiae moments edited down to these genius observations, so hilarious and sincerely true. The powders join in vocally for that real school choir effect.
"Green World" is a more somber themed track about taking a shower and clogging the drain up with sin. I love these visuals he comes up with, and who else could deliver this lyric:

Whats it all about
happiness trout?
are you the catch
I've been trying to catch?
why haven't you been caught?

the lines sounding completely sensible, working as only his literal metaphors can. Conjuring up catchy melodies on another world from the instrumentation, finding their own rhythm, like the best Dead Milkmen tracks. Joe is an icon, we are lucky to have him still writing and performing. I'm lucky to hear this.
"TMI", is a great relationship song, all those intimate questions belted out in his straining high vocal running out of air. A real singer songwriter, it takes someone this naturally talented to make you realize how it's still possible to get away with just the acoustic guitar... and how does he keep doing that, song after song? When he sings "Is death a meaningless void?" in the middle of an otherwise honest sounding love song it goes beyond merely being funny.
"Come Ride my Funnycar" wraps things up with a bouncy organ number delivered in Joe's alternating particular spoken word then belting sing-a-long melody verse, a real poppy jam with an out of control acoustic solo.
Check the insert for further funnycar reading. If you haven't thought Joe and Big Lizard in my Backyard in a while, it's time to revisit starting with this.

Get it from Grotto Records, with another amazing screened sleeve from Meatbag, melting singing faces in purple and burnt sienna (oooo... fancy name) with an insert that reminded me this isn't only a split with Joe and Sam, but the entire band. The members of the Boo Hoos, (including Samuel's sister on drums!) played on Joe Jacks side as the Powders. (I just got that). Joe even contributes to the Boo Hoos side with vocals and keyboard. A one of a kind collaboration and record...the complete package. So great. Between these two bands and this sleeve art, they can't be around very long.

JOE JACK TALCUM / SAMUEL LOCKE-WARD - "just add tears" - LP - $15ppd
newest full length split effort between PA legend joe jack talcum (feat. the powders) and iowa city wonder boy samuel locke-ward (feat. the boo hoos) - this chunk churns out a basket of pop slaughter from dead milkmen's humble gent breezing through sticky sorghum. on the flip sam rocks it harder then patty hearst's trigger finger. housed in silkscreened covers by josh mead.

ChicaX on Hewhocorrupts Inc. Records

This isn't a seven inch. But sometimes the idea of a record, or the artist involved basically out-trumps the very format this blog is all about. Like Tonetta, or Human Skab When I heard about ChicaX, I was basically on board. Xiola Tapia is 11 and has been recording and performing for about 5 years, thanks to her supportive parents, who own a record store/music venue and record themselves as EYES an experimental noise rock project.
Xiola has taken a lo-fi hip hop direction with her self titled cassette release on Hewhocorrupts Inc. who are probably releasing this for the same reasons I had to listen to it.

Like the lovechild of Ben Lee and Luscious Jackson, ChicaX is working with the tenants of early hip hop, minimal beats, odd samples, and bursts of synth melody combined with an unadulterated approach to musical expression. There's a reason why very young bands can be so mind blowing, they've heard enough, maybe been guided along the way towards interesting music and give everything an equal value while at the same time, they deliberately throw it away and start over from scratch. The historic baggage of genres, of all music history is ignored and you end up with Mellow Gold, or Wavves self titled. They're unaware of just how great that collection of songs is at the time, and even heavily flawed looking back, sincerity and context continues to make that release important.

So what does 12 year old ChicaX have to say about her reexamination of the infancy of hip hop? Not what you'd expect of course. She's following in the footsteps of those early battle brag styles from the beginning of her release with "Da Bank(1,2, step)", talking about being fresh, hitting the mic, and stepping to da bank with the unguarded chorus, "I'm / just / learnin' / how to flow".
As if there could be any haters, check out, "I know what I'm doin!", with it's weirdo tom beat rhythm and peaking out sub bass loop samples:

I had a record since I was 8
I know what I'm doin!
I know what I'm doin!
...I've got a lot on my plate
(and I can finish my plate!)
...my little face is as sweet as cake

This isn't anything you'd be able to write or get away with if there was any kind of pressure to create commercial hit music. It functions in the same way as The Freed Weed was an unselfconscious look into the private recordings of some kind of genius. It's tricky when you start using that word because you're treading into dangerous territory giving children Oscars, or selling their paintings for thousands of dollars. There's a huge gap between consciously knowing what you're doing and doing what adults tell you to do. Was that kid good in the movie because it was an amazing, talented performance? Or did they just imitate the coached lines and actions, pretending to have some kind of emotion?
But the concept behind this cassette is definitely genius, there is definitely something interesting here, at the very least in being witness to this raw awareness and experimenting with sound. Honestly a lot of musicians could use a heavy dose of this sincere unpretentiousness about their local library:

The book I'm reading is an autobiography (ography)
I'm digging this book by page hundred and fifty (hundred and fifty)
I rented it from my local
library (library)
better than that
that's the facts
(free facts)

It's hard to recognize the glitchy beeps and manipulated electronics that keep this from getting into sounding like a kitchy reading rainbow episode when the track consists of these kind of lyrics. You can appreciate this purely in it's abstract composition, or just confuse the hell out of anyone within earshot.
The craziest 5 bucks you will ever spend. Get some batteries for that boom box.

Dragons Power Up!/Puppies and Trains split on Guilt Ridden Pop Records

After over 6 years of posting about seven inch vinyl, have I talked about every label out there? No way.
I'm not even talking about labels that just started up in the past year...in fact liz just mentioned The Art of the Underground Records the other day that has been compiling their subscription series for the past 4 or 5 years! Never heard of them.
My point is, this is a deep, and even with the internet, endless pit of discovery.
Here's another label, Guilt Ridden Pop Records, who sent over their latest split between Dragons Power Up! and Puppies and Trains, both from St. Paul, Minnesota along with Garrison Keillor...or at least he talks about their hometown, a lot. So now that you have that context, forget it, both of these guys are going for big, slickly produced, classic pop rock.

