Fuzz : Fuzz

Roland Cosio, Ty Segall and Charles Moothart make up power trio Fuzz.  Their first album follows well received single 'Sleigh Ride' also released through In The Red.   'Fuzz' builds on the explosive rock sound from the 45 merging Black Sabbath-esque metal with Hendrix psychedelic stylings on guitar.  'Fuzz' even references grunge with their sludgy number "What's In My Head" that sees Moothart subvert the riff from Stiltskin's "Inside".  As the band name and title suggest there is fuzz accompanied by pounding drums, hefty bass and meteoric guitars, this is best shown on "Haze Maze".  "Hazy mazes tryin' to get to you, well it will end where it began, with your body placed beneath the sand, in again the cycle never ends, made of SKIN forgive your human sin", Segall sings in a strung out holler - and it's these ideas of morality and mortality that thread through the lyrics.  "Loose Sutures" continues, "Bleak futures on the run, I don't know what's to come, fate's forging, beams bent on burning me, run...", accompanied by 70's stadium style breakdown's in the music letting each instrument have their own joyous tangents (and you should have seen people freakout during this song during their show at The Dome recently).  'Fuzz' is made up of 8 interplanetary metal songs that is everything you want from a modern band interpreting 60's/70's rock sounds, for those who need fuzz in their life, here's Fuzz with 'Fuzz', get fuzzy, get Fuzz.

Oblivians : Desperation

Oblivians are back with their first studio album in 16 years.  'Desperation' (In The Red) sees the return of rampant garage-rock-blues stylings they're known and so well loved for.  These 14 blistering new songs are unmistakably our favourite Memphis trio as they beckon 50's rock 'n' roll, 60's garage, soul and blues.  During their break Eric, Gregg and Jack have been continued to write music (Reigning Sound, Parting Gifts, Jack-O & the Tearjerkers, The Dutch Masters, True Sons of Thunder to name a few) and what sets 'Desperation' apart from previous albums is you can hear how working apart has brought something new to the table.  The songs sound more slick without losing the wild and rambunctious nature of their approach.  A great example is "Loving Cup" featuring hyper chugging rhythms, smokey vocals, crunchy guitars and a savage guitar solo sailing over the top of the whole thing.  From there The Oblivians continue to turn up the heat with brawlers like "Run For Cover", "Fire Detector" and one of my highlights "Oblivion".  'Desperation' finishes with "Mama Guitar" playing out scratchy strings, rock 'n' roll howls and thumping beats seeing the album blasting on all cylinders before it leaves you in the dust.  Really great new record, when it comes to trailblazing rock songs Oblivians dish 'em up in spades.

Fuzz : Sleigh Ride/You Won't See Me

Charlie Mootheart (guitar), Roland Cosio (bass) and Ty Segall (drums) make up new band on In The Red called Fuzz.  As the name suggests the power trio immerse themselves in muddied fuzztone offering up two songs comprised of 60s rock sounds, pop and a heavy-metal smack.  "Sleigh Ride" features thunderous guitars, pummeling beats and a rumbling bass making a brilliantly scuzzy metal number touched by freaked out psychedelia.  Flipping over we have "You Won't See Me", a sludge-fest of chewy guitars and crashing rhythms anchored by a rubbery by bass.  Fuzz certainly live up to comparisons with Jimi Hendrix, Blue Cheer and Black Sabbath and deliver a fantastic full-blown rock single - get a copy while there's still some around...

Tyvek 'On Triple Beams'

Tyvek have been turning heads since their first album in 2007 'Fast Metabolism' (What's Your Rupture).  After a few lineup changes and a load of releases, the Detroit outfit continue to prove to be at the forefront of punk today.  'On Triple Beams' is their fourth album, second for In The Red, that sees Tyvek tightening things up whilst staying rough around the edges.  This new album captures what many already know about the band, that they focus on frustrations rooted in the humdrum of daily life.   Tyvek share a fondness of turning the banal upside down with muses Wire and Wipers, whilst bringing something fresh and radical to the table.  The record kicks off with "Scaling" featuring Kevin's signature tannoy system effect vocals - chewy guitars, stomping bass and ramshackle rhythms all forging regulated chaos where Tyvek are as carefree as they are careful.  It's this state of being on edge and strung out that denotes their raucous approach, wonderfully shown on the ballistic "Little Richard".  My other favourite track is "Efficiency", taking a swipe at the tedium of every day life with grinding guitars and one repetitive beat against a backdrop of discordant noise accompanied by Kevin's monotoned holler, "Efficiency is boring...".  After spending a lot of time with the Tyvek back catalogue this album reveals, to me at least, how the band continue to go from strength to strength.  'On Triple Beams' is another great record for the Tyvek cannon - really worth your time.

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UV Race 'Racism'

UV Race are a six piece from Australia who have a slew releases out on some pretty great labels like Almost Ready, Aarght! Records and S-S to name a few.  Their last album 'Homo' was one of my favourite releases of 2011 so it's the height of downplay to say that I was looking forward to their follow up 'Racism'.  These ten new songs offer up, to my ears at least, some psych and pop ideas by a group who sound as though they could haven been punk fans in their formative years.  Recorded and mastered by Mikey Young this is the band's second album for the always great In The Red Records.

