Beeting On The True Widow

Both of these tracks came up a while ago on the blog merry-go-round - in fact I have so many posts backlogged from past releases they are starting to grow mould - but I couldn't let them slide by, nor could I decide which one to write about to close out this balmy Thursday, so I'm hitting you with both barrels!


First up, it's well known now that I have begun a love affair with Captured Tracks favoured Queens trio The Beets. I love their silly cartoon cover art, their blase attitude, their slacker malaise wrapped up in Black Lips Halloween garb. They released an album at the beginning of the year - Staying Home - which I thought was a lot of fun. Now they are releasing another album called Let The Poison Out (this time finding its home on Hardly Art, still with the cover art though!). I have already gushed over first track from it 'Doing As I Do', but here is another. I'm yet to get my mitts on the LP, although when searching for it down at my local record store (which, after a huge closing down sale and the requisite mass protest, fevered vinyl purchases and gnashing of teeth, is still inexplicably open) I found their first album, Spit In The Face Of People Who Don't Want To Be Cool, so it still kinda worked out for me.

The Beets - Friends Of Friends
The Beets - Doing As I Do


I am a massive fan of True Widow, and their debut album slays me. So when I heard that they already had some new releases coming our way, I was more than stoked. I.N.O is in fact a mixed bag of both leftovers from their impossibly long monikered LP As High As The Highest Heavens And From The Center To The Circumference Of The Earth and brand newies, such as the track 'Bathyscaphe' below. Apart from the title that is at the other end of the length spectrum, it is droning beauty as usual from these Texans. Which means it's crazy good.

True Widow - Bathyscaphe
True Widow - Skull Eyes

NOW do you see why I've included both? Good! Now I'm off to the airport. I will be predisposed for the next few days - not seeing your girlfriend for ten months means there is some catching up to do - but I'm not leaving you hanging! Expect posts about Luke Roberts, Blasted Canyons, a Friday Cover Up, our next Hits From The Box and more!

Old World Vulture - Lovers, Not Losers

Toronto-based instrumental band Old World Vulture really impressed me last year with their self-titled EP - here me waxing lyrical about its shiny twists and turns here. Well, clearly I'm not the only one impressed with the band, as 2011 has seen the quartet play alongside some great acts. The greatest highlight though was snaring the support slot for Mogwai's Toronto show in April.

Now they have a single that precedes their debut LP, called 'Trophy Lovers'. There is a noticeable difference in that the squalling guitar/bass double-barrel assault is dialled right back, with shimmering synths coming to fill the gaps. Not as much a departure as that sounds, though - it feels like they may have been watching a little bit of countrymen Holy Fuck... Thus, still uber excited about this release.

Old World Vulture - Trophy Lovers

Better Days With Minty Fresh Fonda

LA dream pop outfit Fonda returned after a lengthy hiatus earlier this year with the Better Days EP. Well, in very good news, label Minty Fresh has decided to rerelease Better Days on vinyl, with an added single for the occasion! The release isn't until November 22, but you can book yourself some wax right here.

Unsure? Try the new track below, as well as another cut from the earlier release. These guys, around the core of couple Emily Cook and David Klotz, may have lain dormant for seven-odd years (and Klotz edits music on Glee - seriously dude?!?*), but Fonda are welcome back any time.

Fonda - Some Things Aren't Worth Knowing
Fonda - Better Days

* Cook writes screenplays such as Ratatouille, so I guess it almost cancels out the bad taste in my mouth about the "day jobs" - almost...

North/South America's Psych Malaise

I love discovering bands from far-flung corners of the world! Last week I had the utmost privilege and pleasure of seeing Carsick Cars, one of the best noise rock acts coming out of China. This week I am pleased to gush over this 7" from Peruvian psych warriors Fantasmas. Ok, let's clarify - they are Brooklyn based, but leader Kam was born in Lima before spending his teenage childhood scouring the streets of DC. First of all the noir cover photo is killer in itself. Then there are the two tracks, which clearly show this clash of cultural identity. It's only really a taster, an entree if you will, but Fantasmas have shown here that they have something percolating in the darkest recesses of their music that, with a little time, will burst forth in all its vehement beauty.

