An Eternal Summer Requires Correct Behavio(u)r

Eternal Summers are preparing to launch the follow-up to the excellent debut LP Silver with Correct Behavior (that's their American misspelling, not mine!) and they have handed out some tasty morsels to get your teeth into. The Virginia trio (the duo have added a bassist) aren't so much a scrap pop band in the same realm as compatriots Reading Rainbow as they are treading a new line that wavers between the Sundays ('Millions') and the Breeders ('Able To' - although a track not on the album). I'm really looking forward to see how this sucker works out.


Correct Behavior is out July 24 through Kanine Records.

Eternal Summers - Millions
Eternal Summers - Able To

VIDEO VACUUM - Explosions In The Sky, Joe McKee, Nikko, Fever Fever

Hectic personal life and hectic working life means my social life is taking a battering this week. As in, I don't have one. SO I'm locking myself away to reach deadlines and save cashola, all the while knowing there are at least four great shows on this weekend, three of which are one-offs (Eat Laser Scumbag! Nova Scotia! Keep On Dancins! Concentric Circuits! Erm...The Sips!) ARGH! So I really need encouragement. Here are some videos that are perking up my downward spiral...

No surprises that the first cab off the ranks is one of my all-time favourites, Austin gods Explosions In The Sky. This video for the brilliant 'Postcard From 1952' is their third from their latest record Take Care Take Care Take Care. Reminiscent of the also-stellar video for Youth Lagoon's 'Montana' in my opinion. Check it out (and, in my case, over and over...)



Joe McKee used to lead the darkly brilliant and sadly defunct Perth via London act Snowman, whose third album Absence made out best of lists last year. He hasn't been sitting idle - his first foray in solo guise is ready to drop! It's called Burning Boy, and will be available through Dot Dash/Remote Control on Friday May 25 (the day a certain music blog is hosting its best live lineup yet - coincidence? I think not! Actually, it is.) Here is the understated first single, 'Darling Hills'.



Another SM fave is Brissie Australian Gothic western marauders Nikko, and they too have a new LP in the wings. Gold & Red isn't out for a while yet (July 3 to be exact), but it sounds suitably apocalyptic. Yet it ain't all doom and gloom, as 'Smoke Alarms' (from their 7" precursor) attests. Here is the slick video:



Finally, some teething from Norwich, England's "finest" Fever Fever. 'The Chair' doesn't necessarily have the bombast and bite that 'Teeth' had, but the menace pervades this track. It's a gentle reminder that not all is well - and that I'm not going softly into the dark, dark night people...



NOW GET BACK TO WORK!

New Animal Collective - What More Needs To Be Said?

In A Room Of Concentric Circuits

A great little endeavour, Concentric Circuits is Room40 and The Queensland Conservatorium in conjunction with Crossbows – A Festival of Small Ensembles. The final program includes the likes of Dot.AY, Hunz, Anonymeye, Hugh Francis, Eugene Carchesio, Joel Stern/ Ross Manning, Primitive Motion, Tralala Blip, aa-cell, Botborg, Timothy Tate, and N4rgh1l3 all storming the Queensland Conservatorium on Brisbane's Southbank over May 11-13. The project is free and aims to deliver some of the most exciting electronic leaning acts from Brisbane and beyond. The three evenings of sonic drifts; from chiptune to audio visual psychedelia.

In its inauguration in 2012, the Crossbows Festival is directed at showcasing the work of small ensembles. In its programming, Room40 is taking an open approach towards exploring the notion of ensembles, with first announcement featuring the feedback chambers of Anonymeye; power duo dynamics of Primitive Motion; the multi-sensorial collaboration of AV ensemble Botborg, as well as installation works from Eugene Carchesio and Lawrence English.

For full program details and artist information, see here.

And to celebrate this awesome initiative, here is a new track from Anonymeye! See you there.

