The Ar-kaics on Windian Records

I think garage in 2014 ought to have a few things; a simple, caveman rhythm section, maybe even just kick and snare, it's good if you can find some kind of distortion that sounds like the cone is punctured for the single guitar, don't bother layering anything, play together in the same room while recording, no overdubs and for good measure run the whole take through a busted PA and mic that for the master. Oh and I almost forgot you've got to have a slightly smart ass, or let's just say really confident vocal style because there can't be any hesitation when you're channelling that primal, emotional stuff. Of course I also just described the Ar-Kaics, a four piece out of Richmond who I first came across thanks to Speakertree Records. They're back on Windian with all the graphic style of their brutish, primal rock as usual.

On A-Side's "Why Should I?" the heavy thud of a slightly distorted kick leads their lead foot/hand sound. This starts out primitive and landing on those snare hits with all sorts of spastic winding solo guitar psyching it's way beihnd these yelping vocals. The chorus then gets really poppy, the cranky creepy blues sound takes a backseat for these vocals about being monogamous to his girl. In two minutes they manage to head back to the bluesy windmill chords with plenty of raw silence between notes. That's the animal, dark side that's really after her so hopefully that pop chorus side of things is what wins out in the end for her sake.
B-Side's "Slave to Her Lies" blasts in with everyone hitting that stomp beat all at once and the vocals sneaking in between those crashes. There's a little of that wet reverb surf sound that raises things up out of the muddy swamp. Plenty of silence and space in this between snarly kicks and the vocals gradually build up to shrieking eerie reverb buried and dark like Slug Guts and of course going back to The Cramps or The Mummies without any of their winking. Nothing but the serious matter of the opposite sex and lies with the nimble cuts from a scythe. Oops - hope you didn't need that arm.

Love the classic center label style from Windian and the Ar-Kaics on this one...they also put out their self titled full length which I'll be ordering from Windian as well.