Darting Below Empty & Westward Bound

I mentioned Melbourne quintet Darts back in 2012 with their Habitual Slack EP - you can read and listen here. Well they are back, brandishing the sharp-edged debut album Below Empty & Westward Bound (out May 15 through Rice Is Nice). It's twelve tracks of undulating  rock angularity and ambiguity - wavering levels of arresting shouting, wailing and punching through stringent rhythms and an unhinged vocal performance from Angus Ayres. His Frank Black-meets-Isaac Brock whites-of-the-eyes delivery is pretty great. From the punching Iggy Pop swagger of 'Commanche', the swirling pseudo-surf-punk of 'Geek', the Pixies-cheek (with angelic keys in the quieter moments) of 'Push Me Thru' right down to the mariachi drumroll opening 'Dead' and the latter-day Modest Mouse narcissism of 'Solitary Refinement' (currently my favourite track). There are more generational connections of course, with the breathy brood of single 'Aeroplane' found me thinking of theredsunband and the Kelly sisters, albeit in a less shadowy realm. There are other 90s staples licking at the edges here - I even felt a Shudder To Think shiver in the bottom end (that could divide the crowd...). The album is ushered out with 'My Darling Bendingo', a tremulous yet emotive fadeout that was a curiously downbeat yet uplifting end... Such a juxtaposition sounds ridiculous, but its that off-kilter ramble and frission in friction that makes Below Empty & Westward Bound such an enticing prospect.

Darts are supporting Alpine on an Australian tour in June which sees them sweep through the southern end of the country alongside another great lil band Pearls. They will be launching Below Empty & Westward Bound just before that in Melbourne at The Shadow Electric, Saturday June 20. Hopefully heading north thereafter.

I Got a Broken Quailbones

The cover of the latest Quailbones EP is disconcerting. That's a good start. 'Concerting' is too arranged to have any impact. Quailbones have an impact on me. On an initial listen I wrote "gothic Pixies" down on the notepad in front of the computer. Kinda like Bella Lugosi's DEEEEAD but with the reverb somewhere in between the two.

Brendan dug on the first EP and I agree with him on this one. These Kentuckians easily take the mantle from the Colonel on the 'great things outta Kentucky' list.

The Pond? Michael's In The Pond!

Ah, I've always wanted a legitimate reason to quote that here on Planet Masala, and thanks to Brooklyn's resident rust-edged slackers Shark? (who I've spoken of before when they released True Waste in 2011), it has been handed to me on a platter like the head of John the Baptist.

But we aren't here to talk about Amity Island OR gruesome moments in biblical history - we are here to get excited about California Grrls, Shark?'s debut single release (out through Old Flame Records - responsible for putting out Total Babes, The Pharmacy and early Cloud Nothings - earlier this month on blood-red cassette), which is in itself a taster of their incumbent LP Savior. What impresses me about this band is their cross-sectional sound - the off-kilter surf rock that Black Francis and his Pixies were guilty of, the loose DIY blueprint embedded in the compositions a la Robert Pollard at his most acerbic - yet there is nothing truly malicious here - its four dudes getting rolling drunk on rocking out. Which makes the question mark that signifies their band name so poignant - sharks are fucking cool, the king of their domain, but they are also pretty damn dangerous, which doesn't fit - or does it? Confusion reigns. Much like 'California Grrls' - a quiet intro leads to some skronky shambling garage rock that holds all but disdain, which would have David Lee Roth rolling in his grave, such is his love for the West Coast ladies (what do you mean, he isn't dead?)

California Grrls can be bought here.

Wild Movements On The Arabian Beach

 

A quick catch up post about a little Brooklyn band called Beach Arabs. They are prepping their Wild Movement release and it’s the kind of discordant post-punk that doesn’t take itself very seriously – so the punch and jaggedness is tempered by a grin and a hug. Imagine if Kim Deal fronted Screaming Females, or a sped up, sun blessed Life Without Buildings (although there is no ‘New Town’ here).

 

Wild Movement has been sitting on the shelf for a few months now – we here in Australia would love it to come out, just so it can soundtrack our summer. Especially for those gearing up for a carefree, care less, loose and easy summer that is all about casual impromptu parties, hook ups and skinny dips.

Friday Cover Up - Pixie Landladies and Tiny Anchors

Photo © Sasha Arutyunova 2012

 

It’s been a while since we’ve had a Friday Cover Up – so let’s have two!

