CLOAKROOM, “Lossed Over” 7”
From my understanding this group is sort of a side project
of some other, more active, Midwest bands. They released an EP last year and I remember hearing the
first couple songs off of it and was very impressed. And then not as impressed with the other couple songs on
it. Still, it was enough to keep
me curious as to what was next.
And this is it. I guess
this is a teaser of sorts for their full length, as one of these songs is
supposed to be on it. First off, I
think this band has a really cool name.
Secondly, I’m very much into their overall style of slow-core/sludgy
shoegaze. Sure, they meander a bit
into some slacker melodies, but it’s sort of a soft crushing of the atmosphere
and your cranium when the thick riffs are applied correctly, and I can get
behind that. The B-side has a song
that engineer and Hum frontman Matt Talbott sings… and yeah, it sort of sounds like Hum on downers with a big
epic chorus. (Run For Cover)
CLOTH, THE, 7”
First things first, bands that go all out with some sweet letterpress
cover that folds up all interesting-like get a free pass. That shit looks awesome. Secondly, they got a song called “Freak
Beach” that is under a minute and it slays. The other three songs on this circular fucker aren’t too
shabby either. As if it weren’t
evident I dig on noise rock bands and this group chops and hacks away at their
instruments in a sludgy, noisy, grungy sort of way. They take fierce stabs whether it’s throwing in some trippy
Breather Resist-style guitar bending, or just hammering away at your face like
KARP on an adrenaline rush.
Whatever the case, consider me pleased. (Reptilian)
COURTESY DROP, “Stabilize” EP
Behind all the emo chill and pretty melodies comes a fierce
wave that seems to punctuate each of the five songs on this Nashville (and part
Rochester) band’s second release.
I’m not bowled over by what they do, and I hope it doesn’t sound like
any sort of insult, but to me this sounds like Touche Amore if they were slow
and had longer songs. I just don’t
listen to many bands like this, so I’m sort of in a bad spot with
comparisons. Sunny Day Real Estate
if they played a bit more evil?
Fuck if I know better. It’s
cool, just not kick my ass all over town cool. (Animal Style Records)
FAKING, “Vices” 7”
Philly is an incestuous scene that breeds one awesome band
after another. You’d think with
all the cross-pollination and member sharing some of these bands would have
extra toes or an extra chromosome or something. So, with Faking these dudes share a musical family tree
amongst former and/or current members of Fight Amp, Ladder Devils, Gunna Vahm,
and Creepoid (and probably more).
They clearly have the noise rock thing on lockdown, furthered by a loud,
sharp bass sound all over this short-player. They don’t quite have song transitions down to a science, as
breaks between parts sound like almost totally different songs at times, but
hey, they make a heck of a racket with what they’re doing and I’m cool with it.
These blue-bloods are onto something.
(Reptilian)
LADDER DEVILS, “Clean Hands” LP
Finally, my dudes lay it down on a proper full length that
does justice to what I always knew they were capable of doing! I think they had sort of a slow start,
what with changing drummers, and evolving their style over two EPs that
collectively made up their last LP, a rather disjointed effort that was the
band at two different spots and not quite sure of themselves. But all these guys have been playing in
other bands together for ages (heck, two of them are related) so their natural
chemistry is finally showing on “Clean Hands”, their first LP as a band with a
now solid lineup and a collection of songs all written together. Sure, so two of these songs were on the
split with Helms Alee, but they re-recorded for this and they sound
better. Those in the know will
need no description, but their chunky noise rock culls from the vat that brewed
up like-minded noiseniks in Fight Amp, Helms Alee, and Young Widows. And while all those bands have their
own very dialed-in and distinct sound Ladder Devils have done the same with
some seriously bad ass tones and riffs.
A solid effort all in all. (Brutal Panda)
PRAWN, “Settled” 7”
Prawn released one of the best LPs of the year and these two
songs were left off of it. I can
see why, as they don’t quite fit into the almost seamless transitioning of the
tracks on the LP. It’s not to say
they’re clearly throwaways or anything, far from it. They just don’t fit the overall vibe of the album and so you
get them here on this 7” instead.
“Settled” has an almost older Death Cab feel to it for the first half,
and then goes for Prawn’s big, spacious build up and bringing in that trumpet
that enters their songs every once in awhile to accentuate the awesomeness of
the ending. “Built Of” goes for a
faster, slightly more aggressive feel before they roll in with some female
backing vocals and violin. It’s
definitely the band throwing some minor curveballs in terms of presentation,
but still clearly the band fans will already know and love. Once again, killer artwork in the
packaging of this fella. A nice
companion to “Kingfisher”.
(Topshelf)
SWEET JESUS, “Box” 7”
Swiz worship.
They know it. I know
it. If you like Swiz you’ll know
it too. And that’s perfectly
OK. Oh, you don’t know Swiz? First, stop reading this and get “No
Punches Pulled”, their whole discography.
Got that out of the way?
Good. I’m glad you stopped
reading this for a few days to absorb all that. So yeah, Sweet Jesus- part time Providence band filled with
dudes from lots of other good bands going for a late-80’s Dischord sound. Rock n’ roll hardcore with loose
guitar, a heavy swing, and swirling around all the ripping action are doses of
awesome melody. The first couple
songs are super punchy and short and that would make a perfect blueprint for
everything else they do. And while
the second pair of songs are only slightly longer they drag a bit and feel a
little less chaotic, they don’t have quite the stabby goodness of the first
two. Still, a solid introduction
after a demo that circulated a couple years ago. (Triple B Records)
WRONG, “Stop Giving” demo
It’s a late addition, but this is easily the best demo of
2014. There have been plenty of
bands that have tried to nail the sound that Helmet perfected over 20 years
ago. Most have failed, or not
quite got it exactly. This sounds
exactly like Helmet. Someone could
have told me that this was an unreleased demo between “Strap It On” and
“Meantime” and I would have believed them. Everything down to the recording, the booming drum sound,
the clever play on timing, the enormous wall of noise guitar and the rhythmic
thud that permeates these 4 songs has me hungry to hear more. Even the tape cover looks like it came
from the early 90’s. Get on
this. It’s downright incredible. (Wrong)
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