Anonymeye - Rendering (All Alone In The Moonlight)

Making It In Barcelona

I stumbled across this band when scouring Bandcamp last month, and have been suitably blown away. Sure there will be some apparent My Disco comparisons, but on their self-titled EP Sydney band Making really own their territory here. Its hard to find much out about a band called Making, but suffice to say the music talks for them. Muscular yet spare, repetitive yet adventurous, these six tracks really resonate. This kind of fever-pitched tension doesn't come around every day, especially when it is sustained across an entire record. Again, the My Disco allusions will come across here, but so what? My Disco are one of the most innovative rock bands on the planet. There is plenty of room on that plateau for some other upstarts to bring their angry nihilistic minimalism to the fray.


Grab the EP here.

Making - AB
Making - Boy


NB - Since stalling and screwing about in getting this post done, Making have released a new single, 'Barcelona'. It still follows in the same vein as the EP, but is somewhat warmer in texture. A great track. Can't wait to see what coalesces out of this excellent beginning.

Making - Barcelona

Black Surf, Sludge Gum

Black Gum are back! Those crazy guys from Austin Texas that brought is the grimy grunge garage of their self-titled cassette last year (see what I thought of it here) have a two-track 7" out called 'Surf/Sludge', and although the production is 100% cleaner, it provides further proof that the trio write great catchy tunes. You wanna know what else is awesome? They have done a whole set of Beat Happening covers in the near past. So yeah - they are awesome.

Check it out here (it's out on Monofonus Press).

Black Gum - Sludge

Cracked Off With The Fever

Ah, that dreaded day back after a long weekend. Well, hopefully these two balltearers will propel you in the right direction, kicking and screaming all the way.


That pesky Off! album is finally, FINALLY out today! And here is another track off it. I love that so many are being drip-fed to the rabid masses. Sure, most of the album will be accessible in bite-size pieces all over the Net, but that is punk! Give the fans what they want. And I need no nonsense punk to the crotch, stat.

Off! - Cracked

Ah fuck it - here is the whole album!


And of course we have this London trio to make sure this raging high is maintained. New track 'The Chair' is Fever Fever's first true single, and was put out yesterday through Kissability (whose first release was the UK distribution of Brisbane wunderkinds DZ Deathrays' Ruined My Life EP - they know their shit). It offers a more bridled facet of the trio, yet is still ballsy and plays with convention a lot, two things these Norwich hellraisers will always have in spades. This track is actually a bit like Blood Red Shoes, but not crap (Ill admit I used to like BRS, but I think they have disappeared down the mainstream/pretension hole...) Buy the cassingle here - these kids just keep getting better. They are playing The Great Escape this weekend too - check em out if you are there.

Downing That Mellow Milk Magic

Gotta love this. Mellows is a fuzzed out EP by Chicago's Magic Milk (which I must admit I mistook to be Milk Music - gotta read carefully, folks...). It's hard to get recorded material outta these bastards, due to their constant spitting of blood and sweating of bile over ever live venue they can raid. They are deliciously sloppy, but also know when to dial the noise down some, something many garage bands of this ilk fail to realise. The distorted vocals and yelps notwithstanding, this is some hit jangly pop masquerading as squalid punk, and for me that tastes just fine.


Mellows is out now - grab it here.

Tenzenmen Tsunami

Shaun Tenzenmen is awesome. I seriously love this guy. He has brought to my ears the amazing self-titled debut by Auckland noise rockers God Bows To Math, and the subsequent Sonic Masala-run show at The Waiting Room killed (plus they are super nice guys). He is also a very busy man, bringing us music from all over the world, all of it excellent. But he has been uber busy lately, releasing a whole bunch of seven-inches and albums, so I have some serious work to do to ensure the word is out! So, here are some of the Tenzenmen releases floating in the ether (and at your local record store - I picked up a couple 7"s at Rockinghorse last weekend...)


First up we have Yes I'm Leaving, a Sydney noise act that is far too underrated for any sane man to comprehend. This three piece are crafting some beautifully dissonant rock that does everything you want from the genre and more, and on new release Nothing they truly nail it.

