X-Rays On Cassie's Freaky Eyeballs In Europe

A very quick post before I duck out of life for a great number of hours (man today was shit!). Received this groovy lil 7" from Cassie Ramone. It's a split between her and the equally cool Xray Eyeballs. It's coming out through Siluh Records - you can get it here. Cassie's song is about being a loser and a freak - hence the title 'I'm A Freak', I guess. It ain't no The Babies - it's like a Mouldy Peaches song but with Best Coast sepia simplicity, an acoustic reverb adding the requisite perceived innocence - a somewhat throwaway song that is still imbued with veritable shitloads of charm. The Xray flipside, 'Only You', is a moody 80s grinder, with amazing Gothic bass and warbled vocals, that I could easily get seduced in a dingy bar in Vienna by. So a worthy release, then. They are touring Europe now as we speak - below are the dates - they play in Dresden tonight!

05 Nov., GER - Dresden, Ostpol
06 Nov., GER - Berlin, Monarch (DJ-Set)
07 Nov., GER - Berlin, Volksbühne, Grüner Salon (Siluh Rec Label Night w/ M185 & Gary)
08 Nov., NED - Harlem, Patronaat
09 Nov., NED - Groningen, Vera
10 Nov., UK - St. Leonards-on-Sea, The Kave Gallery
11 Nov., UK - Manchester, The Castle Hotel
12 Nov., UK - Glasgow, Stereo
13 Nov., UK - London, Old Blue Last
14 Nov., NED - Amsterdam, Paradiso
15 Nov., NED - Nijmegen, Extrapool
16 Nov., FRA - Paris, Espace B
17 Nov., FRA - Dijon, House Show
18 Nov., FRA - Lyon, Trokson
20 Nov., FRA - Toulouse, Lieu Commun (art gallery)
21 Nov., FRA - Peripgnan, L'Ubu
22 Nov., ESP - Barcelona, Apolo (DJ-Set)
23 Nov., ESP - Barcelona, Heliogabal
24 Nov., ESP - Vic, Jazz Cava
26 Nov., FRA - Rennes, Mondo Bizarro

Coloured Psalms At Sea

I heard this track 'Psalms' from A Constant Sea, the debut record from Brooklyn-based Heliotropes (out in June through Manimal Vinyl) and it floored me. True Widow parallels immediately swam to the surface, with the grungy undertones interspersed with , but this all-girl four-piece step out from the malaise with swathes of swampy psych sprawl. As if their electric cover of Roky Erickson's 'I Walked With A Zombie' last year wasn't enough indication, 'Psalms', the ozone-burning guitar solo makes your hair stand on end, all the better to tear it out as the band hit the accelerator and head for the brick wall as the song closes out. Jessica Numsuwankijkul's vocals are acid-sweet - providing disarming melody whilst emanating the slightest aura of menace. There is a vitality, a recklessness to this song that intimates that Heliotropes are overflowing with energy and a lack of sonic inhibitions - such freshness and enthusiasm burns away any hackneyed predispositions and instead presents pure, unadulterated rock (albeit of the distorted kind).

You can preorder A Constant Sea here. Heliotropes are playing the excellent 4Knots Festival in June, which pretty much namechecks all of Sonic Masala's favourite of-the-moment acts (Parquet Courts, The Men, The Babies, Marnie Stern, Reigning Sound, Kurt Vile) - and from the bubbling ecstasy generated from their fiery live performances, June cannot come fast enough.

Heliotropes - Psalms

Babies got back

I have a massive, massive crush on Cassie Ramone.

Whilst Im relatively new to the love of all things Vivian Girls, I have found myself short of breath even at the mention of their lead singer's name. She embodies all that I love about the 'rock chick', for wont of a better term. And she is nerdy too - see her rendition of Undone - The Sweater Song she pumps out with Titus Andronicus (in a previous post) I could wax lyrical, ad nauseum, but Ill stop there.Woods is a band that I have liked for a while though, and the latest At Echo Lake is all its cracked up to be.

So when Ramone and Woods' bassist Kevin Morby decided to get together, I was very excited.

They have released a few bits and pieces over the past 12 months, and this track is pretty indicative of what they do. A bliss bomb of fuzzy pop sunlight, Meet Me In The City (put out via Make A Mess Records) embodies the Brooklyn lo fi sound with a massive dollop of "happy happy joy joy" zany mentality. Its a blast, and well worth the time, Ramone-crush or no. Sure, its no Vivian Girls or Woods - but it certainly deserves its place on music's mortal coil.

The Babies are also touring the US with previous Sonic Masala postees White Fence, a band I warm to more and more each listen.

Enjoy!

The Babies - Meet Me In The City