Video Vacuum - Mesa Cosa, Bitches, Popstrangers, Nine Black Alps, Cull

Did you know it is Christmas... Or was. You probably noticed, seeing as it was jammed down your throat every five minutes. It's gone for another year, so relax. Or don't - because Valentine's Day and Easter paraphernalia are already in the shops! Fuck you, The Man. I'm gonna watch some videos instead...



Mesa Cosa are a bunch of loud, destructive idjits who love to rock. They don't want to go to Sydney either, enough to write a song about it. It's such a fun song though it sounds like they actually DO want to go to Sydney. Or maybe want to party hard so that they they don't have to go. But then 80 seconds in they ARE in Sydney...stop confusing me dudes!



London's Bitches have 'No Brain'. Read that sentence carefully - there are capitals and specific kinds of punctuation there for a reason. The duo are silly too, running around screwing with hipsters in garish ritualistic masks - but then they get their comeuppance by being chased down and killed - by themselves! Whoa. It's all typically serrated punk of the decidedly sloppy kind, fuzzy and loose as fuck, and all words are in their right place - a no brainer bitches.



Popstrangers burst forth with their excellent debut LP Antipodes earlier in 2013, and closed out the year with an EP with new single 'Rats In The Palm Trees', a little slower, glowier, and a fitting postscript to a highly successful twelve months for the trio. The film clip is simple yet intriguing. I want to never drink Red Stripe from a can again though (especially at venues like Scala where its almost five quid), and yet this video (filmed in London) makes it more than OK.



A surprise in the inbox this week comes from Sydney dreamers Cull. Their montage of vehicular-viewed landscapes intercut with other wind and snow swept footage fits the drifting cacophony beautifully - set your ears to swoon. I missed their album Ba Noi last year, Ill have to rectify that pronto.



Let's finish with some Brit grunge wails, huh? Well, it suits the fucking miserable weather they (and I) have over there at the moment. Nine Black Alps have always wavered in and out of favour with me, but the Manchester marauders have hooked me on the chorus of their single 'Novokaine' (REALLY could have done without the K though). The clip is straightforward band playing in a room stuff, but it's all about the bombast and bluster and gnashing of aural teeth. OK, lads - Ill crush my molars into dust too.

NOW GET BACK TO WORK!

Double Dagger, Then, Now, Later (Thrill Jockey Update #3)

One of the bands that Paul, the other party that gave birth to this beautifully twisted sister of a blog, introduced me to was Baltimore's Double Dagger. The first time I saw them play was in the now defunct The Rest Is Noise bar in Brixton in 2009, to about thirty people. The people moshing (well, jumping around into each other...) were myself and a few friends. The supports, Friendship and Bitches, were brilliant. But Nolen came out and did his thing, Denny and Bruce kept it locked down, and it killed. Later that night, a woman who had been throwing up outside attacked my girlfriend out the front, in the process ripping out strands of another friend's hair. Suffice to say that it left an impression.

A lot has happened since then. Double Dagger has called it a day, but there is much still to celebrate. Denny Bowen has since drummed for the Dan Deacon Ensemble (which saw him visit Brisbane early last year), as well as playing in Roomrunner. Nolen Strals has a few projects in the offing, and his graphic design continues to abound, as seen (by me at least) on the Part Chimp/Torche split record.

Bruce Willen has teamed up with good friend (and Future Islander) William Cashion to form Peals, whose Walking Field is coming out on Thrill Jockey this month. Peals is an entirely different beast altogether, using live loops to encapsulate an exploratory tome to ambiance and intimacy and their intricacies and connectivity. It, like their stablemates Mountains as mentioned two days ago, is all about fully immersive soundscapes, leaving the outside world behind and reaching within. Peals are already searching for the smaller, more intimate realms in order to play their music live too, oft-times preferring houses and small art galleries over larger stages. They have recently come off a tour that included shows with other Thrill Jockey-ites Dan Friel and Brokeback, as well as Romantic States and Bamboo, and will embark on another tour in support of Walking Field (which, if you pre-order now, comes with a free 7") in June. (Also go to their website here where you can manipulate and make your own version of another track, 'Furniture' - pretty cool.)

Peals - Blue Elvis

But the legacy of Double Dagger itself lives on, as for Record Store day 2013 we are granted the final, posthumous record 333, coinciding with If You Shout Loud Enough, a documentary showcasing the criminally underrated trio in all their fabulous glory. It seems that the album is going to not only underline such a standing, but that they broke up just as they were gathering in strength. The growth from the More LP to the Masks EP alone was monumental. It's a damn shame they aren't around anymore, but their legacy can live on through these songs (as much as they'll fucking hate to hear it).

Double Dagger - Heretic's Hymn

Here is the trailer for the doco too. It features interviews with many of the Baltimore scene, such as Deacon, members of Wye Oak, Future Islands, Ruiner, Thank You and so many more, and a staggering amount of live footage across their 9-year reign. You can only get this on RSD from your local independent record store. You can see If We Shout Loud Enough as part of the official selection of the Maryland Film Festival, with (hopefully) many more venues thereafter.


