Ixnay on Personal Archives Records

The only thing I was able to find out about Ixnay is that it's a trio of three ladies, Robin, Asia and Happy. I'm pretty sure this lathe cut is the only thing they've released. It's on Personal Archives Records - so no answers over on their nonexistent website...a whole lot of mystery for a laid back take on country punk, which I know sounds weird but if Beat Happening could take punk back....any genre can. It's a cool looking screened square clear lathe that sounds like it's been cut pretty shallow. I had to really weigh down the needle to get a read on this. I almost wish I couldn't even find a bandcamp page for these guys which would have felt like the late nineties having to create your own mythology for the band; the cool stuff you imagined they were doing, the great live shows they played and how you could never hope to be a part of that scene somehow. But now every jerk can be 'friends' with anyone and write dumb messages on their 'wall'. What a great future.

On "Aaron Cruz" a loose ramshackle beat is joined by a jangle guitar with a Liz Phair style lower end vocal from Robin or Happy if their last project The Leah Quinelle All Stars is any clue as to the singer here, not that everyone doesn't join in on this track about a friend who can't be anything else. Poor Aaron. Really a hilarious goofball track with all kinds of high school tropes about getting lost in your eyes, how it would never work and then it's over. Kind of like waiting to order coffee and seeing that same girl who's always working, running through your relationship, how she ended up dumping you for a cooler guy and by the time you're up you don't even want a coffee anymore you freaking JERK. "Saturday" is an ode to the best day of course with raw stripped down guitars, it might be Happy taking lead on this one with a little more refined control in her vibratto especially in this chorus celebrating the best day. Friday is only good after work and Sunday you better get to bed or you're going to be exhausted again. Live sounding and put together with just enough time to cobble this together enough to stick, a couple parts The Coathangers a couple Bunnygrunt. Not twee, but far from serious. "My Heart is a Pipe Bomb" then gets weird with solo up front vocals and minimal off kilter guitar (possibly?) and acoustic bass? Not sure what instrumentation is barely at work. It suddenly picks up with a banjo? More unrequited love...or a crush that that punk guy doesn't know about. Gets lyrically specific in an endearing way, this trio is making a statement by not really having one. Pussy Riot is free, let's rock again.

Sorry guys, sold out at the source, digital still available on their bandcamp page.