BRAIDEDVEINS, “What Did You Do To Survive?” 7”
Here comes a new offering from this Detroit crew, off the
heels of an LP from last year.
Their style of rhythmic and angular post-hardcore puts them in league
with bands like local notables Bear Vs Shark, as well as groups such as Q and
Not U and At the Drive-In to a lesser extent. However, there is a rough, burly edge to their sound as well
that brings to mind lesser known outfits like Cutman or Pigs. It’s a good mix of noodly technical
spazz out stuff without going overboard and heavy-handed post-hardcore, rife
with creativity and introspection.
I enjoy it. The seven inch
has three songs, as well as a digital-only cover of the Nine Inch Nails/David
Bowie song “I’m Afraid Of Americans”.
(Dropping Bombs)
CHILD BITE/ STNNG split 12”
If I’m not mistaken I’m guessing this is the first Child
Bite material with their new lineup because the playing on these two new songs
sounds quite a bit different than their last two records. It’s like the weird Jesus Lizard
tendencies have been upped (especially on the “Nub”-influenced slide guitar of
“The Will To Disappear”), and the more thrashy metal aspects have been dialed
back. I hardly mind. Basically anything this band does is
gold to me. They have such a
unique style that borrows heavily from several disparate sources to combine
into quite their own thing, no matter who is in the band. I could say the same for STNNG, who I
have never heard, but who have been around for quite awhile now. They are also an odd band, but have a
catchier indie rock appeal to them.
I’m not sure why they inserted Joy Division lyrics in the middle of one
of their songs here, but hey, it was a pretty good song so why not right? They offer up three songs that lean on
the slightly aggressive, but an overall more pleasant listen, for the tame
listener. I should make note of
the obvious ridiculous packaging for this thing where they did a several layer
screen print on the B-side and pressed the record on colored vinyl and it looks
awesome. This is not the first
time Child Bite has done this and I’m glad they keep doing it. (Forge Again Records)
IRON MONKEY, “9-13”
I’ll admit to never having bothered to listen to Iron Monkey
in the past. Maybe it was because
their previous records album artwork was so awful looking. Without hearing them I got the gist
that their brand of aggressive music fell somewhere in the sludgy and chaotic
realms of Eyehategod, Buzzov*en, and Cavity. So this arrives in my inbox and I figure it’s about time to
give them a listen. It definitely
sounds a lot like the aforementioned bands and that’s just fine by me. I’ve heard a lot of criticism of this
new album and I’m not sure why. I
understand the whole ‘shitting on the legacy of the deceased frontman by
continuing the band’ thing and people get kind of emotional about it. But I compared this record to “Our
Problem” and, aside from a somewhat slicker production and a little quicker
tempos on some of the songs, I’d say this fits in pretty well with the Iron
Monkey canon. But what do I
know? I’m a novice with this
band. All I know is I hit play on
this thing and got beat up by some monster riffs, tortured screeching vocals,
and lots of bad vibes. So what’s
not to like? (Relapse)
TED LEO, “The Hanged Man”
Ted Leo is one of the greatest songwriters of my
generation. He’s the Billy Bragg
for people between the ages of 25-40.
And he hasn’t made a record on his own (not counting The Both, his collaboration
with Aimee Mann) in quite awhile.
But here we are, and here it is, and it’s some of his most varied and
compelling music of his whole career.
Abandoning the ‘and The Pharmacists’ tag in favor of just releasing this
as a solo record it’s far from that.