The 7" is currently digital only, yet will be put out on vinyl later this month on Kam's own Red Pyramids label...stay tuned.

Fantasmas - Blind Children (Shake)
Fantasmas - La Maga

Guilty Ghosts Pulls Back The Veils

There was a solo artist that contacted me at the beginning of the year and really impressed me with his self-titled EP. That person was Tristan O'Donnell, and he goes by the name Guilty Ghosts. He produced his debut LP Veils last month, and whilst it features some familiar tunes, they are welcome returns rather than awkward overstayers - the gamble has paid off. The class of this release is inherent from the cover art - Woman Draped In Veilis a famous piece of photography by Amelia Van Buren around the turn of the twentieth century, and it's a bold, striking, ethereal piece of art, something that O'Donnell attempts to replicate with admirable results. He is equally at home with drone or post-rock tropes as he is with ambient synth drifts and guitar ambles. Added guest vocals by Sea Oleena and Guerre add nuance to some of the tracks, but it is to O'Donnells credit alone that Veils ends up being the understated triumph that it is. A beautiful listen from start to end. Guilty Ghosts is a project you should invest time with and get lost in.

Veils is availble here.

Guilty Ghosts - The End Of Akira
Guilty Ghosts - Everlasting Evening (ft Sea Oleena)
Guilty Ghosts - Tinted Windows (ft Guerre)

Islet Display Their Wealth Of Fortune

I was warned by Paul one fated May night as we travelled to the sadly now defunct Barden's Boudoir in Dalston, London that I should prepare to have my face melted off. We were going to yet another Upset The Rhythm gig. The headliners - Mi Ami, the nigh on impossible to categorise US band that certainly killed many cells in my body. but Paul was also making reference to the support, a small Welsh act called Islet. With their manic instrument swapping, impromptu percussion (using the ceiling, anyone?) and effervescent exuberance, these kids won me over.

Their EPs Celebrate This Place and Wimmy are great, yet its hard to believe that it has taken them this long to get around to releasing an album proper. Yet it is finally in the can, and Islet have announced their debut LP, to be released 23rd January 2012 on Shape (Turnstile), called Illuminated People. Being largely recorded on a farm in Worcestershire, Islet worked with an outside producer, Drew Morgan, for the first time - hence this may become their most coherent and cohesive record to date. Seeing as the label putting it out is run by the band's Mark Thomas, though, there will be no compromise on the band's manic maelstrom of sound.

Don't believe me? 'This Fortune' is the first taste off the album, and is available now as part of a tour-only 12", which features a vinyl only 15 minute sound collage made by the group; a swirling mass of found sounds, fragmented thoughts and previously unheard tracks.

If you are in the UK this month, you will have ample chances to pick up this release whilst seeing this exciting band in action, culminating in a show on November 16 at one of my favourite London haunts, The Lexington.

Paul, thanks for the Islet warning. Now get me that vinyl, or we're done.

Islet - This Fortune

VIDEO VACUUM - Secret Birds, Fucked Up, Sex Beet, Sunken Seas

I don't know about you, but this week is hurting. Real bad. SO rather than knuckle down and get through the massive load of work I have, I'm gonna hunker down for some movie-watching. You in?

First up is Brissie aural alchemists Secret Birds, who have just completed this beauty for their track 'Part II'. I need to zone out for a while and this will do the trick...

Secret Birds - Part II from Sonoptik on Vimeo.

I do love me some Fucked Up in the morning. Here is a decidedly more lo-fi approach to a David Comes To Life video than the past, and its a lot of fun (as filmed by band member Sally Miranda). I wish I was hanging out with Fucked Up right now...

Fucked Up "Running on Nothing" from Sandy Miranda on Vimeo.

We haven't heard much from London rabble-rousers Sex Beet of late. And although it may be a while before the new recordings see the light of day, we have this video to sate us just that little bit. Sure, it's an old song, but the video is a fresh one, so it all feels new once more...



