Friday Cover Up - Banging Mutant Turtles, BOOM!

Yeah, I totally went there! Controversial headings to suck you in, with no delivery! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Actually, it is somewhat true, as crazy Oklahoma misfits The Boom Bang have scratched out their own (relatively true to form) version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme tune. WITH their own stop-motion video! I inexplicably missed their 7" split with Copperheads, but this one grabbed me and slapped me in the face. Now if that doesn't get you into the swing of the weekend, I don't know what will.



Here is the mp3 as well - as if this ISN'T going to fuel your weekend!

The Boom Bang - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlez

Happy weekend people! Especially to those at Golden Plains this weekend - what a festival that is. Ill be kicking back at the (hopefully) sunny Rainbow Beach, relaxed and drunk as I listen to the new The Men, The Pharmacy and Disappears albums. See you Monday!

VIDEO VACUUM - UMO, St. Spirit, The Boom Bang, Jay-Z/Kanye

New week, new day, and I am chasing my tail already. So much I want to get done but I won't be able to do any of it - it's like having a camera and being asked to only take photos of other cameras (or rolls of film - the analogy is weird and totally random, and it is an in-joke, but Im rattled and caffeinned up to the yin yang, so you will have to excuse this one...) So let's procrastinate, shall we?

Who doesn’t want to hear foreign pop break beats, psychedelic riffs, and out-of-this world vocals that make you think you’re listening to a young Michael Jackson-think “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough”- performed in a futuristic building in Yugoslavia? How about a video-driven music discovery platform, documenting the most talented emerging musicians from around the world? Well the truly innovative Noisey collective (curated by VICE and backed by Dell and Intel) have been scoping the world for new talent and music scenes to bring to the videomatic masses, one of the best initiative going, and recently they flew to Los Angeles to see what outer space was like by filming Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s infectious live set at L.A.’s Satellite. Noisey.Com’s segment includes an intimate interview to get the low down on the mysterious band mates, life on the road and getting weird on the streets of L.A. Watch the below clip then follow Noisey.com avidly kids!



One of Sonic Masala's "discoveries," Philly louts The Boom Bang have released this lo-fi vid for new single "Vietnomnomnom" off their LP World War Fun (through Nice People Records). It's more of the same loud, shambolic fun - and it's exactly what we need on a Death March Monday! Crank it up...

The Boom Bang - Vietnomnomnom from The Boom Bang on Vimeo.

Now here is something a little different. I was sent this last week - a music video by a band called St. Spirit. St. Spirit are a band of 19-year-olds from South London, who love Brian Wilson and My Bloody Valentine... All good things mind you, but that could describe anyone. Then I listened, and watched, and was blown away by this band. This isn't some half-arsed first attempt at a video in the parentals' backyard whilst they have nipped down to the shops. The animations fits beautifully with the melodic track and has made a mighty impression...



And finally, who doesn't need some bombast to chew on at the start of the working week? Who better to dish out the pomp than Kanye West and his bud Jay-Z. Sure, Watch The Throne is good but underwhelming. But if every track had a powerful, provocative video like 'No Church In The Wild' does, it would make heads explode. Having Odd Future crooner Frank Ocean on the periphery certainly boosts things too...

Kanye West and Jay Z - No Church In The Wild (music video) from High5Collective on Vimeo.

NOW GET BACK TO WORK!!!

Those Damn Teens Rock My World

Terribly immoral and perversely suggestive heading aside, Teens is an incredibly hard band name to find info on. That said, I did find out about the Idaho garage act, otherwise I wouldn't be saying how much I enjoy their self-titled album. They've only been around for less than a year, but their brand of garage surf punk with shades of Eric Burden is infectious, relatively tight (for the genre this is a pleasant surprise) and love music, full stop. And if you don't like it, fuck off. Their words, not mine. But to be fair, if you are reading this blog and still can't be bothered to like Teens, you may as well do as they say.


You can purchase Teens digitally for $3 at their Bandcamp - its worth parting with the spare change. Its fucking cold today, but it has me rocking out in my jim jams and blue hoodie, like the delusional hobo that I am. They are playing tomorrow night at The Red Room in Boise, Idaho with another SM favourite, The Boom Bang - don't miss it!

Teens - Reasons
Teens - O'Lay

VIDEO VACUUM - Old Monk, Boom Bang, Empire Express

Halfway through the week. Its been a weird one. So many hours at the coalface with an empty hand at the end of it. Well, maybe these three vids will offer enough disparity and effervescence to get you over the hump and surfing towards another glorious weekend...