Puppies and Trains, submit "Behold A Pale Puppy" on their side, and let me just say that their drummer is a complete maniac. Truly some kind of technical feat of speed, but not completely over the top either. It keeps the whole thing glued and racing. The chorus, with it's Guided By Voices layered vocal feel, and indie power chords is dominated by this power hitter, he's clearly the hardest working one on this track. No, that's not fair, but you know those jokes about drummers...they don't apply to Jimmy Olson, so stop giving him shit! Thankfully he gets a brief break during the verses with the relaxed indie strum but it's all being built back up for the massive come back about every 30 seconds. Maybe that's what's making this feel practically like a punk pop track, blown out energy with an indie rock foundation, reminding me of My Valuable Hunting Knife.

The other side has Dragons Power Up! and their track, "Sea Legs". They get a slow tempo groove going with big power chords fading out to feedback for a full measure...they have that indie pop style of Apples in Stereo with a post-punk array of changes, measured bursts of changes that could well be miniature Tortoise movements. It's all leading to this epic chorus by the finish where all the ocean narrative comes to a head:
But your compass is golden!
and your sextant is golden!
and the horizon is golden!
and your sealegs are golden!
In a sort of prog rock synth backed grand finale. Everything looks pretty good today, the ships on course, everythings going to be alright. Like the Annuals single, Brother, it comes as a bit of a surprise just how giant a sound they manage to work up. Kermit's got a great vocal here, subtle melodies, up front in the mix, working on this sea story, changing phrasing along with the stumbling rhythm and when he hits that epic finish, you get it.

On red vinyl, with download codes. I would say email the label directly at guiltriddenpop-at-aol and ask about getting a copy...or from the bands facebook pages, links above.

The Ceiling Stares / Super Vacations Split singles ship today!

Hey guys, just wanted to thank everyone for ordering this one, they ship today.... as you're reading this ....on dark purple vinyl.

Darren talked United into a special color mix.

Get one if you would be so kind from my own Sweaters & Pearls Records.
I would like to keep doing it.


Here's a linoleum stamped 2 color insert!
Are you crazy?
Yes.
Might not do that again for a pressing of 500.

Seacats - Extra Point on Fin Records

Fin Records out of Seattle, who put out that impressively packaged Diving Bell single sent in their latest from Seacats, a five piece from Kelso Washington. They carry this national pastime design through to the inner sleeve which is also full color with band baseball card photos on one side and a felt diamond graphic with liner notes on the other. Are their extra points in baseball? No. Even I know that. Are there extra points in 7inches? They just got one with the red vinyl.

The A-Side, "We Don't Sleep", a tin can electric repeated loop is the '90s foundation to the thin, distant falsetto vocal from Josh Davis, but it's a case of holding back like Weezer's Blue album to gradually build this one up over a few verses, layer in more sets of vocals, a booming track of drums...to blow this one over the high back wall in the park. The guitars and keys keep coming, handclaps, extra innings. They've been really holding back for that light smashing homerun. There's even a synth, guitar melody that's a page out of the old good Weezers Pink album. It's got a huge slick sound like that Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots experimental shiny pop...and was produced by 15 year old member Mike Davis? They're obviously having fun, ending up in that late '90s place when this could have ended up in the rotation of that alternative DJ. It's a damn quick power pop hit, and I'm a little sad all that work ends up hitting the wall so fast, but then they cut the grooves wide on this one and I'll just go play it again.

The B-Side, "Hard Truth" finds these Seacat dudes on some kind of ranch, in a slow country scene. Cheap, rattling guitars, banjos and talking 'bout the hard truth. Josh is joined by Sheena Graves for that she and him duet feel. Pickup everything from a steel guitar, a clarinet... organs. Already it's one of those B-Side tracks when everything's said and done that's going to be a mystery...you can hear the elements that ended up in those huge power pop hits, but how did we get there from here?
Whoa! Hidden track. Cheap synth sounds, crappy drum machine...messing around after hours having just listened to Ween. Monotone, "Football, football, it's my favorite sport. This is the extra point song...I get it now. Name a bunch of football terms and teams and it's like they've compacted Ween's entire discography into one single. There is no telling where these guys are headed. These three tracks prove they aren't tied to any particular sound and are going to stay surprising.
Unlike baseball.

Get this one from Fin Records.

Liz Prince loves(?) the seven inches.

Liz Prince


Tell me about it.

Gary Stewart / John Wesley Coleman III split on Sophomore Lounge Records

Ryan at Sophomore Lounge sent in this great split the other day, and it's one of those singles that has such an insane story behind it which lead to the kind of a single that is perfect for this medium, something that has to exist as a 45. Gary Stewart from Kentucky, had a 30 year career in country music and was one of those unappreciated songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, a musicians musician. There's even a story of how Bob Dylan personally drove to a show just to tell him how much he liked his Your Place or Mine record.
Ryan met John in Texas through a mutual friend and they ended up bonding over Gary's work and months later John mentioned he had just recorded a cover of Gary's "Ramona" with Vinnie from JAILL and this single was born.

Before I even knew any of this background story the simple pencil drawings from Mike Poland of both of these guys had me interested, then to find out just a little more about Gary's life and I couldn't wait to put this on and hear the original and cover version from John and Vinnie.

"Ramona", has all the big produced '70s sound in this rock country style, a slow calculated electric strum, heavily gated punchy drums, but the draw to any of his tracks has to be his vocal style which is loud and heavy with just a little room reverb. A slight Roy Orbison waver in that higher register, that seems to verge on that country near crack at times, and it's a sad song of regret you hear when he gets to belting, "Ooohhhhh, Ramona".
Track in a slick slide solo after the last verse over a chorus of sharp organ, their almost echo-ing each others pitch and you'd have a little piece of genius, hidden under the packaging, someone who was able to slip past the usual makings of artists and work damn hard at his craft until the day he shot himself with a shotgun. The recording on this side is crystal clear and it wasn't easy tracking down that licensing and masters to get this actually pressed, but clearly it was worth it. like all great songs we read so much into, Gary called his guitar Ramona, or at least that's what he'd like us to believe. It's just another girl's name.

