SONIC MASALA: Battle Avenue

Monday, 26 August 2013

Let's Hear It For Earl Boykins

Let's start the day and the week with some loud, fuzzy punk with a moniker named after an NBA player...

Earl Boykins are from Purchase, NY, and features members of Battle Avenue. That should tell you enough, really. Their latest self-titled EP (out now on Chick Records) is five tracks of infectious, slightly grizzly, always partying tracks about girls, boys, holidays and not having girls/boys/holidays. The songs are melodic, slight reverb on the vocals, made to be thrashed out - a hell of a lot of fun, in other words. Guttural garage party.

You can grab Earl Boykins here.

UPDATE - the band are prepping a split 7" with the likeminded Cutters, and their unmastered contribution, 'Friends', is a balltearer!

Tuesday, 20 September 2011

Shell Shocked On Battle Ave

I mentioned on the weekend that a few albums had slipped through the cracks as far as me covering them - the first two I wanted to bring to the attention being from Mittenfields and Avalanche Ammo (check em both out here). Now I'd say Ive been even more slack when its come to New York band Battle Avenue - I think they sent me their debut full length War Paint some three months ago, with change. Its a great album too, put together by Kevin McMahon (who has also worked with Titus Andronicus, The Walkmen, Swans, and Frightened Rabbit) There is a heady sense of deja vu here - like putting elements from The Hold Steady, Modest Mouse and Titus Andronicus into a decrepit crucible - the result of which sees molecules from each mutating and conjoining into a dirty, dishevelled whole. The vocals are stripped bare, as if stripped from vocalist Jesse Alexander forcibly, and its this honest delivery that underpins the band's sound. Its all quite verbose and grandiose (and a whole lot of other -oses Im sure), therefore McMahon's involvement at Ground Zero of War Paint makes perfect sense.

War Paint is currently available as a free download here - indulge in a great little indie release that will hopefully boost these guys into the stratosphere.

Battle Avenue - " "
Battle Avenue - Oh Other, You Brother

About

It was early on a Sunday morning at ATP - A Nightmare Before Christmas 2009. After downing a fair few, at 4am we decided to cook a curry. It was during the consumption of this drunkenly delicious breakfast treat that we decided to actually do something about the music we talk about all the time.

So we started a blog – and Sonic Masala was born. Now into its seventh year, the blog has spread out to call both Australia and the UK its home (and the rest of the world), and has expanded to include gigs, festivals and a record label under its black umbrella. Come on, eat the noize.

If an mp3 is up here, it's because we have been talking about it, and think the whole world needs to know more. It's there to give you a little taste. Then, if you like, check out the band live and spend all your hard earned cash on their records. If we've posted up an mp3 of your stuff and you're not too keen on the idea, let us know and we'll happily take it down pronto.