Now I don't know much about NZ noisemongers Sunken Seas, but I'm a fan of the moody atmospherics inherent here on 'High Rise'. They have new recordings on the way, so expect to hear more from this band in the near future...



NOW GET BACK TO WORK!

Take 'Em High, Kosmonaut!

Kösmonaut is a one-man kosmiche machine outta Texas who has seen fit to flood the market with not one but two full-term releases. These bestial cosmic hypnotic-hymns are mind-numbing in their insistent synthetic drone, fidgety like a glue-fuelled red/blue nightmare about stop-motion worms. Tangerine Dream, Heldon, Cluster - they are all littered throughout Emanations and Voyage of Time. The former is a little darker, steeped in the psych end of the spectrum, whilst the latter is definitely an acid reflux version of much of the 80s synth moodpieces (and the way better release in my opinion). its pretty incredible stuff, to be honest. I am not a usual fan of this stuff - well, not enough for it to be on constant rotation - but if you have good headphones, and like chilling out in the middle of the night, this is the soundtrack. Im not suggesting anything else need accompany this trip - Ill let you improvise on that length - but suffice to say that this is transportation music to the nth degree. Highly recommended.



Kösmonaut - Monad (From Emanations)
Kösmonaut - Voyage of Time (From Voyage of Time)

Mystical Specs Never Change With Woodsman

I don't know how Denver spaceniks Woodsman do it. They have a new release, an EP called Mystic Places (once again through Fire Talk), and somehow it maintains the excellent quality that they have been pumping out the past few years. Even more heartening is that they find new and unusual ways to keep these tracks tight yet languid and free-form - so much so that on 'Specdrum' it feels that twice as much time has passed, you have slipped so deep into its trance. Then when you realise the song is over, and so little time has passed, you immediately put it on and jump into their slipstream once more. Its a Herculean feat, but one Woodsman seem to be able to achieve on a whim. Furthermore, what with the recent addition of vocals (very Jason Simon of Dead Meadow in tonality and usage), it shows that the boundaries are continually shifted by these adventurous folk.


Mystic Places is out now - get it here. My big call for the day (other than Matt Kennedy of Kitchens Floor possibly becoming an icon - that one was pretty huge)? This EP is miles better than their Rare Forms album of earlier in the year. This is what I wished that album was. It is amazing.

Woodsman - Specdrum

Kitchen's Floor

The fact that I'm writing a post about Brisbane band Kitchens Floor says a hell of a lot for their latest LP, Look Forward To Nothing, out on local label Bedroom Suck and US juggernauts Siltbreeze. My first connection with the trio was last year at the Zoo when they supported Eddy Current Suppression Ring. Now, ECSR played probably the best show Ive seen them play, and one of the best shows Ive seen at the Zoo. But Kitchens Floor - Jesus Christ. What a fucking train wreck. Matt Kennedy may be the epitome of self-loathing, but shit is still shit, and boy, it sounded like the biggest nugget laid on mankind. It was amateur hour. It was lapped up by hipsters who actually did look like they would eat human poo because Pitchfork told them to.

Seriously, I hated that show.

However, I did listen to their first LP Loneliness Is A Dirty Mattress a couple weeks later. There was something in there amidst the grime and overt slacker ennui. Actual killer rock with pop aesthetics without the pretensions - it just was what it was. So when the newie Look Forward To Nothing hit, I listened with a little less apprehension.


This is a massive leap forward. Sure, Kennedy still fucking hates himself. He's got enough depression/self-loathing/displeasure to wrap five hundred Bieber tragics up and suffocate them in before dropping them into a shallow creek. But this really ups the ante in songwriting, ably abetted by the boisterous drumming of the ever-busy Joe Alexander (Bedroom Suck founder, playing in Per Purpose and a plethora of other ill-fitting garbs, almost all of which are infinitely better for his inclusion) and Liam Kenny's bass lines. Hell, rather than sounding like an affected art project, they sound like a goddamn band. With proper hooks. Let's hope Kennedy keeps the double chambers coming, the Valium at hand, and the guitar firmly gripped in his fist. We might have a grungey icon in the making here.

