Bare Wires on Robot Elephant Records

Sebastian from Robot Elephant let me know about his label's latest release from Bare Wires which I think officially was available since yesterday, just don't blame me for the overseas shipping. I'm just glad there's another single from Mr. Melton and company no matter where you have to track it down. Sebastian is hopeful some distro over here will carry copies and I say, 'Duh yea, they better.' If there are any left.
Bare Wires have been honing this raw gritty garage sound into a shiny, polished glam, along the same trajectory as Jeff Novak, or Smith Westerns. It's epic, produced and follows in the footsteps of the legends of the genre; Gary Glitter and of course T Rex without the stage theatricality. They're Ramone's in style, while keeping that bigger than life attitude, because you have to have that performance side down to pull this off. I'm still waiting to see this in person, April 7th at Public Assembly and no doubt will read endlessly about them at SXSW, but for now this single will have to do.

The A-Side, 'Don't ever change' has a glam beach boys sound, that 'east coast girls are hip' melody, with big riffs, and a chorus-y reverb vocal. The snare hits are firecracker slaps, or distorted samples even...the guitars are both mirroring this laid back rhythm. It's A sludgy sex-rock ballad about staying the same. Specifically about the greatest rock fodder era; high school, and a girl who sounds like a real nerd but Melton foretells a bleak future for the cool dudes in class giving her a hard time. That's something, turning Shelia is a punk rocker on it's head, actually endorsing studying, even going so far as to end up with the video heroine in the end. Take that enemies of rock and roll. Bare Wires are making self esteem, and being yourself cool.

Fire up the B-Side, 'Ready to go', these handclaps are essential to this massive cleanly punk pop. It sounds effortless, but damn, you know it takes forever to get these crisp changes, the rhythms jump all over from one hook into the next, just genius songwriting, especially the understated solo or the backing falsetto muppet chorus of 'Yes, he's ready to go'. It's playing right on that border of self awareness, it's not merely an imitation of the era, it's a solid nod and update in style and content. To call it a B-Side is an insult, sir! This is a double A side single! Bringing that whole overblown glam arena rock mess back down to the people in a smaller venue with just plain solid songwriting.

At the very least you can give it a listen over on their soundcloud page...and don't blame me if you end up springing for shipping.
Demand it from Fusetron, Midheaven or Goner dammit!
Our school children deserve the good influence of Bare Wires.

7Inches - Singles awards of 2010 extravaganza- PT 3 - hello 2011

Finally.... best singles of the year:

Dirty Beaches - on Italian Beach Babe Records - I just hope more people can get their hands on this one, or he does a stateside single soon on someone's label...cool, detached, minimal home recorded awesome, with completely unique world influences.
Tonetta - Get it Going on Black tent Press - Oh Tonetta, where do I begin? Completely inspiring weirdness from Toronto (!?). The videos almost ruin the music they are so freaking amazing. A thousand thanks to Black Tent for putting this and TWO full length albums out now.
Useless Eaters - Mr. Oscillations on Mastermind Records - Everything Seth does is punchy to the point punk pop with a great layer of crisp distortion across everything. I hope it never ends. Everything so far has been on cassette and 7"....I never thought I'd say it, but enough already. I want a full length.
Sore Eros - Blackburn Recordings - Incredible hazy, melodic weirdness in line with the genius of Ariel Pink and Gary War. Completely mindblowingly complex. I have to catch this live this year.
Ariel Pink (round and round) - 4AD - I don't care how many times I hear this, it gets better and better. He works across genres in the most authentic and sincere way, with tons of experimental pop strewn across every track. There's a sad nostalgia to all of Before Today, that title now makes sense.
Sediment Club - on Soft Spot records - I still can't get over the ragged, simple, new wave from these guys. They're playing Jan 2nd.
Bare Wires - on Southpaw Records - So glad they ended up putting out a single from the guys that did Artificial Clouds, a record I played at least once a week because I wanted to. Mathew Melton is a serious bad ass.


RIP: Blessure Grave, Jay Reatard




Greatest Book ever written award goes to Touchable sound from Soundscreen design : A clear winner, no contest really, everything I ever wanted from a book: that it's entirely about the greatest single design of the past 20 years, every page in full color. The closest I'll get to ever seeing a lot of these historic pieces of art.

See you monday, happy new year.

Bare Wires single on South Paw Records

I have been pining over a Review of the Bare Wires 'Artificial Clouds' for probably a month. I try to take my time and examine all aspects of the release, to really give it it's due. I love this thing. So I planned an expose: what other projects each member was in, live shows, especially Matt's solo stuff, in a sprawling Lester Bangs knock off review and then I smack myself and say 'That asshole was getting paid by the word!', who has time for this mess? Make your point!
Ok, so here it is.

Maybe with ADD, singles will be the full length albums of the future?

If that's true then look at this fucking number one hit! From the Bare Wires! That bad ass above isn't your dad, it's Matthew Melton, and that's the cover of his single! His solo album sleeve is even more bad ass, parked on the side of the freeway, the back window busted out and he looks half fucked up/half pissed, and he sits around like the next Jay Reatard penning punk pop hit after hit. I cannot get enough.

Get this and Matt's solo LP on colored vinyl. (Are there some left? Don't worry about it!...you're lucky to even hear this. Don't put your dicks to the bricks.)

Bare Wires are freaking fantastic. All I want to hear is anything Matt writes. It's genius.