Yes I'm Leaving - Untitled
Yes I'm Leaving - Nothing

Now, who's up for some Asian hardcore? Yeah, me too! Why not throw some Spanish screamos in the mix too! This split 7" features a few tracks from Malaysian brutalisers Inquiry Last Scenery, as well as the last recordings of Spain's abrasive brethren El Eje Del Mal (translates as Axis Of Evil). It's fast, furious and fun - pretty essential then. (Plus the crudely drawn Star Wars riffing cover is pretty ace!)

El Eje Del Mal - El VHS Contenta
Inquiry Last Scenery - I.L.S


Remember Bikini Eyebolt? Not really? Shame. They existed (if you could call it that) in Melbourne around 2007-2008, and featured DEAD's Jace on guitars and vocals. This release showcased what most of the world missed - a band willing to follow in the footsteps of the post-punk giants such as Gang Of Four and Wire, without succumbing to malaise, pretension or disco. This is authentic, serrated, and above all none of it is throwaway. It sure is a shame that these guys aren't still killing it - but then again, Dead might not exist as it does now, so swings and roundabouts I suppose...

Bikini Eyebolt - Rats Love Me
Bikini Eyebolt - Walking Asleep


Heading back to Asia - Shanghai in China, to be exact - we'll finish off with Duck Fight Goose, an experimental math rock hybrid who are causing ripples all over the world since forming back in 2009. History is a 7" preceding their upcoming 2nd LP Sports, and is a worth precursor. There are only 50 copies in Australia (well, 49, because I am now a proud owner!) in white vinyl, and is well worth the purchase.

Duck Fight Goose - History

There are more to come this week, so keep the goodness flowing! You can get these releases and shedloads more here

A Decade On, Mi Ami's Not Always For Me

For me, Mi Ami will always evoke the memory of their show at Barden's Boudoir back in 2010 for two reasons - firstly, because support act Islet were a shambolic blast to the adrenal gland, and secondly because Mi Ami did exactly as they said they would with then current album and stole my face. It was an incredibly acerbic and lacerating show whereby frontman Daniel Martin-McCormick overcame the hypertensive wails that litter the record and put them into the real world - seeing him actually emit those sounds somehow put everything into sharper focus. Steal Your Face was one of Paul's favourite albums of that year, and rightly so.

However, since then Martin-McCormick and Mi Ami compatriot Damon Palermo have stepped away from the post-punk annihilation that marked their earlier incarnations and, through a variety of outside projects (Sex Worker, Magic Touch and most tellingly Ital) they have embraced their visions of house music. House music, to me at the very least, is music's version of the Dark Side. Very few "indie" artists make it in both worlds, and invariably never return the same person. We are getting very Heart Of Darkness/Apocalypse Now here folks...


And so it is with Mi Ami. After their Thrill Jockey-sanctioned Dolphins EP last year, they have launched their new album Decade (on Not Not Fun offshoot 100% Silk), which helps to explain the progress since their inception ten years ago, and the influences the duo clearly now hold. And whilst I get the tracks (I'm privy to a little Ital), this isn't what I want from Mi Ami. Call it something else, but this is the kind of about-turn that hurts a fanbase. Well, it's hurt me at the very least.

That said, I still like previous works Steal Your Face and Watersports, so who knows. Give it a go, you may love it more than me.

Mi Ami - Bells

Lotus Plaza Grows Outward At A Distance

There isn't much that comes out of the Deerhunter collective's stable that I am not a fan of, and whilst it's Bradford Cox's antics that gain most of the attention, the rest aren't laying idle either. Guitarist Lockett Pundt's output as Lotus Plaza is nothing to be sneezed at, and on latest LP Spooky Action At A Distance he truly comes into his own.