Kitchens Floor - 116

The Power Of Styrofoam Is Too Great...

About a fortnight ago I started writing for ace US blog The Styrofoam Drone. That is my post today about Brissie locals Feathers and their vinyl LP Feather's Moon. The past two posts - Otro Mundo and a Palmist 10" split between SM mainstays Thee Ludds and awesome US band The Growlers. You can read those two here and here. I have already mentioned the Feathers and Otro Mundo releases, but haven't touched on how awesome Palmist Records' recent run of splits really are, although I mentioned the one that had The Whines and Burning Yellows on it here. Suffice to say it's killer. How killer? Thee Ludds finally showing their potential is warranted, whilst The Growlers have produced one of the tracks of 2011 with 'Graveyard's Full'. It really deserves a mention. Have a taste below, then head over and check out Zac's work on The Styrofoam Drone - it's an excellent blog that really goes that extra mile.

The Growlers - Graveyard's Full

Thee Ludds - Jagged Prowl

Hits From The Box #40 - An Offer I Couldn't Refuse

I became a godfather on the weekend. Now, Ive always thought I was the centre of the universe, yet to be given an outright label to influence someone else's is pretty heavy. Despite my affinity with the Dark Side, though, I have decided to be a shining light in this child's life, especially when it comes to music. I will be Ruby's musical guardian, protecting her from the Auto-Tuners and Gleeks of the world, and turning her onto the various frequencies of distorted noise and feedback.

Plus, I look really good in frilly lace.

That said, although being called a godfather is pretty ace due to its connotations thanks to Puzo and Coppola, it is pretty redundant. My godparents are my aunt and uncle, one from either side of the family. My aunt bought me copies of The Babysitter Club when I was fourteen. My uncle is MIA after shacking up with his ex-wife. So I guess nothing really has changed, and this entire diatribe is worthless. Maybe I should take back the godfather mantle. Swan in wearing a trenchcoat and hat, flick silver coins to waiting paupers' outstretched palms, offering counsel, doling out justice. I'm certainly not subjecting my goddaughter to crap novels and albums, that's for sure. Bootleg ones, maybe, but not crap ones.


Maybe I should raise up Ruby's expectations on Hits From The Box - burgeoning talent just finding their sonic feet. Just like The Fighting League, Aussie label Dream Damage's latest signing. Hailing from Canberra (who since toning down their fireworks and porn allocations, has gotten a hell of a lot more boring in recent times), The Fighting League are taking tropical pop rock and punching it in the kidneys, due in no small part to their visceral live performances led by livewire frontman Dominic Death. Produced by Saints maestro Bruce Calloway, Tropical Paradise promises to be something snottily special, and will be on our doorstep next week.

The Fighting League - Guys You Want To Be


A change of pace here with Mirador, the music project of twenty-something Philadelphia resident Kyle Robinson. Combining the limitless instrumental palate of electronic music with live guitar, synth, effects pedals and percussion, Mirador build intricate worlds of sound for the listener to explore. Verdant is the EP, and it's bustling with free-range sound collages that jostle for attention in a sanguine yet elusive manner, a juxtaposition that sounds off-kilter until you imagine the times when Animal Collective try to rein in the mania. The calm is offset with the roiling electricity that slithers underneath. It's one that I haven't necessarily struggled with, but struggled to finger why I like it so much. The mystery, therein lies the solution... you can grab digital or physical copies here.

