Line Bo Ningen Against The Wall...

I was supposed to have interviewed London-based Japanese acid psychers Bo Ningen last week, but due to unforeseen circumstances I missed the boat. Which is a shame, as new record Line The Wall is as wailtastic as you could possibly imagine. Brought out by Stolen Recordings and newly-minted Aussie label Black Night Crash Records (run by one third of awesome Melbourne band Iowa, no less), Bo Ningen's second LP is a face-melter. There are moments when I feel like I'm listening to At The Drive-In mechanics driving The Mars Volta flights of fetid fantasy - single 'Henkan' truly embodies such celestial clusterfucks of flailing sonic frisson. There are moments where the four-piece take things into a more chugging, 70s psych mode - 'Daikaisei Part I' is the perfect encapsulation of that, at least in the beginning - further into the album and Parts II and III strap you to the fuselage of a ship destined for a distant sun. The repetitive squall of '32 Kaiten' on the other hand will always get my pulse racing...

I've seen these guys a few times when I lived in London. Once in the 100 Club - I think they supported Pulled Apart By Horses? They blew everything to smithereens every time, and they do so again here with Line The Wall - buy it here. They are playing Big Day Out right now, and they are going to play Primavera Sound (alongside the most excellent Courtney Barnett, an incredible coup for her!) in May. This hallucigenic mind melt is only getting started...

Open Your Eyes to Sounds

You know when sunlight hits the top rim of your sunglasses and for a moment you get lost in the brilliance of existence and realise that we're all just energy radiating through space? That sunset having a sound makes absolute sense, and that if you just give into the feeling you will make peace with yourself and therefore everything? If you don't, you need to open up your eyes.

Sounds like Sunset are a seriously good band. I once cried alone in my house listening to 'Inflight Movies' off Saturdays (one of the greatest Australian albums, period). I don't believe in the supernatural, but if I did, this would be my church music.

If you live in Melbourne you really should go to the Grace Darling tonight (5 July) and witness them launch this with Iowa (who are damn good in their own right! and share this Tym's split seven). Take a hankie with you, drink some red wine - and wear a pair of sunnies if you're self-conscious.

A Dripping Sex Pile

 

Wow. Talk about an Internet-baiting headline...

There are moments when you discover bands that are good from the first note, and after living wit the music for a few days, or even hours, it becomes ingrained in your sonic psyche for forever more. Then there are bands that are insidious, their pull imperceptible, worming its way into your central core until your dreamscapes and nightmares are scored by their apocryphal affectations.

But occasionally there comes a song or album that blows you away so unexpectedly that everything changes. We all have at least one of these transcendental moments in our lives, where a song, a voice, a riff, a roll, a drone, a scream, smashes its imprint on your soul, and you spend the rest of your life reliving that moment. It would certainly be rash to put a small band from Boston into my list, but Pile's 3rd record Dripping blindsided me so completely that I had gravel rash underneath my chin AND my tongue. It’s probably futile to describe this album, but I’ll briefly try.

From the raw energy of opener ‘Baby Boy’, this record never lets up, incorporating the indie rock of the 90s (when it truly was independent) with a crunchier, heavier edge and hair-on-your-chest yowls from frontman Rick Maguire that evokes a simpler, grungier Modest Mouse who are most definitely still on the self-flagellation and sauce downward spiral.

Dripping comes from recording the album in Philadelphia in the middle of summer, and the heat, sweat, anguish and ephemeral base emotions comes bleeding out of these tracks. Even when things slow down (‘Prom Song’, ‘Bubblegum’) there is a feverish itch that pervades, albeit one that has you grinning maniacally. And when they kick it into an addictive rhythmic gear as they do with ‘Bump A Grape’, ‘The Jones’ and the acidic ‘Grunt Like A Pig’, it takes all your might to stop from tearing your own face off with glee. This may sound all perfunctory and stupid, but that is the power of these songs over me. I struggle to comprehend the power that these guitar lines, insistent bass and rumbling drums have over me. And that wail…

When you wake from a dream where your band was playing these songs, and they killed – thus its your subconsciousness telling you that your band will never make songs as good as these in real life – then you know you have something pretty great on your hands.

There have been quite a few bands that have stirred me in this fashion this year – Spook Houses, Tiny Spiders, Dikes of Holland, Grass Cannons, Plateaus, Iowa, Looks Like Miaou, Invisible Things, PAWS, Scott & Charlene’s Wedding, Post Teens, Sleepies, and I'm leaving a few out – and it’s these moments, just as much as when a feverishly anticipated release like GY!BE, Ty Segall or Swans slays mightily, that keeps the faith burning bright.