First up we have Brooklyn six-piece pop explosion Landlady, who have just released the single ‘Above My Ground’. The band was started by 24 year old Adam Schatz, who has played keys and horns with the likes of Sleigh Bells, Those Darlins, Will Sheff and Twin Shadow, but this little experiment is all his own. The vegetable based video for the single is below. But we are here for the B-side as well, which is an amazingly epic version of The Pixies’ ‘Oh My Golly’, which is beautifully original in approach and conception. Every time I listen to it my chest swells – I feel like I'm about to watch a VHS tape of a lost Sergio Leone film. Weird, but true. Great stuff.

 

 

 

 

Now on to one of my favourite local bands, No Anchor. They have done some recordings of late and will be appearing on some splits and singles in the near future (more on that later), but in one final sweep of that apocalyptic cupboard they have collated all the remixes, live tracks and rarities that they like and put it onto a cassette titled The John Dominance Tapes (which you can still grab here). It’s very very good, especially when other artists get involved. Two of the tracks I’ve decided to put here. One is a remix by one of NA’s bassists Donovan Miller of the track ‘Key Cutter’ off their last (and excellent) LP Real Pain Supernova. And one is a live version of 'ACWOWTFE' by another great local act, scrap rock duo Tiny Spiders. Really great takes on aggressive, intense music – one ethereal yet unsettling, the other a slightly lighter shade of darkness from the original. Both are damned ace.

No Anchor – Key Cutter (Donovan Miller remix)
Tiny Spiders – ACWOWTFE (No Anchor cover)

Have a great weekend folks! Be sure to check the site this weekend for some more excellent, left of centre sound – that is right, I’m back on the clock!!

Surfer Blood Play The Miranda Card

Those crazy Florida kids that make up Surfer Blood are ready to assault the senses again, opening up the campaign with this hungry, boppy number that is off their incumbent EP Tarot Classics (out on Kanine late next month). The Pixies reference is an inevitable one, yet the Ramones-style verses add the punch needed and makes it a truly insidious number, crawling into your headspace and curling up into a warm, fuzzy, irretrievable ball. Although the equalizer is maxxed out - seriously guys, nuance with the mix, where has that artform gone?

Surfer Blood - Miranda by daftdreamy

Unsure Of Marine Predators

There's a little Brooklyn quartet called Shark? who have just released their first album, True Waste (produced and recorded by Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone, and available on their Bandcamp here). The first track I heard off it was 'Shark?', and the Pixies influence here is astounding. I would imagine such aping could be sacrilegous, if it wasn't done as well as it is here. I can see why they call fellow New Yorkers Mr. Dream brothers in arms then. Especial the vocals - can you get any more Frank Black without turning into Black Francis himself? Possibly, but Shark? are giving it a good shake. Though Im not sure why they are so unsure of their own name...

Shark? - Shark
Shark? - You Don't Love Me (Anymore)

Trashing The Dream

After my interview with the guys of Lil Daggers last week, I was thinking of some of the bands that I have come to love solely from their contacting me for the blog, otherwise I wouldnt be privy to their existence - an enviable position to be in for sure! Lil Daggers, Dead Meat, Civil Civic and Mr Dream are the first bands that jump out at me. And it seems that all of these bands are movin and shakin, which is mega rad of death.

But Im not here to talk about all of these bands, only one. I really like Mr Dream (dont believe me? Read here, here and here...). Whats not to love about a growling, sardonic, thrashy rock band that take their name from a character out of NES's Knockout? Nothing, that's what. And they have had their debut album, Trash Hit (through God Mode) for a little while now - and it is fantastic, better than I imagined it would be from their small releases throughout last year. They play within a number of genres, but also with the stereotypical tropes that fits a band aping their mentors - 'Walter' and 'Winners' are Black Francis vs Steve Albini naked armwrestles with David Yow adjudicating; 'Holy Name' may as well be the Pixies covering Nirvana covering the Pixies; or in the case of 'Crime', showing up contemporaries such as Japandroids in how to rock, whilst spitting out laugh out loud lines with wanton abandon. In fact, even 'Knick Knack' has sounds that evoke the likes of The Kinks and KC & The Sunshine Band (WTF?). The amazing part here though isnt that much of this is tongue in cheek - which it most certainly is - but that it is done with such verve, proficiency and dedication. These songs could come off as alt-rock's version of Me First and the Gimme Gimme's - instead we have a band that embraces its roots, puts it in a headlock, gently jabs them in the ribs then, arms interlinked, skip off to the pub to get plastered together whilst listening to the Misfits on the jukebox, and fuck everyone who thinks differently. How this works, Ive got no idea - how many bands do this sound nowadays? Its fun, loud, but above all sounds new - now that is a remarkable feat indeed...