Mirador - Dance Of The Lantern People


Britt Teusink likes to make noise pop under the moniker deadCAT, a project that is fleshed out by whoever he can get involved on a semi-regular basis. The debut EP R.I.P. contains songs named after Teusink's past feline friends. Now that his moniker makes sense, and the title of the EP, but you just get a sense that he is doing it himself - killing the cats, I mean - to get his twisted muse on... No, this is not inherent in the tracks, which are warped in a sunny sense (although if you intend to call your cat Rosie O'Donnell, it inevitably has a horrific demise lined up...)

deadCat - Rosie O'Donnell


Glasgow based act Honey threw a nice curveball at me in the form of self-released debut EP Taste It And See (it's streaming below - it's also a free download from their Bandcamp!). The follow-up single 'Nowhere Floating' is a fine slice of spectral shoegaze pop,

Honey - Nowhere Floating



Heading to the other end of the UK, Bristol kids Mayans were a fan of our coverage on the band Spectres (and if you haven't heard their EP yet, rectify that shit immediately!) As for Mayans themselves, as their 'Fitzpatrick' track attests, they are all about melding droning rhythms with eruptions of noise, all with a perfect kernel of pop nestled within. This is early days for Mayans, yet 'Fitzpatrick' promises much more.

Mayans - Fitzpatrick


Finally we have Benjamin Shaw, who was "born to soiled genes in ‘80s Blackpool and loathed in soiled scenes of 2011’s London." Gritty indie self-loathing notwithstanding, his debut LP There's Always Hope, There's Always Cabernet - despite having a very true and prescient title - is one hell of a longplayer from a troubadour who aims for the side streets rather than the sunny boulevards of the singer-songwriter realms. There are a few singer-songwriters in Brisbane who are delving into this twisted narrative bent, but Shaw has rightly found himself making a few ripples at home. Revelling in lo-fi dissonance, fuzzy production, abstract and self-depreciative lyrical approach. His single 'Somewhere Over The M6' drops some of the rambling (mis)demeanour for a more aural assault, a perfect counterpoint to the ambiguous lyricism on display. Equally at home with making wicked wordplays as he is percolating noise bubbles, Shaw may be someone that will rock the status quo of the mainstream crowds - or at the very least, eat away at the foundations.



Happy Tuesday!

Double Dose Of Not Not Fun Fun

Seriously, summer is looking like a killer season for Brisbanites. Another amazing show to add to the list is the pairing of psych mind-melters Sun Araw and Prince Rama (pictured above). Both acts have put out some amazing records in the past few years, and both have great ones out now in the form of Ancient Romans and Trust Now respectively. They will be playing Woodland (where else?) on Friday January 20. So here's an idea - get blitzed and drop out with these guys, and continue the sun-bleached vibes into Australia Day! There's no better way to spending that holiday in an altered state. All for $15 +bf! Amazeballs - get on that!

Sun Araw - Bump Up

Prince Rama - Golden Silence

Weird Wives Swear And Drone On A Lot

The incredibly abrasive alter ego of Surfer Blood, Weird Wives put out some insidious little demos earlier this year that got under the skin and into your cerebral vortex, shutting everything down whilst flooding the blood stream with endorphins. Not a bad way to get rigor mortis on I suppose. Well they have just released an album, and the title is killer - Motherfuckers Gonna Be Walking 'Round With a Size 9 Diehard up Their Ass, Cause Apparently They Ain't Never Seen a Short AC Man Get Bad Ass on Methadone. Someone's looking to piss off mummy and daddy...

It still follows in the Jesus Lizard mold, but has a slower, more lethargic grind to it. In some ways this works to their detriment, for all you want is a proper explosion of fury and intent, rather than such constrained, fitful fare. But there are some tasty tracks on offer, no less 'Plastic Masks' which is all yours below. The Pitchfork review is pretty hasty in my opinion, but then I haven't lived with the album for that long. Still - I'd hedge my bets it's a better stayer than those guys are letting on... It's out on West Beach Beotches now.

Weird Wives - Plastic Masks

Double Baltimore Magic

It was sad news indeed that two Baltimore acts, Double Dagger and Ponytail, have hung up their chaps in 2011. Both bands were up in my top ten live acts of all time (as witnessed by me - that's how these things work, right?). But two other B-more acts continue to ply their trade with excellent results.