Sure, tracks such as 'Strangers' don't stray too far from the DH format of shimmering sunny psych shoegaze (hope you can pronounce your s's - that phrase is a spit-sprayer...). It showcases a number of things, not least how integral Pundt is to Deerhunter's writing process, and how on this album he has stepped up into the sunlight, discarding the ambient netherworld for a front-line assault on glorious guitar pop swathed in warmth. What's more, Spooky Action At A Distance is an album with a spectral magic built into its mainframe, for every time I have listened to this record (and I have listened a lot), a new track takes precedence over all others. Whether it be the glossy ambling of 'Strangers', the ascendant glory of 'Out Of Touch', the sparse folk gravitas of 'Dusty Rhodes', the bliss out shoegaze of 'Monoliths', the harmonious, uplifting 'White Galactic One' - seriously, each track holds its own emotions and memories, real or imagined. It is this sense of a musical equivalent of fireflies in a jar that this album evokes - there is a glow in between the spaces of these compositions, and when Pundt opens them up, the light envelops you whole.


True, this is a glowing review (pun semi-intended) - but it is well worth it. Spooky Action At A Distance (out on Kranky) can be bought here - don't be surprised if this becomes an underground hit for years to come.

Lotus Plaza - Strangers
Lotus Plaza - Out Of Touch

Dune Rats Like Fuckin' It

Here's the newie from Brisbane's Dune Rats. It's a clearer produced track and shows some growth in their surf-rock malaise blueprint, the flippant and fragrant use of curse words notwithstanding. The single is out on Monday, with a national tour to follow.

Friday Cover Up - White Denim Gets Young

I had to cover this set of covers for two reasons. First and foremost, my girlfriend Alison will be winging her way back to the UK on Wednesday for at least 6 months, and although I will see her in that time, it's going to be hard. So having White Denim's James Petralli play her a cover of Elvis Costello's Alison is the least I could do...

James Petralli - Alison (Elvis Costello cover)

Secondly, because I clearly have some pulling power, we have the first cut from Neil Young and Crazy Horse's first album since Greendale, called 'Oh Susannah'. Petralli thought he could pay kudos to that too, so here is a Young cover. Happy weekend people!

James Petralli - For The Turnstiles (Neil Young cover)

And that new track/video...

Hozac Nation

Ive been remiss for not listing some killer Hozac releases lately (sorry Radar Eyes!), so I thought I would deliver a hefty spark of releases that are all ace, some incendiary...


Let's start with one of the latter then. I have been a massive fan of Nice Face since Can I Fuck It?'s arrival that showcase the NYers' penchant for visceral punk noise abandon, and Inner Etwas (on Sacred Bones) was the culmination of this. Now we have Horizon Fires, and it's a different approach, albeit abound with their trademark twisted malice and delight. And to celebrate its imminent depravity, I have a track to give you! Let the mind-meld begin... (And seriously give this dude the kudos he deserves!)

Nice Face - You're So Dramatic




Hands down the best album cover-album title connection so far this year (in my opinion) is Texan garage skronkers Rayon Beach with This Looks Serious. C'mon - how can you go past a washed out still of Steven and Alex P. Keaton in an earnest, angsty tete-a-tete? The music is as bombastic as their Death Rides A Horse 7" suggested, and although I think the mix could have been a touch pared back, allowing the music to breath rather than suffocate on the fuzz, it promises to be a great calling card, and handy when at a loose end and with a carton, an ounce and a lady at hand.




Let's step out with the first band I didn't know before my Hozac OD - Cozy. This Minneapolis boy band has in Cola Shock Kids enough pizazz, sugar and spice to get any heart racing, and are the perfect mix of the Monkees and the Ramones. Don't believe me? Have a taste below. These guys are rampantly stupid, and all the better for it. Get on this bad boy.




Plateaus are a San Diego quartet whose MO is bouncing, jangly mutated punk pop as it was meant to be. Forget those SoCal wipeouts, Plateaus exists solely to erase those inane memories and replace them with sweat, serotonin and saliva. And their A-Side to their 7" 'Do It For You' will crawl inside you and latch on like a tapeworm. Leave it there - it will make you stronger.




