The Ar-Kaics on Market Square Records

How did The Ar-Kaics happen to hit on that same tone as the Fresh and Onlys did a few years back not only in number of releases and buzz but in tapping a similar fuzzy soul psych that Tim Cohen did. I've always been a fan of this sound that has parts of a beachy reverb mixed in with a distant, cood post-psych sound. You're filling in a lot of those mysterious gaps while the melody just rises out of this satisfying fog. Another great single from this Richmond, VA four piece who also just put out that full length with Windian not long ago - take your pick.

A-Side's "Always the same" bashes in a heavy 4/4 beat, the snare echoing that kick because the god damn air is just MOVING. Shrill reverb taking it's place right alongside that downbeat, proof they don't have to speed things up to gain that snarling energy and momentum. Layer in a tambourine and busted static cymbal into that snare and you can barely make out these vocals. It's become a real primitive Mummies sounding garage with an everything is simple and new sound of Troggs demos. There's no denying a rhythm like this but still not an easy thing to pull off, it takes a skilled hand to get anything new out of it. A bent, uneasy solo piped in from the HVAC duct next door makes this sound even more dirty and dangerous. Guess what's 'always the same'? The hurt and pain.
B-Side's "Let Me In" starts with haunting high angled reverb with big distance, the notes settling into a foggy night marsh. It's cold until the drums shuffle in and another set of guitar tones start hardening this into place. It's all about this mood they create as much as the actual placement and tempo of the notes. The layers of space have as much to do with this sound as the struck notes drawn out by those cycles of circuits. Kevin Longendyke's vocal is floating in that midpoint of the mix not worried about keeping his head up above this thick blanket, you couldn't get to this place fighting. It's not the demand of 'Let me in' as much as it's the despair of getting shut out. Feedback upon feedback grows interrupting this analog sound in their interpretation of the lonesome solo, leaning that guitar up against the cabinets and letting nature take it's course.

As usual the Ar-Kaics let the music speak for itself and all you get is a brown paper sleeve. All they need is that name on the center label.

Sold out from Market Square direct but Goner has copies still.

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.

The Ar-Kaics on Speakertree Records

There was a time that seven inches were hardly worth the trouble for labels to even bother coming up with any kind of art for a sleeve. If some music crazed hooligans were going down to their local record store because they just had to have the latest cut from their favorite band ... well they were going to buy it anyways so why even take the time? The artless 45. Just a paper sleeve ma'am. A lot of times it's a good indicator to move on when faced with a thousand 45 boxes...just skip the paper sleeve ones, way before an era I'm interested in today. But wait - The Ar-Kaics, a three piece from Richmond, Virginia, are taking it that far back to release a jukebox style big hole single with just a center label to go on. Keeping things simple with equal parts fuzz and distortion in a way something from that era couldn't have even drempt of.

On A-Side's "She Does Those Things To Me" heavy jangle chords open this track up for a wave of distortion to jam in on the left channel and sit there in it's hazy fog from the other side of the room. Distorted, reverb tinged vocals blasted into the mic against their loose, fuzzy sound that slides ocassionally out of time. The ahh's rising to the ceiling with those lead vocals screaming away in a blues explosion sound that came together in an afternoon gin a stroke of genius not overthinking a meaty riff like this with a powerful reverb filling in the cracks with a solid cavestomp beat. Repeated straight through to the end, that title lyric over and over, a shaker elevating the chorus to an extra epic garage level. Straight through the roof these guys can combine all that blues and garage with the sonic texture of an Edison telephone - nothing better.

"Don't Need Your Love" harkens back to Wounded Lion with their snotty, in-your-face party vocal, The Ar-Kaics guys came to have a good time with their juxtaposition of sunny vocals and who gives a shit attitude. They might not fight you in that punk rock battle of the bands, but they aren't going to get off stage either and just might knock a few things over in the process. Full of deceptively simple chords and berevity this one gets a tinny metallic solo from the left channel again. Reminds me of The Zombies tracks, they were really in love with the huge stereo separation. The Ar-Kaics get in on the faders and come to think of it, ride in that same doo whopper garage style with a lot less sweetness. This could have been in the rotation with the Fresh & Only's debut as well. Pure mellow fuzz sound with a careless punk attitude.

Get this from Speakertree Records, who I also just noticed released a full length from our pal Adam Widener. I bet he fit 35 tracks of PUNKOP on that long player.