John Wesley Coleman III has gotten great reviews already from his self released Steal my Mind and has a bunch more on it's way from Daggerman and Goner. Here, he's titled this one "Oh Woman" because he's talking about maybe more than just one named woman out there in his life...or I could see recording a song like this, it might be a little weird taking such a personal lyric over, probably just made sense this way.
John keeps that distinctive guitar and bassline from the original piece, and updates the sound with a huge delayed reverb that comes feedbacking in. John has a similar tortured howl when it comes to the chorus, and throughout he's got that same laid back vibe. It's an homage to Gary's style and coming from someone who obviously appreciates his legacy. There's a drum machine cowbell and a handclap and a backup oooo vocal tastefully bringing this to 2011. It's a great single that can introduce you to a new artist and revealing a underrated classic at the same time.

Get this one from Sophomore Lounge Records.

Eyes & Ears / Snake Mountain split on Snappy Little Numbers Records

Chuck from Snappy Little Numbers Records sent in his latest recently, a split single from Eyes & Ears and Snake Mountain, two Denver Bands united in tracks based on local institutions. Like the "Bloodstains across ...(pick a Canadian province)" series from Mammoth Cave Recordings, or Fort Lowell Records they're documenting not only a local scene but helping to inspire tracks that otherwise wouldn't have existed...what singles do best. Can't say I know anything about the Denver scene, but here's a couple bands and a label making a go of it. Makes the 7 inch scene feel a little bit smaller.

First up, on the S-Side, is Snake Mountain, and their rocking take on, "Defend Colfax", what sounds like a pretty notorious street in Denver. The guitar distortion is big with a respectable amount of echo on the vocal blasting away from the first cymbal crash. Definitely in the party rock feel of things, plenty of attitude, having a good time with massive chords and heavy pounding drums. Singing about giving the honeys a piece of his mind. I could see these guys scaring the locals, cruising JSBX-style down the sidewalk, messing up everything in their path, right into the camera. Engineered enough to be on the garage/punk fence, with back and forth "come on!" vocals with room for a blown out solo.

The E-Side has Eyes and Ears doing, "I Buried My Heart Under Bar Bar (Then Burned It Down To The Ground)",rough and raw, they sound the feedback alarm then pound this track into a weird time signature, with a repeated collapsing riff. The main vocal is loud, peaking out distorted, and the rest of the band is constantly on response duty, having nearly as good of a time competing for vocal lines. As punchy and fervent as the Hot Snakes, they lay this one down as fast as they can keep up with it. A garage blues punk headbanger with jagged Drive like Jehu stabs of melody. Do they like this bar? Did they accidentally spell it wrong on the center label? Bar Bar? No, and hopefully they get to play it, at least on the jukebox, to have their efforts appreciated before they set it on fire.

Get it from Snappy Little Numbers who says:

We are proud to announce our first release, a split single 45 featuring Eyes & Ears and Snake Mountain. Both groups provide songs that pay homage to a couple of Denver institutions. Eyes & Ears' "I Buried My Heart Under Bar Bar (Then Burned It Down To The Ground)" is about, well, Bar Bar. Bar Bar is a classic dive that plays host to many killer shows and provides questionable allowances to patrons. What's not to like? Snake Mountain's "Defend Colfax" is in honor of the most famous street in the greater Denver metropolitan area. Why is it famous? Well, aside from it's vast array of car dealerships, restaurants and hookers, Colfax is lined with bars and clubs that provide many of the same attributes as Bar Bar. So now this blurb has come full circle. At $4.00, this is a hot deal. 300 on randomly mixed color vinyl with download code.

CSC Funk Band / Misterholmes and the Brotherhood split on Light in the Attic / Fat Beats Records

This is one of those singles I had to sort of piece together how I might have ended up with it, it features the CSC Funk band, whose retro jams I've been exposed to on Electric Cowbell Records, and I've definitely ordered releases from Fat Beats in the past, but Light in the Attic was completely new to me, and they have been around for at least 10 years with n extensive release history of quality niche sounds from across eras and genres, so however I ended up with this in the mailbox, I thank you.

There's a story to this release of course that makes it so great and I'll just quote Light in the Attic because it's too perfect:

It all started in Los Angeles with a chance meeting at a house show in an old Victorian home. The LITA crew rolled in, only to find the sprawling NYC collective–CSC Funk Band–tearing up the stage with a cover of “Thrift Store Find” by Mr. Holmes & the Brotherhood as heard on Wheedle’s Groove: Seattle’s Finest In Funk & Soul 1965-75! After their absolutely scorching set, we picked up our jaws off the floor and immediately cornered the band to get the scoop. Long story short, many friends were shared in common and an idea was sparked – a 45 featuring the original deep funk cut of “Thrift Store Find” with the sprawling psych-funk cover by CSC Funk Band on the flip. Sound too good to be true? Believe it.

So here it is sitting on the record player, spanning a couple of generations of funk, this original from Misterholmes has that straight up heavy, repetitive bassline with the tick of a high hat. It's definitely the stereotypical '70s groove, cop music. The grainy, t0ugh NY streets. It's insanely minimal, the whole track slowly builds itself up with the simplest elements and then starts over with that "Shaft" feel. There's even room for a big distorted wah wah solo for a hot second and then that super groove starts back up again. I remember when the Beastie Boys embarked on that funk sound on Ill Communication, or was it that EP with "Root Down"? At the time they fostered a lot of research into tracking down more of this sound...it's universal for the bad asses, the pimps and hustlers, across 110th street. This single would be a great place to start.

