Justin from CQ Records sent this split single in from these two Austin locals, The French Inhales and Bottle Service, looks like it's the first release for this garage/punk startup and they jumped right into a couple of full lengths from BRONCHO and the Love Collectors.
The French Inhales start their A-Side off with "Small Among Giants" and their cool, detached sound... an artsy, off kilter feel with repeated stuttery riffs and jagged rhythms of emotionless punk. Dan delivers a pretty sinister vocal that's ready to give up at the same time. There's layers of distortions and riffs over this hyped up tom fill that's been extended into a real pounding exercise. Lots of delayed out bare bones psych sound. It's a punk Young Marble Giants, trade the apathy for more craft and sheer skill at instrumental complexity. It's a distant, damaged sound...almost a mix of The Soft Moon and the Pixies penchant for running directly at a melody, carving out those unexpected really nice tunes that seem too epic and complex for garage.
The next one, 'Bored and Loney' has clickity clackity guitar tones set the tone, a rim shot rhythm from the bendy string section, the tom beat on the dark side is going after the primitive roots along with this straight ahead bass. Sounding like an emotional Thursten, Dan's belting it out, spewing over this post punk coollness that blows up into big chords and soaring distortion...still sounding cool and minimal. A high guitar tone rings out sounding like or blending in with a possible horn section? It almost gets Scottish with this bleating bagpipe refrain which have to just be tortured, detuned chords. A unique, distinct vision. Cold art and indie rock and if you're into these guys and play the drums or bass, move to Austin, they could use you.
Bottle Service (who have surprisingly little info online, or that this is a far too common expression in Austin) does "Cat Food" with super gritty guitar and powerful synth keys like a demented Cramps hockey game. There's plenty of echo, in the lost distorted vocals and a sort of crazed blues butthole surfers vibe in a tiki lounge. "Texting" brings beefy guitars and off beat tambourine in a psych Times New viking sound here, messy and raw, fronted by a surf weirdo on acid. Broken guitars and that organ can hardly keep up. "Please Ourselves" (that's right 3 tracks on their side) now comes off like The Coathangers abandoning your so called 'melody' for balls out energy, lots of yelling and off tune chorus. The Minutemen of horror surf.
Pressed with download code in an edition of 100 from CQ Records, samples below:
Before I forget - GO HELP THESE LADIES! - Russian punk band Pussy Riot are in prison because they performed an anti catholic/putin song...and now face up to seven years in prison. I don't ask for much, I don't deserve your paypal donations or kickstarter financing for my selfish projects, but please go sign this Amnesty International petition. I don't know if it will help, I've never even heard them but I love the name. I know there's a lot of bigger problems in the world, but maybe that's why this seems even more insane. Look at you, you're reading about seven inch records, and not sitting in jail because your band played a show. Lucky you.
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