Nots : Virgin Mary

Nots have followed up their debut album ‘We Are Nots’ on Goner with a new single of unswerving garage rock which is more deranged, more scuzzy and even more commanding than before.  This new track has a raw live quality to it which calls back to their first singles, so it’s no surprise to learn that Keith Cooper who worked on those early Nots releases recorded ‘Virgin Mary’.  A menacing bass line, contorted guitars and keys beside bold rhythms frame a void of outright abandon.  Nots’ new single is packed with the drive to heighten their focus on synth punk.  It’s this ability to connect with likeminded bands that have come before and desire to push things further that makes Nots so exhilarating.  They’re reckless, unwavering and totally fun, go get Nots 'Virgin Mary' or Nots gripping new songs will come get you.

NOTS : We Are Nots

Memphis four-piece NOTS started releasing material in 2013 and follow two singles with their first full length recently on Goner.  ‘We Are Nots’ is forged from a penchant for wild synth punk polished over the course of touring.  The album packs the same punch as the singles whilst tightening the bolts with sharper production so every element comes to the fore with unflinching clarity.  NOTS sound strong and feverish with ferocious drive made up by Natalie Hoffman’s errant guitar, Alexandra Eastburn’s forthright synth waves, prowling bass lines from Madison Farmer and the dogged rhythms of Charlotte Watson.  The eleven frantic songs clock in at around 25 minutes opening with ‘Insect Eyes’, a demented cyber stomper setting the pace for the record.  ‘Reactor’ leaps out with its stormy approach and a chorus that high-jacks your brain, just try and stop spinning it in your head!  ‘Black Mold’ plays out unshakeable vocals, chugging guitars, melody heavy bass and siren synths making it another track stuck on repeat for me.   With tour dates approaching with Parquet Courts it feels like NOTS are already gathering momentum for whatever 2015 has to throw at them.   ‘We Are Nots’ is a radical force to be reckoned with making this a great album to lose your mind to.

More NOTS  HERE

Nobunny : Secret Songs (Reflections From The Ear Mirror)

Nobunny's wild punk stylings have been strutting through just about every bar, basement and bunny-hole there is to play the world over since around the turn of the millennium.   Previously Nobunny's released three flawless full length albums as well as a gritty live recording on Third Man, 'Secret Songs : Reflections From The Ear Mirror' is his latest installment and second LP for Goner Records.  From opener "Bye Bye Roxie" 'Secret Songs' examines life's detritus and turning garbage into gold. Nobunny rolls out fourteen thrilling party stompers utilizing his flare for carefully marrying decades of rock 'n' roll ideas into short bursts of adrenalin.  There's no half-hearted play on having a good time on 'SSRFTEM' (yeah - that can be a thing?!), "Do The Stooge" features brilliantly scuzzy, cackling vocals sounding damaged from whatever he smoked the night before alongside swaggering beats, guitar and a big gulping bass.  Other highlights like "Little Bo Bitch" and "Pretty Girls" further celebrate American rock 'n' roll history while staying ahead of the curve of punk today.  Nobunny continues his salacious odes to girls, drugs and questionable life decisions to his already illustrious career whilst making sure he, and everyone else has a good time along the way. YESBUNNY!