Then you get to CSC's reinvention of the track on the B-Side, and even at 45rpm, I'm still guessing this one is at the wrong speed. For these guys to really expand on and lay down an even thicker groove than the original, they took this reverse tactic of getting almost too slow to even hold together, it's bordering on falling apart, if you just miss that next kick...the depressants are just about to kick in...try...to...stay....awake. An incredible organ kicks in with what must be a doubling of instruments, a huge amount of people love this song and add their two cents, in this strung out, super psyche retelling of events. Just around this time, they twist the melody around into a reggae sort of feel about halfway through, and open up some jam room for a ridiculous Santana solo to cream around. They get such an incredible layered horn explosion sound towards the end of this that has to be heard on that serious audiophile system someone around you must have. It's a unique reinterpretation of the track and everyone involved cared enough to document their result on this fine artifact in a plain brown paper sleeve, like naughty adult magazines, with a 45 adapter inserted into the wax already.
Fat Beats, where this one can be purchased says:

CSC Funk Band simultaneously pays homage and obliterates history in this tripped out, psychedelically enhanced version of “Thrift Store Find” by Mr. Holmes and the Brotherhood, from Light in the Attic’s Wheedle’s Groove Compilation. The original is on the flip of this 7”, and comes in a vintage brown paper sleeve with a 45 adapter for those who came to the party unprepared. This cut will not be on the LP release of CSC’s Fat Beats Records debut “Things Are Getting Too Casual,” so this is your only chance to get it on wax!

They also release a full length record tomorrow of 40 minutes of huge psyche-funk on Fat Beats, congrats guys.

Ducktails live on WFMU on Inflated Records

The guys over at Inflated Records were kind enough to send this Ducktails live full length over the other day. I had heard Matt did a live appearance over there, probably even a couple of them by now, but didn't know it was pressed on sweet 12" yellow vinyl.

On the A-Side, it's great to hear Matt introduce, "Backyard" and the band and then get right to the warbling, slow burn. A shaker comes in and that main melody is joined by another slightly reverbed electric. Somehow, this interpretation of a backyard feels universal, I'm always picturing this fall sundown scene, just finished mowing the grass, and it's finally quiet. Taking all this time to manicure this weird suburban version of nature. It's taming is comforting and at the same time Ducktails evokes a sunny '70s Sunday feel, like a faded hipstamatic print where I know it's been filtered and manipulated to seem old, but still you get some kind of jaded emotional response to the off colors and faded edges.

The thing about Ducktails, and seeing Matt recreate this material live, is not the amount of pedals and blinking lights on the floor in front of him, but that at the end of the day, he's a great guitarist capable of switching around all kinds of styles and moods. You could imagine "Beach Point Pleasant", off his first single by the way, coming out of finding that great disintegration loop-like sample one night an playing for hours. The odd rollercoaster, circular rhythm that Matt plays a wah wah type shimmery phaser melody over this hypnotizing structure. The great thing I keep forgetting about this recording is that it's live and he's really improvising these pieces in new ways. His guitar playing is always loose and lends itself to this kind of great reinterpretation every performance. It's easy to get lost here, and completely forget about where this track has been, the gradual shifting of sounds always end up far from where it began.
Finally, "The Mall" and here Matt introduces the band and the station for this vocal track. Counting off and immediately launching into his delivery which is as loose as his guitar playing, fitting this easy vibe describing the moon and the ocean. Vocally it's like a fading memory, the details coming in waves, but you can't really make sense of them in any kind of narrative. A barely understood dream and it's surprisingly brief for a band that seems to be most at home wandering off the trail and forging a new path. At the end of this side Matt introduces the B-side Real Estate track, "Let's Rock the Beach" and hearing a myspace address on vinyl never gets old.

The B-Side continues with Matt remarking, "I'm going to have to tune my guitar" while the beat is called up. The guitar is back to it's fading in and out, hard to grasp slow wah. I love this contradiction in the song title and the laid back, canned bossanova rhythm and the mellow organ underneath. It's not the massive waves, reverb surf rock of the west coast, it's the consistent rolling, slow crashes of a calm northeast seaside. This is a dockers, boat shoe vision of rocking the beach...white shorts and grass on the dunes.
This track nicely devolves into organ drones and wood percussion free jazz. A heavy video game electronic sound gradually rises and fades and I equate Ducktails with Cory Archangel for some reason, maybe it has that sensibility I love in Corys artwork, the engagement with pop culture in weird subversive ways. Awknowledging those ridiculous inescapable influences and spinning gold out of this pop junkyard. Ducktails is working with the same basic tools.
Sounds like there's a track break and they round out this record with a lengthy track, "Surf's up" off his self titled record from Not Not Fun. The synth sounds are dominant on this one, creating their own kind of revolving loop. Another synth sound drones away, bent and sliding into a middle eastern strange scale effect which gradually grows and becomes more and more the headline of the piece, a pile of effects jettisoning it way out to space. The whole time keeping that improvised jam feel to the otherworldly sound, it's a space jam this time, another planet beach, and early electronic pioneers would be proud to hear Ducktails take on this just out of reach future. The electronics keep multiplying and harshly swirling into the track, a blend of keyboard and possibly guitar? It's nice to not even know or care, it's a ride I keep willingly wanting to take over and over.

You can go check out this set, here from Free Albums Galore and then order the vinyl from Inflated Records.

Real Numbers on Floridas Dying Records

Today I pulled out another single from the stack of releases from Floridas Dying, this one from Real Numbers out of Minneapolis, from this interview from Gimmie Noise, it sounds like these guys have all honed their chops in a bunch of other projects before this one recently evolved out of the member swapping.

Real Numbers sounds like early English post punk, the minimalism of Gang of Four, the catchy simplified jolt rock of The Wire, all combined with a modern punk mix that's entirely their own and difficult to pin down, similar to The Art Museums.

From the second the needle started spiraling on the A-Side and the clean, simple bassline groove kicked in, I was into where this was going. No effects on that crystal clear sound. A crunchy, tinny distorted guitar is played with sweeping, drawn out chords. Eli Hansen on vocals has...and I keep having to look up where they're from again...a slight English lean to his accent...or maybe that's the MN peering through, which is basically Norwegian right? It's a scratchy, raw, young sound that doesn't matter you have trouble deciphering lyrically. Either way, the three piece is after composing a terrifically concise and unique post punk track, the stripped down, back to basics results of even a Jeff Novak, or Ty Segall, taking that blues sound back a few hundred years. It's just slightly rough around the edges, raw effort they probably wrote in a day, and you can hear the great future for these guys.

