School Knights

Those snotty slackos School Knights have a couple new tunes floating around the ether. After the disappointing news that the fucking rad SK/Night Manager split isn't likely to materialise, it's good to hear these guys are still throwing their shit at their teenage bedroom walls. Take that, MOM! Yeah, these two tracks in particular play the Wavves card, but when the flat-brim cap fits... It's goddamn catchy, a veritable KFC bucketload of fun, plus it's a bit meatier - the duo of Michael Stein and Zack Roif are now a foursome, thanks to Morris Kolontyrsky and Ben Donehower! Radness! And it is honed (as much as this shit can be honed) with some ace tours last year opposite Ty Segall, Black Lips, Cloud Nothings, Vivian Girls and Gauntlet Hair. Yeah, I just came a little too...

School Knights - Present Tense
School Knights - Bender

Gauntlet Hair Go Chillwave On The Top Bunk

You've gotta give it to Gauntlet Hair - despite their constant pigeonholing, the Denver duo refuse to be taken seriously. Latest track 'Top Bunk' is impressive in its innate ability to capture the shimmering insularity of the "chillwave" movement (I shall refrain from this abhorrent name from here on out) whilst remaining solely live instrument based, and wearing their Animal Collective thinking caps for all to see. The skewering of the coastal sounds is of particular note. Now, I haven't heard their self titled debut (on Dead Oceans) yet - I know, I'm a bad person - but with this twist in the tale track, I'm sure their noisy pop has many other trajectories on which to travel. I think I will try to find this record today...

Gauntlet Hair - Top Bunk

Hairy Times In The Gauntlet

Gauntlet Hair make me laugh, they really do. The duo from Colorado have so many stupid-yet-awesome band photos (see above for one just pic), and they love having a stupid-arse time. It really benefits from them actually being able to kill too (evidenced by the ace 'Keep Time' which is all yours below). Its loud, its dissonant - but infusing it all with a sense of abandon more familiar with how a band like Japandroids might do an album reworking of Animal Collective's Sung Tongs. Very worthwhile, then.

Gauntlet Hair - Keep Time

Hair-Brained Thinking Of Gauntlet Love

Gauntlet Hair have popped out the track 'I Was Thinking' - well, kind of, as they released it last year too. Its a pretty insatiable guitar stomp that throws some R&B and soul into the lo-fi revival pot, mixing heavily-reverbed guitars with a simple, yet undeniabe booty-shaking beat. Add in some Animal Collective-style vocal melodies and you’ve got something pretty fantastic. The Colorado duo have also scored the support slot for the Dodos' upcoming June tour of the US, which is pretty damn sweet too.

Not as sweet as that photo though...

Gauntlet Hair - I Was Thinking

Vitamins For The Weather Machine

I was talking to Crawf over at Tome For The Weather Machine before the Xmas break, mainly riffing over how amazing Tjutjana's self-titled LP was, and he threw me this video from his own act, Vitamins. They've been rocking Denver for about three years, so are well versed in all things Tjutjana, as well as getting chummy with Woodsman. they have been playing with the likes of Tennis and Gauntlet Hair too, which is pretty rad. There is talk of a new release in the works, and they may be doing a vid with Rob Feulner (who's done some wicked vids for CFCF and Hobo Cubes) so keep tuned...

Liquid Crystals-Original Score by Vitamins and Shyman from Matthew Daniels on Vimeo.

Run the forest family gauntlet

Now if you read this blog on a regular basis I'm sure you'll be aware that yours truly is a bit of a fan of the Texas-based music blog Gorilla Vs Bear. These chaps have taste so when I heard that they had set up a label, Forest Family, with Weekly Tape Deck, it could only be a good thing in my book. They've already had a top notch start with the 7" Go Outside from The Cults. In fact it's the most previewed track I ever posted, so you guys clearly have taste too - I hope you bought it!
Forest Family's next release must surely spark as much interest. The debut single from Colorado duo Gauntlet Hair, I Was Thinking... is a throbbing slice of summer bliss, echoing vocals and sparkling guitars. Due late May, its one for the pre-order and then some.

Gauntlet Hair - I Was Thinking