Nobunny 'Maximum Rock 'N' Roll EP' & 'La La La La Love You' singles

Everyone's favourite bunny reveals a slew of new songs on two singles for Goner Records and Suicide Squeeze. Since 2010's 'First Blood' Nobunny has focused on touring playing so many shows and showing so much flesh it would make Madonna blush, however when it comes to releasing records Justin Champlin is about quality not quantity. In over ten years performing as Nobunny Champlin has put out three albums, a live record and around five singles, all of which have turned heads, guts and hearts on to his fearless approach to rock 'n' roll tipping its hat to every form the genre has morphed through since Bo Diddley picked up a guitar. This is further shown on 'The Maximum Rock 'n' Roll EP' and 'La La La La Love You' which are so drastically different stylistically it's hard to believe they're from the same bunny! 'MaximumRNR EP' (Goner Records) features arguably the best rock 'n' roll picture EVER on the sleeve, playing out savage punk numbers packed with snotty vocals, razor guitars and rhythms building to an imminent pile up. 'La La La La Love You' on Suicide Squeeze features two heartfelt odes, the A side is a sunny pop number and the B side is damn near the sweetest love song I think I've ever heard. There is said to be more on the way in 2012 from the commando rocker - pop crusher - punk kizza that is Nobunny -- and I for one can't wait.

The Suicide Squeeze 7" was for a singles club, and Goner was a record store day release -- I managed to get mine on discogs though...

John Wesley Coleman III 'The Last Donkey Show'

Texan enigma John Wesley Coleman III's latest album 'The Last Donkey Show' is out now on Goner Records. To date JWC III has four albums a handful of singles and some releases with another band The Golden Boys. On 'The Last Donkey Show' John Wesley Coleman III offers up sprightly keys, joyous brass arrangements and crunchy psyched out guitars. The album is made up of twelve trashy riddles played out with the rock 'n' roll gusto of Reigning Sound, the raw drive in Punk and brilliant wanderings of country & blues.

Hitting the ground running "My Grave" gives a taste of things to come with ramshackle rhythms peppered by dizzying keys which is followed by bug-eyed number "A Clown Gave You A Baby", a savage and vibrant thumper swirling with flaming synths, forthright beats and acerbic guitars. A personal highpoint is "Running Into The Bulls" a tender ode to and by a pair of vagabond sweethearts, featuring boy vs girl vocals propelled by a soft runaway drum roll and a freely tumbling guitar which erupts with a full band towards the end before plaintively fading out. John Wesley Coleman III's gonzo pop continues to overturn the norms whilst evading being pinned down utilizing sleazy sonnets and doggerel rhymes, some may say he's kinda quirky, and they might right but to you and me, a songful outlaw.

Find copies at Goner





John Welsey Coleman III blog

Mikal Cronin 'Tide'

Californian troubadour Mikal Cronin released a self titled debut last year for Trouble In Mind earning him a collective, heartfelt nod from just about every corner of the music loving underground - and with Ty Segall and Mikey Young in tow for the piece how could one expect anything less? Follow up single 'Tide' for Goner Records plays out his surfer tinged garage-rock and sure, you may think you've heard this all before however, Cronin laces pop, folk and psychedelia together to create something entirely unmatched by anything around today. At the heart of his songs are radiant melodies, strung out vocals and tapped fuzz. Another one to watch for 2012, he's hitting the road soon and he may be coming over to Europe, keep your eyes peeled for shows definitely one not to be missed!

You can find the single here
Mikal Cronin Bandcamp

Eddy Current Suppression Ring 'So Many Things'

'So Many Things' is a collection of singles and demos from Eddy Current Suppression Ring complete with covers of The Pagans, The Chosen Few and The Go-Go's. Cherry picked from material spanning seven years these twenty-two tracks stretch over a double LP. Since their inception Eddy Current Suppression Ring have united people in a love for underground punk-rock-garage-whateveryouwannacallthem bands and have played a part in putting Australia's music scene back on the map over the last few years. The Christmas present to myself this year was a no-brainer, thank you Goner!

You can find copies here

Eddy Current Suppression Ring - You Let Me Be Honest With You by Gilded Gutter

Ty Segall 'Singles 2007 - 2010'

With a prolific catalogue of material behind him, Goner Records has culled 25 tracks of singles, demos and rarities from Ty Segall's work helping paint a picture of how his song writing has developed and arrived at this year's well received 'Goodbye Bread' (Drag City). This Double LP fills in some gaps for those of us missing now out-of-print tapes, EPs and 7"s from the Ty Segall cannon. Cannot wait for this to show up at my door..

