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I don't know who is running Mexican Summer, but they obviously have unlimited resources and know a lot of damn good bands. Ariel Pink, Kurt Vile, Real Estate...it's getting to the point where I hear about a Mexican Summer release and I have to check my paypal balance. I know 2 things: it's going to be kick ass color vinyl in a heavy cardstock sleeve and... it won't be around very long.Just heard about this the other day from Weekly Tape Deck and I hope it's not too late to pick this up. Jacuzzi boys have seemed from the very beginning like they were doing things on their own terms...from the middle of Florida. (Thank god for Floridas Dying or we would have never heard of these guys by the way) They're not really influenced by any kind of underground Florida scene...they are the only garage Florida scene that I've heard of anyway. Who's to say there couldn't be a third kind of coast with their own take on surf, psyche and garage.....well here they are.They sound like they're combining a kind of snotty, who cares punk with a little who cares surf...with a minor in the Velvet Underground...repeat the chords, that simplified electric. It's a kind of laid back single... all I know is the Island Ave single ended up getting played a lot, and I want another one.Order from Mexican Summer.
Born of the swamp and sun in early 2007, the music of the Jacuzzi Boys roosts like a bad vulture somewhere between the hazy shade of the coconut palm and the fevered neon of the Magic City. This is raucous pop of the murkiest order—jangling guitars, caveman drums, and songs of sex and seashells, dead animals and birthday cakes. Dragging behind in their dusty wake, the Jacuzzi Boys come bearing a string of 7″ singles that did nothing if not forecast the twelve-song tornado that is their debut LP, No Seasons. If 2009 was any indication, 2010 is the year the Jacuzzi Boys come busting out of the tropics, naked as the gator and twice as toothy.
Jacuzzi Boys have a new split with Woven Bones on Needless records just announced on Termbo yesterday.
The Jacuzzi boys have been making the rounds of 7 inch friendly labels...Rob's House, then Hozac...this is the very first release for Florida based Needless and they are aligning themselves with a good batch of vinyl single heavyweight labels. Jacuzzi boys are back with their characteristic mellow, almost quiet delivery...with an acoustic foundation this time. It's almost surprising to hear all the space here in the recording and instrumentation. They leave a lot of space to breath. The more I hear this, the more I'm getting like a Velvet Underground feeling...that far away echo vocals that are barely keeping up with the slide guitar. Maybe it's the tom based low tempo rhythm, or they just really have really nailed this slightly 60's drug pop with a dash of pysch sound.Woven Bones on the flip are a heavier version of this time warp...the guitar is harder, a real high screechy clipped distortion, almost Ty Segall sounding. There's a lot more effects on the vocals, almost shoegaze in the chorus reverb that has a really sloping decay. Great use of a wah-wah solo...haven't heard that sound used in a while. The bass is somewhere inside all this harsh overdriven treble sound and kind of works complimenting the guitar with this warm rumbly distortion underneath.It's a great pairing for anyone who is into JB's sound already and looking for more...speaking of more it looks like individual singles by both are in the works in Needless' future.Both tracks are available to preview at Needless so you can get an idea if the flip side is going to be just as worth it as the Jacuzzi side...or the myspace.Get it from Needless Records...there may be some clear vinyl 'gold' editions available: (Sorry looks like they are all gone - ed) Split 7" between Miami Florida's Jacuzzi Boys and Austin Texas' Woven Bones.
Tracks: Jacuzzi Boys' "The Countess" b/w Woven Bones' "Grown Crazy"
Parasol must have the last few remaining copies of this, because it's been long sold out from Rob's House. I'm practically about to go get it, if I didn't already order a bunch of crap the other day that probably went out already. It wasn't out on Rob's House very long before I saw the 'Sold Out' sign, and I'll admit it, it gets me to pay attention and look up the next single from them. I get caught up in it.
Plus if it's blessed by the house of Rob, then it's got to be good. I haven't ever been disappointed with a release...and that SIDS xmas single was great...best of the holiday season.
I became a fan based on this review from sevententwelve and the Island Ave single that came out a while back, sold out from the source by now too....although I saw Academy has a few copies left as of last week.
They have a 60's-gaze sound, like they are doing some kind of impression of that echo drenched era. It's a good one, more authentic...or satisfying then the original...heavy on the tamborine. It's like the number one instrument these days.
The changes, the song structure is even the same, but it's sloppy like the best garage bands. It's more than just burying the sound, or dare I say hiding it under all kinds of effects. This sounds really specific and catchy and from an older time when music mattered...or was at least trying to entertain you, instead of make you work for it.
Jacuzzi Boys
Fought A Crocodile b/w Blowin' Kisses
PS, US LTD ED OF 600 (500 BLACK vinyl, 100 COLOR vinyl)! Miami, FL's eerie & alluring JACUZZI BOYS float on a hot cloud of misty & hypnotic grooves that suck you into their morbid world of jangling, distant guitars overlaid w/ ghostly chants that swell & recede like the sands of time slowly slipping through your tarnished soul. W/ a rollicking beat that sticks to your ribs & forces you to look deep within yourself for the answers to life's toughest questions, they have that magical "something" that you'll feel the 1st time you hear them.
Rob'sHouseRecords
45
$5.25
The Jacuzzi boys brought their latest release to my attention a few weeks ago and lo and behold by the time I'm able to spin it a few times...it's sold out from the source...and everywhere else...I've really been looking.
Oh well...I hope a repress is imminent because this is right in line with the spaced out Vivian Girls and The Jesus and Mary Chain cavernous echo sounds that I've been hearing pop up all over lately. But it's maybe even closer traditionally to that kind of 60's garage/surf sound especially on 'Dream Lion'. It sounds the name, this band thing is really a side project for them....after putting in a long day lounging in the jacuzzi.'Dream Lion' has this slow finger snap, combined with tamborine, high hat bass beat and some far away 'ahhhh' backup vocals. By the end they're all mutated and half feedbacked looped way in the distance...very spooky. The vocals have the right amount of reverb like some kind of classic oldies Ronettes, kind of harmonic girl band phil spectre group, ...it has that level of crisp production and pining over the mix.... there's nothing muddy or unclear about what their trying to get at. Where the Vivian Girls rely on the tempestuous mix of out of control chorus effects, harmony and echo, combining eras...this is a specific year being reinterpreted from a garage in the early 60's, and it's more song centric. But what do I know about that 60' garage period of music really? I couldn't give you specific names of bands and maybe comparing it to that is complately off base for some people obsessed in that underground. It's my romanticised view of what I imagine was happening....bands in love with that sound, and stripped down rock and roll were hoping to press a 45 and hear it on the radio.
That's what I think is alive here...on 'Island Ave', complete with fuzzed solo. The vocals might have even more reverb because of this tempo, and I love that during the really rocking tracks they go with handclaps instead of the fingersnaps....The vocals aren't ever buried or become so much an overpowering stylistic choice, it's not a yelled freakout, it's pretty deadpan cool 'this is the situation, man'.
'You Should Know' keeps up the dream-rock (dare I say psyche?) groove with more bass...it's something like Deadbolt without the heavy handed horror, just a dead on impression of a scene. You could hear the engines reving, the hot rods drag racing. It won't be hard for them to keep up on tour with King Khan, and I could see them as a great compliment to their more blue garage sound. They are actually in the Williamsburg soon.....Nov 29th st ye olde Music Hall of Williamsburg with King Khan. My friend Mike (beach house review) has been raving about KK since the beginning of the summer and I have yet to hear their uber-garage blues/make out mahem.