First up we have the electro-shock artist and dance-party authority Dan Deacon, renowned as one of the world’s funnest and most epic live performers. I saw him play at London's ULU in 2009 - such an amazing show, it had all the funky white kids shuffling (they are too hip to dance). The Dr Marvin Monroe maniacal yet lovable alchemist, is equal parts crazy and inspirational, participatory and energetic, and his intense live show breaks down audience inhibitions to enable mass mayhem and fun. He has just signed onto Domino Records, and is making his way to Australia in January 2012! What's more he is bringing his ensemble - sop full band awesomeness! AND one such member is Denny from Double Dagger! Wow.

But the excellent times do not halt there, as he will be supported by one of 2011's most lauded artists in John Maus. His groundbreaking new album We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves (released on one of our fave labels ever, Upset The Rhythm (as if you didn't already know!!!), distributed locally through Inertia) has been one of the iconic records of 2011. The confrontation of punk, the fleeting poignancy of 80s movie soundtracks, the insistent pulse of Moroder and the spirituality of Medieval and Baroque music all find salvation in John Maus.

The show is rounded out by locals Toy Balloon, whose sound is a collision of shambolic noise, plump dance grooves, brother / sister vocal harmonies and rigid polyrhythms. The result is a brilliant and confounding bastardisation of pop music that few people can resist. With one foot in a world occupied by new wave, cosmic disco, early hip hop and acid house, and the other foot firmly planted in the introspective, experimental indie rock world, the four piece has built a scene-busting following through their dynamic and diverse live shows. It all happens at Woodland on Thursday January 12 - grab your tickets here. AND A NEW ALBUM IS ON ITS WAY!!!

Dan Deacon - Red F


Then we have Future Islands, who also played that titular ULU show. Their new album, On The Water, is every bit as great as was hoped, and whilst they aren't known to be touring Australia soon, this album is more than enough to keep you afloat! Grab it here.

Future Islands - Give Us The Wind
Future Islands - Before The Bridge

With these two acts in business, the world is not a cold, dead place...

The Horrortones

The next band to come off the Mere Noise Meltdown honour roll is...

The Horrortones. This behemoth of a Brisbane supergroup slash institution slash intermittent rockabilly raconteurs are currently working on a triple 7" box set, which is hugely exciting. The band revolves around ex-Vegas Kings frontman Pete, with a steady backing band and a revolving door of hangers on. The bands cover the gamut of ace Brisbane band - the aforementioned Vegas Kings, The Grates, Texas Tea, SixFtHick, The Stress of Leisure, Wiseacre, The Tremors, Gin Club, Giants Of Science, Butcher Birds...the list goes on and on. The membership is fluid, its all about drinking with buds and having a good time (space permitting). The M.O. is to funk the fuck out, have a hell of a time, systematically destroy everything and everyone in sight, and wake up the next day in a perpetual state of amnesia and pain. And seeing as they list King Khan, The Dirtbombs and Reigning Sound as influences, there isn't much else to do than ensure you catch one of their shows... (And due to their reticent nature to get things down, all I have is this not so great video of them covering King Khan & the Shrines' 'Saba Lou' from back in 2009. Still, as more about the box set comes through, I will let you know).

Mark's Sultanic Mish Mash, Whatever And Whenever He Wants It

Mark Sultan does like to rub people up the wrong way. That said, Ive spoken to the guy a few times and found him to be an ace dude. Fair dues. The fact is, he has been thrashing the garage flag here, there and everywhere for a very long time, and is consistently producing top-shelf stuff. He is releasing two albums, titled Whatever I Want and Whenever I Want respectively. Both will come out on vinyl on In The Red Records. However, you can get a conglomeration of both albums in one package called Whatever/Whenever. Its got 7 tracks from each album, so it's basically a sampler. Really, it is good. But you need to get the albums and hear the 12 other tracks left behind! There are some Bobby Darin/Buddy Holly ghost harbouring on there, alongside many other rad touchstones, and if that sounds exciting (which it fucking should), invest. It covers every gamut of rock music, has collabs from members of Black Lips and The Spits, and promises to be seven shades of brown awesomeness.

