Mac's Batteries Give Me The Face Twitches

As if I could resist finishing off the week with 'Box Batteries', the latest single from Superchunk's Mac McCaughan. This isn't an overly new song, or film clip - it's been out for over a month - but I have just picked up my ticket to see him play the Courtyard Theatre here in London on November 11, supported by the excellent Al McKay of Dick Diver. And these facial expressions - it runs the gamut of my week to be honest. Combine this song with Dan Friel's 'Rattler', and my weekend soundtrack is set to noise pop sugar rush saturation meltdown.

Don't Mind The Twerps

My anticipation for Twerps' new album Range Anxiety just went up a couple hundred notches after hearing new cut 'I Don't Mind', a perambulating roller that incrementally builds, a lopsided grin and assured saunter intermittently broken by cascading sunlight. Martin Frawley has mined a rich seam of songwriting in holding onto internal doubts and brandishing them like shields against external threats - a self-galvanising force, inherently radiating with lackadaisical light. It's what makes each Twerps release such an ebullient event.

Merge Into The Underlay, Twerp(s)!

We are always excited about a new Twerps release here on Planet Masala. The news that the Melbourne band have a new EP out called Underlay is monumental – and the fact that it is so compact and realised is a reminder as to why they are much-loved here and overseas. Overlay is the first recorded output with Alex MacFarlane (The Stevens) in tow, and he slots in effortlessly. We also see Jules McFarlane taking a bit more of the vocal duties this time – not as in more in more songs, but in responsibility and strength. 'Conditional Report' and 'Raft' stand as two incredibly strong tracks. But there are other elements to be excited about too…the joviality and jaunty roll of ‘Heavy Hands’, the sleepy drawl of ‘California Clay’, the raucous shambolism of ‘Hypocrite’ – even the weird instrumental title track, which feels like the theme tune to some bizarre ABC children’s program. EPs are ripe for experimentation, but it is also great to have so many feelgood hits in the bunch – as the sunny amble of ‘Consecutive Seasons’ trundles into the sunset, shoulders a little shrugged, a beer hanging loosely at the side, it’s time to flip sides once more. Twerps are becoming a real institution, aren’t they?

The band have also announced their signing to Merge Records, which means their global exposure is about to explode even further. Underlay is available in limited edition 12” vinyl through Chapter Music – get it ASAP.

Friday's Cover Up - Super Chunky Misfits In Heat

It's a week late for Halloween specials, but The Simpsons air their Treehouse of Horrors whenever the hell they want, so why can't I?  Especially when it's as good as this Superchunk cover of the Misfits' 'Children In Heat'. Its thrashy, trashy and so goddamn sweet. Listening to the Misfits in a dingy Goth bar in Collingwood is one thing; hearing Chapel Hill's finest belt it out is something else again - but on a par. Superchunk are playing The Tivoli next Tuesday alongside the inimitable Neutral Milk Hotel - colour me all kinds of excited.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Cronin It Out

NB - This has been written prior to ATP Melbourne. Assume that the following is some semblance of the truth. Jesus. Tittyfucking. Christ. That phrase may be immortalised in Team: America, but I'm pretty sure it was a dry run usage for its true calling – describing Saturday’s ATP Melbourne. At least in terms of volume. Regardless of whether you caught My Bloody Valentine, Swans, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Civil Civic, The Dead C, or all the above, you are sure to have lost some levels of hearing that ain’t ever coming back. We’ll discuss levels of aural orgiastic fulfilment later – but I'm in sever recovery mode. And with another day of it on the doorstep, with the likes of Beasts Of Bourbon, Einsturzende Neubaten, Pere Ubu, My Disco and The Drones to punch me in the face, I need something ramshackle and joyous to react favourably to my bruised head/eyes/ears/soul.

Mikal Cronin is the man to do the job. His self-titled debut last year was a great surprise, his part to play as Ty Segall’s backing dude (or one thereof) is stellar, and ‘Shout It Out’, the single for upcoming album MCII (out on Merge in May) is the kind of sunny bittersweet rambler that hair of the dog and lazy Sunday afternoons were made for. In fact, it’s almost twee, it’s so upbeat. Like a beefed up Ben Kweller. Jesus tittyfucking indeed… (Disclaimer: I actually liked Kweller’s last record. Plus he’s an alright dude. Still, I think Cronin would cuss me out for saying so. Still, it’s meant as a compliment – for better or worse). But seriously, how fun is this? Maybe a more appropriate indicator is ‘Shout It Out’ sounds like the kind of song Dylan Baldi of Cloud Nothings would make if he wrote like he did two years ago, but played like he does right now. Whatever. This is my cure. Let it be yours too.


Mikal Cronin – Shout It Out



Pre-order MCII here (and you can get a T-shirt bundle of the shirt Cronin is wearing above). Enjoy the weekend peeps.

Missing The Wrestling In The London Nursing Home

Its weird how you can ignore what's in your backyard until you move away. Let's Wrestle were always playing London shows in the three years I was floating about, yet I systematically ignored any press that surrounded them - in fact, I had never listened to a song. Then a month ago a friend handed me their latest LP, Nursing Home - and while it doesn't set the world on fire, it certainly has fun trying, and makes me yearn for just a little bit of time back so that I could fit one of their live shows into the plethora I managed to catch. They straddle the line between silly and sincere, raw and ridiculous, yet the tightrope act is a worthy one for the most part. Its certainly great for a silly, drunken Saturday afternoon...

Nursing Home, is out now via Merge Records.

Let's Wrestle - In The Suburbs
Let's Wrestle - Dear John

Civilian Oak

Baltimore's indie folkies Wye Oak are bringing Civilian to life via Merge Records/City Slang in early March. Its going to be intriguing, as they have employed John Congleton to twiddle the knobs in the studio - he who beefed up the likes of Modest Mouse, Shearwater and The Thermals, adding lushness to boot. And if the title track is anything to go by, we will get a lot of Jenn Wasner's plaintive vocals and lyrics about aloneness, and a lot of Andy Stack's heavy emotive instrumentation - both of which Im more than fine with! 'Civilian' is a great song - one of my favourites for the year.

Wye Oak arent sitting idly by for the album to come out either, currently touring Europe with Cold War Kids (whose new album Mine Is Yours is actually OK - go figure...) before playing two shows in London. They support Cold War Kids at Koko on the 23rd February, but if you wanna just get a taste of the Oak then head to Monto Water Rats the day before (22nd February) - this is also their first ever headlining show in London, so if I were you, this would be the gig to be heading along to. Then they swing back to the US to play tunes with Lower Dens (who swing by London in April with Deerhunter - yay!) and Callers - plus one rad show in Iowa in early April with Titus Andronicus! 2011 - the Wye of the Oak...

Wye Oak - Civilian