A glowing review? Sure. Dripping isn’t perfect by any means – but that makes it even better, because the next album could be bullshit good, and that’s worth living for.

 

Pile’s Dripping can be gleaned via Exploding In Sound Records here.

Violent Soho Are About To Explode - Again

Seems like forever since Mansfield's finest Violent Soho produced something new - probably because it has been. But now Brisbane's exponents of visceral grunge are back with a double A-side 7" (out through I Oh You), the first taste of which is 'Tinder Box'. It promises a quantum leap in sonic depth for the quartet, whilst maintaining the aggression (can aggression be fun? This is definitely fun...). Love the art work too dudes. (Oh and the band leant their gear to Iowa in their Sonic Masala show last weekend, even though they weren't at the show, which is the best. I've said thanks, but again - thanks!). The next chance to see em destroy is in a fortnight at BigSound, I suggest you get there pronto.

The Waiting Room Never Saw It Coming From Iowa

Next week Brisbane is going to be invaded by Iowa. Not by the state of the USA; not by Mitt Romney; not by obscure Russian divas; not by fanatical Slipknot acolytes. No, Brisbane is going to be destroyed by the Melbourne trio whose debut LP Never Saw It Coming is a head mixture of all the best alternative/noise rock conventions of the 1990s, including adherence to hook and melody behind all the feedback. They are playing X&Y on the Friday August 17 (with able supports from Tape/Off and Sleepwalks), an afternoon sesh at Tyms Guitars on the Saturday, and then - drumroll - at The Waiting Room as headliners for this month's Sonic Masala Presents. They are bringing their new album in tow (including some on sexy yellow vinyl!) and a new single in the form of 'Love Song'. This is one not to be missed, including as it does support from the resurgent Seaplane, the destructive El Motel (who are promising something special for this show) and the debaucherous Crass Creatures. It's all for a tenner, with BYO, and I PROMISE YOU that this will be one of the strongest shows you will see this year. If not, Ill drink some beer - that'll teach me!

Here's the streamed Iowa album:


...and here is a little mixtape of tracks from the bands...

El Motel - Black RiderCrass Creatures - Cement
El Motel - Carnival Kid
Iowa - Panic Attack
Crass Creatures - Snake Hole
El Motel - Crazy Love
Iowa - Complete Control

...and because I don't have any Seaplane mp3's at work, here is a live version of 'Soiree'.



Get keen!

Iowa Never Saw It Coming

We have been championing fuzz-drenched wailing rockers Iowa for some time now, so it goes without saying that we would be championing their debut album, Never Saw It Coming. It's exactly what their previous 7"'s and singles 'Complete Control' and Panic Attack' promised - 12 tracks of unabashed 90s glory-hugging, some awe-inspiring guitar solos, and lotsa tension-filled hooks. There are a few missteps - for once it's an instrumental, 'Seretonin', that doesn't connect with me - but overall this record is killer - and loud. Very loud. There is even an opportunity on 'Lights Out' where the Melbourne trio seek out their inner grungemaster (could the title be a direct reference???), and buzzsaw with aplomb.


Never Saw It Coming continues Iowa's sexy attraction to multi-coloured vinyl releases, with the yellow wax making fizzy pants the country over. See it below - I wasn't kidding, was I? Grab it here. They also have a quality T-shirt which you can buy here (what am I, Iowa's merch buddy? Geez!) Apparently live these guys are killing it also. They had their debut launch the other weekend, supported by Brisbane's own Tape/Off who apparently held their own too. Tour dates for Brisbane will be forthcoming shortly.



Iowa - Complete Control

It's Easy To Get A Panic Attack In Iowa

Melbourne scuzzball slackers Iowa have prepped yet another single (where's the longplayer, guys?) (UPDATE: Iowa's debut album Never Saw It Coming hits shelves in April - patience my child!) called 'Panic Attack', and it's typically great, raucous and filled with ambivalence, malaise and a smoky urge to shred.

I know Ive been championing these guys for a while, but looks like Iowa are getting further notice (not gonna say "because of me", of course). I just had to add this quote from Doubtful Sounds as it excited me just reading it: “Heavy, chunky distorted guitars that come in waves like Dinosaur Jr and Crazy Horse soaked in shoegaze.” Salivation for the nation, right?
If you live in their land, they will play at The Tote on Feb 22 with awesome support from Damn Terran. No word as to when they will come north - once again, we wait with bated breath...