Order from Goner

Timmy's Organism/John Wesley Coleman 7"

Memphis' Goner Records earned a mention in a recent Billboard survey and although we didn't need a poll to affirm they are one of the best, it was still awesome to see them recognized alongside many other worthy independent labels. New split 7" from Timmy's Organism and John Wesley Coleman attests to the hype - I'll go ahead and say it, this is one of my favourite singles of the year so far.

Body snatcher, werewolf or a alien? This is what I'm wrangling with, as it's not possible Timmy Vulgar entered this world the same way the rest of us have. Previously fronting Clone Defects, he went on to play in Human Eye and in 2010 debuted Timmy's Organism with 'Rise of the Green Gorilla' which saw his brand of oracular solar rock top many end of year lists. Side A is Timmy Organism's animalistic "Mind Over Matter" opening with crashes of apocalyptic proportions, followed by Vulgar's howling vocals and delay heavy guitars which should come with the warning: this song spews testosterone. Featuring on Side B is "A Clown Gave You a Baby" by John Wesley Coleman , one part of Golden Boys with a few records under his belt as John Wesley Coleman III. Elevating, sugary organs, boxing guitars and rhythms with a melody that gets instantly stuck in your head - if this song doesn't make you want to get up and dance you should probably get your pulse checked.

Superb single on both accounts, there were a limited amount on clear vinyl but you can definitely find the black vinyl 7" and catch a sample of the songs here.

The Reatards 'Teenage Hate & F*ck Elvis' DBL LP

Here we have the Reatards' first album reissued by Goner Records, thirteen years on from its original release. These 39 tracks chronicle how Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr., a/k/a Jay Reatard, started his music career in his early teens. This expanded reissue contains Teenage Hate and Fuck Elvis Here's the Reatards in their entirety, the latter of which has Greg Cartwright (Oblivians, Reigning Sound, etc.) drumming in an early incarnation of the band. With original liner notes penned by Jay himself, photos, and four-track recordings taken from cassettes that now go on eBay for sums of money that would make Bill Gates wince, it's safe to say the gang down in Memphis have truly outdone themselves.

Jay Reatard released work with a warts-and-all attitude, unabashedly laying bare his processes and committing every idea he possibly could to record. Jay's work is so well documented that the tenacity in his songwriting can clearly be traced from final recordings released on Matador, back through Lost Sounds, Angry Angels, Final Solutions and pinpointed to the beginning, the Reatards' Teenage Hate. Hot off the blocks following the head-spinning opener "I'm So Gone" is "Stayce" (some may already be familiar with this track as it is featured on another Reatards album, Bedroom Disasters), and it is striking to hear how much Jay sounded like the Adverts, considering he didn't know about them until after recording Blood Visions almost a decade later. Sure, you can hear a love for the Oblivians and Wipers throughout, as this goes back to Jay not being shy about revealing his methods. Covers of Buddy Holly, the Beatles and Lil' Bunnies on this reissue go further to show what informed the Reatards' sound.

For the uninitiated, don't be surprised to hear even rougher, snottier recordings than Jay's still ballistic later work. Amphetamine-driven riffs pummel their way through the tracks apace with vocals that bite, snarl and grunt. Attention-flipping songs about being pissed off, bored and horny are composed with metronomic rhythms and crunchy forthright guitars delivered with a bad attitude that makes you want to go and knock stuff over for no reason -- just listen to "Out of My Head, Into My Bed" to see what I mean! The Reatards made music a more exciting place to lose your mind. These songs help paint a picture of how a kid who used to bang on empty paint buckets in his mum's house grew into a prolific artist. This reissue attests that although Jay is gone, he will never be forgotten.
(written for edited by Other Music)

Go show Goner some love!