Mark Sultan - Let Me Freeze
Mark Sultan - Axis Abraxas
Mark Sultan - Sing In Grey

Thos Voices Will Guide Us To The Very End

I saw Times New Viking play earlier this year in what was one of the best shows of 2011. However one thing they mentioned struck me as a little...well, sad, although I understand the idea. The band mentioned that now that they are in their thirties, they feel a bit silly from time to time creating noise and thrashing about, and are considering their options for the future. The Columbus Ohio trio are fantastic, and self-confessed Guided By Voices fanatics (no less due to the hometown connections), so I hope they look to Robert Pollard to see how it can be that they make it work.

Guided By Voices go from strength to strength, and have just released the below track off the forthcoming Let's Go Eat The Factory LP (featuring the classic line-up that includes Tobin Sprout - and he's writing songs again!). Pollard has also released an awesome album with side project Boston Spaceships which will be here very shortly. These guys have been around much longer than TNV, and are still finding ways of being inimitably awesome. Hopefully some of that Columbus mojo will rub off on them...

Let's Go Eat The Factory will be out New Year's Day - what a way to bring in a bleary-eyed 2012! Actually, maybe the world cannot handle this record - this is what the Mayans warned us about! Ah well. In that case, I guess there is no hurry in keeping TNV together...

Tracklist below (the amount and brevity of tracks also heralds TNV - come on guys, stay on for the good of humanity!!!)

Laundry And Lasers
The Head
Doughnut For A Snowman
Spiderfighter
Hang Mr. Kite
God Loves Us
The Unsinkable Fats Domino
Who Invented The Sun
The Big Hat And Toy Show
Imperial Racehorsing
How I Met My Mother
Waves
My Europa
Chocolate Boy
The Things That Never Need
Either Nelson
Cyclone Utilities (Remember Your Birthday)
Old Bones
Go Rolling Home
The Room Taking Shape
We Won't Apologize For The Human Race

Guided By Voices - The Unsinkable Fats Domino

Your Sex Grows Over In This Church...

There was a time late last year when everyone seemed to be losing their shit over Sex Church, the Vancouver outfit whose music dealt in masochistic mayhem of the rustiest variety. Their Six Songs release was raw, brutal, and inherently enervating. Since then though, we have seen a surge of acts drink at the same fetid pond - namely TV Ghost and Brisbane's own Slug Guts. But where TV Ghost embrace a more indie-centric viewpoint to the industrial malaise (and I mean no disrespect - I think it is this pop aesthetic that elevates these guys to a much higher realm than most others plying their trade) and Slug Guts are more style over substance, Sex Church really seem to inhabit the rabid viscera contained within their performances. That's not to say these guys are worse than trash humpers - I'm sure they are lovely tea-sipping fellows? Or maybe THAT will be offensive to them? Maybe humping trash is their ultimate pastime? Whatever, the point is that this is REAL.


And on Growing Over, their latest on Load, Sex Church feel a little more cosy amongst the shards of jagged glass and broken syringes. Its insidious. It sometimes feels like Disappears headed by Rowland S Howard, at others like a freebasing Iceage. But comparisons are useless, like they always invariably are. All's can be said is that Growing Over is exactly that - Sex Church have just let the ether take them over to spew forth whatever it sees fit. Such abandon means that tracks either start with intent before tangentially chugging into the shadows, morph from garage staple to oozing wretch, or thrash you with a thousand hammers before kissing you deeply. Its skewed, somewhat brutal and a more than a little unhinged - and very, very real.

Sex Church - Waking Up
Sex Church - Beneath The Bottom

Friday Cover Up - Heirs Apparant To The Never Land

Melbourne's innovative post-metallers Heirs put out an amazing couple of albums the past couple of years - I particularly loved Fowl for both its sounds and its vinyl ingenuity. They are prepping their third LP, and if their live sound is anything to go by this is hugely exciting news. They released a double A-side 7" a month or so ago called Hunter. Holding the back end was this sprawling cover of Sisters Of Mercy's 'Never Land'. And this is where I leave you this Friday, in a dark, desolate place that you may never return from - but I'm sure you won't be complaining...

Heirs - Never Land (Sisters Of Mercy cover)