"Life Park" sounds off, "Left my kids, and my wife, I was working 9-5, I was working just to survive", with deadpan vocals, metronomic beats accompanied by roaming bass sounding as quotidian as it comes.  It's this sense of ennui that best describes 'Racism'.  Also shown on "Nuclear Family", a cacophonous track made up of angular, scorching guitars mono-toned vocals and deadened beats - all qualities you might expect to find from a post-punk song.  Favourite track is closer "Memenonome", an otherworldly number featuring eventide guitars and bass alongside chanting vocals and deranged trumpet sounds.

For me this album is made up of opposites - there's abrasiveness put next to saccharine, downhearted lyrics put to upbeat music and crassness juxtaposed with sensitivity (check out "Sophie Says" vs "I'm A Pig" to see what I mean!).  'Racism' challenges the mundane whilst carrying forward the sound of punk today making music a more exciting place to escape the daily grind.

UV Race Facebook Website

Thee Oh Sees 'Carrion Crawler'

Thee Oh Sees latest offering on In The Red is the first full length by the San Francisco band that has really hit the spot. There's no rhyme or reason for it, but 'Carrion Crawler' just hits the garage rock pleasure centres. Having never disappointed in a live setting may be this record captures everything I love about watching Thee Oh Sees in action. Their unhinged guitars, feverish vocals and rigorous rhythms are immediately engaging on stage and this translates on 'Carrion Crawler'. "Chem-Farmer" is a four minute instrumental piece with a minimal guitar melody on repeat peppered with meticulous beats, under-stated rumbling bass and shredding roaming in and out of focus throughout. "The Dream" hands down is a real favourite on this album, urgent guitars and racing rhythms descend into brilliantly crafted freak outs boiling over with anxiety. Nine albums in and the ballistic 'Carrion Crawler' is the one that's made a believer out of me.

Thee Oh Sees - The Dream by Gilded Gutter

Thee Oh Sees Facebook Website

Wounded Lion ' IVXLCDM'

Wounded Lion are; Brad Eberhard (guitar, vocals), Lars Finberg (drums, guitar), Raffi Kalenderian (bass, percussion, vocals), Shant Kalenderian (guitar, bass, vocals) and Jun Ohnuki (bass, drums, organ, percussion). The five piece are grounded in LA, featuring hammering rhythms, crunchy guitars, elastic bass and organs. Some may already be familiar with Finberg's work in other projects - he's the current drummer for Thee Oh Sees, original drummer for A-Frames and masterminded band Intelligence. 'IVXLCDM' follows up last years debut on In the Red, this new album attests that since their first single on S-S Records Wounded Lion have continued to hit their stride. Recorded with Chris Woodhouse these 10 songs capture Wounded Lion's playful, wrong-footed manner towards their collage-like style of songwriting further shown in videos where pieces of horror, nature, sex and fiction are woven together creating nonsensical stories and images in their own form of art-punk.

The primitive approach to 'IVXLCDM' is best shown early on in the record by "Wyld Parrots" kicking off with a rumbling bass, incoherent vocals and forthright drums. Flipping over, Side B features "I'm Sad" with off kilter guitars bending in and out of tune, clobbering rhythms and a yell-a-long chorus, "I am sad (why are you sad?), because I want to play more music and I want to sing my song" declares Finberg in a deadpan yelp. It's this innocent and unrefined approach that sums up Wounded Lion's demeanor, another example of this is stormy number "Raincheck Vibrations" dealing with childhood imagery and frustrations of being an adult. Right out of the gates guitars transmit a menacing tone allowing Finberg to get his story across "I was watching batman, batman and catwoman were alone in an alley, they were getting kinda close, their caped shoulders were touching, their faces drew nearer and nearer, they were so close, then robin came running round the corner and screwed everything up..." 'IVXLCDM' is a weighty, raw sounding album recorded in a way that sounds unlike anything else around whereby, Wounded Lion utilizes simplified parameters they set themselves to take their songwriting to a place without limits.

Video for "Raincheck Vibration"


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Davila 666 'Tan Bajo'

The six members of Davila 666 already have releases on some of the finest independent labels around; Rob's House, Douchemaster and HoZac to name a few. Based in Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan the boys have broken out of their local music scene and made it across to the US and now Europe. 'Tan Bajo', on In The Red follows up 2008's self titled debut.