It doesn't end on the B-Side either, they weren't covering something, or making an inside joke, "Pinckney St", has all of those elements back, and Eli this time is even a little out of key, enthusiastically managing to make it sincere. They've got a straight ahead unpretentiousness of The Soft Pack, the thin fragile capture of the sound, adding to their charm. Anything from Big Lizard in my Backyard could almost end up played next to this. I'm imagining these guys opening for The German Measles or Nodzzz, one of those bands that are really easy to like, listening doesn't have to be a fight, they have a relaxed pop sensibility that I hope translates into staying together for a while and people catching on and picking this one up.

Check out the A-Side, "Tear it in Two" at their bandcamp page, and this one is on Floridas Dying Records:

[FDR-35] Following the release of one of the best 12"s of last year, Real Numbers is back with more U.K. DIY style pop via Minneapolis. "Tear It In Two" is their best track yet. Driven by one of the catchiest bouncy bass lines, and a guitar tone that can only be likened to play a chain link fence, this song is a modern pop classic. Limited edition version comes on yellow vinyl with silk screened cover. Limit of one per customer.

They also have another single and a 6 song EP, full length on their own Three Dimensional Records.

Acro-brats - Hair Trigger on Susspool Records

It's no wonder the Boston area has been a breeding group of it's own special niche of hardcore/punk sound...like D.C., the area seemed to put it's own spin on the genre, being just out of the way for west coast bands to contaminate the sound. Mix in a group of dudes who are tough as hell and you end up with a thriving, insular scene...at least that's the way I see it. This might not have anything to do with the Acro-brats beginnings or current sound, but after reading 'Get in the Van', I admire any band that has a sadomasochist streak playing for audiences that want to kick the shit out of them.
I guess you have to take that as a compliment, to not only survive in that kind of scene but have the success these guys have had, with tracks on all of the Rock Band games that have been out, but after almost 10 years they must have outlived more than a few venues and scenes.

So this single came in thanks to Chris, lead vocals and guitar, and they somehow...(yea right, of course!) manage to pack 4 songs on this 45rpm EP. "Hair Trigger", the title track, has all the production going for it in the world, it's expertly captured and mixed, and this is what probably leads some reviewers to place them in the glam punk, or pop punk categories, but for me this is just classic Boston hardcore, recorded and played really, really well. But don't hold that against them, they know what they're doing, huge repeating chords, frantic speeds, call and response choruses and Chris' raspy delivery.
On "Well Enough Alone", they have this punchy sound wrapped up, and I get the pop-punk comparisons now, they keep amping things up, moving away from getting to preachy or political, these are the everyday, close to home problems, rocked out with a party atmosphere. A dirty, back of the bar party, but still a celebration because, let's face it, life sucks sometimes.

"Simpleton" on the B-Side is almost dangerously close to a heavier pure rock sound, more seriously melodic, with long guitar solo's and even a backup "whoa oh oh's", but Chris keeps the aggressive edge on this one with that spitting vocal.
Finally, like any good set list saves the fastest for last, "Crave" borders on pure angry speed, near metal riffs and machine fills. But as much as they're all tracks railing against society, assholes, and institutions they definitely respect their listeners with this crafted sound and The Acro-brats have to be a force to be reckoned with live.
Glossy thick cardstock sleeve with a spine, heavyweight vinyl and download card included with an extra track.

Get it from interpunk distro, or contact them direct at theacrobrats(at)gmail.com.

Land of Blood and Sunshine EP on Whoa! Boat Records

Whoa! Boat Records, out of Seattle sent in one of their latest singles from the Land of Blood and Sunshine, which is maybe how you would describe Iowa, where these guys are from and I'm getting a real children of the corn, weirdo vibe from this 4 track EP.

The A-Side's "Prestroy" has a couple of dueling interwoven slightly tremolo guitars paired up doing a crazy Abe Vigoda rhythm, going slightly mathy until this evil chorus comes in almost angelic chanting about 'we'll come out of the forest looking for the relics that they left behind'. It's a soundtrack for Rosemary's Iowa baby, in that creepy evil key. A bit like that movie trailer go to O Fortuna, it has that epic feel, all over this pop, complex pace, and very much some kind of warning to the townspeople.

Next up is "Bring me Thunder", this one starts right off with a pretty dense layered home recorded instrumentation, broken guitars, handclaps, stomping, tambourines...the vocals this time could be pitch shifted up a bit, ween style, for an extra creep factor. These are some kind of little fairies, or wood people asking for the thunder. They have an interesting take on this folk psyche sound, it's almost turning into a Blueberry Boat for me. There's a larger narrative that's fantastical, these tracks are from this storybook world...well, one of those warning to children stories. Wasn't Grimms fairy tales basically a warning against molesters and adults?

The B-side starts out with "Fog Beat", which is driven by this warbly guitar or sitar sounding melody...maybe synth? More creepy voices, beady eyes, little hunchbacks bouncing around down the trail. They aren't up to anything good. An electric kicks in and the rest of the creatures join in the chorus. The rhythm is hectic here and poly-rhythmic...they're clearly experimenting with some classical, primitive elements in this bard's tale.

"Phlegm" has those two guitars back, in an acoustic form this time, playing separate complex rhythms, in more of this medieval folk sound. The vocal verse is punctuated by huge drum and metal object crash sounds, a garbage orchestra sound launching the whole thing forward into contemporary folk, a sot of big gypsy Beirut sound. The whole thing takes a rest for a measure with a low tom roll until that chorus crashes in again.

Great comic illustration sleeve by the band, includes a download code, 100 on orange, 200 black.

They also were recently featured on Daytrotter, so you can go download that before picking this up from Whoa! Boat.

Mater Suspiria Vision on Mishka Records

Got a new single from the prolific Mishka Records, this one being the fourth release in their catalog from Mater Suspiria Vision. Mishka seems to be mining a pretty particular corner of electronic music and this single is no exception. From the dark Blessure Grave to freakishly talented Hussle Club, they are artists I wouldn't have otherwise come in contact with, and there isn't anyone out there with this kind of idiosyncratic focus .

