Heavy Hawaii

I haven't paid much mind to Super Bowl XXIX, the new release from San Diego's Heavy Hawaii. Don't ask me why - I was a big fan of HH (see here and here for my thoughts on the 2010 release). Yet in the past 10 days Ive been sent the release from both the man himself and Art Fag Recordings, the label putting it out, so I gave it a whirl. Of course I liked it! Why was I so reluctant? Maybe it was the whole Madonna/MIA hoo-haa that sullied my thoughts? Maybe it was the fact it had a NFL theme? Maybe...I really don't know. I subscribe to any and all ideas. Suffice to say, I was stupid. Don't you follow in my sordid footsteps, children! Its a another wonky slice of pop from these warped sunseekers, and it'll heighten your anguish that a full length isnt in our hairy hands already. Come on guys!

Ah well, this 7" will suffice for now...

Super Bowl XXIX can be got here.

Heavy Hawaii - Super Bowl XXIX

Art Fags Bleach Carter

No, this isnt a stuck up homophobic heinous act played out on my favourite 2 year old lil dude (so many in jokes there its ridiculous - for the handful of you who get it, good; the rest of you, shrug and move on), but a shout out to the new release from Art Fag Recordings. Bleached are a new LA band consisting of sisters Jennifer and Jessie Clavin (of Mika Miko), and their second release (but first for Art Fag), Carter. The two tracks on it, 'Think Of You' and 'You Take Time' which are both jaunty lo-fi punk rock party tracks. Can't not think of The Runaways, Joan Jett et al, especially when listening to 'Think Of You'. Very promising!

Carter isnt available until July 19, but you can preorder it from Art Fag here. They are playing some West Coast US shows in August with Heavy Hawaii, who we have championed here before also - well worth checkin out.

Bleached - Think Of You

Tough Love on Tough Love

I grabbed Tough Love Records' new Sampler Young & Research the other day to see what they are delving into for the latter months of 2010.

Some catchy tracks that gets the toes involuntarily tapping - CYMBALS, Dream Cop, - others have a bit more skill and nous in my opinion, yet aren't necessarily to my taste - Lazy Hurricane, Calories, Young Governor and Weird Dreams - but there were few bands that held any prolonged interest or intrigue. But then I got to the second, dark side of the sampler... There are some very fine acts here, as I knew Tough Love was capable of producing. So I thought that I would just give a one to two sentence review of the Sonic Masala seal-of-approval acts, and then you can go seem em play a venue near you!

Sauna Youth - Punk shoegazey garage outfit from Brighton - a hell of a lot of fun. Have released a cassette and 7", both still available; they smashed up Offset Festival last month; they play the Lamb and Lion on the 8th; remind me of The Bronx, only if Matt Caughthran fronted Shooting At Unarmed Men. Sauna Youth - My Gold's Bangla

Prize Pets - loud Nottingham boys who pillage Black Flag then put it through an incredibly erratic woodchipper. Its weird, loud, visceral, and very exciting - and, for once, they arent from East London. Next London gig - 30/10, Old Blue Last w/ Sex Beet, Cold Pumas, Weird Dreams. http://www.box.net/shared/rotzl8olv7

Girls Names - Belfast group obsessed with Twin Peaks, wined and dined by Captured Tracks, love their reverb, but also very good. Have only just discovered them, and am trying to grab their EP from earlier this year as we speak, as well as tape split with Heavy Hawaii. Play two gigs this month at The Drop, including one with previous postee and UTR kids Peepholes as well as Weird Dreams. Girls Names - Falling (Julee Cruise cover - live)

Sea Pinks - solo project of Girls Names' Neil. His single is a sped up and colourfast version of his day band, and involves horticultural references, making it ok to know your hyacinths from your hydrangeas. Sea Pinks - Bobby Beau

Bhurgeist - Yorkshiremen who warble their way into your heart underscored by some J Mascis noodling and slight scowls on their faces - probably because they still live at home and have to deal with Nick Clegg. Hey, Im feeling the rage too. Disgruntled kin to Spectrals.

Bhurgeist - Slobro

Yellow Ostrich - New Yawker Alex Schaaf (also fronts band The Chairs) goes on his own; fairly prolific; makes unique indie pop folk tunes that intrigue as much as they entice.

Yellow Ostrich - Mary Ann

Drew Price's Bermuda Triangle - weird drawn out psych tripped shimmer from American Drew Price, who in this track sounds like Damon Albarn, in a decidedly good way. Drifts along in a haze, leaves you with the munchies. Drew Price's Bermuda Triangle - Tiny And All Alone

Heavy Bombs On Hawaii

We had a taster of San Diego's Heavy Hawaii at the beginning of the month with 'Teen Angel'. Well their debut 12"/cassette HH dropped yesterday. Its very lo-fi, and there are a few different elements that draw cross references here - Deerhunter/Atlas Sound in 'Beacons', a Casio-and-stompbox bound Elliott Smith in 'Sleeping Bag', also in evidence in the already plugged 'Teen Angel' whilst also mining territory that the likes of Meth Teeth have occupied in a more assured manner - and whilst its unlikely to storm the heights of some of the other Art Fag releases due this year, it does hint that there is more here than meets the eye. They have been playing with the likes of Beach Fossils and Sleep Over of late, so with that kind of creative exposure, and if the Wilson Brothers' vibe and the tinkering with toys can be merged in a higher concept setting, we may see something worthy.

Love the .gif like cover art too.

Heavy Hawaii - Beacons

Summer's dwindling - time for some Heavy Hawaii!

Im a bit behind the eightball with this - Ive been meaning to write about this, along with a million other things - but as the last vestiges of summer seeps away into the more familiar clime of shittiness that makes up London weather, there is no time like the right time...

Heavy Hawaii makes jangly summer pop garage that has been emblematic of today's sound, but under the guidance of Art Fag Recordings, it has enough emphasis on the groove underlying the songs to scale the heights of their myriad scuzzed out brethren to reach the summit on their own. Their self-titled six-track 12" is out at the end of the month - 'Teen Angel' is a perfect example of what to expect...

Heavy Hawaii - Teen Angel