Pumping Out Babies In Ipswich

No, that title is not poking fun at the south-eastern town in Queensland, only half an hour away from where I write this post (although it easily could be a news headline - claws out!), but a reference to the debut record from New Zealand abrasive noiseniks Ipswich, called Baby Factory. Recently signed to Muzai Records, the trio have thrown a bilious record all over the musical world's favourite white shirt, wiped their face on the nearest shih tzu before necking paint thinner and lighting a match. It opens brutally with 'Oxymoron' and refuses to abate, even as it apes a more conventional sound palate on tracks like 'Haze'. This track alone shows how much Ipswich have grown since even their Living In A Strangers House EP less than a year ago. There is some great acid-drenched darkness going round the Great White Cloud - God Bows To Math's record was also brilliantly breakneck and revelling in its own bilge pump - and Baby Factory is doing its utmost to eviscerate all in its path.


Baby Factory is out now - definitely grab it here.

Miniature In Name Only

Christchurch born, Melbourne based duo Miniatures released their eponymous debut EP recently, and it's a great slice of discordant shoegaze disdain. Originally conceived as a solo project of Christchurch native Ché Walden, the group drifted through various directions and ensembles until a partnership with Dunedinite Annemarie Duff set things properly in motion. Steven Marr (from another great C/Church band, Ipswich) rounded out the bass playing duties on these four tracks, with an extensive bank of effect-laden (though personality-devoid) programmed tracks continue to serve in lieu of a drummer. The band namechecks Slowdive and the Cocteau Twins, and neither are that far off the mark. For a sound that spent so much time fermenting in the bedroom, Miniatures is proof that it is now more than ready for exposure to the masses.


You can grab Miniatures here from Trash Musik.

Miniatures - Midwinter (Air)
Miniatures - Time Is

Hits From The Box #43 - Some Tasty New Releases From Old SM Faves

It's baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Our first Hits From The Box for 2012 - really? Yeah, things are taking a while to come back to normal on Planet Masala - but define normal? This place is always in stasis. ANYway, you'll see that it's slightly different in that the bands below are all familiar ones. Well, at least to us here, as we posted about them in the past eighteen months. Well, they have gone from strength to strength and have new releases out, so we may as well crack open this Pandora's box and have at them, huh?


Christchurch has copped a ridiculous amount of shit from Mother Nature since we last caught up with Ipswich, the dudes responsible for the grungey ruckus of an EP of the same name. Since that was put out Steven Marr, like many other on the South Island, has had his hands full, but has kept his toe in the local scene, helping, putting out and playing with a plethora of acts. But of course Ipswich still remains the focus, and to prove it he has released a visceral punch of an EP, Living In A Stranger's Home, most notable for the eviscerating 'Alien Vs Sexual Predator'. They have Die! Die! Die!, Big Black and Slint counting as influences, so they are using the best playbooks. They have signed to MUZAI Records, so expect to hear more from them in 2012.

Ipswich - Alien Vs Sexual Predator
Ipswich - I Could Care Less


Evacuee impressed with their Property Type: Horseranch early last year. They followed this up with Donuts & Water, an album chock full of intricate, shouty, fun pop hooks. Two class albums in one year, both for free? Impressive. 2012 actually will see Evacuee slow down some, with minimal recording/playing scheduled. Not that ideas have dried up - a new album inspired by Judy Bloom called are you there god? it's me, margaret has been mooted, with songs penned, but only the cover art has seen the light of day. Band members are also branching out into other projects - Stephen and Travis are working on some sample based electronic stuff that is called DONAHUE, about none other than talk show behemoth Phil Donahue. Stephen is also doing something called Sports Duck that's dumb electronic/distorted guitar naff, alongside recording some acoustic guitar based songs that his girlfriend has had written for awhile (no name as yet). All of these projects will be posted on Murray Records. Meanwhile, jump into some tracks from Donuts & Water below.

Evacuee - Making Jokes
Evacuee - Monster Truck


Britches handed out one nasty, rusty, yet tasty demo last year. 2011 proved a busy year for the St Louis lads, ending with a new EP, Demonstration. The sinister leanings on the EP are coloured a darker shade of pitch this time around, yet it is also strangely more accessible. 2012 shows no signs of slowing down either, with "album" Democracy up for grabs on their Bandcamp here. Let the twisted times roll.

Britches - We're Both Ready


The Denver outfit StaG really impressed us last year with their Rifle Meeker album, so much so that it lingered on the fringes of our end of lists last year. 2012 has seen the release of 'Lived Like String', a single that distills all that came before into four minutes of unadulterated pop bliss. A new album is in the wings. Can't wait guys - seriously can no wait!




Porcupine are back! Those crazy kids from Wisconsin responsible for The Trouble With You, an extremely likable pop schlock record, released a 7" split on Big Action Records at the tail end of the year with Metal Ghosts, from Copenhagen/Berlin. It's a great piece o wax - here is one of Porcupine's efforts. It's seriously one of the best things they have done - more please!

Porcupine - Rooftops


Tunabunny really floated our boats in 2010 with their debut self-titled record. Well, it didn't take long before the Atlanta, Georgia spazzy kids came forth with album no 2. Minima Moralia, as evidenced from their Solar Sister 7", is an entirely different beast, with the chaotic swirl and bombast tied down to temper the tantrums. Instead we have a more melodic sound, and whilst some of the spazz-outs are missed, it is overall a sign of things to come - and we wont have to wait long. The third LP is due out mid year.

Tunabunny - Hurry Up
Tunabunny - Fake It, Faker


Finally we have those whacked out wizards The Fantasies, self-dubbed "America's greatest psychopop duo", The Fantasies are incapable of sticking to one genre, whilst perennially sticking tongue firmly into cheek. After a plethora of rel;eases over the past eighteen months, all of their singles, plus some newies, found their way onto a longplayer, appropriately titled The Fantasies. Love the cover art! Such irreverent revivalist aping should come across as a crap pastiche of better glories, but many of the tracks here are pretty ace to be true. You can grab the album for free here.

The Fantasies - Tammy The Tease

Happy Tuesday peeps!

Tigers Get Me Psyched

I mentioned the project by 16 yo NZer Sam Perry a little while back. If you've forgotten already, he goes under the name Psych Tigers, and you can check out what we thought back then here. He also plays in a surf punk band called Beach Arab, but let's keep the focus solely on this EP. Perry basically morphed into a psych tiger when mucking about with a long, languid psychedelic jam, that through osmosis took shape into more concise songs. Whilst we played 'Crystal Methods' earlier, the first track off the EP, 'Glitter', was the genesis of all of this. And its pretty killer. Perry flitters amongst dream pop, trashy garage punk (think NZ kin The Mint Chicks, especially with 'Take Off Ur Disguise') and the aforementioned psychedelic spice. Its raw, its rudimentary at times, but damn if it isn't a perfect launch pad.

Grab the EP here.

Psych Tigers - Glitter

Psych Tigers - Crystal Methods

Rabid Polaroids Of Ipswich

Seeing that there is a city in Queensland called Ipswich that tends to be the melting pot of all those cast out of the capital city, I wasn't sure if what I was receiving here was some quasi-tourism publicity stunt. Very wrong - Ipswich are a New Zealand band (average age - 18) who dish out squalling guitar and wanton sleazy abandon. Their 3 song EP is available on their Bandcamp for free. Its a solid release, further shoring up the notion that Christchurch is a burgeoning melting pot of exciting rock music that delves a little on the cracked side - just the way Sonic Masala likes it!

Ipswich - Polaroid