Musky, Scuzzy Blues

What to make of the self-titled album from Oakland's blasted bastards Musk? Out on Holy Mountain (who had a diverse roster in the past, with the likes of James Ferraro and Country Teasers passing through their corridors), Musk is a heaving, roiling, gnashing beast, unable and unwilling to stay on the melted tracks. 'Funny Feelings' may be emblematic of the blues rants that many critics have stuck bloodily to their lapel (think JSBX with rotted teeth and cardboard bedspreads), but 'Rot Soft' is just as ready to take a wild detour into pigfuck country, as if the four-piece rutted down in the bayou and fucked Jesus (Lizard). 'Trash Roof' devolves like Aussie reprobates Deaf Wish scratching at their cold sores and two-bit whores. But above all else, the majority of Musk rolls out the fetid carpet into the quagmire of insanity, taking the redneck road less travelled - something another Antipodean act, Six Ft Hick, have made their own. No matter the fisticuffs or the rough-and-tumble, Musk is a grotty powerhouse of rancid rock that I hope I can bathe in forever.

Grab Musk here - you really must.

Backwards Looking Forwards 2011 - Pow Wows, The Spits, Acid Kicks, High Wolf

Here's a few more sweet rekkids from last year that you really should dip into...


Pow Wows is a Toronto band who put out the great Nightmare Soda on Get Hip. The band actually recorded this way back in 2010, but its release some months later has done nothing to dilute its seedy goodness. In fact, I put this alongside Natural Child's 1971 as a companion piece of slacker garage, and as that album was in my best of 2011 list you can bet your bottom dollar Nightmare Soda would have made the cut if discovered earlier. Plus, 'Do The Splash' is my belated fave track of 2011. Not really, but it is a killer track, for drinking booze in the pool in these summer months, which has happened on occasion. Try it - its good for you.

Pow Wows - EIO (During The Flood)
Pow Wows - Do The Splash


I told you about a High Wolf release that Bathetic put out early last year. Well, the demented guru put out a longplayer at the tail end of 2011 called Atlas Nation. It is the typical waterlogged mantra drone fare that High Wolf dishes out, but after getting loose to Pow Wows and doing the splash, it's a great come down. Atlas Nation is available through Holy Mountain.

High Wolf - Raagini


But there is only so much spacing out one can take, and that's where The Spits' V comes in. A harder, vitriolic Ramones, Seattle's fave purveyors of garage gutter punk delivered an album that was straight outta New York circa 1981. It's unashamedly in LOVE with the leather smell of Johnny and his bros - something a few Brisbane bands can definitely sympathise with - and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

The Spits - All I Want
The Spits - Fed Up

These Bells Look Silver In The Christmas Moonlight

Another day, another eclectic Christmas carol, this time from psych warriors Moon Duo (a 7" made available through Holy Mountain). 'Silver Bells' is still recognizable here, the band following the blueprint faithfully, yet the track is awash with the trademark MD murkiness. Also included is great track 'Winter'. Grab the 7" here.

Moon Duo - Silver Bells

Catching Gratuitous Monday Moon

Ok, now I'm just being plan daft. In a complete blog fluke Brendan an I both posted about 'Moon' related bands today, so because I'm a bit sad, lets make three, just for the sake of it...

So our third 'Moon' for Monday is Moon Duo. The San Francisco duo recently announced a new 7" out soon on Holy Mountain entitled Holiday. Now normally we'd include a taste of said 7" below but it hasn't dropped yet so instead I've included a previous Moon Duo 7" Catch As Catch Can, out on Agitated Records, it dropped back way back in April and is probably sold out on wax now, but damn fine all the same. There are also four Moon Duo live dates coming up too, including a London date at the Garage, December 7th, and to top it off the band are doing a Guest mix on BBC 6 Music tonight. All that just for three 'Moons', yeah bit sad.

Moon Duo - Catch As Catch Can

Scandinavian Foliage?

Sorry about the lame heading as wordplay, but anyway...

Cloudland Canyon are releasing their 1st LP Fin Leaves this week on Holy Mountain Records (home of the likes of Wooden Shjips, Voice of the Seven Thunders and International Hello). Ive been lucky enough to listen to it in its entirety, and it is a very fine piece of work.

Starting with the 1 and a half minute title track, Cloudland Canyon make their point known from the outset - and it isnt an easy one to make. This is ambience from both the dark and the light end of the spectrum, all intermingled so as to become indistinguishable. We've already posted one track, 'Mothlight Pt. 2', and it is fairly indicative of what to expect here. Nevertheless it might be said that that track is the most accessible stand alone track on Fin Eaves, and that there is no way to listen to this album other than from start to finish, on repeat, for hours, as the sun wanes in the west until it rises again in the east. Its a truly mesmeric record of shimmering propulsion. Remember that Justin Beiber track by Shamantis from last week? The one that fucking kills like no other? This to me is a true kinsman - I could lay them side by side and watch them have a million babies and flood the world with their ethereal gorgeousness and drown in their relentless cymbals, echoed vocals and riptides of reverb and Id die a happy man. No need for a Noah's Ark - the end of the world never looked so blissful.

So what do you call this band? Id coin chillgaze (if it hasnt been coined already) - taking the best of chillwave and fucking it whilst listening to cassettes of MBV and JMC. Excellente.

Cloudland Canyon - No One Else Around

International salutation - interstellar communication

International Hello are tripped out sound sculptors who hail from California. Their loosely structured jams involve the obligatory guitar wig outs, but includes a lot of effects pedalling, squelching sounds and face melting mind fucks. With more than a twinge in their psych leanings towards the Japanese form, these guys manage to wring every last drop of warpedness out of their instruments, compress them into vinyl form and, with gloves firmly stamped onto hands, carefully place their radioactive produce onto the market, waiting with bated breath for the music world to go to DEFCON-5 over it all. It probably won't happen - but guaranteed that when you embrace this stuff, expect some Tardis-level altering of the space-time continuum. You have been warned. (Oh, and these guys are the remains of another psych group, Monoshock - check them out if you have a lick of sense).

International Hello - Someone's Coming

The self-titled LP is out now through Holy Mountain.

Cloudland Fin

Cloudland Canyon have a new album on the way. I only know this thanks to The Decibel Tolls - I am, as always, forever in their debt. 2008's Lie in Light was good, 2007's E.P Silver Tongue Sisyphus had me dribbling in its psyched out landscape doodlings. Mothlight Pt. 2 below is a taste form the forthcoming album Fin Eavas. Mothlight Pt. 2 is dropping in 7" form in August. This time round Cloudland Canyon seem to have succumbed to the sunny, reverb soaked dream pop that is everywhere at the moment, but its definitely more influenced by the disorienting, swirling noise you've come to expect. Think Animal Collective on a rain soaked, moody, fuzz filled day and you might start to get close. Beautiful stuff, I'm sure you'll agree.

mothlight pt. 2 - Cloudland Canyon

The L.P is due September 7th on Holy Mountain. Vid also...


Cloudland Canyon-Mothlight pt.2 from kip uhlhorn on Vimeo.