7 INCHES PODCAST - #16

Darren's back on the scene to discuss underwater record players, The new Natural Child full length on Burger records, a couple of new Ketamines singles to complete their singles series, the Liars string edition, The Accidental Parade on Harding Street Assembly Labs, The La Luz suicide Squueze single is back up (hopefully paying hospital bills) and a crazy Gospel Dylan record from Light in the Attic.



Jason's pick is the shannon / grass widow cover single

Darren picks Kelly Stoltz's single on Stroll on Records.

YOUR SOUNDS RECORDED ON VINYL!

PODCAST Here.

Natural Child - White Man's Burden on Infinity Cat Records

Ended up catching Liquor Store and Natural Child over the weekend at Union Pool for their split 7" release on Almost Ready...and I almost got one...

Guys let me give you some advice...if you see a split single of your dreams out there on the table and no one is there selling merch you have to WAIT...stand there all night, because when you come back after a set or two, they're going to be sold out. If you have to physically pick it up with your bare hands and just stand there holding it like an idiot...then YOU DO IT. I learned my lesson when Seth told me they sold the last two on the table. What a sad beginning of Halloween. Very scary.

But the show was awesome, Liquor Store, yea buddied all kinds of punk, got to hang out with a bunch of good friends and Natural Child are so damn fun live with that classic rock stoner massive groove sound, they're just fun to watch. Having the best time, fucking around with the lyrics, changing them to Monster Mash, and just the sweet southern harmony from this sludge blues. I don't care who's done it before them, no one has ever taken it as not seriously as these three. Don't miss them, they will win you over by being simultaneously nice and out of their minds in the best way.

That's why the photo on the sleeve of the single I did end up picking up last night is so perfect. They genuinely want to hang out together and have the best attitude on stage. Liquor Store and Natural Child seem to go about writing the same way, take primal, hilarious points of view, in Liquor Store's case, it's with more of a hardcore punk sound about being an American man or eating a trash sandwich, while Natural Child sings a lot about weed and getting 'strange'... but they don't ever sound like they're selling it. On paper they're both impossible.

This single is green marble vinyl from Infinity Cat, who Billboard Magazine just named the 10th best indie label! I mean Billboard Magazine? That's like Nirvana winning a grammy....completely irrelevant, but still crazy that some big dumb institution like that actually noticed something like these guys....now that I think about it, it's kind of scary.

I thought the A-Side to this one "White Man's Burden", might be an alternate version of "White People" from 1971 but no... it's another take on the tongue in cheek idea of what exactly are white dudes blues?... surely some kind of oxymoron to begin with and maybe that's why they have the blues in the first place? Their lack of actual problems? It's sort of this ridiculous feel-bad-for-me track that's also saying they know exactly how dumb that sounds, but it can still rock as long and deep as Thin Lizzy.

The B-Side's " Ray Thompson's Blues" is another less than serious blues track about wanting to be in Miami, drunk on the beach, quitting your job, proving your girlfriend wrong with a pocketful of weed....see what I mean, these are troubles that more responsible people would be pissed off about, but it's up to guys like this to sincerely not give a fuck and make you love them for it. It comes off as an adult Beach Boys, the alternate Stones verision of the Jacuzzi Boys. Dreaming of the beach instead of sounding like one.

"Bang my Head" can't help but sound like 'Do wah ditty" to me, that rhythm and even melody keeps popping in my head, but the harmony lyric delivery from Seth and Wes thankfully takes it somewhere else, the way they're yelling to each other. I forget half of their songs, and it's like I'm hearing them for the first time again but I still catch every ridiculous honest truth:

"I can live my life like a maniac." ...or be forced to have sex with someone you didn't want to have sex with or smoke crack....all of which they make sound pretty funny...definitely guys.

Oh shit, but both of their singles on Infinity Cat are actually sold out! Or are they? No surprise there I guess. Go see them and get these from the merch table AFTER you grabbed them and waited patiently. That's your burden...those are your blues.

I'm so sad for you.

Write a freaking song about it.

Natural Child & Liquor Store - Bruar Falls 4-17-11

Caught these two at Bruar Falls last night, after missing Liquor Store opening for Ty Segall at DBA and then getting a hold of that great single from Almost Ready records, I had to see this live. The 7" just hinted at their live show, the raw riffs, the blown out kick and bass, hilarious vocals, they delivered on that manic energy and then some. There are some bands that are such a good time live, they pick up fans and word spreads. Liquor Store is one of those bands.

But first up was Natural Child from Nashville, now...that part of the country better start sharing, because it's starting to look a little ridiculous....a little mean to everyone else. I just want to point out Brooklyn has some great bands too...by the way. We're all getting jealous, get ready for it. You get: cheap places, and a super music scene, cheap beer, cheap smokes....you see where this is going? I could probably live off 7Inches, instead of working for the man! Great, I get the concrete jungle and every other jerk trying to get something going.
Nashville also seems to be inspiring/nurturing this garage punk sound in all forms...I really don't know how much it has to do with the geography, but this stripped down, back to straight up rock sound, subtly taken in different directions, dirty blues or glam is just being done so well, thanks to Seth Sutton and Jeff Novak. The record stores down there have to be out of control.

They had serious pedigree before walking into Bruar Falls, but then they had to go and sing about smoking crack with their friends, listening to the dark side of the moon on the dark side of the moon, and my favorite, I don't want to fuck you, but I have to (because basically she has his keys or something). I finally watched 'End of the Century' a Ramones doc just that afternoon and was making all kinds of comparisons. In attitude, in delivery, in writing about what they sincerely know, and how great that can be. The straight line from that Queens wall of noise punk, filtered through a smooth southern filter. Take that speed freak edge off a little, slow it down with that cough syrup sludge and then steal cars and sniff glue. I love when you know nothing about a band like this how they can crack me up with the balls on these songs.



Then Liquor Store brought that Trash Sandwich, classic brat sound at massive volume, Sarim was trading off vocals with the guitarist for different songs, which I didn't realize they were doing from that 7", you just see a really a cohesive group, having a legitimately great time.
In End of the Century, Joe Strummer was talking about 'the kids' bands nowadays, (which by the way, avoid at all costs in a music documentary) and how they seem to be too relaxed on stage, too much like they don't care...that The Clash learned from the Ramones how to put on a show, how to get people's attention. Liquor Store isn't that military machine...and it might hurt them in the end when it comes to the business bullshit it takes to make a living at it, but you know it's an honest show, they probably have a better than average time for hours in a van on the road for instance. They're easily a band to get behind for those of us seriously untalented masses, who want to rock like this, without all the bullshit.

Any drummer that can play and duck cans of beer at the same time like this, hold on to that one, he's a keeper. American man is simultaneously a punk anti-anthem, and serious commentary.
Natural Child was singing along, arm in arm, beers in hand, Liquor Store is a working class garage punk band that maybe doesn't want to make it to MTV4, they aren't out there emailing press releases, they just play solid awesomely funny rock.