Stoned/Fisted Health

It's been quiet on the Sonic Masala front this past week, but there has been a lot behind the scenes. We had our second Sonic Masala: London showcase (w/ H.Grimace, Gloss Rejection, James X Boyd & the Boydoids, Majorettes and Winnaretta) that was a killer Sunday sesh, followed by a week of great gigs, and the double EP launch for the Danyl Jesu/Barge With An Antenna On It 12" blasted Brisbane's The Bearded Lady away.There was also a lot of great music released in this downtime - and as it so happened one track came from LA noise junkies HEALTH, who also played here in London last Tuesday. It was great to have the band back after what feels like such a long time away, and new track 'Stonefist' is quintessential HEALTH with a more New Wave Goth bent. Live they are able to blend these "mellow"pop moments with more visceral sonic abrasions for something that is quite breathtaking.

The long-awaited (and this adjective is an understatement) second HEALTH album Death Magic is out in August through Loma Vista Recordings - preorder it here.

Peeling With Their Bloody Knives...

We have been mightily impressed with the musical output of Austin doom-laden noise merchants Bloody Knives, especially as their shoegaze aesthetics have continually been twisted and corrupted into some other seething beast. I say shoegaze, mainly due to the wall of sound, but there is no guitar - this is more A Place To Bury Strangers and Health than MBV here. Each release is a further spike into the heart of dissonance, the bile pumping out then molded into a strangely alluring mantra of soothing darkness. The Death EP (their third - see what we thought of the first two here and here) is spiralling even further into the muck and the mire, yet even more productive in finding melody and warmth amidst the abject nihilism. This trio are seductive, tapping our deepest, base desires - give in and live.

Death is out now on Saint Marie Records (who have some stellar releases in the bag - stay posted) - you can buy it here. Check out the track 'Peeling Away The Skin' below.

Bloody Knives Get Bloodier

I was really impressed with Austin's industrial shoegaze trio Bloody Knives and their debut release back in 2010. A heady mixture of HEALTH and A Place To Bury Strangers, the tracks on Burn It All Down were relentless and loud - very loud. (check it out here if you missed out - silly.)

Well, I missed their Disappear EP from May last year (silly), but grabbed their Blood release recently. These punkish rogues have taken their aesthetic and twisted the dials to breaking point. It can be quite busy, and the noise can fight the actual melody of the song, but it's true that this trio are insistent on branding their music onto your soul. By the end of this listen, you'll be glad to oblige.

Bloody Knives - Blood
Bloody Knives - Death Blessing

Dreaming Of Yvette And The Fatherland

Nick Sylvester is a man that can't be tied down. Writing books, reviews, running labels (God Mode Records), gigging, living the dream. He is Mr Dream. Well, at least a part of the three piece who are throwing their scattershot grunge shtick into the fan and showering us in their glorious shit. Their Trash Hit LP of last year (which was pretty damn awesome and snuck into our highly commended albums of last year), and the follow up, the EP Fatherland, is even better. Riding high, they will be supporting Cloud Nothings before finishing with a stint on the SXSW circuit/gravy train/media scrumfuck.

Fatherland comes out on God Mode Feb 28. (NB - we have two tracks from the EP below, but they aren't the best. That's how good it is. Title track is fucking killer).

Mr Dream - What A Mess
Mr Dream - The Room

But as if that would be enough for this fucker. No, Sylvester is putting out a healthy slab of noise on a 7" for Yvette, the noise rock duo Noah Kardos-Fein and Rick Daniel. The Erosion 7" reminds me a little of HEALTH - all solid gold.

Yvette - Cold Sweat

HEALTH Hear It For The Boys

HEALTH are releasing their remix album, Disco2, in June. As you can probably guess - its full o remixes of their brilliant album of 2009, Get Color! Well, not quite, as it opens with an all new, unmixed track - and Sonic Masala have it here for you! The track, USA Boys, is a lot more disco than the noise we have come to expect (which probably helps tie the album together), but is still a lot of fun.

HEALTH - USA Boys (no longer available)

We are water, red, red water

New HEALTH vid for We Are Water, taken from last year's awesome Get Color. Top five album from last year for sure. In fact the vid is just as awesome and gives me an urge to slap the whole album on, and then vomit up my lunch. I saw them two nights in a row last year, god they're good live! Which looks a bit like this...

mp3 if you missed out:

HEALTH - We Are Water - (removed at request)

Nice Face...in the face!

I know next to nothing about this band:

• They (or possibly he - I can only find reference of the one guy) are (is) from the USA;
• Citing some of their (his) song titles (Situation Is Facing Annihilation; FUBAR Over You; Gaping Gash) Nice Face are (is) quite confrontational;
• The cover art of some of their (his) 7" releases include drawings of a veiny cock, and a guy with a sport sock over his cock;
  
• Their (His) cassette release of 2008, Can I Fuck It?, was an unqualified success;
  
• Their (His) music, an amalgam of sonic scuzzy shitness and ghostly reverb vocals, references acts such as HEALTH and The Monks;
  
• They (He) has a properly produced album, Immer Etwas, is coming out soon (via Sacred Bones Records), which the below track is off.

Hmmm. I guess I have found out a bit. Nevertheless, all I REALLY have is what Ive heard. And what Ive heard, Ive liked.

Nice Face - I Want Your Damage