Rayon Beach 'Memory Teeth'

Can't stop, won't stop HoZac Records does it again. Already boasting a release from Austin's illustrious music scene Woven Bones, Rayon Beach is the newest edition originating in the southern state to the Hozac cannon. 'Memory Teeth' is another example of how the label has an uncanny knack of sniffing out garage rock gems. Six adrenaline pumped face melting songs mixes Swell Maps, Pink Floyd and track 'Wave Pool Ether' wouldn't sound out of place on a Spacemen 3 record. 'Memory Teeth's' exotic-garage-psychedelica is totally worth your time. 550 of 1st pressing. Hozac please, do it again, and again and again!!!


Read full review of Memory Teeth - Rayon Beach on Boomkat.com ©

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 ©

Grass Widow 'Pass Times'

They had me with their cover of Urinals 'Black Hole'.

The all girl three piece from San Francisco have an album and EP (Make a Mess and Captured Tracks respectively) already under their belts. 'Past Time' released on the renowned Kill Rock Stars label is their sophomore offering. Astral harmonies and frenetic drums instantly bring Young Marble Giants to mind. Grass Widows aren't challenging that in any way, rather bringing new blood to a type of music that has seen quite a resurgence lately. There's so much going on in the album repeated listens means you'll continuously find new things to love about this 25 minute stunner.


Read full review of Past Time - Grass Widow 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 ©

Kitchen's Floor 'Loneliness Is a Dirty Mattress'

Because you'd hate to miss out on a great underground Australian record, Kitchen's Floor is the latest installment of the Gilded Gutter blog.

'Loneliness is a Dirty Mattress' is the first full length after a debut EP, from the three piece based in Brisbane on R.I.P Society. Right off the back of the success of his previous band Look!Pond Matthew Kennedy fronts Kitchen's Floor, with Julia Norris (Gutters) on drums and Glen Schenau (Carl Marx) on base. Choleric boy/girl vocals and repetitive musical arrangements recorded with a tin-y quality - in a The Fall meets Black Time meets Naked on the Vague way.

This was one of those records where you know, it was bought having never heard it or of the band. Now, it has been played nonstop in my house since it arrived at my door courtesy of Volcanic Tongue. It's a noisy record and your neighbors probably won't like you blasting it in your room - but you know you've got a good'en when some bangs on your wall to turn it off right?!!

Sibyle Baier 'Colour Green'

First album from Germany's unsung folk gem Sibylle Baier has now been reissued thanks to the efforts of a few people close to the singer/actress.

A road trip with a friend in the 70s traveling through the Alps inspired Baier to write her first song 'Remember the Day'. Songs compiled from recordings she made at home between 1970-1973 on a reel to reel device became album 'Colour Green'. Since completing the recording Sibylle Baier has appeared in Wim Wenders' 1973 film Alice in the Cities, and her music featured in Umarmungen und andere Sachen in 1975. However, raising a family became her priority so she gave up music and acting, moved to America concentrating on motherhood. It was her son Robby who got a copy into the hands of J Mascis in 2004, who then sent it on to Orange Twin records. Until it's released in 2006 only her circle of friends and family had heard 'Colour Green'.

Ethereal, from start to finish the album is warm, melancholy and resonates. She tends to be compared to Vashti Bunyan and yeah, they're both folk musicians who achieved success a little after the fact. Jumping forward a bit, Chan Marshall fans may enjoy this record. Baier has a unique voice in her own right though and simply comparing her to someone else isn't doing her justice. The songs are eloquent and sung in a captivating, lamenting tone. The most charming thing about the record is its humbleness and the unassuming nature of the artist.

Today, the official website for Baier set up by her son, seems like she shy's away from the accolades the album has earned her. But, the site also teases that a second album is on the way.

U.S Girls 'Go Grey'

Megan Remy (aka U.S Girls) is back with 2nd album 'Go Grey' on Siltbreeze.

Remy translates her muses; R&B and British 60s pop, into oblique New Wave with a pop flair. Sure, sometimes it seems like a natural progression to clean up the recording on a follow up record when time and resources maybe on the artists' side. However, Remy embraces the stark noise so don't be surprised to find songs even more abrasive than before. Vocals remain a prominent role in 'Go Grey' and nihilism fiends won't be disappointed as this new record is equally as morose as her first. Stand out tracks lined up back to back on the album; 'Red Ford Radio', 'Sleeping on Glass' and 'I don't have a mind of my own'.

U.S Girls first album 'Introducing U.S Girls' was recorded in Portland 2008, where another album was also being released; Grouper's career defining third record 'Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill'. These two records arguably helped propel contemporary solo female artists in today's music underworld. Thinking about the success of Sacred Bone's Zola Jesus, it's fair to say a niche had started with U.S Girls and Grouper to allow artists like Nika Roza to grow. All three have definitively unmatched voices but tied together with their unique interpretations of isolation. I will be spending the rest of my summer scouring the internet for new blood in female soloists, there's more right? Tell me there's more...