Jay Reatard w/Greg Cartwright, rare unseen footage
This piece featured in the Other Music newsletter

Quintron & Miss Pussycat 'Sucre Du Sauvage'

New Orleans organist Quintron has been releasing material since 1994 and continues to defy pigeonholing. Quintron and Miss Pussycat thrive in a live setting spinning stories through kaleidoscopic illusions via their self-coined genre 'swap tech'. Eighth album 'Sucre Du Sauvage' released by Goner Records was made over a month in New Orleans' Museum of Art whereby their recording is the work of art. The duo create an adventure with the help of animated organs, shaker rhythms and experimenting with music concrete while inviting everyone along for the party.

Highly charged "Banana Beat" opens with Miss Pussycat beckoning listeners beginning her tale; "Walking through the jungle with a gun in my hand/I'm a mean talky walker from in-o-land/Life is a zebra that I ride/Party stripes down on its side", is sung apace with an aerobic organ and metronomic rhythms delivered with the force of a microwave of popcorn going off. Existential noise is explored throughout 'Sucre Du Sauvage' with sound effects suggested in song titles influencing pieces. "Train Ride" experiments with the sound of locomotion in a darker tone featuring creaking, screeching, whistle blowing and faint voices making this otherworldly track curiously isolating and spooky. The album is kicked off by Miss Pussycat's energetic alert "Ring the Alarm" and closer "Morning" brings things full circle but with an entirely different mood. Two somber notes repetitively going back and forth not unlike an alarm chime away, until the closing announcement from the museum plays out, breaking the spell.

This album sounds as though Quintron and Miss Pussycat actually climbed into a painting and made a music that reaches beyond the parameters of a canvas, where their psychedelic, bluesy adventures create a hair-raising place to lose yourself in.

See Quintron & Miss Pussycat Puppet Shows!
Quintron website
Quintron and Miss Pussycat Live

Nobunny 'First Blood'

I mean to employ no sort of hyperbole when I say that this is easily one of my favorite albums of the year, and it's only been spinning at home, in the car and on my iPod too, for merely a week. Nobunny wraps up decades worth of musical history into two, three minute garage pop songs. The fact Nobunny's influences are unabashedly laid bare makes everything feel less precious and more fun. 'First Blood' pays homage to acts like Chuck Berry, Hasil Adkins and Buddy Holly while standing out entirely on its own. What separates this new album from his first is introducing slower tracks like 'Breathe'. Ever since it was brought up that it kinda sounds like a New Pornographers song, I can't seem to shake it outta my head because they kinda have a point. These incredibly tight pop songs' accessibility is proving to serve Nobunny well as his relentless touring is reaching newer audiences.

'First Blood' touches on personal subject matter in some songs, but here it's not all about being serious but keeping your chin up and having a good time. The party stompers are aplenty like 'Live It Up', 'Do The (Fuck Yourself)' and a new version of the 'Motorhead With Me' 7" is on here too. Piano parts are still a key to the songs, especially on 'Never Been Kissed' that brings you right back to the 50's. The album winds down with a low rubbery bass 'I Was On (The Bozo Show)'. It merges the kind of free ring circus experienced at his (amazing!) live shows to record and before you know it, you're wondering where that 25 minutes disappeared to and you go back for more. Nobunny loves you? WE LOVE YOU NOBUNNEEEE!


Read full review of First Blood - Nobunny on Boomkat.com ©

Ty Segall 'Melted'

Ty Segall hasn't wasted anytime since his last release. A lot has been said about Segall's one man band set up and age. From the get go, the records have warranted the hype and third album 'Melted' is no exception.

Signature Ty Segall stompers are mixed in with slow tempo tracks as he explores new songwriting. Clean guitars (electric and acoustic) are balanced through layers of fuzz bringing the influence of 60s garage together with today's DIY aesthetic. Ty invites pals mike donovan (Sic Alps), eric bauer, tim hellman, jigmae baer, emily rose, John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees) and charlie moonheart to the party and overall produces more fully realized pop songs.


Read full review of Melted - Ty Segall on Boomkat.com ©