Hits From The Box #42 - Macey Road

Seriously, Lieutenant Pike is the biggest douche. It's Kenny Powers, without a redeemable bone, for real. Yet we can laugh can't we? Ah, 21st century, I love you.

Here's a new band from UK's Brighton to kick today's Hits From The Box off, and they aren't mucking about. The UK has a penchant of producing some brilliant left of field instrumental rock bands that flutter along many, mostly noisy, genres, and Cousin is no exception. Their debut four track EP And Other Relations is a crackers. The trio have claimed Pavement, Polvo and Enablers as overt influences, and their warm, intricate math rockers more than adeptly hold true to such inspirations. Much like Avalanche Ammo before them, this EP is inherently exciting, and proves without a doubt that you can noodle away on a guitar with math rock leanings and be the polar opposite of a wanker. Grab the EP here - its a corker.

Cousin - Super Toight
Cousin - Tensions At The Lido


Next up is Spy Island outta Portland, a self-proclaimed ragtag troupe of caffeinated cellar dwellers. Aren't we all? They have finalised their 3rd LP New Milesian Kings, an album the ebbs and flows between languid slapstick drunken shambolism and languid homemade singalong shanties. Its solid, and whilst not without its filler, bookends its entrails with two great little tracks, both of which you can sample below. New Milesian Kings will be out early next year.

Spy Island - The Punchline
Spy Island - Geisha On The Beach


On a previous edition of Hits From The Box, I mentioned a little act by the marbles-in-mouth moniker of Dovie Beams Love Child. The brain behind the act, Juan Torregoza, has more than one feather to his bow, as The Climbing Rose attests. A solo project that lends itself to the flourishes of the flamenco school - an interesting option. It's out on Cactus Killer Records - well worth a listen.

Juan Torregoza - Romance


Philly's Bridge Underwater began in August 2005 as the recording project/one-man band of Patrick Mellon. Since then Bridge Underwater has released more than one hundred songs ranging from simple lo-fi tunes to experimental “noise delights.” At the moment Mellon is working with drummer John Basile and bassist Danny Click. The trio plans on releasing an EP of new music in early 2012. Here's a tasty slice of what to expect.

Bridge Underwater - Be Loved


If you are going to reference the creator of some of the most iconic 60s British pop music, you'd better do it right. Influenced by early electronic music and experimental pop, and has been described as ‘Bizzaro Pop’, Narrow Sparrow are a new band that hail from Chicago, Illinois, are dropping their Synthworks EP on us (the 4-song ep will also be released on 7” vinyl on December 21st - pre-order is here), and the opener, 'Joe Meek's Dream' definitely tickles the excitement bone.

Narrow Sparrow - Joe Meek's Dream


I know very little about Violet Hour outta San Fran's Bay Area, and sometimes that's the way it ought to be. They have released an EP, Cowardly Loins, but I have only heard the below track. Obviously I see the allure. Good times indeed!

Violet Hour - Least I Could Love You

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Hits From The Box #26 - Mazel Tov!

Im in the foetal position. Close mate's wedding. At a winery. Good times. My liver packed its bags and left a while ago, leaving me with just a broken soul and these six bands to form this week's Hits From The Box. Fin.


Delaware’s The Sky Drops have done their dues, carving out a sweet menagerie of garage, psychedelics, and shoegaze for a few years now. Their latest EP Moving Mountains could be their gamebreaker. There's a lot of noise and swagger, but through evoking shoegaze yet having that Black Angels harmonies and psych sleaze with a little of the Sloan side of production and pop sensibilities, The Sky Drops dodge the generics and show that they have enough juice under the bonnet to make it past the finish line and more.

The Sky Drops - Explain It To Me


New Christchurch, NZ band Psych Tigers is actually the solo project of 16 year old Samuel Perry. Lil smartarse...NO! I kid, I kid! This is great stuff. Their debut EP comes out on the 16th of July. Perry's band also features Steven Marr from fellow Christchurch band Ipswich, who we raved about here. This is the single. From this, I cant wait another week - give us the good stuff now! Or you can go on your merry teenage ways, kiddo...

Psych Tigers - Crystal Methods


Dovie Beams Love Child is a guitar instrumental project from duo Juan Torregoza and Lito Vales, whose second album DBLC2 (released 2009) really impressed me. Essentially a guitar collage, it is the textual interlay of the tracking that impresses, especially on the longer, more grandiose tracks, punctuated by sudden noise outbursts that startle and help to create a subtle tension throughout. 'Himala' in particular reminded me of something that could be featured in a brutal existential Western film score, something John Hillcoat would direct from a Nick Cave script that has been adapted from a Cormac McCarthy novella. Lovely stuff. You can buy their album from Cactus Killer Records here.

Dovie Beam Love Child - Pasimula


The second band in this week's HFTB to feature from New Zealand, Two Cartoons is a sunny guitar inspired romp based in Dunedin. Consisting of These Dancing Wolves bassist / singer Isaac McFarlane and Aucklander Bradley Craig, Two Cartoons strive to make fun and reckless music with the least amount of complication necessary. Based in Dunedin, their debut double-single Better Coast/Scientific Life is the perfect precursor to the impending EP launch in October.

Two Cartoons - Better Coast
Two Cartoons - Scientific Life


Holiday Shores are a Florida-based quintet who are just preparing to release their album New Masses for Squaw Peak (September 13 through Two Syllable Records). You can hear from the first single from the record, that baffles in its juxtaposition of using tropical beats and woozy production, yet infusing it with some sassy 70s soul and a smidge of psychedelia. In fact, it reminds me of My Morning Jacket in the verses, then Phoenix via Kenny Loggins in the chorus. Weird, but decidedly wonderful.

Holiday Shores - Spells


Jumping over to Africa to finish us off today, Dimension Machine is an Egyptian electronic music duo from Cairo currently exploring the styles of electro-zar (zar is the east/north African trance/possession cult with its own musical tradition, similar to vodoun) and psych-phunk. This is all rather confusing, but their music is decidedly something else - Temple is an EP that delivers some eclectic programmed grooves that don't always float my boat, but are doing something incredibly enjoyable, decadently enjoyable - like enjoying TRON, I guess.

Arpegasus by DIMENSION MACHINE

Happy Sunday! (Now, where is that hair of the dog?)