Recorded in three weeks 'Tan Bajo' stays true to Davila's Punk roots, however picking up inspiration from a few new places. Track "Si Me Vez" pays dues to Velvet Underground and Jesus Mary Chain with chest pounding guitar rhythms hang easy vocals and Panda Davila's tambourine jingles. Singing in broken Spanish the songs sound like they are recorded phonetically. In placing weight on the sounds of words Carlito and AJ Davila's vocals assert meaning in tone alongside melody heavy guitars, encouraging the listener to respond to how the track makes you feel. Utilizing 'ooo's' and 'aaa's' throughout the record as well, on 'Obsesionao' for example, transcends words and language inviting everyone to the party. Also, it seems like a no brainer to figure out what 'Obsessionao' might be about, right?! "Mala" and "Los Cruces" are some favourites for party stompers with The Latin Snake's unrelenting rhythms and forthright, thudding guitars from Gigi and Johnny Otis Davila. Sound effects intermittently placed throughout the record make Davila 666 a band who are as deranged as they are composed inventively spinning songs through a pair of 3D glasses. Primed with a record that thumps, screeches and snarls these scamps are going full steam ahead.


http://www.mediafire.com/?6v58vsur80gy3j9

Download tracks performed on WFMU FREE on Free Music Archive!

Tyvek 'Nothing Fits'

Looking around the ICA's bookshop recently I stumbled on some short essays by John Berger, the first of which was on Van Gogh. Berger wrote about the inspiration Van Gogh found in everyday objects, people and scenes. He made art out of the mundane and environment that surrounded him. This got me thinking about Detroit's Tyvek. Even down to prosaically naming the group after a polyethylene fiber, it's these banal details of normal life that Tyvek take their queues from.

The new line up of the band, now a quartet must have discovered Wire in their formative years and channel that pummeling fury from 'Pink Flag' into second full length 'Nothing Fits', which even tears open with a blistering '4-3-1-2'! Full of feedback and distortion, 'Nothing Fits' should not be confused with lo-fi. Tyvek extracts the charged hostility from their first record and distills it into a concise 30 minute punk record.

Following a slew of flawless 7"s and debut LP there may be some who are apprehensive about 'Nothing Fits', can it be as good as their first? Is it possible to do a song I love even more than 'Honda' or 'Frustration Rock'?! When something is this good you don't need to question it, when you hear it, those speculations will be forgotten. Tyvek have gone and outdone themselves. These 12 new songs break down the boring and frustrating parts of the daily grind into brilliant 1:18 punk bursts. Don't over think it, you'll be sorry for not buying this record. In with a bullet one of my favorite releases of the year.

Cheap Time 'Fanstastic Explanations (And Similar Situations'

The wait is over! 'Fantastic Explanations (And Similar Situations)', follow up to 2008's universally loved debut from Cheap Time is out on In The Red. In the 10 or so years Jeffrey Novak has been releasing material, his song writing style has unfolded from his first project Jeffrey Novak's One Man Band, to teeth shattering Rat Traps stuff, to ritzy self released 'After the Ball'. The slew of Cheap Time's first singles on Douchemaster and Sweet Rot saw all of this rolled into one with sneaky references to Big Star, Milk 'n' Cookies and Redd Kross. Mixing 70s rock with contemporary garage punk using power pop to facilitate their inspiration, Cheap Time creates an irresistible glittering modern kind of glam-punk-watchimacallits. It's become something of internet fodder that original engineer Mike McHugh suffered a breakdown and chucked the band out of the studio at gunpoint during the recording of 'Fantastic Explanations'. The tapes were retrieved and then finished by Earle Mankey (ex Sparks). I'm a believer that the mistakes and screw ups can play just as (if not more than) an important part in art being made - and in this case, not that I like reading that people were held at gunpoint mind, Mankey has helped make one hell of a record. Highlights 'Down the Tube' and 'I'd Rather Be Alone'. This record is available exclusively in this stratosphere, as in world wide, as in right now!


Read full review of Fantastic Explanations (and Similar Situations) - Cheap Time on Boomkat.com ©

Wounded Lion 'Wounded Lion'

This year saw the release of LA based Wounded Lion's self title debut. Formed in 2005 Wounded Lion is; Brad Eberhard (vocals, guitar, drums), Jun Ohnuki (bass, drums, organ, percussion), Monty Buckles (drums, guitar), Raffi Kalenderian (vocals, percussion, bass), Shant Kalenderian (guitar, bass, vocals). The group made up of painters, film makers and graphic designers somehow found time between other musical projects Lamps, Intelligence, Sic Alps and the Rebel to bring us a slew of releases on SS Records, Gilgongo and In The Red.

Wound Lion's line up of multi-media, multi-instrumentalist artists may read kinda like there's potential for the music to get bogged down with too many cooks in the kitchen, but any sense of complication does end there. The band delivers simple, unconcerned, playful songs. Clocking in at 35 minutes, the record is built on no frills garage pop hooks which are repetitive but alter slightly from track to track breaking up the album. And sure, if you're looking for it you'll hear the Lamp and Intelligence connections. But don't be surprised if it's not that obvious - and that's meant in the best possible way. The lyrics sound like they've been filtered down from lots of ideas, through a sieve and what we're left with is a simplified idea in the form of a word or two - like word collages. There are parts where William S. Burroughs 'Naked Lunch' seems relevant to the record. Again, the ideas seem like they may have come from a complicated place but, the goal is simplicity and with that each listen of this album is more and more rewarding as the possibilities of interpretation are endless.

Read full review of Wounded Lion - Wounded Lion on Boomkat.com ©