Mater Suspira Vision is coming off like the audio equivalent of Holy Mountain, freakishly their own combination of industrial and drone with a similar visual collage aesthetic the the film. Like The Knife they seem to have worked out a strong theatrical element, which is as important as the sound, and once you

The A-Side, "Seduction of the Armageddon Witches" sounds like a single slow, somewhat manipulated rhythm loop with a female vocal heavily delayed to the point where any recognizable words she's saying are bouncing back in on themselves to an unrecognizable degree. There's a slew of very low, subtle, sinister synth sounds writhing away in the background, slowly working through a few chords, but overall it finds this grind and sticks with it. Something like a trance Skinny Puppy sound, or the hyptnotizing dub of Neitzer Ebb...the repetition is a huge part of this...and the occult. Instead of embracing the machine like that era, MSV seems to be turning towards the spirit world of drum machines and keyboards. God knows it needs it, for some reason it's been stuck with being forced to create happy dance music at ungodly BPMs. Scaring the hell out of people can be an interesting place to take pure electronics. MSV seems like they can match this sound with their stage show, when they have one....on their facebook page it says over and over:

NO MORE INTERVIEWS! PLEASE NO MORE BOOKING AGENCY REQUESTS! WE ONLY DO CONCERTS AT VERY SELECTED PLACES!

Nothing like yelling about how you don't want to play to get people even more interested in just what the hell it is these guys are doing. Their videos are equally interesting, are they recreations of sacrifices, or pieced together ritual footage? Either way it adds another level to that unrelenting pulsating bass sound.

The B-Side, "Séance Infernale" opens with more heavily echo'd sounds of children breathing or crying? It's hard to tell exactly what's going on, and their counting on this creepy ambiguity. Heavy reverb on a minimal drum track is the only thing that isn't human voice in one form or another. More female vocals, too echo'd to understand are mostly just talking. A terrifying heavy layered synth sound breaks in eventually. A single chord, sustained for the rest of the track. Nothing but warped out voices end the track. It's almost subverting everything electronic music has been used for in the past. This isn't going to be played on any dancefloor, and even as a joke I'm not going to get the Ouija board out and play this song 3 times in the mirror. You can tell when it just isn't worth it. When there's even the slightest chance it might be true...why take the chance?

Get it from Mishka Records:

Mater Susupiria Vision's "Seduction of the Armageddon Witches" 7". "Séance Infernale" featuring Scout Klas and How I Quit Crack on the B-side. Blue Vinyl, only 300 pressed.

The Ceiling Stares / Super Vacations Split single on Velocity of Sound + Sweaters and Pearls Records

Got an advance copy of this split from my buddy Darren at Velocity of Sound and myself at Sweaters and Pearls Records....wait...that's me? Yes it is good reader, I up and started a label...finally.
Darren, who had a split in mind with the fantastic Ceiling Stares about 6 months ago seemed like the perfect opportunity to team up with someone who could show me the ropes. So with a blank side and psyche on my mind I contacted The Super Vacations and the rest is history that could end up in your mailbox.
S&P 001, is finally ready and I've been trying really hard to keep my big mouth shut until it was finished so I didn't hex* myself.

The Ceiling Stares reside in Pittsburgh, PA and impressed Darren so much live that he immediately had to see if he could put out, 'A Tunnel Through the Air' on vinyl, which ended up here being the A-Side... not that one side is better than the other mind you.
The 5 piece makes use of their numbers to quickly work in a winding layered riff, both guitars working a complex rhythm back and forth, with a subtle organ melody taking shape driven by an unstoppable snare attack. If there was ever such a thing as psyche-punk, it may be the time to introduce some distant relative here. Get ready for a long player folks, this clocks in at over 5 minutes, so was cut at 33 of course. But how would it even be related to psyche unless it took its time worming this melody deep in your skull. The vocals are upon the lyrics from the very first line, some sort of extended Greek chorus, working as much at the changes as the instrumentation. Heavy distortion guitar leads the big sound, separated big time into a major stereo experience...I know you've heard stereo before, but not like this.

Minutes and degrees
Without them we'd be lost at sea

But give this track a minute to tunnel through your speakers, over at their bandcamp page for yourself.

The Super Vacations take full advantage of the long distance pace set by the Stares to introduce two tracks here that are exclusive to this single "Hexing" and "Controller". Rob explained these are demo versions of tracks they are recording for a new album. By 'demo' he means they went all out recording in full rock fidelity and spent hours on the mix, I honestly think he might have mistakenly sent the final versions, or they're a band full of perfectionists, because this isn't your mom's demo. *"Hexing" kicks off, when the needle drops with a stuttered distorted rhythm at frantic pace, and psyche never attempted these speeds before. On top of that it's a sinister sounding track, pounding out that punchy rhythm, guitars speeding forward, the layered harmonies in a minor key....spooky.
Talking about a curse, and riding an elevator (to the 13th floor?) it sounds like the vocal here is looking forward to the 'hexing' it's going to take to get through this one. You and me both buddy.
"Controller", up next gives you just a moment to catch your breath in between tracks and this power groove drives another scary power psyche track. They have a way of unsettling that driving rhythm with the vocal, overwhelm with a huge layered haze and that's it, even if you wanted to turn back, the path home is gone.
I'm really happy to be able to press something that might have otherwise never even seen the light of day, not only can you get a sense of what they're up to next, but hear it in it's early stage of development. That's why the 45 is still alive and why I know you and I still buy singles.

Check out all these tracks on the fake record player at S&P. The sleeves have been printed, the test pressings were approved, and now it's time to order the shit out of this!
It's available over here at the new sweaters and pearls site, which again in case anyone is confused, is definitely the new label part of 7inches or at Darren's Velocity Of Sound Records. He's got the green ones and my run is purple. 250 pressed of each.
The Super Vacations are touring a little around their neck of the woods to sell these in person, so you can always support the band and get one live or even contact The Ceiling Stares directly....we're all in this thing together.

