Soft Grimacing Waves

Irish label Soft Power ended 2014 and started 2015 in strong fashion with a pair of releases that really impress. In December London duo/trio and SM faves Witching Waves released their debut LP Fear of Falling Down (which is almost sold out already - get one of the last 35 here), which is an absolute corker of a record that broods within garage rock circles yet are more indebted to the Fortuna Pop crowd, and are more reminiscent of Sons & Daughters than their angular brethren. Going from DIY bludgeoning to a label that has coaxed the likes of September Girls and The Spook School into the limelight hasn't changed Witching Waves' gritty-yet-hook-heavy approach one iota. This is an excellent release, and damned if these guys won't be doing something special by year's end. Get along and see them play Power Lunches this Friday.

Then there is I Am Material, the six-track cassette EP from fellow Londoners H. Grimace, which goes even further into the dark, yet hushed, corners. The lurking ambiance is always imbued with unkempt portent, so that when a song like 'Royal Hush' starts out a languid pop malaise (something akin to Melbourne's Summer Flake), its facade cracks and the true beast is unleashed. 'To The Shaggerston' is a punk gnarl of the Seattle backwater variety (and all the greater because of it). To my ears, there aren't many bands in London doing this kind of ragged, languid rock, which makes them all the more important to get behind. Not that we will see them much in March, as they do a frantic tour across the US aided in part by SF label 20 Sided Records.

Fa Fa Fa Far Out

Its nice to get a new album in the mail by a band you know nothing about, throw it on and fall for its charms on the first listen. This has happened to me twice today, which must be unprecedented.

The first album is this one, What Made Those Holes And Rents, by Reno indie kids Fa Fa Fa. Its got some pedigree - its been recorded by none other than Howard Bilerman, responsible for the Godspeed! You Black Emperor albums. Yet these nine tracks are more akin to Bilerman's more recent output, where he has worked on indie gems by the likes of Wolf Parade and the Arcade Fire. Its an interesting blend of sounds and genres, floating from the more generic college indie rocker 'Camden' (although it contains direct links to TS Eliot's amazing poem "The Hollow Men") to the OMD inflected 'Le Ciel '74' to the woozy jam that is the titular track. They love to play around with convention, which is fitting seeing as their name references the familiar repetitive refrain from Talking Heads' seminal song 'Psycho Killer' - and the hats are tipped further on 'Horns For Horns'.

Admittedly this amount of genre hopping does make the head whizz, but when most of the tracks hit the mark it makes for a great listen - and the perfect launchpad for a band to assault the sense both now and in the future.

What Made Those Holes And Rents is out now - you cant get it either at their Bandcamp or here. There's a rumour that they will be doing something with the cool San Franciscan label 20 Sided Records later in the year too - keep an eye out for that for sure...

Fa Fa Fa - Great Ocean Explorer

Fa Fa Fa - Give The Lie To

20 Sides, Split 4 Ways

San Franciscans 20 Sided Records are prepping four new releases to kickstart their 2011.

Stirling Says, with new album Balboa, practice fuzz pedal worship, precise shredding, friendship, and songs almost exclusively about D&D and nature. 'Sausalito' and 'Tatianna' are the perfect examples of the short sharp kick in the guts pop these guys deliver with wanton abandon. Don't fret, there are 10 more. For Aussie music fans (specifically Brisbane), there is more than a touch of the KT26ers here - so come on feel the fuzz!

Stirling Says - Sausalito

Stirling Says - Tatianna

Ugly Winner and Slow Trucks split up the same slab o’ wax with two simmering singles. 'Other Things' sees Ugly Winner hovering in a surfy guitar daze before launching into pure infectious shuffle-pop with Isaac Brock-esque skewed vocal delivery. Meanwhile Slow Trucks kicks off 'Drained Dry' with a wall of fuzz guitar and the atmosphere of a house show. But maybe it’s really an anthem about too much party, when you’re at the end of the little bit of rope you’ve got left, disillusioned and emotionally flatlined. Subtly tricky sing-along vocals, fat Big Muff distortion riffs, a friendly warm bass always underneath, dancey kick n’ snare propulsion, and a precisely executed ending that will make you want to return immediately to the top. A lovely 7" for the collection.

Ugly Winner - Other Things

Slow Trucks - Drained Dry

Next up, Monarchs have an awesome new 3-song 7”. The main track here is 'Polio', an interesting sound that comes off like Built To Spill as teenagers, full of cynicism and glue fumes. “Polio, it’s still around” sums up Monarchs’ deadpan cynicism for modern life while showcasing their talent for catchy, artsy guitar melodies.

Monarchs - Polio

Touch Committee’s debut album Winter Beard pays homage to 90’s indie rock bands such as Superchunk and Archers of Loaf. Their sound is a rediscovery of the importance of being earnest, if you will, amidst a shifting musical dreamscape of uncertain futures, trend hopping and dubious intentions.

Touch Committee - Blue Glass

As you can tell from these releases, 20 Sided Records has a damned fine ear for spry indie rock. I cant wait to devour all of these on a slightly hungover sunny Saturday morning - might just be in a few days...

Holding Pomegranates In Thrall

This 7" came across my desk a couple of days ago. Its a split between grungy psych-heads Thralls and dissonant popsters The Pentacles, put out by cool San Francisco label 20 Sided Records. Thralls put a lot of moody ambivalence into 'Pomegranates', a very solid track indeed. Check it out below.

Thralls - Pomegranates

20... Sided... Records!

2o Sided Records is a San Franciscan label pushing the latest and greatest small acts from the region, and are doing a good job of it too. To highlight the amazing sounds coming out from under the Golden Gate, they have put together a 14 track compilation The Good Old Days Are Gone, with a couple of shows this coming weekend to showcase the bands on the release (these shows are, funnily enough, in SanFran, so UK-ites settle down, grab a copy if you likee). David of 20 Sided Records is keen to hear what we think on this side of the pond, so below are two of the tracks from Slow Trucks and Stirling Says. Leave comments on your thoughts, and if you like, grab the compilation - its a winner.


Slow Trucks - Gota Move Away

Stirling Says - A to D