Exhaustion : Bikers

Melbourne’s Exhaustion has come screeching and howling their way back with a wild follow up to their debut album last year.  Bassist Jensen Tjhung (Deaf Wish, Lower Plenty), vocalist/guitarist Duncan Blachford and drummer Per Byström (Ooga Boogas, Leather Towel) have written 7 new arresting songs at the band’s studio.  ‘Biker’ (Aarght!) is the result playing out deranged invocations of frayed rock touched by the experimentalism of No Wave and Industrial sounds.  The LP is built on meditative paranoia; minimal, repetitive lyrics distorted into mesmeric moans, calls and intonations.  The songs culminate in a general sense of ennui sounded out by discordant instrumentals and scrambled ruminations.  ‘Hard Left’ is a stand out track for me with its haunting piano, prowling beats and whirring, jagged guitar work.  ‘Lonely Cars’ is a percussion heavy number involving a tribal mood to the album accompanied by wiry, spiralling out strings.  ‘Silver Fog’ features ricocheted cave dweller vocals anchored by a repetitive melody focused bass and whipped beats revealing a song whereby Exhaustion incorporates structure with the improvisational approach they’re already known so well for.  To my ears at least this is the leap ‘Bikers’ makes from ‘Future Eaters’; it plays with form just as much as formlessness.   Exhaustion are back firing on all cylinders and you can get ‘Bikers’ at all good retailers now! 

Check out opening track 'Blunt Eyes' right HERE

Talk Normal 'Sunshine'

Talk Normal have returned with new full length 'Sunshine' on Joyful Noise.  The jarring and brash approach that made 'Sugarland' a stand out album in 2009 remains at the core, but also introduces a few lush and bright sounds into the mix.  From start to finish the album brims with tension from militant beats, siren guitars, chanting vocals and intermittent hissing effects, best shown on title track "Sunshine".  It's this fierce approach that fittingly expresses their despondent point of view.  Another highlight is "Shot This Time" featuring unhinged vocals apace with rattled rhythms and contorted, grinding guitars driving distortion to its limits.  Talk Normal are a band staying true to their New York No Wave roots whilst forging their own distinct presence in this league.  This is a great follow up album and noise-fiends - if you haven't had a chance to check their stuff out yet well worth your time.  There's limited pink vinyl, cassette, double LP and CD versions available that you can get from them on Talk Normals website.

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Gueule Ouverte "Gardez La Monnaie"

Nicholas Murer of Drosofile (SDZ 7" with Will Foster Guinea Worms) has started a new label Stochastic Releases. His new band Gueule Ouverte based in France have a new EP out accompanied with a video. "Gardez La Monnaie" features discordant punk playing out crunchy guitars, pounding beats, guttural vocals stirring up a frenzied attack on daily doldrums. This is a great modern day No Wave song.

You can find copies here

Thurston Moore/Talk Normal Split 7"

Talk Normal just played a show in London after finishing a tour with Wire where I nabbed one of these singles. Side A are three short pieces by Thurston Moore featuring off kilter guitars brimming with abrasiveness and feedback. Side B is one minimal track by Talk Normal playing out bleak, thrumming guitars alongside soft spoken word vocals creating a cavernous, isolating tone fluxed with menace.

The first 500 had a colour cover and are sold out
100 copies were repressed with a black and white cover