The records, I'm told, are being shipped to me this week, they won't actually go out in the mail until next week sometime, but I'll keep everyone posted.
Any issues, shipping problems, etc. I can be reached at jdean99 at gmail dot com or jason at sweatersandpearls dot com.

Thanks as always for reading and if you can support the label so I can press more in the future, then double thanks. Rest assured I've got a few more records in the works for later this year.

John Barba - Sleep on Folktale/Silencio Records

Got another single from Folktale Records in, this one from Jon Barba out of Oakland, CA. Heavy black cardstock white screened sleeve, Color lyric insert and some shots of Jon playing live. Jon used to play under the name Nicole Kidman,

Side A - "Twenty Ten", Jon has a really unusual vocal, after watching a couple of videos I feel pretty confident that there aren't any effects or tape speed manipulations happening, he's got a natural high vibrato and is going for it Calvin Jonhson style. A cheap keyboard drum rhythm starts this bedroom pop folk project, a real massive synth organ sound creates most of this melody and Jon is hardly singing, it's more of a quick stream of consciousness disjointed memory, mostly about trying to forget the year 2010. It's not the futuristic hovercar, house on mars year we were promised by popular science. Jon sounds like he's also coming to that realization that it's just another year, things are the same as they ever were, they aren't going to change very much so appreciate those little things, they're the most important. A cup of coffee, a video game.
There's a point when a bunch of electronics come in for the chorus and it borders on this 4 track Dan Deacon, or definitely Casiotone FTPA layers of forgotten unused sounds. The lyrics just barely keep up with the melody, taking in a breath as fast as possible to get that overwhelming range of emotion out on this side before the track runs out.

The B-side, "Pop Punk on CD" is another tinny cheap beat with the handclaps, I get the sense that for Jon he doesn't need much to write a song anyway, this is merely a stand in for the rhythm, he's got a lot of journal entries to get through. A lot of conflicting feelings, a lot of fucked up memories. This one is sort of a list of private jokes between friends, now they're getting to that point where it's harder to keep in touch. Lives are getting more serious and full of responsibility and who knows why you haven't hung out that much anymore. It's just not the same. Just a keyboard melody and layers of slightly distorted raw as hell vocals working out the awful realizations. It's taking me back to not having much in NY and not really caring what happened next, no plans. That and I'm listening to the audiobook of 'Get in the Van. Get out that lyric insert, you're going to want to follow along. There's elements of A A Faulty Chromosome, Why? and the Mountain Goats all wrapped up into one guy.

Get it from Folktale Records, who says:

You might remember an awkward kid from West Covina, Ca. who hid under a giant home made elephant mask and played catchy yet incredibly personal songs on his Yamaha keyboard under the moniker Nicole Kidman. Well, that kid was Jon Barba and he is back, dropping the moniker and making the move to Oakland, Ca. This record contains two new songs that are easily his best to date (and that's saying a lot). The songs on this record are more produced than his previous cassette releases but without loosing any of the warm, lo-fi character his recordings are known for. Lyricaly this record is more angsty than some of his other offerings, but the songs are catchy as hell and will likely be stuck in your head for days after listening. Record comes in a plastic sleeve with screen printed covers and comes with an insert/lyric sheet and a digital download of the songs on the record. Pressing of 330 records. Co-released with Silencio Recordings.

Personal and the Pizzas -Dead Meat on Total Punk Records

Here's another plain sleeve printed single from the dudes over at Floridas Dying Records, this one off their Total Punk label offshoot from the great Personal and the Pizzas. I'm into that Ramones inspired harmony punk rock (I still need to use that coupon and go get a free slice from Mustache) and when I saw on their facebook page they were into approaching an album as a greatest hits compiled from their singles I knew their heart was in the right place. What I didn't realize is that according to the liner notes in this one, Personal is joined by gary with a circle around the A, who played everything on the B-side, and Personal sang. Where are the pizzas? Were there ever pizzas? Is that even a group of people? Does the guy just looooooove pizza?

None of these questions deserve an answer and that's exactly what I got from the A-Side with "Dead Meat", on this one personal plays the glam sounding punk distorted guitar, taking me back to that Bare Wires first album. Not lazy or sloppy in any way, but maybe a little laid back, mute the power chords....let's say confident at pop punk. It's a dead ringer for a long lost Ramones track, but with a grittier raspier vocal...oh and layered solos. You could also slow down Hunx and take away a little of the goofyness and get Personal. Take a single line, the title of the song, "Dead Meat" and come up with a classic melody for this single line. I can take punk like this that is right in line with those Last Laugh reissues, it's not about any kind of musical skill, just deciding to recraft the perfect late '70s punk song. It's melodic at the base level and stands out for being great because it's so accessible, like the 4-track home recorded movement, you feel like you could cover this easily, but to write it is another animal entirely.

The B-Side, "Joanie" is that softer ballad side of any punker, the acoustic riffs come in with an electric working on forcing a real tearjerker. Personal is still tough here, don't mistake the sincere sentiment for weakness, but maybe just maybe there's a hint that under that tough guy image he can get hurt once in a while....emotionally....only emotionally.
Personal is doing a major Joey homage here, the chorus tempo and melody even following "I wanna be your boyfriend", with plenty of backup ooooo's, and it's great. "I wanna be with Joanie", but Personal takes it to another level on the verse:
when I see you walking down the street / I just want to get on my knees and eat out you o-ohh ye-ea
so there's that...what a softy.
The best part of this side is the studio banter after the track, someone yelling shut the fuck up! and an early stripped down acoustic version of the song and then the sound of breaking glass, which according to the insert is courtesy of vitamin man. In this world where no one uses their real name anymore and leather, spikes and blades are part of the iconography, then I'm going to want to hear it, because there will always be a special place on the 7inches shelf for an attempt at the perfect, succinct, raw punk song from any decade, and this is better than just an attempt, it comes pretty damn close.....I'm talking they could be invading Jay territory in their level of execution and content.

Did I mention it was recorded in a basement?

Get it from Total Punk.