It’s just that Leo wrote all the songs and played most of the
instruments. However, a number of
guests (including current and former Pharmacists) contribute to the record
too. Ted Leo’s knack of drawing
from his mod punk influences is on display, as always, but there’s a greater
reach into less ‘punk’ sources (maybe ones just on the outer fringes of) like
XTC and Joe Jackson to counter his adoration of the Buzzcocks and Cocksparrer. It’s power pop at its finest and most
creative. Ted Leo always has an
incredible lyricism to his songs and manages to make complicated words and phrases
into the catchiest of tunes. It
took a little for this to grow on me because it is a departure, in some ways,
from his older work. “Run To the
City” works in the well-honed Pharmacists framework until a ripping saxophone
lead torn straight from some Clarence Clemons/Bruce Springsteen high-fiving
80’s session takes over. It’s one
of the most fun songs on the record and one of my favorites. However, “Nazarene” is the complete
opposite. It’s a slow burner where
the first half of the song is just Ted Leo singing over a simple piano coda
before a sludgy bass section dominates the rest of the piece. There’s variety like this all over the
record and it all works together very well, when in some instances, it shouldn’t. And like most of Ted Leo’s output there
is a strong political commentary, often wrapped up in tales of personal
interactions, and the socialist ‘were-in-this-together’ sort of vibe I enjoy
immensely. But in reading
interviews with him there was a great deal of sorrow in writing some of these
songs, some extreme hardships he dealt with, and it is reflected in songs like
“Lonsdale Avenue” and “Let’s Stay On the Moon” (try to hold back tears
listening to it, it’s tough).
Repeated listens (and seeing this stuff live) has really made a huge impression
upon me and because of that I’m finding this to be one of my favorite releases
this year. Ted Leo truly is a
master of his craft. I encourage
everyone reading this to give it a shot whether you’re a long-time fan, or have
never heard of the guy.
(self-released)
PLAQUE MARKS, “Anxiety Driven Nervous Worship”
This collaboration of Philly miscreants draws from some guys
who are well-versed in playing this kind of music, and a couple others you
might think wouldn’t be game for it based on the kinds of bands they’re known
for. But either way, some people
from Fight Amp, Creepoid, A Life Once Lost, Ecstatic Vision, and the Powder
Room got together and wrote a handful of straight-up noise rock jams and threw
them onto an LP/EP. They are
drawing straight from the noise rock playbook so it’s nothing earth shattering,
or groundbreaking. It doesn’t
really bring anything new to the table.
But it is satisfying.
“Oregon Chem-Trail” sounds like Cows, “Chow” with more glass-gargling
vocals while “Urban Blighters” takes a passing semblance to bands like Glazed
Baby. The title track takes up the
entire B-side of this EP and is essentially a spiraling mess of ultra-fuzzy
slide guitar over acid-drenched sludgy wooziness that sounds like going to town
in the woodshop with a table saw while drunk as a skunk and high on fumes at
3AM for 8 minutes. Take that as
you will. Aside from a somewhat
lackluster recording and a desire for more songs this is a pretty good start
for a bunch of guys who just wanted to make some racket and go on tour. Mission accomplished. (Learning Curve Records)
QUICKSAND, “Interiors”
Yeah, how do I review the new record from my favorite band
ever- their first in 22 years- and not hold it to incredibly unrealistic
expectations? C’mon. It’s a fool’s errand. I have entered into this new Quicksand
material with a few notes to self:
I am not the same person I was when I was 15 and having my mind blown as
an impressionable, identity-seeking teenager hearing this band for the first
time. The members of this band are
certainly not the same people there were 22 years ago (I would certainly hope
that they have grown as songwriters and as people with different things going
on in their life). Take this
record for whatever it’s throwing at the listener and not as some cash-in
nostalgia trip.
So,
with those ‘notes to self’ in mind I have to say this is an overall good
listen. There is a chemistry that
happens when the members of this band collaborate together that cannot be
replicated. I certainly wonder
what would have happened had Tom Capone been involved in the writing process,
as he certainly brings his own style to the table. Or how would this sound if they had recorded with Wharton
Tiers or Don Fury like they had in the past instead of Will Yip? There is a
noticeable bit of gloom missing from this album, compared to previous records,
and it sounds brighter and more crisp.
My feelings about some of Quicksand’s older music was that it was for
the bad times in life, rising above it all despite surrounding negativity and
that always came across in the way the music was recorded and the vibe they put
out. On this new album Walter and
company still pine the depths of interpersonal conflict, working out rough
spots in life, but seeming to have an overall more introspective vision
regarding it all. I suppose that
happens more as one gets older.
