I didn’t expect a band like this three piece out of Minneapolis, MN, The Blind Shake, to introduce me to another underground R. Stevie Moore, Roky Erickson experimental psych artist, Michael Yonkers. They collaborated with Michael on The Period on SS Records. Before I even finished spinning this single from Sweet Rot I paypal’d SS to hear what Michaels homemade psych instruments and The Blind Shake’s rigid garage rhythms would sound like together. This perfect burst of raw, scuzzy garage sold me on anything these guys are up to in the future.
"Garbage on Glue" comes on with a massive chunk of scuzzy riffs with thick harmonic layers of fuzz all lining up in jagged time. The tom and bass work in perfect sync, coming together in a solid Morse code rhythm section with a guitar riff barreling along constrained by the buzzy effects like an ancient Ministry track. Lux Interior style pleading vocals are trapped under a reverb echo ride on top of this freight train of a melody. It's a fantastic rough riff and they know it, a raw Devo jittery burst of nerves and Mike blurts abrupt lyric syllables like Jay Reatard on Blood Visions, real definition garage punk perfection here with a slight edge of something like the Mayyors if they wadded their thick scuzz into a tight ball. Even the attempt at a solo is straightjacketed, straining against this wave of layers. Two and a half minutes, it takes longer to pull the record out of the jacket and put it on the turntable.
"Go Go 78" has a caveman stomp and a gritty riff of piled on shrill distortions but the thing I'm loving about these guys from the first listen is their straight ahead, blinders on sound. They don't mess with anything, no distractions in their rigid, stick to the tempo plan. The reverb echo chamber bounces and explodes before they return to this see saw rhythm. The vocals even match this clockwork signature; they don't really allow themselves any sort of looseness. It’s tightly wound with the conviction to get it done.
They’re economical with no excess in their sound, creating layers of paper thin scuzz, tightly stretched and threatening to rip right open. They have a great sense of paranoia and creep reverb. Both tracks are cold, hard versions of Warm Soda or the Dirtbombs, a perfect introduction for the uninitiated.
Get this direct from Sweet Rot Records, highest garage scuzz recommendation.
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