First up is Old Monk, whose Birds Of Belize album was an enjoyable romp (check out our thoughts here). Here's the video for 'Sacred Birds', a punchy number that has a fairly simplistic music video that is no less compelling - well, I was enthralled by the powder blue tux...



I wouldn't expect anything less from The Boom Bang than a cheap ass video that is rad as hell. What with all it garish Wordpaint .gif like imagery, faux hipsters and the dorkiest moves this side of an ABC kindergarten, 'Tobacula' just rocks. This is cool, you pencil mo stroking...strokers. Yeah, cop that!



And to round us out and bring us down from the sugar rush high, this beautiful number from Swedes Empire Express, whose Valleyland album was an unexpected corker of an album. The video for 'I Miss You (Home)' is fairly understated, but with a track this beautiful, it is impossible to resist. Go on, just try to resist! You can't can you? Nuh uh...



Now get back to work!

Fantasising About The Boom Bang

Two of my fave finds of 2010 have exciting releases of note.

First up we have The Fantasies, whose unpredictable tracks of varies pastiches of genres and sexy art work have been flooding the musical floodplains for the past few months. Now they have hit us with 'Stuck In My World', a track solely devoted to making you lose your mind.

The Fantasies - Stuck In My World

The Boom Bang have just released their new album, World War Fun, on Nice People Records, and they have a tasty single off it that reminds one and all that they only have one speed - GO! They will pummel you into submission if needs be. And so they should.

Tobacula by The Boom Bang

Until a Christmas set zombie western is filmed, this'll do...

I mentioned back in May this amazing instrumental band with the mega rad of death moniker, Zombie Western (see here). Their self released EP The End...And The Aftermath was the most apocalyptic post rock Id heard in a long, long time, and yet I havent heard boo about them since. I never expected to hear their next effort would be a Christmas single - but here it is, 'Carol of the Bells' - and it is typically moody, atmospheric, unnerving and oh so cool! Seriously, these guys need to get some recognition and join their Texan brethren Explosions In The Sky and This Will Destroy You in the higher echelon of the instrumental rock genre! And whilst the Boom Bang put out a brilliant effervescent Christmas track, Zombie Western have given the polar opposite - and yet is just as incredible. And that creepy cover art - amazing!!!

If Santa came down with a cold and rose on Christmas day bring a flesh-eating virus down the chimney, Ill be standing there, shotgun in hand, this song on the stereo, and grinning from ear to ear...

Zombie Western - Carol Of The Bells

Boom! Bang! Early Merry Christmas!

I know this is uber early, but what the heck! Those crazy Oklahomans The Boom Bang have released a track for a compilation called Checking It Twice, put out by Nice People Records, just in time for Christmas, and seeing as we have posted about their Bummer Camp EP and the rad music video for 'We Skeletons' in the past two months, we may as well keep the monthly love in going strong. Their contribution, 'Coast of Christmas Trash', pisses over all others on the comp, and is one of the best Christmas jingles out there. So now you have no excuse to put this on your playlist when Santa comes down your misused, rat-infested chimney early December 25th, do you?

The Boom Bang - Coast of Christmas Trash

And hey, why not see the tripped out vid Charles made for the track too? Dont say I dont do nothin for ya!

Boom Bang Bring On The Skeleton Crew

The Boom Bang have just released the music video for 'We Skeletons', a cut from their Bummer Camp EP (out through Guestroom Records; distributed via Matador and Revolver Records, so that vinyl won't be hard to procure!). Its a track we sampled here a month ago, which is nice. No news on the band coming to Europe anytime soon though, so hang tight on that one.

Here Comes Da Boom...

The Boom Bang are from Oklahoma City. They are putting out their first 7" record, Bummer Camp, next Friday through Guestroom Records. Its a tasty 4-track that cleverly showcases both the sound of the band and their temperament also...

SOUND - messy, sloppy, scuzzy, fuzzy, poppy, punky, spunky, funky.

TEMPERAMENT - knockabout, layabout, party-hard, spazztastic.

Their single is, funnily enough, on the B side - 'Run Way Away' - but in my opinion there are stronger tracks on here, including the one I have below, 'We Skeletons'. Its a hell of a lot of fun. Their reference points - from Davie Allan, Dick Dale, and Link Wray, garage bands such asThe Cramps, The Gruesomes, and The Swamp Rats, and contemporay bands like Wavves, The Intelligence, Thee Oh Sees, and Crocodiles - speak volumes.

The Boom Bang - Run Way Away
The Boom Bang - We Skeletons