VIDEO VACUUM - Batpiss, God Damn, Fist City, Cool Ghouls

Long time since we've attempted a good ol-fashioned brainwash, right? Here are four videos that are pretty rad, ranked in order of brutality. Let's get fried.



With a name like Batpiss, who needs enemies? Bursting out of the bowels of Melbourne, this trio have taken visceral annihilation to a new, bilious artform. Their debut record Nuclear Winter is out this week, and it is seriously the best thing I have heard this month. Melbourne has given birth to some killer acts of recent months - White Walls, Deep Heat, The Spinning Rooms. Speaking of, Nuclear Winter was recorded by Tom Lyngcoln - yep, the deranged redneck that spits vitriol and rhetoric when fronting The Nation Blue, gnashes his teeth like a blue-collar choirboy done wrong in Harmony, and recorded The Spinning Rooms. This dude always knows what he's doing, even when he doesn't. Don't trust me? Watch the video for Batpiss single 'Drag Your Body' again. This is indeed this. Listen to a stream of this killer record here.



Over to the UK and Wolverhampton's rakish rockers God Damn. I liked their first single 'I'm A Lazer, You're A Radar', and the video for 'Heavy Money' is just as impressive. A homeless man with telekinetic powers, going all Scanners on the scum of the earth? With a primary school kid in a Batman mask as his willing eyewitness? Gravy Records have unearthed a number of bands in the Midlands region that like to eat their candy with a liberal dose of razorblades - and with God Damn, they've done it again. This will be on an EP of the same name, pre-order it here.



I never thought I'd see the day that a band like FIDLAR would be a drawcard on the festival circuit. They aren't huge yet, by any means, but their name keeps floating closer to the surface with each passing week. And here we are with the band that brought you 'Max Can't Surf' featuring in RIYL's. None of this is derogatory - there is something aesthetically cleansing about a band that is so laconic in their slack-jawed stoner guitar punk that it feels like their tunes are aural hydro. And there is something equally great about a band mirroring such relaxed angular rants. that's where Canadians Fist City are at. Hit me.


Cool Ghouls - Natural Life from Robert Thomas on Vimeo.

Let's tag out with Cool Ghouls. This band from San Fran have been taken under the wing of Tim Cohen (Fresh & Onlys), and you can hear why. Talk about cruisy. But GOOD cruisy. Chilllllllllllllllll.But GOOD chillllllllllllllllllll. The more I listen to 'Natural Life', the more I want this to be my life. Cool ghouls indeed. Can't wait to hear the debut self-titled full-length - out now through Empty Cellar Records. Blow it - let's listen to it together!


NOW GET BACK TO WORK!

Hits From The Box #64 - Will You Still Need Me?

Yep, Beatles reference. I don't know - it was my dad's birthday today. He's 59, not 64, but he's the raddest guy I know, so why not link him in? I don't have much to say really, so let's get into some worthy bands that are clogging up the inbox, shall we?

Raucous, snotty pop from NY? Yes please! Welcome LVL UP,  a band of young games-obsessed dudes who initially got together to do short stabs of lo-fi gems intercut with lengthy guitar solos. Things have moved on since then, and the quality of their Extra Worlds 7" (out through Double Double Whammy, who incidentally were responsible for putting out one of my top 10 releases of last year, Spook Houses' Trying, which you can also get here) speaks volumes. Can't get the excellence of this power pop outta my head. There is a bit of Superchunk, a dash of Built To Spill (not the last I can hear Doug Martsch in this post...), a dollop of Pavement, a smidgen of downer pop ('Totally Ruined' is a killer track), a pinch of The Thermals... It's just an amazing little offering. Very happy about this one.

LVL UP - Graveyard

'Tie Or Die' is obnoxious, bratty, catchy and loud. Makes sense really, seeing as the 7" is from Manchester duo Bad Grammar, who have been picked up by Gravy Records (Bitches, Divorce, Fever Fever). The band deals in noise pop that is visceral, insistent and hypercolour, to the point where you can headbutt a wall without fear and see rainbows flow from the wounds. This kind of frenetic, fun riff-raff is always up my street, as is a B-side called 'Ace Adventura'. These kids are alright (and see the cover art for the 7" below - seriously rad).

