Happy Damage In The Jacuzzi

Back in 2009, before I started Sonic Masala with Paul, he made me a mixtape (awww!) of all the bands that he thought I would be into. On that list was stuff from Thee Oh Sees, Meth Teeth, Vivian Girls and Monotonix - most of the others I can't remember (I lost the CD when I had to move back over to London from Australia last year...) One band I do remember was the deliriously scuzzy insanity of Miami garage rockers Jacuzzi Boys (the track - 'Island Avenue' - the type of track that Brisbane mates Tiny Migrants used to spit out). I have always been into their brand of scrappy, explosive sounds, and new EP Happy Damage is more of the same. The darker 'Sun' is more my cup of rock, but the explosive title track is heaps of fun too. Blast it out of the speakers to see out your Sunday.

No Burning Whines From Palmist

Palmist Records have just released a sweet 12" split between two like minded Portland bands, The Whines and Burning Yellows.

We mentioned the fantastic Shootinhead 7" that The Whines put out earlier this year here, and the five tracks they contribute here is further notice that this trio are the goods. 'Electric Current' has that languid, bluesy swagger that has eyelids at half mast and a lazy sway that is irresistible. It's Karianne Oudman's vocals that do this, which proves deceptive when the rusty, squalling guitars kick in on the likes of 'Belt Of Scalps.'

I hadn't heard any of Burning Yellows before and they have some good tracks here, especially the first two, 'Blanks' and 'Drains' - the chugging rhythms and reverb-heavy vocals echo down the dusty telephone line to almost fill the void that the new defunct Meth Teeth have left. 'False Horizons' hints at other realms though, an adherence to MOR and shoegaze mores that could create a heady mix as the trio continues to grow. Palmist have done well teaming these two entities up, and you would do well to grab this release up pronto.

Burning Yellows - False Horizons
The Whines - Electric Current

Christmas Island Crack Bones, Meth Teeth Depart In Control

Dammit Sacred Bones, give me some time to breathe! Or at least have decent listening time to your other excellent releases...

This is a little different though, as it's two ace bands putting out separate 7" singles. Christmas Island kick off proceedings, hitting us with fast paced, jangly indie shambolism. The urgency on offer with 'Drawing Skulls' evokes Kings Of Leon if they remained stuck in Holy Roller Novocaine (as they should mercifully have done) and jammed with Natural Child. Then its Meth Teeth's turn to drunkenly sedate us, their drug-fuelled malaise the perfect counterpoint. I loved Meth Teeth's ultra lo-fi album Everything Went Wrong from last year, and the two tracks here let us know they are still delving in this subversive, catatonic brilliance (I should say were - they are unfortunately no more! RIP!). Four tracks, two bands, one massive slab of awesome-o.

Christmas Island - Drawing Skulls
Meth Teeth - Control

Dash Those Romantic Jackets

Those fine folks over at Life's Blood have readied a great little release from Dash Jacket, called Romance. The Orange County lo-fi pop is inherent in these tracks, but what takes you away is the catchy pop underpinnings to this scuzzy gems, captured perfectly in opener 'Looking Like Glass' - there is enough heart here that when the explosion of distortion comes in its buoyant rather than ferocious - which is a difficult feat to pull off. Yet Dash Jacket do it, and do it eleven times. There are elements of other DIY darlings such as Meth Teeth or White Fence in here (see 'Till Dawn' for the best example), but in all this is an album that stands up for repeated listens - and the low fidelity actually enhances the performance. Nice work, guys!

Dash Jacket - Looking Like Glass
Dash Jacket - Till Dawn

Weeding Out The Diamonds

So I started off the Bridgetown Records love with Colorado's School Knights, which may have seemed pre-emptive considering that their primo signing as far as blog lovers are concerned is Weed Diamond. Whilst now a 5 piece band, also holding School Knights' Michael, Weed Diamond started as a one man project in noising up the pop, or popping up the noise, a la Wavves' Nathan Williams. The man with the plan here is Tim Perry. He's put out a gamut of releases, mainly splits and 7" on labels as diverse as Bathetic, Transparent, and Half Machine, as well as Bridgehouse. Now, as the 5 piece, Weed Diamond are ready to blossom into the contenders that Perry has always hinted he could be. Using that most loved of the 21st century's effects pedals, the reverb here is wielded with expert abandon, therefore not overstaying its welcome at any given turn. This is most evident in most current release, Carry On + Sweater Kids, which is an amalgam of a new EP and a reissuing of an older cassette recording. There are serious pop sensibilities here, and the beautiful aspect of this release is that it is heightened rather than hindered by its lo fi approach (although the opening track, 'Mint In My Mouth', takes a while to distance itself from its myriad lo-fi brethren...). It reminds me in some parts of Meth Teeth, who I am a massive fan of. Its pretty, and rockin, and amazing. Its pretty rockin amazing.

Weed Diamond - All Of Denver Is Wasted
Weed Diamond - Mint In My Mouth

And an older release from a split 7" with another rad Bridgetown export, Ancient Crux...

Weed Diamond - Nothing To Write Home About

And its a rainy Saturday afternoon, so Ill continue the love - here's a vid!

Weed Diamond - "Carry On" from moogie on Vimeo.

Why Meth Is Good For You...

One of my favourite albums of 2009 was by Meth Teeth.

Who? Exactly.

Meth Teeth released Everything Went Wrong, an album of ramshackle garage mumblings that I couldn't help but fall in love with. From Portland, the band interplays distinct guitar interplay with sludgy distortion, crisp drumming with shattering cymbal smashing, driving bass with staccato rhythms. The only constant - if you can call it that - are the vocals - a distorted mess that are indecipherable and yet intrinsic to the inner workings of each song. Overall the album exudes fun and warmth, rollicking blues, swampy guitars and drunken howling all combining to create a tres feel good hit of the summer.

Meth Teeth - Never Been To Church