Trash Hit is out now. Mr Dream will be supporting CSS and Sleigh Bells in the US this May - which is stupid really, because they are gonna slay all and sundry!

Mr Dream - Holy Name
Mr Dream - Scarred For Life
Mr Dream - Unfinished Business

How The Fantasies Stole, Then Saved, Christmas - Not Direct To DVD...

We posted about The Fantasies last month (check it out here), and when speaking to them then they mentioned they had a single coming out. Well, said single has landed - How The Fantasies Stole Christmas!! The radness of this two-song release is Russian doll like in its intricacies and infinitesimal joys - the Seuss references in both cover art and song titles, the cover arts fascinations with 50s era pulp sci-fi, and the tracks themselves, that seems to further augment the parallel universe these guys are obviously from. Both quintessentially instrumentals, both 'How The Fantasies Stole Christmas!!' and 'How The Fantasies Saved Christmas!!' are absurd pastiches - the first being slightly 60s carolling with loops and an r'n'b vibe, the second an electronic menagerie that buzzes along at a metronomic pace. Very different from Meet The Fantasies - and all the more interesting. I cant wait to hear what they serve up to us next (apparently it'll be like The Beatles covering the Pixies!)

The Fantasies - How The Fantasies Stole Christmas!!

The Fantasies - How The Fantasies Saved Christmas!!

Pixies Are Sending Their Love Down The Well...

An amazing true-life story came to its uplifting conclusion this week when 33 Chilean miners were finally extricated from the San Jose underground mine where they had been trapped for over 70 days. I know a few people who got a little misty-eyed when the first miner came out of the rescue capsule - no names of course...

As luck would have it, the Pixies were playing in Chile the very day the men were rescued. In reverence to the miraculous event, the Seattle quartet played a 33 song set, a song for each miner. A small homage, sure, but still a very nice touch from one of the world's greatest acts.

Well the hats off approach has now been extended to their myriad fans, as they release a free Pixies live EP in reference to their show in Mexico City. Hola From Mexico City is available on the Pixies website here - it has a great sample of their live essence. I heard this from the band Interpol, of all people, who are playing with and are devoted acolytes of the Pixies.

Pixies - Gouge Away (live in Mexico)

The Future Sounds Good

One of my top ten albums of last year was Travels With Myself And Another, Future of the Left’s sophomore effort since rising from the ashes of seminal upstarts Mclusky. After the promises made with first album Curses!, Travels… really took it up a notch, combining…that booming bass, the razor’s edge guitar, and the angry, growling lyrics and nasty vocals belonging to said Mr. Falkous.

Well, there is a lot of news on the Welsh maelstrom’s front.  First of all, they have recorded
their 3rd album. Good to see they aren’t mucking around!  More disconcerting though is
that ex-Jarcrew bassist Kelson Mathias is currently out of the mix, due to leaving the band (the
reason is unclear - read kelson's statement and Falkous' reply here.)

Thankfully the fill in replacement is none other than  brilliantly menacing Kong bassist
Steve Hodson, a perfect replacement on all fronts.  For how long though?  Hopefully
this doesn’t impede too much on the gathering clusterfuck that Kong are generating –
they are my favourite small UK band at the moment, and should be pushing to blast all and
sundry away with a massive 2010…

Finally they are touring. I have tickets, but have just found out it clashes with a special
Pixies gig that I cant for my own sanity miss…

Still, here are the dates, and unless you have a life-or-death situation like mine, you have
no reason to miss it. May God have mercy on your soul…

3-Jun-10 uk birmingham rainbow  
4-Jun-10 uk london the lexington, Club COG and White Light presents
5-Jun-10  uk nottingham 580's
9-Jun-10  France Tours Aucard de Tours festival, main stage
8-Jul-10  croatia Pula Marelica club, Art & Music festival
16-Jul-10  uk cheltenham 2000trees festival
17-Jul-10  uk wrexham central station
18-Jul-10  uk manchester moho live, aftershow club
25-Jul-10 uk oxford truck fest, barn stage

Future of the Left - Chin Music

Primavera Sound bound

Two thirds of the SM gang are off to Primavera this weekend. So Brendan will be holding the fort once again, sorry mate... It does mean though we will trying to post pics and vids live from Barcelona. I say try as I don't want to promise too much, however we will make the effort. If the technology in sunny climes fails us, or we fail it, then we have loads of stuff to share when we get back - that's if we can remember anything! Queue headline act with witty, appropriate song...

The Pixies -Holiday Song

Pixies show that they la la love you

Stop press, or something like that. God, or the Pixies as other people call them are playing two secret, fan only shows, in London in early June, just got my tickets. Get there quick...

Pixies - La La Love You