And finally, another band I had no idea about until this week is Far-Out Fangtooth, whose The Thorns 7" EP is pretty special. The title track is by far the best cut, whose plodding squall manages to explode without truly releasing the tension - almost like a phantom orgasm, it leaves you ecstatic and bewildered at the same time. I'm not sure if the Philly trio would like such a connotation, but it works for me. Anyway, here is the rad war propaganda video for said song, see what you think.



You can pre-order/buy these and many other ace releases over at the Hozac webstore here. If you don't already, keep an eye on this label at all times. They are the bizness.

A Mutual Holy Drowning

I don't often agreed with UK blogmasters Drowned In Sound in recent months (although I seem to be one in the vast minority that thinks the new Chromatics albums is so overrated that it has disappeared up its own arsehole, so that could also be my problem haha!). But sometimes we are in sync, such as our mutual love for Errors' new album (goddamn that is a great record...).

Then I got sent this EP by new skids on the Glasgow block Holy Esque - and it seems that the DiS crew and I aren't so disparate after all. The energetic four-track taster is spiked with sweaty tension, yet is driven by a manic pop mantra that infuses bands such as Future Islands or Modest Mouse, two vastly different bands that ultimately mirror these notions when on song. Plus, those vocals from frontman Pat Hynes remind me of Murder City Devils' Spencer Moody, rasping and yelping his way into an apoplectic epiphany. There are connections to Scottish compatriots The Twilight Sad as far as the emotive muscle to their instrumentation is concerned, yet this is the type of individualistic, lightning-in-a-bottle kind of opening salvos that promises very big things. And to think these guys, who recently scored a Wu Lyf support, are unsigned, is nigh on ridiculous.


Get Holy Esque's EP - I implore you.

Holy Esque - Ladybird Love

Record Store Day Delivers

Its been a couple weeks since the Record Store Day of 2012 left a crater like dent in everyone's wallet, yet it is still the stuff of legends. Here in Brisbane alone we had two record stores with great live performances - Rockinghorse had the amazing Blank Realm killing, whilst Tyms pulled out the big guns with two interstate bands being trumped by the might of No Anchor and Turnpike. I myself came away with some great vinyl, including the below (although I bought two of them over the internet - it still counts though, right?)


Thrill Jockey had a few releases up their sleeve for Record Store Day, but I couldn't go past this split between Hush Arbors and Arbouretum called Aureola. It's a match made in pastoral psych folk heaven, seeing as the two men behind these projects, Keith Wood and Dave Heumann, have been honing their craft in weird and wonderful fashion for some time now. Nothing too extreme happens on this release, which may be a disappointment to some, but the quality of these tracks has us here at Sonic Masala wishing that this is just a toe in the water towards more fervent collaborations.

Hush Arbors - Up Yr Coast
Arbouretum - New Scarab

The fine folks over at Bristol label Howling Owl Records released this doozy of a 4-way split, featuring three bands that we "discovered" over the course of Sonic Masala's existence. Spectres' Sonic Youth embalmed EP was a near-classic as far as first raw efforts go; United Fruit unleashed their hard-hitting self-titled album (yeah, they are Scottish, but whatever); TOWNS has been doing its best to bewitch everyone in the mother country with an ounce of taste; and then there is Fairhorns, a band previously unheard by yours truly (although the inclusion of matt Loveridge from Beak> drew my attention). These are four quality tracks (some are brand new, others it's their first appearance in the waxen form), and perfectly showcases the bands, the label, and the burgeoning talent bubbling under Bristol's surface. (There is more than just a quiet interest in Bristol bands for me these days - but more on that later...) Buy this beautiful 12" here.

Spectres - Bug In Amber



These last two took me by surprise, as I had no idea that Toronto's Pow Wows and Austin psych giants Black Angels were even putting out 7"s for the day! The respective Killing Me and Watch Out Boy I'd Rather Be Lonely discs were sitting on their lonesome - I couldn't believe that they had been overlooked! And they are awesome as expected. See below.