[TPR-01] SECOND PRESSING IN STOCK. Here it is, the first in a long line of fine Total punk slabs of wax to come. We decided to start things off with our favorite greasy wop toughs, Personal & The Pizzas. ‘Dead Meat’ is a Dictators style fist pumper with Stiv whispers, chain solos, and chants abound. And it’s all about pulverizing creeps. On the B-side we get ‘Joanie’, a punk ballad about stalking some lucky lady in hopes of fellating her that would make Joey proud. 600 pressed. All hand stamped and all Totally punk. Up next: Midnite Snaxxx, The Sleaze, and Outdoorsmen.

The Reactors reissue on Last Laugh Records

Ok class, I know none of you wants to be here this summer, but you must have screwed up somewhere during the year, so let's just get through this....really it's not so bad if you just pay attention. Here at Last Laugh University, we aren't going to grade you, we just sincerely want you to learn something about rock and roll. Remember Rock and Roll High School? When Riff would start playing Ramones and everyone would start dancing around like manaics, and the entire place wanted tickets to see Dee Dee and Joey? It's a little like that minus the jerkoff principal who wants to shut everything down. No, this is more like that Yo La Tengo's Sugarcube video with David Cross and Bob Odenkirk, you better sit up and pay attention.
Today we're going to talk about the second single in the Last Laugh curriculum from a band out of NYC, The Reactors. Formed at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut in 1978, they played a few shows locally and quickly graduated to the NYC live punk scene. After only two years, the band called it quits, with Shepherd Ginzburg commenting on a youtube video he uploaded:

This was recorded at our final show (except for a 1995 reunion). I really thought Punk Rock had run its course and was done. The whole concept was anti-corporate, so as it grew bigger it was self defeating. Guess I was wrong.

This single was originally pressed in a run of 100, and given away to club bookers and never actually for sale, but Last Laugh has 30 years later given it a proper reissue.

If you'll turn your vinyl over to the A-Side track, "The Seduction Center", you'll hear it's built around the 4 chord foundation of punk typical from this time period with Shepherd delivering his vocal in a nervous art rock Mark Mothersbaugh style, with an almost vibrato at points, even approaching a sort of out of control enthusastic blues rock style. The guitar tones are distorted, recorded with a heavy lean on the treble, jangly range. Notice how they pause for a moment at the end of the chorus for a uptempo bassline refrain to bring things back around to another verse. It's alos important to note the use of speed here, never dwelling on a particular lyric sentiment or melody.
The striking thing towards the beginning of the track is the use of what might be an early example of sampling: at a much louder level than the overall flat punk sound is an explosion sound overdubbed by a band member and immediately after at the end of the next verse a synth car horn honking sound, a curious use of these weird out of character sounds were possibly an attempt at making the single stand out in that crowded field at the time.
Towards the end the band even harmonizes for a moment as the track begins to die out, probably a slight jab at the close harmony sounds of the previous decades.

B-Side's, "I Want Sex", is a subtle track about why the band is involved in making music in the first place...just kidding...everyone still awake? Put the needle on the B-side which opens with an air raid siren. Here the band is creating a sense of urgency, and when the opening chanting vocal starts, "I want sex, I want sex, I want sex, I want SEX!" it's clear that the fist pumping riot is about to begin. It's not enough to sing the vocal a single time, the repetition mirrors the narrators attitude about this primal act, note the emphasis on the last "SEX", it follows the 4 measure pattern of deliberately primitive punk and provides a marker for the verse to begin. Here, you might notice a slight storytelling, unmelodic verse which although one can't draw a direct line, would undoubtedly influence indirectly Eddie Argos' vocal style in contemporary singles of today.

For homework, watch this video and pick it up from Last Laugh Records. It will be on your final exam.

Albanian Mob Murder on Eastern Watts Records

Why do singles keep trying to scare the hell out of me with these minimal, what am looking at black and white sleeves?
It's not their fault, I think there's been far too many times you'd sit down with a sleeve like that and expect the worst, not in execution but content. I've been trained by the underground that when I see a homemade minimal sleeve like that it's going to be trouble. And then Albanian Mob Murders? Try to google that and not have nightmares. Well, you can see how'd I'd be already keeping the stereo low, waiting for the growl and metal guitar to pickup.

Instead this is a gritty, all distorted, no-fi single from Eastern Watts Records, and the 4 piece band is based out of the new lo-fi capital of the Northern Hemisphere, Columbus, OH. 2 guys, 2 girls, who provide most of the harmony vocals that are a contrast to this sludgy, underwater tempo and sound texture.

Side A, "Memphis" gets things going with a buried, muddy distorted guitar working a few slow chords, the drum track os beating a snare, kick, snare, kick, abbreviated tempo. It just doesn't ever pick up, adding to that hazy, can't wake up feel. There's a sort of Velvets in the garage raw sound to this, a real '60s girl group demo....and maybe it's even getting psychadelic because of the layers of grit and grime....it sort of works in the same altering of perception ways that the repetition does...you aren't sure exactly what's being played here. It's all fed through another blown out mic after the session. Then layer on the ladies Vivian or Grass Widow style vocals, played at the wrong slower speed and you have a somewhat AMM sound.

"Drugs" has a feedback, close to the mic intro, and must be as half as slow as the A-side. It's the kind of sorrid, backwoods pro alcoholism couple theme song:
I love you a little / you like me a lot / let's both get back on drugs
Delivered in a barely awake country chorus slur. The guitarist is making a momentous effort to strum out the backup chords. It's another velvet underground molasses melody buried under the blankets of no-fi, from the side of the equation that has no self control, the clarity is gone from the content and the instrumentation. It's a stark Will Oldham sentiment and as close as you can get to falling asleep drunk from listening to a single. I'm afraid these guys might be hurting themselves too much to have a follow up, either that or the Albanian Mob in Columbus isn't going to take to kindly to seeing this on a marquee.

Get this lo-fi slow burner on Eastern Watts Records, not much out there about his band that I could find, they are just sober enough to record a couple of songs...not write a bio ...apparently this unearthed mystery is all you've got.