If We Shout Loud Enough - Trailer (Double Dagger documentary) from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

Vale Double Dagger, long live Double Dagger!

Footloose Bitches Be Rabid

Exciting times. Sick puppies Bitches have released an EP called Buster, about a dog called Buster. For realz. Through Gravy Records, Buster plugs five songs up the Kyber Pass with enough sleazy backhanded zeal that you feel offended, endeared and filled with lust, all at once. Arrogance only get you so far though. This duo are as fun as they are sleazy, which is the best combination in anyone's language. They even get batshit crazy band Foot Village involved in one of their breakneck rants - nice work. Plus, its about dogs instead of cats for once. Dogs are so much radder than cats.


Buy Buster here.

Bitches - Kill Birds, Eat Shit
Bitches - #Pray4Buster (ft. Foot Village)

Throwing Up, Fever Fever!

I came across London's punk critters Throwing Up when they emailed me about a post I did on fellow UK two girl/one boy rioters Fever Fever (their 'Teeth' track still kills me), throwing me some of their own gear on the process. The song was 'Mother Knows Best', and it was ballsy as fuck. Now I got repeat emails from both bands, but they fell into the December/January vortex. Time to make amends...


First of all, Throwing Up brought out a 7" one-sided single, Big Love/Red Ribbon in a couple weeks, but I got notice of it just in time for Valentine's (and seeing as I am not a believer, as it were, I missed the cultural significance...sigh). And as far as I'm concerned, this is one of the best self-released press releases ever - consider me a finger-down-the-throat acolyte, guys!!!

"I tried to write something for this but press releases are probably the least lovable things ever written, I feel like they should be ballsier than the inevitable snivelling appeal to listen to, like, love, oh god please just write about us I'll do anything. But they're not, they are what they are and here I am trying to write another one. These songs, Big Love and Red Ribbon, are fittingly timed, it's a romantic month apparently and who are we to argue? Love is something I'm more often without than in excess of. I'm not being negative, it's not a case of the glass being half empty, more like turned over on the counter to drip dry. But when life hands you lemons etc.. So here they are, 3 minute moments of garage sale lemonade pop. Love is left in the street to die as we drive past, laughing at the betrayal and disillusionment we're handed to fill the red raw cavity where our hearts and hopes used to be. Happy Valentines Day."

Fuck... Big Love/ Red Ribbon is out on 12th March. They are jumping the ditch to the US of Ay in a week to hit some spots before slamming SXSW. Find em, support em, drink em under the table - just don't ignore them. They know where you live...

Throwing Up - Big Love


Now this one is a little old. Fever Fever released 'Pins' back at the tail end of 2011 (on Gravy Records - also responsible for the new Bitches release, SWEET!) - oops! Its a kicking clusterfuck of a track, heightening the anticipation to a feverish pitch (sorry...) for the debut sometime this year. I'm a fan of Clare St Clare, and after hearing her you will know why...

Fever Fever - Pins

Japanther Scuffing Their Rhythm Up Tonight!

Its been a while since we talked up an Upset The Rhythm gig, but we have one for you now, headlined by an act that I came across accidentally. Near the end of 2009, my friend Dan had downloaded what he had thought was the album that I was talking to him about at a party some time previous. When he put it on, I was immediately perplexed at the scuzzy as fuck scattershot punk that was coming out of the speakers...and were they really singing about River Phoenix?

Turns out that the album Dan thought was Japandroids' Post Nothing was actually Japanther's Scuffed Up My Huffy - and a new favourite band was born. Japanther may have started out as an art project, but their profanity-fuelled sampled introductions, incredibly loud scuzzy guitars and nonchalant viewpoint on just about every aspect of society makes these crazy Brooklynites an absolute must-see. They are to be supported by Bitches (we have talked about them here) and Shellshag.

Japanther et al are playing The Dome tonight for 8 squid. Dont worry - there are plenty of tickets on the door. This will be a cacophonous clusterfuck of a gig, which means a lot of booze, a lot of noise, and a hell of a lot of fun.

Japanther's Rock N Roll Ice Cream is out now.

Japanther - River Phoenix

...drums, bass and screaming

Bitches - Winner from PEACE BITCHES on Vimeo.

With 1234 coming up this weekend and it being the first festival this summer with all three of the SM crew in attendance, it only seemed proper that we mention some of of the bands gracing the Shoreditch fields. First up is a quick mention for local duo Bitches.

We came across this boy-girl/bass and drums screaming duo Bitches supporting Double Dagger at Rest Is Noise in Brixton and fair to say sharing a stage with Double Dagger is never going to be easy. I seem to remember enjoying the monologue in between songs more than tracks. This, I'm now sure, had more to do with the limited sound checking faculties of the venue (I remember Cold Pumas really struggling there too) because since finally getting hold of the riotous, ragged riffed, stripped back track Can Not Love I've been forced into reassessment. Its fun, simple, straight to the point stuff, perfect for Saturday frolics in a field, as the bonkers vid for Winner above will testify. I'm sure the open air of Shoreditch will be kinder than Brixton's enclosed spaces.

Bitches - Can Not Love