Pow Wows - Killing Me

The Black Angels - Watch Out Boy

There was also a great compilation of unreleased tracks from bands off the Sacred Bones label (the Pop. 1280 song is worth the purchase price alone), but really it's all about the love of vinyl. The love of music full stop. So much good stuff, this barely scratches the surface, but gives you the best indication yet that Record Store Day is one killer event that I'm already counting down to.

Men Fear The Green Sea

London via Brighton collective Fear Of Men should a helluva lot of potential last year due to their Alice Munro release (read/listen here). Next step in their march towards global submission (after changing their entire rhythm section!) is 'Green Sea', a track that has expanded their aesthetics in every conceivable direction - glossier production, more ambition, dexterous instrumentation (especially love the backwards guitar - a backwards guitar solo get me every time). There is more beauty in this track than whole albums from many of their contemporaries. I really hope these kids keep pushing this - it feels like they are building up to something quite special.


The Green Sea 7" will be out in June through Sexbeat - pre-order it here.

New My Bloody Valentine!

OK, this has been out in the ether for two days now, but seeing as Sonic Masala was conceived at a My Bloody Valentine concert I better jump on the bandwagon! With all these remasterings going on (and I must admit that it's getting a little out of hand), there is some good coming from Kevin Shields' revisiting their back catalogue - such as NEW SONGS! Not new new, just unreleased, new to these ears new. This track comes from their EPs collection. What a great way to start the day!

My Bloody Valentine - Good For You (via Pitchfork)

Hits From The Box #49 - Salt & Pepper Wells In My Eyes

Despite the fact that this blog pays SOOOOOOO well, it is important for me to give a little back to the local community (IE pay the bills). So over the summer months I coached a under 14s cricket squad. We were one of the most consistent teams in the competition - we lost every match, convincingly. And to celebrate, we had a break-up - at Sizzlers. Yep, I'm a high flyer. But I'm also stupid. Because wherever there are all you can eat sugar mountains - there are crazy-arse kids tripping off their balls. And I had to put up with these boys snorting pepper and drinking ice-cream and crayon sundaes for two and a half hours. Still...the cheesy bread was great.

I can barely function due to the headache last night wrought, but I have enough energy left to do this week's Hits From The Box.


Bonfire Nights hail from my hometown of Brisbane, are now based in London, and are making some tremors around the world thanks to their self-made EP. Their J&MC-meets-Morning After Girls esque psych pop doesn't always click with me, but I think this is more a work in progress than the problems of the band. Why? Because they can get it incredibly right, as on 'Own Worst Enemy'. The more given over to these guys, the better they sound. A promising beginning.

Bonfire Nights - Own Worst Enemy


Now I feel bad about this double-whammy, because I received the digital copy of this eons ago, but received the lathe-cut clear 7" yesterday. Thanks Cory! His band Lizard Kisses released this split with atypical tropical pop from British Columbian band My Friend Wallis, coming together even down to the cover art. Both bands made collages for their respective sides of the 7", making each one unique and one of a kind. You can view all 35 individual record sleeves here. The clear lathe cut records were hand-pressed to a numbered edition of 35 and include typed inserts on vellum. So sweet - I love this! Buy it here. 'Water Tap' is Lizard Kisses' effort, featuring extended family members Jordan Lee (of Mutual Benefit) and Andrew Morehart (of Share-a-tories). 'The Colour Of Water' . It's all really sweet, the perfect soundtrack to lazing about in a sunny park, cheese platters and cold beers at hand, carefree. We need more tracks like these as the winter heads over the dividing range... There is something honest and authentic about these tracks which I really connect with. Lizard Kisses also found one of their tracks on the Beko 100, a playlist of 100 songs that are all pretty ace. Check that one out here. Ill be keeping a close eye on this Brooklyn duo - they're something special.