  

Shark Week are a quartet out of Washington DC whose three-song eponymous EP last year blew all and sundry away with their short, effervescent slabs of bluesy garage pop, think glory days of 70s and Johnny Thunders in his swaggerific prime (pick it up here). It was the energy that sizzled through these tracks that really electrified, and the band went on to mesmerise audiences at SXSW last month. They are all about having a good time, ensuring that everyone else gets groovin' too, and their new song 'Baby Maybe' continues the trend. Goddamn if I wouldn't have a memorably debaucherous (yet good natured) night at one of these shows. Bring on the good times.

Shark Week - Get High

Einar Jullum is a dude from Oslo, now based in Montreal, that has crafted a pretty chill record on Hjerteknuser - og andre blues. Jullum sings in Norwegian and it swings from Devin swagger blues, to Elliot Smith melancholia and weary chagrin, to quirky folk about-turns. It's a eclectic trip that, to me at least, suits the Montreal climes - I can envision this killing in a small bar in the dead of winter. It's very iconic, and deserves to be heard. See what you reckon - you can get it (via the great Kinnta Records) here.

If I told you about a cool surf-indie-pop band called Tough Guys Of America, with a song called 'Jersey Shore', where would you assume they come from? I'm pretty sure your last guess would have been Belgrade, Serbia... Yet this band, much like VVhile that I came across earlier this year, inherently hold an electric undercurrent to this band, infused with a playfulness that is leagues apart from their Stateside brethren, and makes them inimitably more interesting because of it. There is a definite Real Estate vibe, but I imagine they are swinging their feet from a li-lo and drinking beer on Ada Ciganlija Island (I had a rad time there back in 2009 - still, it ain't Big Sur...). I hope we hear more about these guys in the near future.

Tough Guys Of America - Jersey Shore 

Brooklyn's Field Mouse embody a 90s indie sound that was massive (and therefore not really 'indie' in the true sense) but with more feedback. Rachel Browne's vocals have that same drawl too. But there is something about these guys that promises something special. 'Tomorrow Was Yesterday' has a hint of poppier Built To Spill with its construction too, which will always strike a chord. Time will tell, yet it's clear that they are workhorses too, going on a massive tour starting next week. I'm willing to wager they will come through it A-OK.

4/19/13-PA, Philadelphia @ MilkBoy

4/20/13-DC, Washington @ Rock N roll Hotel

4/21//13-NC, Chapel Hill @ Local 506

4/23/13-FL, Gainesville @ The Atlantic

4/24/13-FL, Orlando @ The Social

4/26/13-GA, Atlanta @ The Masquerade

4/27/13-TN, Memphis @ Crosstown Arts

4/28/13-TX, Dallas @ The Prophet Bar

4/30/13-TX, Houston @ Rudyard's

5/1/13-TX, Austin @ Mohawk

5/3/13-TX, El Paso @ Gallery 127

5/4/13-AZ, Scottsdale @ Pub Rock

5/6/13-CA, San Diego @ Soda Bar

5/7/13-CA, Los Angeles @ Echo

5/8/13-CA, San Francisco @ Bottom Of The Hill

5/9/13-OR, Portland @ Doug Fir Lounge

5/11/13-WA, Seattle @ Sunset Tavern

5/13/13-UT, Salt Lake City @ Urban Lounge

5/15/13-CO, Denver @ Larmier Lounge

5/16/13-KS, Lawrence @ Jackpot Music Hall

5/17/13-MN, Minneapolis @ Triple Rock

5/18/13-IL, Beat Kitchen @ Beat Kitchen

5/19/13-MI, Lansing @ Mac's Bar

5/20/13-OH, Cleveland @ Beachland Tavern

5/21/13-ON, Toronto @ The Drake Hotel

5/22/13-PA, Pittsburgh @ Club Cafe

5/23/13-MA, Cambridge @ TT the Bear's Place

5/24/13-NY, New York @ Bowery Ballroom 

Field Mouse - Tomorrow Was Yesterday

We finish up in Italy, a country not overly renowned for their elegant post-rock. Yet in Soundtrack For A Quiet Place, Elara have something quite special to offer. Recorded in the Republic of San Marino (I'm pretty sure this is the first record I have ever listened to - definitely owned - that is from this region...), the three-track EP valiantly attempts to create a score for the warmest memories of the soul - those places that are indelibly burnt into your mind, filled with love, warmth and glory.  Lofty ambitions, but the classical touches that colour the edges of tracks like 'We Are Infinite' proves that they are on the right track. You can get Soundtrack For A Quiet Place through Fluttery Records here.

Elara - Me & You Under The Aurora Borealis

Happy Wednesday!