Certain songs have a consistent Quicksand feel that long time fans will
enjoy (like most of the A-side), some songs dabble more in shoegaze-y parts that
the band probably wanted to do more of in their initial run but never got
around to, and some songs feel like stuff that Walter would be using for more
current projects or Rival Schools stuff (like a lot of the B-side).
As
a Quicksand super fan who has been along for the ride since around 1993 I’m
happy to see that these guys can get together, write enjoyable music, play it
live and genuinely look as if they are having the time of their lives while
doing it and not just going through the motions of a reunion cash grab. It’s real. The title track, “Under the Screw”, and “Illuminant” are
probably the strongest tracks here that resemble the Quicksand everyone knows
and loves. And there’s some stuff
that you know is them, is pretty great, but takes things in a direction more
consistent with what each of the members have been up to musically in the last
10 plus years. And that’s
perfectly OK. Don’t be some grumpy
old fart complaining that this isn’t “Slip” part two because that’s just
stupid. With any luck, some
younger people will take notice, get into it, and go backwards from here, and
take away something positive from this.
(Epitaph)
USA NAILS/ TONGUE PARTY split 7”
I’ve been all about USA Nails lately, but on this split I
think Tongue Party is taking the cake.
Not only do they have a pretty disgusting name, but their music is
pretty gross (in a good way) too.
For those heavy into this kind of stuff (like me!) think fellow
labelmates Powertakeoff in terms of that heavily-distorted bass and give-no-fucks
attitude, but with faster tempos and insane breakdowns. That bass dominates almost everything
while the guitar takes a backseat with some tense, nervous racket. Two songs, smash everything. USA Nails comes back with their jittery
post-punk and Jesus Lizard-like songwriting. These Brits have a pretty big catalog and while I don’t feel
like this is their strongest stuff I would highly suggest checking out their
full lengths for some truly jaw-dropping post-punk noise rock, especially “No
Pleasure”. Learning Curve once
again unleashes a quality record.
They got themselves a pretty good track record. (Learning Curve Records)
V/A, “Shattered, Flattered, and Covered” comp.
In this day and age compilations are a dicey
proposition. People don’t really
buy them as physical products.
Like, maybe you can convince some people to plop down a few bucks on
bandcamp if it’s a benefit of some sort.
What’s even more difficult to not only organize, but get people to spend
hard-earned dough on is a tribute compilation. But lo and behold this guy got like 30 bands to record
Unsane covers and put it out as a double LP/ 2xCD. That takes some boulder-sized stones and what I can only
imagine is a Scanners-blowing up-your-head-level headache.
The
groups on here are split about half from the US and the other half from Europe
(or elsewhere). Well known noise
rock bands of North America that you would expect to be on an Unsane tribute
comp are present and accounted for, and turn in exceptionally good takes on
some of the best songs (Grizzlor doing an awesome version of “Sick”, Multicult
putting their spin on “Trench”, Child Bite doing an almost boogie rock version
of a more recent track “Don’t”, and KEN Mode transforming “Broke” into… well, a KEN Mode song). Also of note are the Beige Eagle Boys
doing an awesome, and somewhat humorously sampled take on the mighty
“Streetsweeper”, while France’s Sofy Major gets the award for best sample in
the middle of their cover of “Backslide”.
The CD has a number of bonus tracks on each disc that you won’t find on
the LPs, some of them for good reason, some I wish got on the LP. Hawks turn in an ultra slow and subdued
cover of “Body Bomb”, which is sort of funny because it’s such an incendiary
(get it) track otherwise, while Joe 4 attempt a medley of “Ruin”/”Swim” that
just doesn’t work at all. Some
groups I’d never heard of make their mark, such as Flying Disk, Suma, and
especially Seawhores doing a hell of a take on “Lead”.
It’s
a hell of an undertaking, and while there’s no surprise with the addition of
some of these bands, it’s welcome to hear them pay homage to an obvious
influence. Unsane are one of my
favorite bands (if that wasn’t totally obvious to anyone who knows me) who know
how to write really good mean-spirited and agitated music. Their influence is probably a reason
why so many of the bands covering them I tend to like quite a bit as well. (Antena Krzyku)
