Cowbones

When I mentioned French band Cowbones late last year, I mentioned that I was very excited about their upcoming album, Vox Populi Polux. This anticipation was based on the above photograph and one track only, 'New Cobonnies'. I compared them to Grinderman, Jon Spencer and other rampant psychobilly misanthropes - and that comparison still stands. But Cowbones are a much stranger beast than this acknowledgement. Opening with the staccato drum machine and organ combo with warped vocals of 'No Law', we realise that these punks are unique in their derangement. 'Cramp' seems devoted to The Cramps/The Mummies et al, thus the name, but then there is the sparse, distorted dance-punch of 'Honey' or the syncopated belch of 'My Room'. 'Pink' whips out the Theremin and takes us down into the sordid Underworld. Most of the lyrics whether Gallic or English are delivered from a megaphone made out of rusted aluminium and razor wire. It's a special brand of hell that I for one subscribe to wholeheartedly.

You can grab Vox Populi Polux (out now through Casbah Records) here.

Stealing The Black Mekon

General all-round good guy Luke over at London/Stockholm label PNKSLM Records (Al Lover, Charles Howl) has another killer release on his hands, this time the new LP from Birmingham's doyens of debauched debonairness Black Mekon. The third PNKSLM release in existence, Stolen Bible 2 is a chugging sleazeball of garage blues. Drinking liberally from the poisoned chalice of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, snorting the chronic crassness of Supersuckers, biting the hand of the Misfits that feeds them, Stolen Bible 2 is riddled with that much debasement and wanton gleeful destruction that your ears will need to be immediately quarantined. That said, what's been heard cannot be unheard - you're caught in Black Mekon's clutches forevermore. Ah well - total corruption does look like a hell of a lot of fun...

You can buy Stolen Bible 2 now (here for the last two copies of the ltd edition marble vinyl, and here for the standrad (misspelling intended) black).




And try this out for size - a Halloween track with theremin! These guys are great.

Screaming For Cute Mutants In Skimasks

On the 12th of the 12th of 2012, Sophomore Lounge (alongside Infinity Cat and 100% Breakfast) put out Cute Mutant, the LP from Boston noise terrorists Skimask. Voice terrorists, more like it - the two vocalists (one spitting lyrics that are so distorted that it feels like Jon Spencer ate a supermarket intercom, the other manipulating guttural noises) are the instruments, with the only other common denominator is the drumkit. That's right - no guitar or bass, the incessant noise is all from a dude's throat with effects pedals a-go-go. It makes for something wedged between Foot Village or Lightning Bolt - sure the drumming is nowhere to the same level frenzy, but the seemingly ad-hoc (and definitely crazy) song structure and feverish compositions are akin. The end result - Cute Mutant is a quivering swamp monster, fuelled by electricity and madness, feasting on dubious souls and spitting them into the converted masses' open mouths. That's not so cute, now, is it?

Grab Cute Mutant here. I have no idea what it means, but it somehow rocks, and is replayable. You've gotta fucking love that then. And if you are in Boston, and these guys are playing, put your riot gear on and GET THERE.

Skimask - Tempurpedic Mattress
Skimask - Slap Me Silly

These Luddites Are Gettin Got Good!

 

Thee Ludds first hit me as Murder City Devils headed by Jon Spencer's younger brother, with less money, ambition, vitriol and whiskey, but with more apathy and inherent sleaze. A few more listens of Fez Bowl, their cassete on Tie Dye Tapes, and the split they have just done with The NoBrainers, doesnt really have me changing my mind much. These Leceister boys may be new on the scene, but they are aping the right kinds of bands, and with further exposure (especially if they picked up some more London shows, hmm?) they could be pushing all burning down the Old Blue Last come year's end with a thousand dying acolytes at their feet.

Thee Ludds - Skin And Bones

Thee Ludds - I Told You I Would

Sultan of $

Mark Sultan is a demi god of the modern garage movement, both under his own name and as the 'BBQ' in King Khan & BBQ Show. His myriad releases on esteemed labels such as Sub Pop, Bomp!, Norton and In The Red have been all of at least good quality, and has spawned a great number of worshippers, some of which include Bradford Cox, Jon Spencer and the boys of Black Lips - the latter formed with him to create messed up shit as The Almighty Defenders (I really oughta dredge that up for y'all sometime...)

So Sultan is pretty big business...well, he fucking well ought to be! Therefore when the penny drops on the grapevine that he is to release new material, the hairs stand up on the back of my love handles. $ is being put out on Last Gang Records, and under his own name Sultan has managed to not only divulge in his love of doo-wop (which has now taken on credence in other, hipper circles), but in psych, country and noise. This is an album to be sought out, which you can do on Monday November 8th.


Until then, feast your eyes and ears on first cut 'Status'. Welcome to the weekend...

Mark Sultan - Status from Daniel Taylor on Vimeo.