Grinning Out On The Plateaus

 

The debut self-titled record from Southern Californian ne’er-do-wells Plateaus came out late last year on Art Fag, and is an interesting amalgam of doo-wop pop, sneering punk, and scuzzy garage rock, infused with a strangely sunny disposition. Only in California, right? The production is a little cleaned up after their Hozac release earlier in 2012, and it imbues these short spikes with some much wanted vigour. It’s true that some of these songs bleed into each other, but that isn’t an altogether bad thing – this is the kind of sunny party record that I want to chuck on. Its fun, unpretentious, precocious, and coy – but above all, it makes me smile. And that’s really the point. A good rock record that makes you smile is always going to win out.

 

You can get Plateaus (on white vinyl!) over this-a-way.

Plateaus – Jump Now
Plateaus – Do It For You
Plateaus – Jasmine

Dreaming of Chasms

Yeah yeah, it's been quiet etc. Here's something special for you then.

Brand spanking new label Dream Recordings have their first release out, When It Comes by San Francisco duo Chasms. These tracks are brooding, bruising, melancholy excursions into a Gothic afterlife, a miasma of lush beats and sonorous vocals that is interwoven with ominous grooves and the occasional spike of soaring guitar and white noise. The red cover with swirling black membranous shadows is pretty apt - this would score a great Giallo erotic thriller directed by Trent Reznor and Kevin Shields. A cold, cavernous ride that offers moments of warm respite amongst the black frost, When It Comes is a promising debut.


You can grab the When It Comes EP on cassette here. Dream have some very solid guys behind it - expect to hear more stellar releases coming out of their stable soon...

Chasms - Headwound/What's Real

Heavy Hawaii

I haven't paid much mind to Super Bowl XXIX, the new release from San Diego's Heavy Hawaii. Don't ask me why - I was a big fan of HH (see here and here for my thoughts on the 2010 release). Yet in the past 10 days Ive been sent the release from both the man himself and Art Fag Recordings, the label putting it out, so I gave it a whirl. Of course I liked it! Why was I so reluctant? Maybe it was the whole Madonna/MIA hoo-haa that sullied my thoughts? Maybe it was the fact it had a NFL theme? Maybe...I really don't know. I subscribe to any and all ideas. Suffice to say, I was stupid. Don't you follow in my sordid footsteps, children! Its a another wonky slice of pop from these warped sunseekers, and it'll heighten your anguish that a full length isnt in our hairy hands already. Come on guys!

Ah well, this 7" will suffice for now...

Super Bowl XXIX can be got here.

Heavy Hawaii - Super Bowl XXIX

Art Fags Bleach Carter

No, this isnt a stuck up homophobic heinous act played out on my favourite 2 year old lil dude (so many in jokes there its ridiculous - for the handful of you who get it, good; the rest of you, shrug and move on), but a shout out to the new release from Art Fag Recordings. Bleached are a new LA band consisting of sisters Jennifer and Jessie Clavin (of Mika Miko), and their second release (but first for Art Fag), Carter. The two tracks on it, 'Think Of You' and 'You Take Time' which are both jaunty lo-fi punk rock party tracks. Can't not think of The Runaways, Joan Jett et al, especially when listening to 'Think Of You'. Very promising!

Carter isnt available until July 19, but you can preorder it from Art Fag here. They are playing some West Coast US shows in August with Heavy Hawaii, who we have championed here before also - well worth checkin out.

Bleached - Think Of You

Heavy Bombs On Hawaii

We had a taster of San Diego's Heavy Hawaii at the beginning of the month with 'Teen Angel'. Well their debut 12"/cassette HH dropped yesterday. Its very lo-fi, and there are a few different elements that draw cross references here - Deerhunter/Atlas Sound in 'Beacons', a Casio-and-stompbox bound Elliott Smith in 'Sleeping Bag', also in evidence in the already plugged 'Teen Angel' whilst also mining territory that the likes of Meth Teeth have occupied in a more assured manner - and whilst its unlikely to storm the heights of some of the other Art Fag releases due this year, it does hint that there is more here than meets the eye. They have been playing with the likes of Beach Fossils and Sleep Over of late, so with that kind of creative exposure, and if the Wilson Brothers' vibe and the tinkering with toys can be merged in a higher concept setting, we may see something worthy.

Love the .gif like cover art too.

Heavy Hawaii - Beacons

Summer's dwindling - time for some Heavy Hawaii!

Im a bit behind the eightball with this - Ive been meaning to write about this, along with a million other things - but as the last vestiges of summer seeps away into the more familiar clime of shittiness that makes up London weather, there is no time like the right time...

Heavy Hawaii makes jangly summer pop garage that has been emblematic of today's sound, but under the guidance of Art Fag Recordings, it has enough emphasis on the groove underlying the songs to scale the heights of their myriad scuzzed out brethren to reach the summit on their own. Their self-titled six-track 12" is out at the end of the month - 'Teen Angel' is a perfect example of what to expect...

Heavy Hawaii - Teen Angel

Only time will tell

Back in April I posted about All Saints Day, Katy of Vivian Girls and Gregg of Cat Power's side project. The fuzzed up dream pop duo have posted the rest of their self-titled debut E.P for you all to sample on their bandcamp page here. The word via Gorilla Vs Bear is that there's a 7" on the way on Art Fag too. Lets hope it makes its way over the water soon.


All Saints Day - It'll Come Around