A Godly Triptych

Carrying on with the wordly connections, Im linking three acts that all aspire to connect with God (well, have God in their name somewhere...)

 

First up is another MUZAI alumni and SM faves God Bows To Math. Now whilst a new album is a little while off, on the cusp of New Years' the dissonant trio dropped a single, a barbed taste of things to come. 'The Only Good Fnord Is A Dead Fnord' is as strong a nihilistic diatribe driven by wanton bursts of noise as anything the boys have put to tape, which only heightens the expectations for whatever releases are in store throughout 2013 - and seeing as they have ten releases on various formats and guises over the past three years, there could be a few.

God Bows To Math - The Only Good Fnord Is A Dead Fnord

 

Another SM-endorsed label, UK's Gravy Records, is preparing to release (along with Distorted Tapes) Wolverhampton trio God Damn's I'm A Lazer, You're A Radar single. Its abrasive, silly, raucous, and fully of grungey hooks and hairy brethren. Expect much in the way of sweat, maniacal grins and tinnitus.

 

 

 

And back to Brisbane with Extrafoxx. Now I haven't mentioned Conwae Burrell's home recorded output much, yet this crackedc guitar pop has provided some great live experiences for me over the past couple of years, so when Love Is God came out last month it was something that I needed to have in my life. Ten lo-fi reflections on a lysergic, drunken Queensland existence, Love Is God is imbued with hooks and melodies that belie the laidback nature with which they are delivered. Well worth the visit.

Gumming On The Novella

 

Here are two releases from UK bands that I was writing about separately, but seeing as they played together a couple weeks ago, I’m using that tenuous link to bring them together.

Novella are London-based trio Sophy Hollington, Hollie Warren and Suki Sou, having met in “sunny” Brighton back in 2010. Claiming that months listening to the likes of Polvo, Guided by Voices, Broadcast, Calico Wall and My Bloody Valentine sparked their desire to form a band, it’s not hard to see why tracks like 'Mary's Gun' rock the casbah. Melding guitar pop zaniness with crackling bursts of noise, the trio (who flesh out to a quartet in the live arena) love dipping their sweet dispositions into a vat of battery acid and Alka-Seltzer.

 

Then there is GuMM, taking the reverb-drenched shoegaze noise monster and ramming their spikes through its cerebral vortex. The Bristol kids (on the great Howling Owl Records roster) are a guitar band through and through, unashamedly stealing from their predecessors’ playbooks, but with such a delectable outcome delivered with naïve abandon, who fucking cares? It isn’t all earaches and bluster either – the quieter moments elevate the charm tenfold. I am gushing a little here, about both bands – they have yet to truly prove themselves. But these guys back to back have ruled this day, so they deserve the accolades – and a stamp of approval. Keep an eye out for these crazy kids.



Expect to see other releases from these two out soon (Novella is in cahoots with Gravy Records, just so's you know what to expect...)

Getting Your Kicks With The Local Girls

Sour Puss Records have another crazy band to ram down our throats. Local Girls are based in Brixton and call themselves a sexually inappropriate alt sleaze band, so they will more likely kick your teeth in if you don't buy them a pint quick smart, and forget the small talk. Their record Deluxe Kicks comes out next week and it's a narcissistic melange of noise and obnoxiousness. They are brats, wailing from licks they've stolen from Andy Falkous' spit-flecked playbook, abrasive talk-speak stories that acts coy for that split second so that your defences are rendered obsolete. Who would have thought that being relentlessly goaded would be so much fun?


Pre-order Deluxe Kicks here.

Local Girls - Racist Tune
Local Girls - Jesus Complex Man

Gravy Khan Do It With Broadswords

Crazy Norwich based three piece Khan have been burning the countryside up with their take on raucous angular rock. Their self-titled 7" of last year (which the below 'Judgement' is from) was pretty awesome, but they look to have upped the ante considerably on latest 7" BROADSWORDS B/W EVERYMAN (out July 16 through Gravy Records). To sate your thirst until then, here is another track from those sessions also, 'Tribesmen.' Don't thank me all at once...

Khan - Tribesmen
Khan - Judgement

Be Patient In The Alloy Ark

I received an email from those rad cats at Gravy Records about an upcoming 7" by the amazeballs Norwich band Alloy Ark. The catch? It won't be out until December. But what we have instead is 'Blue', the single the awesome foursome put out late last year. It's, what, grunge twee? Certainly the band have beefed up their aural approach, and are all the better for it (hence their next release coming from the Gravy train too, I guess).

Alloy Ark - Blue

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