Panic Attack is out February 20th - pre-order it 'ere.




NB - Jordan from the band is a massive fan of Brissie band Tape/Off's EP of last year ...And Sometimes Gladness, a release I included in my Best EPs of 2011, so they have impeccable taste too...

Take Iowa With Complete Control

Melbourne's Iowa have another tune for us, and this time around it doesn't reference SY or Dinosaur Jr insomuch as it resembles the shoegazers of early 90s England - think Adam Franklin covering Souvlaki. Its another ace tune, but it begs the question - with so many influences flying, how will Iowa piece it all into a coherent whole when it comes to a longplayer? Well, hopefully we will find out soon. Until then though, hand over the controls to these guys and enjoy...

Iowa - Complete Control

Iowa Is Flooding The Gasometer!

We here have been big fans of Melbourne slacker noise pop band Iowa for some time now. And whilst they may not be travelling up north today (the bastards...), they are playing a show at the Gasometer Hotel in Collingwood tonight. Why am I bothering to tell y'all this? Because it will be their last show before they head into the studio with Neil Thomason (My Disco, Ricane) to record their debut LP! Exciting times indeed.

Now if you live in Melbourne but you have not been to the Gasometer before, its an incredible new bar with great drinks, vibe and has an American style menu complete with shaker fries! Im all up for that. Iowa wil be supported by Tall Buildings (which includes members of ace band Gersey) and Slow Ocean Mind. Its $5, with copies of their red and green 7" being sold for $10 - you can't go wrong!

Iowa - Lose Yourself
Iowa - Gaps In Conversation

Tall Buildings - Tenderness

Slow Ocean Mind - Mixed Lollies (demo)

Channelling Junior Dinosaurs In Iowa Via Melbourne

Melbourne's Iowa are releasing their second 7" after their Stay Solo/AM earlier this year, which you can read about here. Lose Yourself/Reasons follows the framework that the band have set themselves, creating 7"s of varying colours on their own label, Desert Mouth Records. Just in case you forgot - the last piece of wax was green, the new one is red! But seriously, what can we expect from the newie? 'Lose Yourself' kicks off the slight Dinosaur Jr training wheels and inhabit their rock framework entirely, with lead Dylan doing his best J Mascis growling throughout. This sounds derogatory, but its actually a big compliment - not many bands can take on such a stance and feel original like Iowa do here. 'Reasons' goes down the same path, and this is the slight danger here - that the 90s slacker indie drone and slacker indie drawl cuts a little too close to the bone. Yet its the two additional digital tracks that allows them to show their wider spectrum, just as they did on the first 7". 'Gaps In Conversation' is a sprawling and incredibly ironclad rock instrumental, all crammed into less than four minutes; whilst 'Wires' is wound down, an introspective track that highlights Iowa's strong songwriting that underruns these fuzzy grunge hook-laden tracks.

Purchase either of these sexy 7" vinyl pieces here - for around £6 each its a bargain!!

Iowa - Lose Yourself

Iowa - Gaps In Conversation

Iowa is a state of mind - and from Melbourne...

Its been quite a week for Melbourne bands here on Sonic Masala, so here's another one! Iowa are an aurally destructive indie rock three piece made up of musicians that have been floating around the scene for years now but have finally found a collective home. Their sound evokes that guitar-heavy indie rock that permeated Australian airwaves in the 90s, and which I grew up on. Single 'Stay Solo' reminds me so much of another like-minded band from way back when, Pollyanna, for its adherence to softly crooned vocals over ever rising distorted riffs. 'Weighed Down', on the other hand, manages to create a sound that gently rises, like the slow ebbing of the tide - the song initially feels as though it will break into an amiable pop rock song, but when the drums enter the frame about two minutes in it becomes apparent that what is about to be undertaken is a different beast indeed. Ive always been a sucker for loud/quiet dynamics, and with the wall-of-sound formula and the echoed shoegazey vocals shimmering over the squalling drone, this track fucking rocks. So its great to finish the week on a band that is new, good, and Australian. Even if they label themselves after a state of the U S of A...confusing much?

You can purchase the 7" here. Check out the art and vinylwork! Tasty indeed. Furthermore, the tracks were put together with help from Jack Farley, whose partnership with another great band Love of Diagrams (subject of a post later this week, just so as to continue this iPod/Australian music love affair) is evident throughout.

Iowa - Stay Solo
Iowa - Weighed Down