Lizard Kisses - Water Tap



Another grimy group from the Phatry Records label, Wisconsin's Disguised As Birds double-EP (the brand new Black Circles added to 2009's New Demons) pendulums between a dreamlike meander and an explosive regurgitation of hard-boiled rock. Fans of Jawbox might find a lot to like here, although Young Widows acolytes might find a lot to love also.

Disguised As Birds - Black Circles
Disguised As Birds - Let The Boy Watch


The watery electronic drips that open up San Francisco's Kapowski's single Section 8 segues into lead Jesse Rimler's Akron/Family-esque vocals, a languid sonic experiment that glories in its left-of-centre pop stylings. Listen to that organ! Those soaring choral voices! I am yet to hear anything else from this collective, but I have to say I like them so far. This track is deceptively infectious. Debut record Boy Detective (recorded by Eli Crews, whose previous works include Tune-Yards and Deerhoof) is well worth hunting down (Here is a good review of it if you doubt me) (And a name inspired by Tiffany-Amber Thiessen's Saved By The Bell character is well worth supporting, in my opinion...)

Kapowski - Section Eight



The American Dollar may sound familiar. That's because their elegiac ambient/post-rock soundscapes have recently fallen in favour with the television trailer crowd (excerpts of their songs have soundtracked cuts from Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and Up In The Air). Now it may be a surprise to most of you, but this Brooklyn-based duo have been plying their trade for seven years, with five albums several EPs and remix releases under their belt. Awake In The City is their latest sojourn into sonorous states, and it's a good un.

The American Dollar - Heavy Eyes Ignite


Finally we have Folks, a simple moniker for a rollicking throwback sextet from NW England. Their album I See Cathedrals has gotten a bit of buzz, and listening to single 'Skull & Bones' I can see why. This isn't the best thing I've ever heard, but that bouncy piano and grooving chorus, chirpy guitar, and throws me into a 70s tailspin. White Denim do this so much better - so do Band Of Skulls, to be honest - but this is a good effort, with warm room for improvement, and has me keen to hear the album in full. Mission accomplished, then!

Folks - Skull & Bones

Happy Wednesday!

Triple Ty Treat

I haven't been lathering you with Ty Segall-isms, so you may have thought that the whirling wunderkind had gone quiet. Au contraire, mon frere! The San Francisco garage ratbag has released a shit tonne of stuff.


Firstly we have the split tour release Segall did with French psych ruffians The Feeling Of Love (another awesome, and in my eyes/ears/head a criminally underrated band). One track each side, heretofore unreleased. It's rough and ready, which is more Segall's M.O. than The Feeling Of Love (their Dissolve Me release may have been a little cut-rate, but still comes off as slick and sexy), but altogether ace.

Ty Segall - It's A Problem


Now there is the oft-spoken of collaboration with Tim Presley AKA White Fence, the result being the twenty-nine minute LP Hair (out through Drag City). Both dudes have their idiosyncratic stamp all over these tracks, and it is a truly excellent album. Although too short, as the album races towards its conclusion like a bat out of hell. These guys complement each other, showcase how the lo-fi psych garage movement has many more corners left to shine a light on, and are ever closer to smashing through the glass ceiling. They are their only limitations, which is inimitably exciting news.

Ty Segall & White Fence - I Am Not A GameTy Segall & White Fence - Scissor People

Finally we have The Ty Segall Band, which also features the excellent Mikal Cronin. So far I have only heard this one track, but it is enough to have me rabid with excitement. Slaughterhouse isn't out til June 26 (through In The Red), but it is clear that Segall's promise to deliver something heavier (with a focal point being Black Sabbath) and more melody. Well, the below track has prog psych rock written all over its sweaty, red-eyed face.

Ty Segall Band - Wave Goodbye

These next three releases are in the bag, and there is promise of more in the near future kids, so keep saving your pennies, never get complacent, because another Ty Segall release will always be around the corner (they don't call him "Five To Eight" IE "how many albums out per year" for nothing...)